Best source for weather-proof political campaign yard signs, including printing?

August 29, 2006 11:47 AM

Know a good source for weather-proof political campaign yard signs? I'm in California, the size is aprox. 24"x 18", with two colors, and the quantity is 2000-5000.
posted by letitrain to shopping (13 comments total)

You'll want to go union with this: I found this by typing 'union printer' into google.
posted by Sara Anne at 12:33 PM on August 29, 2006

Why would I care if it's union?
posted by letitrain at 12:47 PM on August 29, 2006

I had good luck with campaign-printing.com. I found them through a Google search when my firm designed some corroplast yard signs for a local citizens' group last election.
posted by MegoSteve at 12:58 PM on August 29, 2006

union bug on the sign will make other union members say 'hey this guy went union! lets vote for him'
posted by ZackTM at 12:58 PM on August 29, 2006

Because you don't want to give the unions a reason to come out in support of your opponent?
posted by dersins at 1:00 PM on August 29, 2006

Environmental nonprofit I work at prints everything union. Wasn't more expensive for us. Besides the usual reasons to go union, I think some kind of polling found out it's really important. (Might be different if your political cause is conservative.)
posted by salvia at 1:02 PM on August 29, 2006

Even conservative causes tend to print their signs and literature in union shops. Why court trouble with the unions unnecessarily? I have managed campaigns and worked for environmental non-profits and you always always print union and make sure they put the bug on it.
posted by fancypants at 1:04 PM on August 29, 2006

Very interesting! I've done tons of bidding out printing, but never for political campaigns. As much as it feels like intimidation, I think I'll stick with a union shop just to protect the client.
posted by letitrain at 1:11 PM on August 29, 2006

The union bug isn't really intimidiation -- it's two parts tradition and one part expertise (not surprisingly, the vendors with most experience doing political printing are all union shops).

There are lots of other traditions along the same lines. Democratic candidates traditionally never ride in foreign cars, and can't hold events in non-union hotels (or in some cities) even in non-union restaurants.
posted by MattD at 1:39 PM on August 29, 2006

every democrat & independent left client i've ever done campaign work has made very, very sure that all their printed marketing work had a union bug on it. i know several shops that have become union for this reason alone (although the good deal on group health plans is a benefit too).
posted by luriete at 1:39 PM on August 29, 2006

If the candidate is a Democrat, using a non-union print shop is a big risk. If the candidate is a Republican, it doesn't matter at all. The R's usually end up having to spend less, and the quality is usually lower.
posted by Ignatius J. Reilly at 1:58 PM on August 29, 2006

I can't recommend Demstore.com highly enough. Using a company that understands the specific needs of campaigns will save you a ton of hassles and explaining. Plus, their rates are great and their products are the industry standard. In fact, most of the really big candidates (Kerry, Dean, Gore, Clinton, well-funded senate campaigns, etc) use Demstore.

I have no idea of whether there's a Republican equivalent... Bush/ Cheney got caught printing materials in Mexico last year, so I suspect not.
posted by chickletworks at 7:37 PM on August 29, 2006

Just a follow-up. We went with a union printer in Sacramento, and the work was the worst I've ever seen. Completely washed-out blacks, mis-registration and off-center. I wanted them to reject it when I saw it, but there is simply not enough time (it's a political campaign, after all). Not a good first experience with a union printer!
posted by letitrain at 9:19 PM on October 26, 2006