Hi Folks. This is Michael. : ) As I am sure we’ve mentioned before, my father was in this trade of signs and truck lettering for 52 years or so. Lipsett & Sons was a client of his for many, many years, until my father retired. I’ve had a business of my own (Michael P. Richard – Truck Lettering, Etc.), so when my father retired, a lot of his clients naturally came to me. Lipsett & Sons has been one of those accounts. Just since then, in late 2006, I have lettered for Lipsett, 3 service vans, 2 oil trucks, and 1 enclosed trailer.
The lettering for this truck I had already cut out. For existing accounts, I have the layouts I have created at a prior time, in my computer, for the various size and style trucks. But for new vehicles, I need to take measurements, and create a properly sized layout. Sometimes designing a logo in the process, for a new business. Once that layout is approved by the owners, we arrange for the lettering to be done on the vehicles.
So here’s this one freshly painted and waiting, in my own driveway. I work from home whenever possible.
To be brief, once the lettering is cut, weeded and taped, I hinge it with tape in place on the vehicle, measuring carefully to be sure everything is going to end up where it should. (I will explain the cutting, wedding and taping more in depth another time.)
Then I cut the large pieces, just to make it easier to work with.
I lift it up, peel off the backing, bring it down straight and tight, and squeegie it down.
Then I remove the mask, and move on to the next.
On this particular job, they also want box striping all over.
The kids love to watch me work, and sometimes help! I still had the side you can’t see, to do.
The striping really adds a little something. It looks sharp, as simple of a layout as it is.
See 2 of my kids in there? When I have to turn the truck around, to work on the shaded side, they love to take turns having a ride in the big trucks. Here above, the job was complete, and I was just turning the truck around, so that when the owners came to pick it up, they could just drive it out straight. But also, there were 2 kids who hadn’t had a ride yet.
Calling this one done!
If you’re a local business and need any kind of vehicle lettering, you can contact me, Michael, at the following email address:
Alphbtman@aol.com
Thanks, Lipsett & Sons, for your continued business!
No….messed that one up. It was for A….
Kim,
Love the new do? Of the truck?
Samantha,
Thanks for your comment.
The lettering is cut out of vinyl material, but a large computer plotter I have, after I input all of the info. Yes, all of my equipment is at home, and I do it all at home myself. How much involved depends on the job. If I’ve done the job before for that company for the same style truck, I have the layouts saved and ready to cut, weed, and apply. If it’s a new style truck, or a new company with new trucks, I need to take measurements of the new vehicle, and sometimes design a layout if it’s a completely new client/company for me.
Paula,
Thanks for your comment. Glad you are enjoying this! The vinyl is cut on a backing paper, and then yes, I use various widths of transfer tape over the cut lettering to apply. How long it takes depends on the job. At the moment, I have a little tiny For Focus in my driveway to letter, and it’ll take me no time at all. I also have accounts that have very, very large vehicles I letter, like cement mixers, box trucks, and even trailers that are as big as 53 feet long and 13.5 feet high, that has HUGE lettering, and those take me around 30 hours. Those really big jobs I do on location where the fleets of trucks are. This particular truck in this post took me about 9 hours total, from cutting to all application done.
Since you all are enjoying this, I’ll share more of the process of a job, all if which is not included in this post, soon, for another job.
Love the new do!
Are you able to print off all the lettering at home, or do you have it done elsewhere? This is a really interesting job! A lot of planning must be involved.
Fascinating! I can’t wait to read more about this. I’m guessing you use a special kind of tape? And how long does it take to complete one truck, both the actual application AND all the planning, measuring, etc?