FireGold
Peter Achorn
peter@firegold.com
PO Box 276, Tenants Harbor, ME 04860 USA
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VINYL GRAPHICS

Vinyl stick-on letters are used on the majority of signs today. This material will last up to 8 years outdoors. This is as long as most paints will last. A computer can cut the letters, or the vinyl can be hand cut with a knife if a unique design in needed. The name ALLEGRO was cut by hand.

Below on the left is a photo of a hand painted boat name BOHEME. On the right is a photo of the same transom redone in vinyl by hand cutting the name to reproduce the previous name exactly. The hailing port was done with a computer font close enough in style to the original painted letters.

Vinyl lettering is usually cheaper than hand painted letters. Vinyl can be removed easier than paint. Vinyl can be applied to a boat that is in the water. One disadvantage to vinyl is that it only comes in a certain number of colors. See the Color page of this site for more on that.

PAINT

VINYL

The name MILAGRO began as a computer font. The legs of the M and the R were altered in the computer to produce a custom look.

I usually add an outline or a shadow to the name of a boat. The letters should be noticeably lighter or darker than the hull color. The shadow or outline usually must also contrast with the letters. Here are some examples of ways to add a second color to a name. The shadow on ALBERTA would have made the name illegible if there was no white line between the letter and shadow. This dividing line usually helps with any color combination.


	A lot can be done with an outline. KAR has a silver vinyl outline. The metallic outline sometimes looks dark and sometimes reflects light. It can be subtle or dramatic, depending on the lighting and the movement of the boat. Below are several different color combinations. Some outlines appear as part of the letter, like WAPAN. If you squint at ARG the outline looks like it becomes part of the background and just the white letters show. A poor second color choice can make a name hard to read.



Notice how the name ANNIE ROSE is easy to read whereas the hailing port below is not. When a lettering color is close in tone to its background, it needs a contrasting color outline to make it more visible. This owner wanted a hail that was barely visible. These metallic letters sometimes reflect the bright sky and sometimes reflect the dark water. Gold or silver letters should always have an outline... if you want to read them.

Click on the links below to see other aspects of designing a boat name.

[ First Page ] [ Colors Etc. ] [ Vinyl Jobs ] [ Block Fonts ] [ Roman Fonts 1 ] [ Roman Fonts 2 ] [ Roman Fonts 3 ] [ Script Fonts ]

Home • Site Map • Current Jobs • Fire Vehicles • Boats • Signs • Other Jobs • Vinyl Graphics • People Places & Links