Wildgoose

Eee gads!

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I roped myself into one of those silly jobs that turn into real monsters. High school grads looking for some custom hoodies.... ok, no problem. Can you put some signatures on the back they ask. Yeah I can get that done but lets have them use a sharpie so they are thick enough to use I say.  Original estimated amount is 60 they say. Sounds great I say....this will be a good candidate for screen print I think to myself. Couple months later the job is decided it's a GO they say! However only 19 hoodies.  Hmmm. Well screening a three color job for that few through F&M not going to stay in my budget so I decide (which I came to regret) to just cut them. I'm thinking this whole time the names are going to be across the back. We had designed the rest of the hoodie just not the names. The back has a big number 17 with a graduates cap on it. Turns out they wanted the whole class to sign it within the 17 so the signatures are like tiny tiny tiny. 

I see the size and realize I have a problem. Try to talk them out of the signatures but they are kids so you already know how well that went over. Basically a deal breaker and I already have all the rest of the vinyl cut by this time so I say I'll get it worked out and end up spending about 5 hours working over the auto trace of the names and then start cutting and weeding these little jewels. (oh and 19 of course turned into 22)So the end of the story is they take almost a half hour each on the cutter and about the same to weed if you stay focused. Yikes, how do you say dumb decision in 4 languages? Done now and ready to press tomorrow. One of these is doable but 22 kicked my butt. Feels better blowing a little frustration out (at my own stupidity for getting myself into this mess).

 

17names.JPG

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I think we all have been in a similar situation at one time or another. I know I have!

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So, just how much did you manage to get for that nightmare?

Surely not enough to cover your time.

Customer supplied art usually needs some kind of adjusting.

This should teach us all to only quote AFTER seeing the art.

;-)

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dear god - maybe when I was younger but then again not sure I would have ever done that many of that - you are a patient person

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Fortunately I have several young ones around here that like to make a buck weeding so I got half of them done by them. I still cleared around $300 after materials but that only equates to something like $12/hr which is well below where I would have liked to be. The comical thing is once these kids start parading their hoodies at school next week I wouldn't be surprised if there are more who decide they are interested. I told my contact that they're going to have to double the fee for any additional. Just glad they are all done. 

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Hell to the NO.    

That's a crazy amount of weeding and I wouldn't want to run the risk of the little tiny thin pieces staying on.  

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