TradeToons™ Frequently Asked Questions
With over twenty years of professional caricature illustration experience, we at TradeToons™ have one goal in mind: excellence. We pride ourselves in providing high-end live digital caricatures to our clients at trade shows and corporate events nationwide.
Do clients need to provide anything on-site?
While TradeToons™ brings all the essential equipment for drawing amazing live digital caricatures, the client must provide a few simple things:
One (1) working, normal three-prong electrical outlet within 10 feet of the set-up location.
One (1) sturdy, skirted table (this hides ugly cords and provides a place for the large HD display & photo printer).
At least two (2) normal height chairs (no tall stools): one for the artist, one for the subject.
Are live digital caricatures from TradeToons™ drawn by hand?
All TradeToons™ live digital caricatures are hand-drawn on site using an iPad Pro and Apple Pencil which is also mirrored on a large HD display (providing a live feed of the realtime drawing in progress as it is created). They are also immediately printed on site after each drawing is completed. Really, the iPad is merely a high tech medium that enhances efficiency, while the artist is doing the actual creative work.
Do people really line up for live digital caricatures?
Oh, yes! In our experience, this is the absolute norm. While we find that the first hour early in the morning can sometimes be a tad slow, often there is line of several people throughout the entire day and especially in the afternoons. For reasons that even we don’t fully understand, there is truly a huge demand for live digital caricatures from TradeToons™, and people love them! If you are looking for a practical way to draw constant interest and “the party starts here” buzz directed toward your trade show booth, TradeToons™ genuinely works.
How long does a live digital caricature from TradeToons™ take?
Typically a live digital caricature from TradeToons™ takes around 10 minutes. If you are more interested in volume and satisfied with a simpler style, we can draw faster. If you are looking for detail and quality, we can go a bit slower. Typically, your TradeToons™ live digital artist will try to balance speed and quality with the varying demand throughout the day. Our philosophy is that this unique art form is more about creating draw and buzz than it is about generating volume of giveaway. To us, this is all about a fun atmosphere that generates real opportunities for B2B engagement.
How do digital downloads for live digital caricatures work?
After your TradeToons™ artist has completed drawing at your event, all the digital caricatures created of trade show guests will be available the next day on a secure URL provided to the client beforehand. This will make it easy for each of your guests to download their drawing in a full resolution format at their convenience. