Monday, December 6, 2010

Go Font Yourself!

Below I am posting copies of the email correspondence between myself and the president of Letterhead fonts. I placed an order earlier this evening for a font and some fancy borders to use on some prints I was planning on sending out for Christmas. Bare in mind at no point did I say that I am even a tattooer, let alone what I intend to use the fonts for. He must have seen my email address and figured out all he needed to know.  He declined my order and then insulted both me and my profession. I will let the email correspondence show what I mean. Holly stopped me from getting too aggressive in my final response to him.
The truly astounding part is that I was willing to pay $170 for 1 font and 2 design elements. Screw me for trying to do things honestly and properly.

Here are the emails:

1. From chuck to me:


Your order has been refunded in full. You should see the funds back in your
PayPal account immediately.

Tattoos are prohibited use and Letterhead Fonts may not be used for that
purpose.

Regards,
--Chuck

Chuck Davis, President
Letterhead Fonts

2. My reply to Chuck


Hey chuck,
I am confused as to the reasoning for canceling my order. Your message says tattoos are prohibited use. Where did I even state that was an intent. I am also an illustrator, and had planned to use the font and borders as embellishments for prints I was making for Christmas presents.
I am surprised and frankly I am quite insulted that you would block an order to me as the result of my profession. I got a message stating i would receive a call. Had you done that I could have explained my intended use. As for lettering in tattoos, I pride myself in creating the fonts I use. Quite honestly, if I were to use any of your fonts as an inspiration I could just look at your website. In this case I was looking to pay a fair bit of money to save the time of hand lettering the prints I am making.
I was turned on to your website/fonts from a sign painter friend of mine. I was even working with him to design a new sign for my shop Now I will be calling him to tell him his referral does not want my business, and I will happily choose another source.

It's a shame you don't want my business.

Scott Bramble
scottbramble.com


3. Chuck's reply to me






Scott,

Frankly I'm insulted that you would attempt to insult my intelligence. Do
you use other fonts for tattoos-- either directly or indirectly. Have you
ever?

Once they were installed, would you promise never to use them for tattoos?
Come on.

That said (and I'm serious about this), if you can make your own fonts,
there is a real market to capture... fonts for tattoo artists. As I have
done, you could focus on fonts that are specially tailored to guys like
yourself. That would be very successful. Having cornered a market for that
and becoming known for those kinds of fonts-- you'd have a very stable and
lucrative business.

I encourage you to think about it. I wish you success.

--Chuck




4. My reply to Chuck:



Chuck,
Insult your intelligence?! Clearly you are showing your deficiencies in that department just fine. I placed an order for fonts and borders provided for use by designers. I am working on a design completely unrelated to tattooing in any way. The design is not even intended for profit, but for a Christmas gift to friends and family. You used your intelligence to deduct that because i have an email address that has the word tattoo in it, i must be using the font for tattooing. Then i explained i have no intent to use your font for tattooing, and you are all but calling me a liar. When lettering is involved in the design, I draw it by hand to suit the design. scanning a drawing into the computer to work a layout around your fonts would be a waste of time and effort. you clearly have a set idea of what it is to be a tattoo artist, and apparently part of that idea is that we as a profession are dishonest. How are you involved in an artistic business yourself with such limited vision.

So am i insulting your intelligence... at this point yes i am.
i am also insulting your integrity. You called into question my motives and canceled my order without talking to me about it first. Then you have continued down the road of defending that error in your judgment and follow that with not so veiled insults. Your passive aggressive suggestion that I make a go in the lucrative business of font design is astounding. All i wanted was a font for a print, and instead i got an entirely new direction for my career. Wow.

happy holidays
scott bramble



I await a reply from him at this point. Tho I don't expect one.
Please spread the word that this companies president follows such absurd and demeaning business practice. I rarely get so wound up over matters, but this guy is too much to take.
Thanks
Scott

3 comments:

  1. Um, wow. In this economy who turns down someone business without so much as interacting with them? And if "tattoo fonts" are so lucrative how rich would you have to be to not pursue it?
    I wonder if he also denies business to firearms companies, liquor companies, pornographers....
    What is his opposition to tattoo businesses? And how is it appropriate for him to deny someone business. Especially after your fist (very diplomatic letter).

    Sad.

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  2. This man apparently does judge people by their profession. I agree with Jessica in this economy who turns away business is not worth dealing with. Scott for those of us that know you well,know you would not lie. This guy is a jerk and you are a better person.

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  3. i think part of the problem here is that a majority of people in out industry do indeed not take the time to work on their own fonts, and rely solely on the work that others have done. i know im playing devils advocate here, and in no way do i agree with this gentelman, but it sounds like hes been burned before on this front, and hes covering his ass to make sure it doesnt happen again. its the people that dont put in the work the way that we do, that have ruined things like this for us, and many others.
    i takepride in my font work, i know you do as well, my ribs are a prime example of that. but youve got to understand, the majority of our peers do not, most of what we see if traced, stolen fonts. and that really gives us a bad rep. so tip your hat to the fellows making a buck off of stolen fonts, and thenk them kindly for ruining your christmas cards

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