When you’re looking for a quote on signage, you’ll need to provide sufficient detail to get an accurate quote and avoid frustration when ordering subsequently. In this week’s article, we present tips to help you select a supplier and product that suits your need.
Many sign companies, including Spectrum Signs have a website that allows you to request a quote. Without sufficient detail provided though, the best your sign company can do is to provide a range or ballpark estimate for the product you’re asking for. When requesting a quote, it’s best not to make assumptions. Your sign company only knows what you tell them about your company and the sign or graphics needed. Customers often submit quote requests via the internet to avoid personal interaction, but procuring a quote should begin a discussion that takes much less time in a short phone conversation than in email back and forth. The product quote you get back from your sign company is at best, only as accurate as the detail you provide.
Terminology
Avoid using terminology you’re unfamiliar with. Your sign company should not expect you to know and use industry terms. If you try to present that you know more than you do, your sign company may not ask the right questions to find the right product that meets your needs.
In some cases, your sign company may determine by context that a term used is not what is intended – but don’t count on it. For example, we are frequently asked for a die-cut sticker when it’s apparent the customer means cut vinyl graphics. Though stickers can be die-cut, die-cutting is only an option for specific types of graphics, and in most cases, only applicable in very large quantities.
If you are curious, die-cutting involves a metal cutting shape that cuts an entire shape all at once in a fraction of a second. The cutting die is similar in concept to a cookie cutter. Exerting pressure over a shape cuts or stamps your design or shape. The cost of die creation makes true die-cutting prohibitive in small quantities. More typically, contour cut shapes are cut by a computer controlled plotter. The plotter has a razor sharp cutting knife that traces the outline of the desired shape. Since no die fabrication is needed for contour cut graphics, this option is suitable even in small quantities.
Generic Sign Quotes
“I need a price on a 5 by 16 sign”.
Your sign company must know the type of sign needed to provide an accurate quote. If you’re not sure what type of sign may be needed your sign company can help you determine suitable options.
Providing the dimensions may, or may not help your sign company determine the type of sign you are looking for. In this example, 5 x 16 might refer to inches or feet. If the dimensions provided were inches, we might assume we’re not talking about a banner. Similarly, if the dimensions provided were feet, we can safely assume we’re not talking about cut vinyl graphics for an entry door.
Artwork and Design
Your sign manufacturer can offer any design services required to make your sign. Your sign company pays their graphic designer, so you can expect a cost associated with any design services needed. Even if you’re able to provide artwork, more often than not, customer provided artwork is merely a starting point and must be made production ready. Unless you are a graphic designer with experience in the sign industry, and with specific knowledge of what constitutes “production ready artwork” for your sign manufacturer, you can expect to incur design charges. As for how much to expect, there is no right answer – it depends on what you’re able to provide, and the type of sign being made.
By way of example, customers frequently provide a design intended to be used for a digitally printed banner. More often than not, the art provided is of little use beyond a conceptual design, and the artwork must be completely recreated to produce their banner. Images you capture from various websites on the Internet are intended for screen display – perhaps a couple of inches at most. These images are also at low resolution, typically 72 dots per inch (DPI) so that the pages they’re displayed on load quickly. Our printers are capable of printing at 20 times the typical screen resolution. When a 2 inch wide graphic at 72 DPI is printed larger, the low resolution becomes more apparent and the resulting appearance is not good. Some may refer to the appearance as grainy, rough, or pixelated. For example, when that 2 inch image is printed at 20 inches wide (not uncommon for a banner), there are only 7.2 dots per inch – each dot or pixel will be clearly visible in the printed banner.
As a general rule, banner art should be in vector format in most cases for printing banners. If only raster art is available, when scaled to the target size it should be at least 100 DPI at the target size. In assessing possible costs, it’s best to be honest with yourself. If any of this doesn’t make sense, if you don’t truly understand the difference between vector and raster and the affect of scaling each, you can expect to incur the associated design charges as part of the production process. Your sign company isn’t trying to upcharge you – they’re merely passing on costs they incur to make your sign.
Price Lists
Customers often asked for price lists – which is really only meaningful for well defined products. Most signs are custom made to your specifications. Depending on the type of signage needed, the choices of material, substrates, fabrication options and quantity needed make price lists impossible to create and maintain.
For example, if you need contour cut graphics, the cost is affected by the material type, design, quantity and intended use. If only limited solid colors are needed, graphics cut from vinyl film may be the best choice. If full color is needed, digitally printed graphics are an option. In this case, there are a number of material types that may be suitable:
- Gloss or matte finish vinyl
- Permanent or removable adhesive
- Laminated or unlaminated
- If laminated – laminate finish, gloss, matte or luster.
As each variable is introduced, the number of pricing options increases exponentially. As such, just with the options we have in stock at our sign shop, a published price list would be thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of pages long. Do you really want to wade through that much detail? Are you truly qualified to determine which options are applicable for your specific need and intended use?
Quote Procurement
Unless you know exactly what you’re looking for and include sufficient detail in your quote request, your inquiry should begin a dialog to ensure an accurate quote.
To procure a quote, be prepared to discuss:
- Sign type or intended use
indoor or outdoor
long term or short term / promotional - Composition – material type
- Dimensions
- Quantity
- Artwork and Design services needed
Without specifics, the best your sign manufacturer can do is present a price range, a ballpark estimate, or pricing for various options which may, or may not be meaningful to you. If you find your inquiry prompts an interview, it ‘s only your sign company trying to do the right job for you. In that case, your interaction is a great deal more efficient via phone than in email.
About Spectrum Signs
Spectrum Signs is an independent, locally owned, full service sign manufacturing company located in south Orange County – Mission Viejo, California. We are affiliated with over 240 independent sign companies with access to resources nationwide. This affiliation provides significant discounts from sign suppliers, and allows us to offer competitive pricing without compromising in quality and service.
For more information, contact:
Spectrum Signs
23382 Madero Suite L
Mission Viejo, CA 92691
(949) 297-3800
