What does your business card look like?

[Guest gracewriter]

I was at the dentist with my kid today playing around with signblazer on my laptop when a guy next to me asked me if I had skull and cross bones graphics.  At first it didn't register so I told him ebay sells a lot of that stuff.  Then I realized he wanted something custom....oh, I do that, Duh!

Then he said he has a friend who needs the vinyl for his trailor for a business he just started and said he'd pass my name along.  Uh, oh...Ok. 

I haven't even made a sticker yet.  So far I've just been using the plotter for stenciling.

Anyway, I jotted my name and number down on a scrap piece of paper and realized I'd better get a business card. (and figure out what the heck to say if this guy calls about his trailor)

Here are the things I do or want to do

I cut and paint wood signs.  I have a lot of saws, I"m starting to master the jig. (maybe that should be a seperate card?)

I'm finding out that playing with graphics is one heck of a lot of fun!  Would you call that a graphic designer/artist?  I'm an artist of sorts in the real world.

I want to make decals and either sell them or learn how to apply them.

Any advice for a business card would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

[Guest Terry]

Well a trailer could be a tough first choice if you have never even made a decal, trailers have rivets and sometimes screws, most of the time I heat the vinyl. It could be a tough first job for you.

[Guest gracewriter]

What do you mean by heat the graphics?  Rivits will have to be cut around, right? like with an exacto knife?  probably not??  Plus the surface isn't usually flat.  Would definately want to do a wet application technique.  It probably would be over my head for the first job, but would like to know why, what to expect and how to do it for any future jobs once I get some experience.

Thanks!

[haumana 1,220]

I think that most will just lay the vinyl over the rivets. There's a special tool that you can use to help you with that, although I suspect there might be a homemade workaround for that.

You can always contract that job out.

Good luck.

[Benr98 40]

There is one guy who did a trailer for a nearby business and he did a HORRIBLE job putting the vinyl over the rivets of a rental trailer.  I know I'm not up to doing anything that large yet...........I like my decals and shirts best for now!

Good luck if you apply the vinyl to that trailer and let us know how it goes.

Jenny

[Guest gracewriter]

I guess I need some rivits to practice on and a heat gun maybe?

[haumana 1,220]

I don't know if you actually wanted to see a business card or not, but I thought I would share mine if that's what you're actually for too.

Don't mind the quality of the scan, I just used my junk scanner to do it (since that's the one that's always on). The image is a little washed out.

It's an old logo that I no longer use, but since I order like 1,000 of them, I'm going to keep on handing them out until their gone - then I'll order the new ones with the new logo... not mention that I can now add custom decals. WooHoo!!

[Guest gracewriter]

Just maybe I can put the graphics where there are no rivets.  So maybe before I say no, I should at least look at the trailer.  The trailer is for a lawn service, they are usually not full of rivets.  

anyway, I don't even know if they guy is going to call.

So...back to the topic?

any ideas for a business card?

[Guest gracewriter]

Thanks Jeanine, nice card.  Thanks for posting it.

Unfortunately, I don't do any of that stuff.

I'm wondering if I should say grafic design, vinyl signs, wood finishes.

I like the custom decals, I'll put that on it for sure.

Thanks for the idea.

[haumana 1,220]

I'm just thinking that you can do what I did ... create a business card that provides more detail than the standard name, address, phone number.

If you could do something like:

• Customized / Personalized Decals
  
• Small Jobs & Large Jobs
  
• Professional Installation Available
  
• For Cars, Boats, Rigs, Trailers, and more...
  

[Guest gracewriter]

Wow that's nice and EXTREMELY HELPFUL.

I guess I should get to know the local sign makers for when I get in over my head.

But perhaps let them know if I have to sub a job, then they have to let me come and learn how to do what they are donig.

Hum...wheels are turning....

[polarkiss 1]

Ours are very simple. The names and titles change (production manager & graphic designer).  

We figured we wanted something very clean and non-cluttered.  And it really persuades people to call or log on to the website to see our services.

[haumana 1,220]

I originally wanted to do a simple and clean business card, but since I specifically chose a business name that allowed me to expand my products and services offered, I thought I would just detail some of the services that I offer ... that way I don't need to field phone calls ... not that my phone is ringing off the hook

Since I printed those business cards, my business has expanded in directions I never thought I would - which is a great thing.

But if I had my way, I would definitely go with clean and simple ... It just shows how much I like to be on the phone. 

[Aardy54 0]

Well, here's front and back of my biz card.

Gracewriter, where are you located? It could work out that someone on here with more vinyl experience is willing to co-op the job with you - they walk you through the steps and show you how it's done, you get experience doing and you get the job done for customer.

[Guest gracewriter]

Beautiful card!

I live between Ft. Lauderdale and Miami in a town called Davie....Florida obviously.

I'd love to give this job to someone who would walk me thorugh the steps, that is if I even get it.

I figure if he does call, I'll just say let me see the trailer first, then I'll figure out the next step.

[Guest gracewriter]

Aardy,

What are channeled letters?

Your card is very helpful.

[Guest Terry]

[PBear 5]

Try Sign Industry, they have a how to library of articles for vinyl and other types of signage.

It's pretty good.

Kris

SIGNINDUSTRY.COM

The Online Magazine For The Sign Trade 

e-NewsLetter Volume 9 Issue 7

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

[JoeCamaro 11]

My bc is very simple, I always like white spaces, I dont like crowded business cards of course that is my prefernce, only that.

I only have a logo

then in the middle it says original designs

[bulldogtees 0]

My cards are very simple. I figure the point of a card is to give a customer a way to contact you without having to scribble on a piece of paper. We made our cards in signblazer,& printed then ourselves.( Have the program, might as well use it)  The simple point of a card; Who you are, What you do & how to contact you.

I'm not a big business (yet!!), so printing my own is cheap. you can get them from  Office Depot, ect. Attached is ours, PLEASE DONT USE THE LOGO, my wife drew it (she'll kill me !!!!)

by the way, it's our first buldog  BERTHA

[Aardy54 0]

Aardy,

What are channeled letters?

Your card is very helpful.

Channel letters - ever see a sign on a bldg that looks like individual letters about 5" thick that are lit up at night? - those are channel letters, the "can" being the "channel" for the neon tubing or LEDs to sit in. Acrylic faces in whatever color, even sometimes painted or vinyl application to get multiple color in a single letter, .063" aluminum construction for the can - many times the letters are mounted on a raceway that houses all the wiring and transformer(s) - pretty cool actually to make them, not too incredibly hard either, just need metal notchers, a metal brake (a shear & brake is better), pop riveter.

Actually I'm considering taking my logo and making a set of channel letters from it, most liekly using white acrylic and translucent vinyl for the faces to get the multi-color, although I've been tossing around the idea of reverse image airbrushing it on clear acrylic.

[Guest gracewriter]

Wow, I wish we were neighbors.

[malachiind 0]

Here is my business card. Although it has a lot of info, I think it looks clean and professional.

I have actually gotten several printing jobs because of the quality. Don't really make a bunch

on it, but every little bit helps.

[Guest gracewriter]

Nice!

[slopchops 1]

I use Printmaster Platinum 8.0 and make my own and illiminate them. Come real cool but when I use the Image Hosting program to get them her, they look kind of yucky. Printmaster can be bought real cheap on Ebay and they have updated programs. Mine is 12 years old but does what I want it to. Hope this post works. :-