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Suzanne Ballou Rowell
Newton, New Hampshire
Shop name: Grey Wolf Graphics Nickname: SignChick Age: 38 Shop size: 12-by-18
ft. basement studio and a two-car garage Shop dogs: Rusty and Harley Guitar:
C. F. Martin Dreams: Design a major league soccer team logo, and write/illustrate
a children’s book Graphics equipment: SignLab™ software and a 24-in. Roland
CAMM 1 plotter/cutter Web site: www.greywolfgraphics.com
I
’ve been in this business for almost 20 Connecticut, and was bound for a state uni-
years. I graduated from Butera School versity or an Ivy League college. Something
of Art in Boston, then spent the next ten changed for me when I was in high school,
years working for a few sign shops in the and I decided to venture towards art. I was the
Northeast. I learned a kid who always won the supermarket coloring
lot during that time and contests, and to everyone’s dismay, except my
wouldn’t trade those mother’s, I decided to go to art school.
experiences for anything. I looked at several art schools before
Ten years ago I struck enrolling at Butera; that school impressed me
out on my own—I’ve because I saw a lot of people there learning
been a sole proprietor real skills. Until then I never knew people
with a home-based sign could make their living making signs. I left
business ever since. Butera trained in hand lettering, pinstriping,
I’m originally from and gold leaf, and all the signs I made for the
Arlon [800-854-0361, www.arlon.com] vinyl film
Reproduced with permission from SignCraft Magazine, www.signcraft.com, 800-204-0204 Silver leaf with painted outline, varnish by Manchester Marine
74 SignCraft | September/October 2007
next five years were hand lettered.
These days I keep busy lettering trucks and
boats, and making small signs. I’ve become
known around here as “the Boat Girl of the
North Shore.” I have three or four marinas
that use me exclusively and it’s a terrific
arrangement. I really don’t want big sign
projects, so when something comes in that
is too large for me to handle, I refer it to a
larger sign shop.
Staying small means that I get to choose the
sign projects that interest me and helps keep
the overhead down. I have a 12-by-18 studio
here at home, and a two-car garage with an
overhead door. I call in help now and then if
I need an extra set of hands for an installa-
tion, but I’m not interested in hiring anyone.
I like being the one who does the work and
would love to focus more on the design end
of things, especially logo design.
I’m always amazed when a new customer
walks in with a truck that’s lettered one way,
a sign that looks completely different, and
a business card with a third design. I like to
make it uniform—a design that looks right
everywhere, whether it’s on a T-shirt, a sign,
a business card, a truck, whatever it might be.
That’s the sort of consistency that people
notice.
I do nearly all of my truck and boat lettering
on site. It works for everyone. The electricians,
plumbers, and carpenters love it because they
don’t have to pull their truck off the road.
They can go to a job site and work around
what I’m doing.
Computer-cut vinyl graphics and lettering
Mirror gold Oracal [888-672-2251, www.oracal.com] vinyl film, vinyl
lettering, design provided by customer
September/October 2007 | SignCraft 75
“I was the kid who always won the
supermarket coloring contests, and
to everyone’s dismay, I decided to
go to art school.”
Avery [Avery Graphics, 800-231-4654,
www.averygraphics.com] and Oracal
vinyl film
Oracal vinyl film
Oracal vinyl film
76 SignCraft | September/October 2007
Oracal vinyl film Avery and mirror silver Arlon vinyl film
Avery and Oracal vinyl film, vinyl lettering, logo provided by customer
Hand-applied 23k gold leaf with painted outline
September/October 2007 | SignCraft 77
18-by-36-in. banner [Creative Banner Assemblies, 800-528-8846,
www.creativebanner.com] with vinyl lettering
2-by-8-ft panel with vinyl lettering and hand lettering, paint and Arlon vinyl film
Arlon vinyl film
Oracal vinyl film
Arlon vinyl film
Mirror silver Arlon vinyl film
78 SignCraft | September/October 2007
make up about 75% of my work. I still hand
letter a boat now and then, and I do some
touch-up striping for local car dealerships.
I do some cartoon work, too, and seasonal
window splashes. I still hand-apply gold leaf
on boats, and I’m probably one of the only
ones around here who will tackle that.
My vinyl graphics system is made up of
a PC, CorelDraw®, SignLab™ [CADLink Tech-
nology Corp., 800-545-9581, www.signlab.ca]
software, and my trusty 24-in. Roland CAMM 1
[Roland DGA Corp. 800-542-2307, www.roland-
dga.com] that I’ve had for years. I love that
plotter—all I do is change the blades and
vacuum it out now and then. I contemplate
getting a large-format inkjet every so often,
but I’m not really sure that I need it yet.
We’ve all seen how the computer has
changed this industry. Fifteen years ago, peo-
ple around here would order a sign and were
okay with waiting a week or two for it. Now
people order a sign and two days later they’re
calling and asking, “OK, where’s my sign?”
That’s where the vinyl has taken over. It just
keeps speeding things up. And I’m fine with
that. I’m not one of those “everything-has-to-
be-paint” people. I was trained in it, I can still
do it, and I enjoy it.
I’ve been very fortunate in that I’ve never
had to advertise or knock on doors. It’s all
word of mouth. I’ll put my card on a local
coffee shop bulletin board, and whenever I
work with a new customer, I always make it a
point to give them a few of my business cards.
Customers who refer my business get spoiled
with small gifts and thank you notes. My best
friend owns a cookie company and I often
have cookies sent to customers to let them
know how much I appreciate the work they
give me.
We live in a small town bordering
Massachusetts and thirty minutes south
of Maine. I’ve been taking guitar lessons in
classical, fingerstyle and bluegrass flatpick for
over three years. I garden quite a bit and play
indoor and outdoor soccer on a women’s over-
thirty league. I’m a huge soccer fan and would
love to go to England someday and watch a
match of my favorite team, Manchester
United. Soccer and playing the guitar are a
few things I can do without thinking about my
work. I love my job and my customers, but it’s
nice to get away from it all once in awhile. •SC
—From an interview with John McIltrot
September/October 2007 | SignCraft 79
