A little day job show and tell and an upcoming event

 

 When you think of firetrucks, the image of big red shiny vehicles generally comes to mind.

Well, I've had the pleasure of working on a black and white truck over the past little while and it turned out real purdy. :)

My day job is running my own graphics company. Lately most of my work has been at a local major firetruck manufacturer and it's my job to pretty up those trucks. 

 This particular truck chose a gold leaf and black vinyl combo for their lettering.

The end result is a pretty high end slick looking truck! 

 The client requested a triple stripe which worked wonderfully with the scale of this large truck.

When I install these stripes, I place the largest stripe first, then follow along with the two smaller. So basically put, I striped this truck 3x per side.

Getting everything perfectly straight is an art in itself. And I'm fussy. But so is the firetruck manufacture, so we make a great team which greatly benefits the client. :)

 The gold leaf popped really nice against the deep black.

Lots of thought goes into font choices as well. In this case, something with a bit of interest as well as just the right boldness for roadside readability added to the elegance of it all.

 New regulations require loads of reflectivity for emergency vehicles so I've been 'wallpapering' the backside of firetrucks for some time now. It was just fun to use black and white instead of red and white for a change!

 Working over top roll doors is a little tricky. You apply the graphics as usual, however you have to very carefully cut above and below each slat, removing the scrap in between. I use a straight edge and exacto stainless steel blade to do the work. Not all installers do the double cuts but the outcome not only looks better, but it wears better too.

 I design and output all the graphics in my own shop at home, then bring them to the vehicle to be installed.

The end result was a pretty high end looking truck!



Another previous post about my work is HERE.

I've been using these same kinds of decals for more than firetrucks though.

 

crate stairs

Farmers Market sign

I use them in the form of stencils for pumping out my vintage styled signs. Because of that, I'm frequently asked what kind of sign making equipment I'm running.

But I've never really felt great about that topic because my equipment isn't something that is feasible for the novice DIYer.

Until now.

I am SO HAPPY to be able to review a product that IS affordable for all DIYers!

What intrigues me even more is that The Silhouette can do a lot more than just cut decals.

 Ohhh... one blog themed t-shirt comin' up! Cool.

Hmmm... wonder what a junker could create with all these options.... this ought to get real interesting.

PC and Mac compatible!

AND... you're gonna get a chance to win one too. :)

Know what? This will make all the difference in the cringing factor I feel when I make signs. Because I want you to have the option to be able to do the same. And now you will. Let the signs begin once again!

Stay tuned for more on this one mid June. I need to crack open that manual and get to work!