J Hill Designs
New Member
$500 is WAY.TOO.CHEAP. no matter what material.
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What's the best material for a shaped aluminum sign
- Thread starter Parthenia
- Start date
$500 is WAY.TOO.CHEAP. no matter what material.
All design deficiencies aside and after learning of the proposed cost to the city, I'd try and simplify the overall shape and get a sheet of two sided 3/4" MDO which I'd apply a pattern of the shape to and cut out with a jigsaw.
That sheet of material would cost about the same as two pieces of DiBond, Alupanel, MaxMetal, etc.... and would make a simple, easy to install sturdy single panel.
You can paint both sides and the edges with a good oil based enamel like OneShot and then just cut vinyl graphics and text.
You would need to slightly revise your layout to incorporate mounting tabs on the sides and have the installers rout a 3/4" wide x the height of the panel channels about 2" deep into the posts for the panel ends to slip into, then glue and screw the panel ends into place. Simple, sturdy, no warping, no layering of flimsy dibond material which even the name brand stuff has only a five year rating.
You don't have the budget for a single aluminum panel thick enough to not potentially warp without some extra framing built into it.
Your overly frilly shape and all those icons weaken the overall layout, so I'd work on that first.
That sheet of material would cost about the same as two pieces of DiBond, Alupanel, MaxMetal, etc.... and would make a simple, easy to install sturdy single panel.
You can paint both sides and the edges with a good oil based enamel like OneShot and then just cut vinyl graphics and text.
You would need to slightly revise your layout to incorporate mounting tabs on the sides and have the installers rout a 3/4" wide x the height of the panel channels about 2" deep into the posts for the panel ends to slip into, then glue and screw the panel ends into place. Simple, sturdy, no warping, no layering of flimsy dibond material which even the name brand stuff has only a five year rating.
You don't have the budget for a single aluminum panel thick enough to not potentially warp without some extra framing built into it.
Your overly frilly shape and all those icons weaken the overall layout, so I'd work on that first.
Have you contacted your material supplier and asked if they offer CNC routing services? Many do. I've contacted a few and most are reasonable and one of mine was VERY inexpensive. This is coming from someone who owns their own CNC.
As for material, I don't do this type of work but I'd probably go for 6mm ACM but really your budget only allows 3mm ACM at best. Given the shape, I think you may be able to shrink the sign 20-30% and fit both panels on a 4x10 sheet. That would save you a few bucks.
As for material, I don't do this type of work but I'd probably go for 6mm ACM but really your budget only allows 3mm ACM at best. Given the shape, I think you may be able to shrink the sign 20-30% and fit both panels on a 4x10 sheet. That would save you a few bucks.
I think you're making it way too complicated, especially for the price you're charging.
I always try to simplify every job down to the point it's the most cut and dry I can make it,
While giving my customer the best sign I can provide for their budget (not necessarily what they asked for).
Attached is a quick layout, I didn't have your "PARIS" font, so I threw in the closest I had.
I know you didn't ask, but your layout was way too busy, the "Welcome to" was skewed and not
readable, Established in...." was off center, & you mixed different styles of clip art.
A 3/4 Green MDO with Edge capping , attached to two 4'x4' posts would be a much easier sign
to make and a much better product for your customer.....
I always try to simplify every job down to the point it's the most cut and dry I can make it,
While giving my customer the best sign I can provide for their budget (not necessarily what they asked for).
Attached is a quick layout, I didn't have your "PARIS" font, so I threw in the closest I had.
I know you didn't ask, but your layout was way too busy, the "Welcome to" was skewed and not
readable, Established in...." was off center, & you mixed different styles of clip art.
A 3/4 Green MDO with Edge capping , attached to two 4'x4' posts would be a much easier sign
to make and a much better product for your customer.....
Attachments
I was working with the original layout, you think mine is worse?
I spent 10 min reworking it and it's a 1000 times more readable, how is that worse?
Whatever Dude, I just removed the elements that I thought needed to be removed,
and if you had any reading comprehension, you would have understood
"I didn't have your "PARIS" font, so I threw in the closest I had"
That means I just threw it in to show some signs like these have the city and the state....
doooo youuuu unndddderrrstaannnddd nnoooowww?
Or do I need to dumb it down for you more?????????
and if you had any reading comprehension, you would have understood
"I didn't have your "PARIS" font, so I threw in the closest I had"
That means I just threw it in to show some signs like these have the city and the state....
doooo youuuu unndddderrrstaannnddd nnoooowww?
