Anyone find a source for cool graphics?

[Thomas G.]

I'd like to add some tasteful graphics to my UHaul. My first choice is one of the UHaul super graphics that you see on the side of UHaul moving vans. I thought I could get them to sell me one or give me the file to print my own, but no joy.

U-Haul: SuperGraphics

The one below is my favorite, being a Michigan boy.

Anyone found a good source for graphics with a choice of stock images?

[Darwin Maring]

Copy the picture and go have it made.
There has to be someone in your area doing graphics.
Because it will B big it will cost big.

[Donna D.]

Because the picture show is a JPG (bitmap art) it will not upsize very well at all! There's lots of places on the WWW that make/create custom graphics... your local sign shop probably has catalogues full of images too.

[Jon Vermilye]

To give you an idea of cost, I had a 18" X 8" vinyl stick on graphic made from my own artwork (my LakeshoreImages logo for the back of the trailer) at a local graphics shop (Sign*A*Rama). $37.50. They will do internet sales, and have a FTP server so you don't need to try to email large files.

I believe they are a chain - at least there are a few in upstate NY.

I've had a deal with RV Mural for them to use any of the photos from my website for their custom graphics, but I'm not sure they are still in business - I haven't heard from them in quite awhile.

[ceilityme]

Block Posters - Create large wall posters from any image for free!
Go to the site above with a .gif or jpeg and upload your pic. You can blow it up to any size you want. Then you have options. You could get it printed as vinyl decal, or professionally printed and make stencil for a DIY yourself mural, or pay someone else to do it.

[Donna D.]

Originally Posted by ceilityme

You can blow it up to any size you want.

Yes you can, but it doesn't mean it will look good. Notice the pixelation in this photo


In order to have a good clear photo enlarged, you must start with a hi-res image. Almost anything you see on the web is lo-res.

[Thomas G.]

Originally Posted by Donna D.

Yes you can, but it doesn't mean it will look good. Notice the pixelation in this photo
Attachment 43663

In order to have a good clear photo enlarged, you must start with a hi-res image. Almost anything you see on the web is lo-res.

Donna is right. In fact one site I was looking at didn't even want a large JPEG file - they want a vector file format.

I tried to get UHaul to give me a large file version of the cool old car graphic, but they just ignore me. Their loss.

[Thomas G.]

Originally Posted by Jon Vermilye

To give you an idea of cost, I had a 18" X 8" vinyl stick on graphic made from my own artwork (my LakeshoreImages logo for the back of the trailer) at a local graphics shop (Sign*A*Rama). $37.50. They will do internet sales, and have a FTP server so you don't need to try to email large files.

I believe they are a chain - at least there are a few in upstate NY.

I've had a deal with RV Mural for them to use any of the photos from my website for their custom graphics, but I'm not sure they are still in business - I haven't heard from them in quite awhile.

Thanks for the links. The second one does seem dead. I saw one place earlier that had a large inventory of free, stock images, but I foolishly did not bookmark it.

[ceilityme]

The uhaul pic should be a gif file, they don't usually suffer the same resolution problems.

[Donna D.]

GIFs are designed for viewing on a monitor and are suitable for sharp-edged line art (such as logos). They also have a limited color palette of 256 colors vs millions of colors used in photography and therefor are not usually used as a format for digital photography. GIFs are bitmaps.

If enlarging an image I maintain you should have something in RAW or a hi-res JPG. If enlarging a drawing, you need vector art.. an EPS.

[john warren]

wow,,, gifalated meg whatsits and stuff.
lol i feel so technology impaired when i read some of this stuff.

you have someone localy that does computer cut vinal graffics.
stop the next truck you see go by with a business graffic on it and ask them where they got it. go to them,,, show them a picture of what you want. and in your best capt. piccard voice immatation say"make it so".

[Darwin Maring]

The underlings have NO authority to do anything and just say no so Write a letter to the Top Person At UHaul, tell that person what you want and that they can put UHAUL on the graphic (Advertising) and you just may get what you want.

That's free advertising for UHaul.

[Pam Garlow]

You'd think that Uhaul would LOVE to have their name on all our trailers and would be glad for the free advertizing.... but wait, then people would be calling them asking where they can rent the very cooool round eggie campers, and they'd have to say "Well, uh, we got rid of them, we don't rent them anymore"

[Donna D.]

I understand why U-haul doesn't just release their graphics to anyone for any purpose. I work for a huge corporation (Fortune 100) and we wouldn't give just anyone our name and decals to plaster on "whatever." Who's to say someone could buy the U-Haul stuff and put it on a broken down horse trailer just because they liked it.... U-Haul wants to protect their "brand." Free advertising works as long as it's the right kind of advertising or it becomes something far less... and that's hard to fix.

[mary and bob]

I worked for a large well known truck leasing company, so most of our customers wanted lettering and graphics on the trucks. We used a few different small companies, some were just one man operations, to make and install the decals. Some were better than others. A few years ago I wanted a couple decals of the original logo that was on our '46 teardrop. I went through three different places before one of them finally did it for me. A guy in his 40's, just down the road from our shop, who we called "the Hippie decal guy", did them for me in just a few days and at a good price. Two others promised and never delivered. Some places just want the big jobs at big dollars. Bob [the old hippie]

[BCDave]

I suspect you could put a pic of an older classic car on your trailer (I believe the one in your graphic is either a La Salle or a Terraplane) - esp if you "tweak it a bit" and something about Mich - so long as you do not, in any way shape or form, imply that it is even remotely related to U-Haul or bear too much of a resemblance to the Michigan U-haul graphic

Maybe just a pic of an old classic and "Detroit, Michigan - The heart of the US auto" or something like that.

Just don't expect any company to invest in an image and a logo and then allow free use of it without if being under their exclusive control!

[Thomas G.]

Oddly, the guy at the UHaul SuperGraphics Facebook site said someone from UHaul would contact me, then nothing. I can take a "no" answer, but I hate being ignored.

So, I may have to create my own graphic.

It is not without irony that when I was trying to chase down VT brake drums, the guy at UHaul parts also refused to answer a very clear follow up question after he gave me bad information. I guess they made some great campers 25 years ago, but I can't say much for the organization right now.

[Donna D.]

Originally Posted by Thomas G.

So, I may have to create my own graphic.

That sounds like a good plan. Personally, I'd rather be one-of-one, rather than one-of-many. This is an opportunity to create something uniquely your own!