Black Art Graphics Etched artwork

[Fiddy]

Treat your self.

Black Art Graphics produce bespoke metal etch blueprint/schematic artwork for classic, prestige and racing vehicles. The designs are laser cut into black anodised aluminium plate
to give the stunning silver on black finish shown in the pictures below. You can physically feel the ridges in the surface where the anodising is cut away!

Each piece is custom designed for each buyer and includes:

- Chassis and engine numbers in the drawing border
- Registration number as displayed on the number plate
- Detailed technical specification including any modifications* if undertaken.
- Can include properly generated charts for gear ratios and torque/power curves.
- From supplied photographs, aftermarket wheels can be added and the ride height matched. - Custom artwork in the form of company/team/club logos
- Special messages, perhaps a history of notable race results if applicable.
- The designs also include, where available, the names of key designers and engineers behind the car's creation, but these can be replaced by customer specified designations such as 'Built by', 'Maintained by', 'Driven/Crashed by' etc.

*Please note that due to time spent, I do not undertake bodywork modifications visible in more than one projection view.

The plates are 400 x 300mm in size and come packaged in a black neoprene rubber laptop sleeve, printed with matching artwork. This not only acts to protect the artwork during delivery, but serves as a functional product once it's job as packaging is done. This too has customisation options in the form of logos to be used.

The plates come with a hanging kit so they can be wall mounted without the use of a frame. The kit offsets the metal from the wall by about an inch, which assists in highlighting that this is not merely a printed poster, but instead a piece of precision engineered art.

Some photos of completed designs:



















Price is £299 delivered including any customisations mentioned here. Group buy discounts on specific models are negotiable with further discounts for group buys on specific models. These are produced in batches of 6, so 'groups' will be defined as such.

Please allow at least four weeks from order to delivery. These are not off the shelf items so they do take a while to create.

I do not have a website live yet, however I can be contacted via my facebook page or by email at 'dan @ blackartgraphics dot com'. If there is interest in a group buy then please feel free to get in touch to discuss discounts.

Please do not hesitate to contact me via here either.

Many thanks.

[magpie]

the zone blackarts will vanish this .

[Grrrmachine]

I think that's pretty cool, so I'll leave it up for a bit. 300 quid is a lot for an etching of a four-pot though...

[Fiddy]

Thank you.

There are many more options available and a lot of customisation.

I have just started making myself the race version of the 3.0 CSL

As for cost, I would love to be able to sell as a separate price for cheaper however the amount of hours that I put in and the cost of materials and process isn't cheap.

[Davebmx]

The laser etching machine i have at work only does about 100x100mm but the "process takes seconds ive done these same drawings on phone cases and small plates like yours

[Gert_8]

The laser etching machine i have at work only does about 100x100mm but the "process takes seconds ive done these same drawings on phone cases and small plates like yours

And I bet you can do them much cheaper.

[Davebmx]

Less than 30 seconds just a test not perfect



And my car

[Fiddy]

Very nice, so you can do phone cases and key rings.

Now, factor in raster engraving time on a plate of 1200cm2 instead of 100cm2. Then do 6 of them at once, on a class leading flatbed Trotec machine, it takes 2.5 hours at the quality level I am getting. Factor in the running costs and ROI on that machine, a suitable premises and staff wages to run it. Then factor in top notch materials, anodising and cutting costs. Add some package and posting. Then add in the product packaging (RRP of £60 on it's own), the kit to put together a frameless hanging kit. Then add in an hourly rate for an experienced draughtsman and graphic artist to spend hours researching the models and creating the drawings. Then add in a few more hours of photographing the products when delivered for promotion. Add some more hours and money buying domain names and programming websites from scratch. Add yet more money and time chasing and negotiating contacts with OEMs to license use of their logos on the artwork, and for it to be sold through their official merchandise line. Add in the royalties that have to be paid on agreements like that, reseller percentages, and income tax on profits.

I am stoked that you guys see no value in it, and think that a 30 second phone case is comparable. ;)

Thanks for your time, but it's apparent my stuff holds no interest here, so forget I said anything.

[Davebmx]

I understand this is where your price comes from, for me it was the "process" as I can achieve white with just playing with frequency and power are laser machine is only really used for marking parts we machine for mercedes, McLaren, redbull, rolls Royce etc etc so cases and keyrings

[suchy]

Very nice, so you can do phone cases and key rings.

