Most Commonly Asked Questions Regarding The Thrifty Sign System:

Q. How difficult is it to use the lettering program?
A. It is very user friendly. You have total control. To produce a sign, you enter such variables as letter height, typeface, location, if italic, size of the sign, and text. The program takes over, allowing you to see what the sign will look like directly on the screen in exact scale within a few seconds!

Q. Are there any environmental concerns with the process or materials used?
A. No. This is one of the safest businesses you can be in.

Q. Can your system produce the same quality signs as other sign systems shown at the opportunity shows and advertised as franchises?
A. Absolutely!! In fact, the system can make direct paper banners and signs without the use of any vinyl! Most other systems can not. Also, it will make iron-on transfers for T-shirts, hats.

Q. Why is your price so low, when compared to similar systems shown at Business Opportunity Shows and advertised in magazines?
A. There are a number of reasons:
a. Our overhead is VERY LOW.
b. We do not have sales people receiving large commissions. (That's YOUR money!!) One competitor pays over $5,000 of Your Money as a commission to the sales agent handling your inquiry.
c. We do not have full color brochures.
d. Our place of business is a functioning graphics shop, not a plush executive office.
e. Our profit margin is reasonable.
f. As we do not finance the purchase, nor carry a large inventory, the interest savings are passed along to the purchaser.
g. We do not spend huge amounts on advertising our system.

Q. Other systems make mention of so called "National Advertising" as part of the justification of a monthly fee. Don't you feel you should do the same?
A. No. The sign business is local in nature. National advertising is poor use of your budget. Also, when was the last time you saw any "national advertising" for signs? (not systems). We feel that you, as an independent businessman, should have total control over your advertising budget and methods.

Q. Are there any franchise or additional fees?
A. No. We do not sell franchises, just systems. As a result there are no further fees.

Q. Am I free to operate my business in any manner I wish?
A. Yes! We have no rules nor any restrictions whatever.

Q. Do you offer follow-up assistance?
A. Yes,  you may call on specific questions regarding any aspect of your business. Your only cost is the telephone call. There is no time limit on this service.

Q. How long is the training and what does it include?
A.  All systems include four 1 hour vedio tapes on advanced methods and design for review at your leisure.

Q. Do I purchase vinyl and other supplies from you?
A. No. We provide lists of wholesale suppliers, many offer discounts. You are free to purchase from whoever you wish.

Q. Can you supply guidelines to help me promote my work?
A. Yes. You have free use of the various fliers and other promotional material we use in our business. In addition to the marketing manual, you will be supplied with 24 sales ideas and methods used by us. Also, we supply information on 13 related income producing tie-in sales ideas, most with no further investment. And, by special arrangement, you can become a direct agent for one of the world's oldest companies offering Advertising Specialties. This can become a major profit center in itself.

Q. How much do I charge for a sign or banner?
A. We supply  recommended price lists, though you are free to charge whatever you wish.

Q. Can I produce signs using company logos?
A. Yes, all necessary equipment and software is included in both Advanced Systems. It does require additional equipment in the Professional System to "read" the logo and special software to convert from the scanned bitmap image into a usable vector file. We also offer a logo conversion service for operators. Conversions are either mailed or sent via modem. There is also a vast selection of pre-made, vectorized logos of the major companies available on CD’s from a number of vendors.

Q. What are ‘Vector’ images?
A. They are images made from lines rather than dots or pixels. Resulting files are much smaller than bitmaps and can be enlarged to any size, maintaining smooth edges, without loss of detail. All images scanned or displayed on a monitor are made up from small rectangles, or "pixels" and are called bitmaps. When an image is scanned, the resulting bitmap image itself has a finite number of rectangles (pixels) within each inch. If that image is enlarged, the number of rectangles remain the same, they just get bigger, this causes the stair step look. Vector files contain instructions, such as: "go from point A to point B in a straight line for "X" inches. It makes no difference in what value is given to "X:, the line will be smooth. As you can not cut an image made up of rectangles, it is necessary to convert such images into a series of lines, or to a vector format. Special artificial intelligence software is available that converts images. No conversion is perfect due to the numerous decisions necessary, though the higher end programs can reach in to the 90% range. Our advanced level systems include such programs as well as correction programs that will allow retouching and editing of converted images. Our graphic programs save all designs directly to a vector format, producing outstanding signs.

Q. Can this system use the output of graphic and CAD programs?
A. Yes. Graphic/text files may be imported directly into the system. They then can be scaled, reversed, distorted, angled and panelized, the same as generated lines of text. Files may also be combined with text produced by the system.

Q. How can I show a customer a proof of a large banner without drawing one full size?
A. The software includes a variable scale output. This allows you to either print on a dot matrix or laser printer or a technical pen drawing in any percent reduction. As an example; a 12' x 4' banner can be scaled to 10%, giving a 12" x 4" proof. The resulting proof can be FAX'd for approval.

Q. Is there a way to show the entire sign/banner on the computer screen in scale and with centering marks?
A. Yes. You may select any size grid which will be superimposed on the sign, allowing alignment or movement of any line. You also may select the drawing size, which will be displayed to scale on the screen. Each type font and graphic is displayed exactly as it will look on final cutting.

Q. Can I add additional type faces later?
A. Yes, in addition to the 35 fonts included in the Professional System, there are many type faces available, with more to come. Each Professional type face costs $95.00. This compares with a cost of $265.00 per face for some other systems. The Advanced System includes 750 type faces and the Advanced Plus System includes 1000.

Q. Can I produce signs in foreign languages?
A. Yes, all systems include extended characters for Spanish, French, Norwegian and Portuguese. Hebrew and Cyrillic is included in the ADVANCED Systems. Additionally, Arabic, Armenian, Cambodian, Georgian, Greek, Inuit, Korean, Laotian, Japanese, Thai typefaces as well as accents for Vietnamese are available for the ADVANCED systems, as an option. Third party vendors have typefaces for any language in the world.

Q. What about competition, is there room for one more sign company?
A. Most definitely. The fact that there are a number of sign companies listed in the yellow pages clearly indicate there is a widespread need for the service. The point that there is competition clearly indicate the profession is profitable as the only reason a company is in business is to made a profit. We know of no business where there isn't competition. Just look at how many flower shops, ice cream shops, convince stores, gas stations, department stores, clothing stores, pizza parlors, etc, etc, there are. If you were the only supplier of a service, you would have to create the market, with competition, it is already established. As your initial investment with the Thrifty system is much lower than your competition and you have no monthly fees to pay, your overhead will be much lower, putting you at a distinct pricing advantage.

Q. How does the system produce letters or signs larger than the width of the sign machine?
A. There is an automatic paneling program included that will break large signs in to smaller pieces. You select what size those pieces are, based on what you feel are comfortable working sizes. As an example: If your sign is 48" high by 96" long and you specify panels of 15" by 36", the system will automatically divide the sign into the specified panels then cut them. You then apply each panel to complete the sign. This is similar to wallpapering a room.

One thing to take into consideration in choosing a sign machine width is true value for your money. Overbuying, by selecting a larger machine, is almost like throwing your money away. There is little chance of reaping a return on your investment. The overwhelming majority of signs you will be called upon to produce can easily be made by a 24" machine. Remember, while the sign itself may be large, few LINES in a sign are over 12" tall, let alone 24"! Another point is the fact that there is a limited selection of vinyl in sizes over 24". This is due to the relative low demand for the larger vs the smaller sizes.

Thrifty Impressions
1046 E. Walker
Blackfoot, ID 83221
(208) 785-1271 from anywhere and (800) 659-7446 within the USA