Critque this practice sign board. (Thick skinned, I can take brutal honesty)

[American And Proud 2]

Ok last night I just started playin with SBE at first thinkin business card and made a file 2.5x3".

Well as I went along I think it would be much better as a 20"x30" foam board sign, but I don't know if I can chage the size after the fact.

Anyways this was just practice for a mythical company in my head, and looking for thoughts and ideas, critques good and or bad are Welcome, I am a total newbie just getting my feet wet here, I can take it.

Thanks

Sorry for the bad pic, I just took a shot of the screen with my digital dslr quickly.

Added a print screen shot.

[BannerJohn 1,324]

looks very good to me.

[Jay2703 704]

Me too!

Jay

[mikerob2334 2]

[MaderDesign 3]

Work on your spacing on the right side with the type of work you do (Custom Deisgn, Banners, etc). Some things are spaced closely, others are farther, and I'd maybe left or right justify everything so that the "Coroplast Road Signs" isn't hanging off the right side. The black line that runs across the middle of the red box I think runs off too far to the right, try to keep it the same overhang on the right as the left so that you don't have to adjust spacing just because of it. Other than that, it looks good.

Typography is very important, and making it look right shows that you know what your doing. Try picking up some typography books and read up. Even though you're a vinyl designer/cutter. It's important if a client wants you to design something.

[Dakotagrafx 7,297]

I like it but find the black slipstream font a little harder to read on the red . . .could be just me

[Benr98 40]

For the most part, I think you did a great job, but (yep, one of those 'buts') 

I would change the font under, "signs & graphics" to a different font and make it white or some lighter color, it's hard to read.

I really don't think you need the hand in there, to distracting to the eye, IMO

Great job though.

[RPM Graphics 6]

Other than the few things that the other posters said, it looks pretty good.  Just a little fine tuning.  These pics help me a lot, because I am not a very creative person and the pics give me some good basic thoughts and ideas. 

[the vinyl tree 0]

the only thing i would say is its a bit too busy ........... sorry

[American And Proud 2]

Thanks for the replies so far. 

I knew my spacing of fonts was a little off, I had used a guide line to line up or justify the list along the skewed red box so they lined up.

But getting the spacing between lines equal was done by eye. Trial and Error.

The *Coro road signs* I thought filled in that lower area better than making the font smaller to fit and stay lined up on the left side, only way to line up both beginning and end would have the words all scaled down to fit, I thought the list should all be the same sized font for smoother consistent reading.

I could just use the word *Coroplast* but thought alot of people have no real idea what "coroplast" is. (I didn't before getting my cutter)

I used the same font as the "IC" for the "for all your vinyl needs" figuring they would look good tied together in the same area, but I agree the "for all" is harder to read in the smaller size.

I will do some more Tweeking to this sign.

I am making several "signs" and will show them for opinions critques so I can Learn more.

I like vintage signage alot. Retro, Art Deco, the old signs that had 3 dimension added to them. I plan on adding that 3D effect to my style of signage, using seperate pieces and standoffs. Trying to stand out from the crowd. (pun intended.) lol

Jenl you don't like the hand? I was thrilled to find it in SBE to fill that dead space after the IC and it was Retro looking.

Thanks for the critiques so far they and all Helping me to Learn.

Once I tweek it some more I will post it in the SBE section to ask HOW in the he77 do I cut this so everything lines up! Registration marks.

Vinyl Tree, theres No need for "sorry" I am asking for critiques to Learn from, Thanks for your input. 

Heres some Vintage reference signs I like.

[American And Proud 2]

Mader design,

How do I go about lining the lettering up in SBE?

I used guide lines to line up the dots on one side then used guid lines one by one as I lined up the spacing between the lines of text but some still look to be spaced differently, could you explain please?

Thanks

[MaderDesign 3]

First i would make sure that they are all the same size height wise. Then once you make that first description "Custom Designs", then thats where it all starts with the spacing. The reason your spacing looks off is because you have the letter G in lower case and it travels below the baseline (called descender) and causes your spacing to be more. Try finding the largest spacing and using it for all of them. Let me know if that helps.

[mikerob2334 2]

I think I would also swap the postitions of "Store Fronts" with "Wall Words"  & swap "Magnetic Signs" with "Lettering/Decals".

Give it a little more of a curve effect around the stars.

[MaderDesign 3]

Find out how high the font is from the top ascender to bottom of the descender (top of the font to the bottom of the lowest part) and then that will be your guide to the rest of them.

Or you could just set the leading to a particular setting and let it do the work for you

I tend to work outside of SB and use Illustrator to line up all my stuff then just import it or copy/paste it into my design.

[American And Proud 2]

Thanks 

I am gonna mess around with it some more here.

Then I will post it in the SBE section and see if anyone can help walk me through the whole alignment thing in order to layer it all on a 20x30" sign blank. The whole Registration Mark thing.

Good way to use up some of that BGS vinyl I bought with my cutter. Only using it for my own Testing/Learning and will not use it for a customers stuff.

I'm goin with Oracal for the real stuff I do.

This is only Pratice stuff I am doing, plan on doing many over the winter before a Spring blowout of walking the stores with business cards and flyers in hand.

I did setup my Magic Jack last night and added a Vanity number for the extra 10 bucks a year.

[locknload1 17]

I like it!

Aside from a few spacing issues it looks really good.

Most people told me my sign looks busy but then again I get lots of calls so I suppose it's just a matter of taste.

I also left a few "industry" words in mine only because it gives the impression that I know enough to point my customers in the right direction.

RG

[FutureSgtsWife 0]

I would take the dots out next to each product... it just throws me  for some reason

Looks great though!

[American And Proud 2]

Thanks for the comments, much appreciated.

This is basically just me testing the waters, and next I will try cutting this out and installing on 20"x30" white foam board with BGS vinyl. This is just practice for my shop work area wall.

Not my final logo, I will make a few more refining as I go.

Going to post this latest version in the SBE section and ask how I can use reg marks to line it all up.

[vicentillo29 0]

remove the phone picture and you have a bigger space for your phone number

[NukleoN 34]

The Yahoo sign that ye posted is in the 'Googie' style which I love. It's basically a future-aesthetic popular in the late 50's and 60's. I am actually using the Googie style for my own vinyl work as well as my business cards. Here's an example of awesome Googie-signage:

Just Google 'Googie' haha and you'll see tons of it. I adore this style. So whimsical and fun.

I think overall your sign looks good, but my first impression is that there are too many font styles. Looks like one style on the left, another style on the right. I'd probably use that font on the right for 'Signs and Graphics', and simplify 'Vinyl Done With Style' to 'Vinyl With Style' and pick an easier-to-read font (not script). Maybe a smaller version of the font on the right.

The starbursts are very retro and Googie-esque...cute, but they seem a bit crowded in that one small area. The hand is fun...kind retro too. I like how you did the number at the bottom but again, too many fonts. Maybe reduce it to 2 or 3 Max. Looks like  there are 5 fonts including the number's fonts and the 'ic' I know is art but it's a totally different style too.

I generally like it. Nice and retro and fun. Informative too.

[signwerx 0]

My 2cents.  If it's pulling traffic,  make two or three of them   That's all a sign is suppose to do.  PT