Now, factor in raster engraving time on a plate of 1200cm2 instead of 100cm2. Then do 6 of them at once, on a class leading flatbed Trotec machine, it takes 2.5 hours at the quality level I am getting. Factor in the running costs and ROI on that machine, a suitable premises and staff wages to run it. Then factor in top notch materials, anodising and cutting costs. Add some package and posting. Then add in the product packaging (RRP of £60 on it's own), the kit to put together a frameless hanging kit. Then add in an hourly rate for an experienced draughtsman and graphic artist to spend hours researching the models and creating the drawings. Then add in a few more hours of photographing the products when delivered for promotion. Add some more hours and money buying domain names and programming websites from scratch. Add yet more money and time chasing and negotiating contacts with OEMs to license use of their logos on the artwork, and for it to be sold through their official merchandise line. Add in the royalties that have to be paid on agreements like that, reseller percentages, and income tax on profits.

I am stoked that you guys see no value in it, and think that a 30 second phone case is comparable. ;)

Thanks for your time, but it's apparent my stuff holds no interest here, so forget I said anything.

Get used to negativity when offering an 'expensive' niche product and stop being so defensive!! If you feel it's value = it's purchase cost, then stand by your product and take the negativity on the chin. Some folk will 'get it' and others won't. It'll happen in the big wide world also so not just a Zone thing!

You are offering a premium product and niche by it's nature. Initially people will just get out their tape measures and look at the price before thinking about what goes into it...

A very slick product you have there

[Fiddy]

I understand this is where your price comes from, for me it was the "process" as I can achieve white with just playing with frequency and power are laser machine is only really used for marking parts we machine for mercedes, McLaren, redbull, rolls Royce etc etc so cases and keyrings

Fair enough! I won't pretend I know the ins and outs of the machine, I employ someone to make these for me, hence the costs. I could buy one and do it in house, but then I just shift costs from paying a studio, to paying for the machine and spending lots of time working out how it works!

I do all the design work though and since I started in November, they have devoured my evenings much to the disgust of my wife. By the looks of the photos you posted, you are also a draughtsman/CAD operator, so I'm sure you can appreciate the work on that side too. I use three different programs, 3D, 2D and graphic design based, to arrive at the finished product, as well as Javascript programming to generate things like gear ratio charts which can be included.

Apologies for being defensive, I was tired and cranky when I read the replies and took it the wrong way.

[Fiddy]

Get used to negativity when offering an 'expensive' niche product and stop being so defensive!! If you feel it's value = it's purchase cost, then stand by your product and take the negativity on the chin. Some folk will 'get it' and others won't. It'll happen in the big wide world also so not just a Zone thing!

You are offering a premium product and niche by it's nature. Initially people will just get out their tape measures and look at the price before thinking about what goes into it...

A very slick product you have there

Duly noted, thanks for the compliment!

[Fiddy]

OK after negotiating with a low volume manufacturer about offering these as official merchandise, I accept that I set the pricing too high.

Basically I'm cutting out all the 'official' costs out and going 'unofficial forum trader' for the most part. Walk before you run and all that.

Revised pricing will be £150 for custom pieces, £125 for 'stock' ones. How does that sound?

[Split_S]

Nice work - good idea on the new price, might gain a bit more traction on here...

Best of luck...

[Type15]

Something you might want to consider - on the Ducati you've used the Ducati name and what is probably a font registered by Ducati as a trade mark.

Some manufacturers - Ford, VW, Porsche - for example are really precious about their brands and will play hardball with anyone making what they see as unauthorised use of their IP, and I know in Ford's case if they do grant licences it's at a fairly hefty cost.

You might want to omit logos etc, just don't get caught out out by the IP lawyers, even on eBay people have been caught out.


Nice work though,

[Fiddy]

Yea I'm aware of copyright issues! I've already discussed it with a few IP lawyers and I have been offered a license from Ford (at a hefty cost as you rightly say). The general consensus seems to be that presenting logos etc as they are shown on the vehicles (like the Ducati) is not really a problem, it comes under de minimis. If I start using the logos in the drawing border to give the impression it's a Ford/BMW/Ducati product, then I may have issues admittedly, and I will avoid that. Fine line, but a line none the less.

I can add any other artwork at customer request though, if you've got a company/club logo or something that you would like used, not a problem! I've made a few for mates race/rally teams and the logos look great!

[Fiddy]

Hi Guys, we've now revised the price right down on these to something a lot more reasonable, also got some designs for other BMW models waiting in the wings!

http://www.e30zone.net/modules.php?name ... 54#2735754

[harry_p]

I like them a lot, however I couldn't ever have justified £300.

At £100 I think you'll sell masses more. Even so, at £100 I'm sure I can always find something else I need to spend £100 on, however, it does drop them down into the range where I could ask for one for a birthday / Christmas present without feeling like I would be taking the pee.

I'd love one, I just don't know where I'd put it ( or where the mrs would let me put it )

[Fiddy]

Man up and tell her it's going over the marital bed!