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joe
07-07-2013, 04:31 PM
The middle Path:

Anyone who considering the sign business should take a careful look at their options. For me there are three categories. The first is to attempt lower priced signs with lots of competition. This is a good market if you are setting up for production. The major advantage is you don't have lots of creative work. The major job is ordering materials, watch the machine and getting paid.

Then there's the middle path which I've followed.. The trap is finding a specific market and not spreading yourself too thin. The good and bad of it is you'll need to be artist, sales person and all round manager. The market is huge.

The last method is the most dicey. It's the high dollar product to a limited clientele. This is where 3D comes in. You gotta be good and have clients with cash. Many shops like mine dabbles in a little 3D but all in all it's a true looser. As many of you know, I make only dimensional sign. Even so my sales and uses of Aspire or ArtCam is unusual. When I look around my community the market is extremely thin for that kind of work. It' so expensive when it comes to production I threw in the towel a long time ago.


The middle way is what I'd suggest. But everyone has to follow their desires.

curtiss
07-07-2013, 10:32 PM
I don't know a lot about paths but there is something about taking the path less traveled and leaving a trail...

Of course this can & will eventually lead to ...getting lost in the woods... and then trying to find ...any path at all.... and once you do....

take that path to find your way out...

From what I have seen a perfect 3-d toolpath can take hours and hours to cut / and if it is done on the wrong grain material it will sometimes not look very impressive.

joe
07-07-2013, 10:57 PM
Like you say, 3D work can be expensive. To my way of thinking it's been over sold. I don't know anyone making their way in general signage seriously using this method. 2.5D is more profitable and rewarding. We read very little about it.

At the fall workshop we'll be making signs with 2.5D as a major part of the course. Customers don't know the difference between the two.

Joe