I can understand the need when designing new graphics for whatever purpose to dismiss the use of modern technology as being unimaginitive in comparison with years gone by. What I can't see is how this could relate to classic bicycle restoration of the period the list encompasses. All of the designs of the bikes for the era concerned were previously in existance and so all of the "design" work has in effect already been done - strictly speaking it's copying someone elses work, and if that was unimaginitive there is not a lot you can do about it short of making it unoriginal.
Clearly where rare, hard to find or 'no longer available' decals need replicated there is an additional production element not required in direct copies in that it can be best guess work from old photographs or catalogues.
Which (through a long winded opening !) brings me to the question ;
What sole right has any decal manufacturer to produce certain "classic" decals if they do not hold the registered design or trademark ? - It's a free market to some extent in that you can produce whatever you like whenever, provided it is not a registered design or trademark or you don't get caught ! . Whilst I do understand the need to defend your business, I cannot understand why there is a need to imply sole rights and restrict the availability when they are only copying. Many decal manufacturers do not hold the rights to the work anyway - that belongs to the client.
Bob Reid Stonehaven Scotland.
> From: "Jim Cunningham" <cyclartist@home.com>
> Date: Sat, 3 Feb 2001 00:01:04 -0800
> To: "Classicrendezvous@Bikelist. Org" <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
> Subject: [CR]FW: decals
>
>
>
>
> From: Jim Cunningham [mailto:cyclartist@home.com]
> Sent: Thursday, February 01, 2001 9:25 AM
> To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org;
> Subject: RE: decals
>
> Tom Adams,
>
> When the art for these decals were made there was very little use of "canned
> fonts" as we have them today with graphics software. A question I usually
> asked when designing graphics for corporate clients was, weather they wanted
> unique lettering, or off the shelf standards. If they had the budget for
> it, we would recommend that their key logos be created in a unique typestyle
> so that it was distinct from any other. The idea was to prevent the
> possibility that they would begin using a font like Forte for example, then
> face the possibility that "their" letter style gets used in a big
> overexposed way like in a movie title or cereal box and the novelty of their
> logos is lost. People like Chuck Schmidt and I used to make a significant
> part of our income from creating distinctive letter forms for clients logos,
> form pen and ink, much of that art has been lost as desktop graphics
> software has made every one and instant "artist". It too bad really as much
> of the computer generated stuff is unimaginative or technically poor.
> We can supply the Trek decals, I think I have both reproductions and
> originals of the style you seek, as part of a CyclArt refinish or touch-up.
> BTW: Many people don't know that we are able to do extensive tough ups to
> invisibly repair damaged original finishes. Also, and this is rare, we are
> not overbooked at the moment and are able to get right to work on new
> incoming paintwork. In some cases we can complete jobs in days, not weeks.
> This won't last, as we typically get busier in spring, but the time is right
> to get in your spring projects.
> JFC ~ CyclArtist
> Vista, CA
>
> From: "KCTOMMY" <KCTOMMY@email.msn.com>
> To: "Classic Rendezvous" <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
> Date: Wed, 31 Jan 2001 18:20:10 -0600
> Subject: [CR]Trek decals, part deux.
>
> All praise to the listies, I've got some good pics of the old style Trek
> decals. Now, before the great hunt begins, does anyone know what font the
> letters are in? I'm talking about the old style ones, with the strong
> shadow to the left and down, and a gold outline all around.
>
> Tom Adams, in Kasas City