The guy at the print shop who told me to ditch the clip art

About 3 years ago I brought a design to a local print shop here in Akron and the owner, this older guy named Frank, told me my clip art looked like something from a 90s grocery store ad. He showed me how to use public domain vector sites and simple typography instead. That one conversation changed my whole approach to bumper sticker design and I've been getting way more compliments since then. Has anyone else had a printer give them advice that actually stuck?

2 comments

2 Comments

nathan2891mo ago

Did Frank have a bunch of his own sample designs on the wall, or was it just word of mouth? I bet he's been in the business so long he can spot a rookie mistake from across the room. That kind of blunt feedback is rare nowadays, most people just take your money and let you walk out with something you'll regret later. It probably saved you from years of bad designs you would have made otherwise.

the_michael1mo agoMost Upvoted

I had a similar deal with an older guy who did leatherwork out of his garage. He didn't have any samples on the wall either, just a couple half-finished belts hanging on a peg. But he'd look at what you brought in, grunt, and tell you exactly why it wouldn't work. Saved me three separate times from buying buckles that would have snapped within a month because I didn't know the difference between cast and stamped metal. That blunt feedback is worth more than any polished storefront.