Can AI design your house sign? Well, yes and no
It’s literally within the last couple of months customers have been asking if I can adapt a design they’ve made using AI and turn it into a house sign. It’s a good idea, if done the right way, and preferable to an idea sketched out on a piece of paper. But equally I’ve had to turn down designs because they’re a serving suggestion of a finished house sign rather than artwork.
Please don’t stop turning to AI to realise your vision, but take a note of the following:
DO
Look at my website www.selene-signs.uk and see what dimensions and shapes I can supply. All rectangular, square or round. Ask AI to work within those boundaries.
DON’T
Draw up design in an oval or ‘bridge’ shape and ask me to produce it. Other suppliers sell them, but they may be far less flexible in what else they can do for you.
DO
Keep it simple and create a single image, such as the goose Emily created for her Goose Cottage sign. Leave out borders – I can easily add one later. Supply it as a pdf, png or jpg (provided the background is white) so I can drop it into one of my templates.
DON’T
Spend a lot of time adding several images into an illustration I can’t use. Check with me first before finding out all your time invested has gone to waste.
DO
Produce an image that will look good on a flat surface, like the aluminium metal of Selene’s signs.
DON’T
Send an artist’s impression that looks like a sign made from ceramic tiles (like this one), cast iron, plastic or slate. I don’t sell signs in those materials and they use completely different processes.
DO
Ask AI to produce artwork, ideally vector artwork. I currently have no idea whether this will work, but look forward to finding out!
DON’T
Don’t ask AI to do a house sign. AI will look for images of ‘house signs’ on the web and produce a picture of a sign on a wall, complete with screw holes, shadows and maybe even engraving. I can’t reproduce this without starting from scratch and spending hours creating artwork, for which you won’t want to pay.
DO
Be prepared for a design that looks different to that drawn up by AI. Hopefully it will be more professional, smart and will print well. And I’ll send you drafts until you’re satisfied.
DON’T
Expect your design to be recreated exactly. But happily most of you are realistic and delighted with the end result.
Finally, a word about copyright. Many of the illustrations I use in bespoke signs are purchased from artists, designers and photographers. They don’t ask much and I’m happy to pay, to help them make a living. But if you think about AI, from where is it going to find an image on which to base its work? Yes, possibly those very same artists, without payment or credit. So please think twice about calling in AI, and search online for an image or approach a designer instead. Let’s hear it for the creative community!