Graphics (name) company rec?

Hey Guys,

I've got to put the name on the transom of the new boat, anybody got a recommendation for a good online company they have used?

Thanks,
Doug

Boat US member? They have a decent company tie with a graphics firm and you get something off for being a member.

I also like the we'll send you another if you screw the fist one up if you apply it yourself....

If there is a good sign shop in your area it may be beneficial to use them rather than an on-line company. That way you can work directly with them to ensure that you get exactly what you want.

Another even bigger benefit is that if you are having nameboards made up you can have the sign shop apply the lettering to the pre-varnished boards. That way if a mistake is made in the application of the lettering, it's their dime to fix it.

We had this done with the flying bridge and transom name boards I made. The name is in gold with a dark gray drop-shaddow. So two sets of letters and they had to be offset an exact amount. With me at the bottom of the lettering application learning curve and the sign shop at the top of it, it was a no-brainer to decide who should put the lettering on the boards.

If the shop is local to the place the boat is kept, they may even be willing (or for a small fee) to come to the boat to apply the letters if they are going directly onto the transom itself.

Anyway, using a local shop was very beneficial for us because it eliminated all the risk of making a mistake.

Why online ? There is a signmaker in just about every town on the continent and you can make sure its right before you pay.

I agree...go local. At least you have recourse if something goes wrong. I had a local guy make the transom graphics and put it on. He got it crooked...



...and tried to fix it, but only changed the second half and the Learjet graphic, leaving a space that made the name look like 2 words.



Back they came back out and this time it came out straight and great.






EDIT: Does that first picture makes my butt look big?

FlyWright said:

EDIT: Does that first picture makes my butt look big?

Click to expand...

No, but then not that many TF members have seen you in person.

FlyWright said:

EDIT: Does that first picture makes my butt look big?

Click to expand...

Well, guys, does Al have a big butt or not? (Sorry for the orientation.)

markpierce said:

Well, guys, does Al have a big butt or not? (Sorry for the orientation.)

Click to expand...

Great photo but, WOW, I'm skinnier that Al is!

You are now! I've lost some weight in retirement, but nothing like you these recent weeks. WTG!!

I like to think that my belly makes my butt look small (in comparison)!

That reminds me, last week my wife asked me if these pants made her butt look big. I replied, "No dear, your butt makes your butt look big!" She just started talking to me again yesterday. (jk)

FlyWright said:

That reminds me, last week my wife asked me if these pants made her butt look big. I replied, "No dear, your butt makes your butt look big!" She just started talking to me again yesterday.

Click to expand...

As an "independent party," I'd say Meg's butt is not big. (Meg is to the right of Perla.)

Of course she's not...that's the only reason I can joke like that.

Now quit looking at my wife's butt!! ;-)

Have your signs done locally. That way you can have complete control over the quality and varnish them correctly yourself. The results will be far superior. I add a couple coats of varnish per year and they look like they did five years ago when we had a local graphic artist complete them.

Ray

OK. Whose butt is bigger? Al's or mine? (Sorry, Al. You started this.)

I wonder why we recreational boaters don't put our boat names on the bow like the "real" boaters"?

These folks were able to supply me with quality decals for my dock box that are a perfect match to the lettering on my boat:

BoatUS Boat Graphics

The price was reasonable and much less than what a local sign company wanted for the same thing.

Here is another site I have been using because it actually lets you input your info, colours, font etc. and preview it. You can order from them or I just did a print screen on my computer then took it to my local vinyl sign maker. Have fun.

Boat Lettering - Preview Your Boat Name

LaBomba said:

Here is another site I have been using because it actually lets you input your info, colours, font etc. and preview it. You can order from them or I just did a print screen on my computer then took it to my local vinyl sign maker. Have fun.

Boat Lettering - Preview Your Boat Name

Click to expand...

As I posted way earlier about BoatuS and their discount and screwup guarantee...they too have a online "try me" preview program.

BoatUS Boat Graphics

I did a quick line art but to scale drawing of my with microsoft paint...then I used the BoatUS online preview that gave me overall dmensions and price...then I plugged it into the paint drawing (not a copy but a scaled text line) to see how it looked. I adjusted things till it looked nice and the price was worth it.

While using local guys does have it's advantages, I just wanted something quick and inexpensive so I could use it as a template for a painted on name later.

Greetings,
Mr. m. "...on the bow like the "real" boaters"?" I think vessel name/hailing port requirements are determined by USCG regulations.

markpierce said:

I wonder why we recreational boaters don't put our boat names on the bow like the "real" boaters"?

Click to expand...

Like this?

Go with a local company. We had our lettering and name done by Prism Graphics here in Seattle, and when we wanted to have the liferings done, it was a simple matter of dropping them off and picking them up completed.

I can do most things that Robert Heinlein listed:

"A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects."

...but, I'll leave the graphics to the experts.

I just went through this. I started with Boat US but they were significantly more than most of the other places I found on line.

The biggest factor was which fonts and colors each offered. Most allowed you to set it all up and see how it would look right on their web page before ordering.

I went with one called letteringonthecheap dot com. They shipped promptly and so far it looks like they delivered exactly what I wanted. And yes, I was put off a little by the name, but they did come in considerably below Boat US, with a larger selection of fonts and colors.

My best advice is to find a whole bunch of sites, open up each one in a new browser tab, and design your lettering on each. Keep the best of them and then comparison shop on price, shipping options, location, etc.

We used Speedysigns.com, the graphics have been on for a few years now and are holding up great. You can see the font and colors on the website. The Trawler Beach House: A Trawler Makeover . We also have the name on the sides of the flybridge. They are fast, accurate and very inexpensive. The name was easy to put on. Chuck

CaptTom said:

I just went through this. I started with Boat US but they were significantly more than most of the other places I found on line.

The biggest factor was which fonts and colors each offered. Most allowed you to set it all up and see how it would look right on their web page before ordering.

I went with one called letteringonthecheap dot com. They shipped promptly and so far it looks like they delivered exactly what I wanted. And yes, I was put off a little by the name, but they did come in considerably below Boat US, with a larger selection of fonts and colors.

My best advice is to find a whole bunch of sites, open up each one in a new browser tab, and design your lettering on each. Keep the best of them and then comparison shop on price, shipping options, location, etc.

Click to expand...

Not pushing them by any means...but the price BoatUS quoted for you...was that with the 10% discount?

I'm sure there are cheaper and better out there..but it's funny the locals and internet ones I tried were more expensive.

I know for certain features, certain shops can do it much better and cheaper because of the vinyl and machines on hand.

Thanks Guys, good info all around. The boat is down in Sebastian and will be for a few more months and I am up here in Wakulla (5 1/2 hours away) so being local is not really a plus in this instance.

In general, I have VERY little faith in the ability of "marine" tradesman to do quality work in this state. In the 8 years that we owned the old boat I worked with about 15 to 20 vendors. Maybe 5 (and that is stretching it) would I use again. Even the good ones tend to take a crazy long time to get even the simplest job done....multiple months for a little canvas repair or a boat graphic is not at all unusual. I've learned to just do it myself. Perhaps I am turning into some sort of jaded bastard, who knows?

Our old Gulfstar had very classic graphics, they looked great, but the Mainship is a bit of a different animal, so I'm banging around trying to decide. Oh, and no name boards, there is no exterior teak on this boat, so I am not going to add any.

Another member here did mine. I designed it and he was able to do a great job
Shoot him an email. somesailor@gmail.com