Or do I need to dumb it down for you more?????????
Pat Whatley
New Member
I think the MO is useless. If they don't even know what state they're in they won't be able to read the rest of the sign anyway. And pulling a custom shaped sign design on a rectangle just screams cheap assed town. 
Matter of fact, get rid of all that nature clip art, it's pointless too.
If you're doing a 4x8 mounted between two poles in 3mm aluminum composite cut into that shape go ahead and make a couple of extra ones while you're at it because they are going to warp to hell and back in a couple of months. Even if you move the posts inside between the two signs you're still asking for trouble.
Just a thought that simpler might be better. By the way, I looked up the Paris, MO website....they are using a picture of half of the current signs as the header on their website.
Matter of fact, get rid of all that nature clip art, it's pointless too.If you're doing a 4x8 mounted between two poles in 3mm aluminum composite cut into that shape go ahead and make a couple of extra ones while you're at it because they are going to warp to hell and back in a couple of months. Even if you move the posts inside between the two signs you're still asking for trouble.
Just a thought that simpler might be better. By the way, I looked up the Paris, MO website....they are using a picture of half of the current signs as the header on their website.
Attachments
Gino
Premium Subscriber
There are certain conditions in which you could do this 4' x 8' 2 sided for $500...... but quite honestly, why ??
If you had a flatbed printer, a CNC and was doing this on 10mm aluminum composite, you'd be fine at your price. Quite a bit under the normal market, but you'd survive.
Since it's been approached, the layout/design is not quite what I'd wanna see upon entering some county or borough or something. There is more space dedicated to animals which won't be recognizable at the sizes indicated and the font is also not a good one for welcoming someone to your town. Your priorities are kinda messed up. Really, who cares if you have moose, turkeys and canoes there ?? You are welcoming visitors to PARIS. That's your subject matter. You are entering PARIS. A moose or turkey subtlety in the background would be good, but not everything can become foreground material and not so many diofferent objects. It makes for poor flow.
At 2-sided 4' x 8' cut out and with not so many angles and crap, without posts and no installation should be upwards of $1,800. Just food for thought.
If you had a flatbed printer, a CNC and was doing this on 10mm aluminum composite, you'd be fine at your price. Quite a bit under the normal market, but you'd survive.
Since it's been approached, the layout/design is not quite what I'd wanna see upon entering some county or borough or something. There is more space dedicated to animals which won't be recognizable at the sizes indicated and the font is also not a good one for welcoming someone to your town. Your priorities are kinda messed up. Really, who cares if you have moose, turkeys and canoes there ?? You are welcoming visitors to PARIS. That's your subject matter. You are entering PARIS. A moose or turkey subtlety in the background would be good, but not everything can become foreground material and not so many diofferent objects. It makes for poor flow.
At 2-sided 4' x 8' cut out and with not so many angles and crap, without posts and no installation should be upwards of $1,800. Just food for thought.
I think the MO is useless. If they don't even know what state they're in they won't be able to read the rest of the sign anyway. And pulling a custom shaped sign design on a rectangle just screams cheap assed town.
If you're doing a 4x8 mounted between two poles in 3mm aluminum composite cut into that shape go ahead and make a couple of extra ones while you're at it because they are going to warp to hell and back in a couple of months. Even if you move the posts inside between the two signs you're still asking for trouble.
Just a thought that simpler might be better. By the way, I looked up the Paris, MO website....they are using a picture of half of the current signs as the header on their website.
Nice layout Pat, I like it.
Mine?
J Hill Designs
New Member
why would you even think that he was talking to/about you when he quoted a post that had a picture with a scale model person sillhouette in it?
Very funny, which is not about the:
spectrum maine
New Member
4 by 8 custom shaped sign for 500?
if your overhead was $50 hr (low) you could put about 6 hrs total after materials. good luck w/ that. this is the reason its nearly impossible to profit in this industry. if i did this job from concept to installation it would be $2500-3000. but i would do it right so it would last in the 10 year range. or i would sell them a $4500 urethane sign that would last 20 years. i understand budget & that budget would get a 2' by 4' sign.
if your overhead was $50 hr (low) you could put about 6 hrs total after materials. good luck w/ that. this is the reason its nearly impossible to profit in this industry. if i did this job from concept to installation it would be $2500-3000. but i would do it right so it would last in the 10 year range. or i would sell them a $4500 urethane sign that would last 20 years. i understand budget & that budget would get a 2' by 4' sign.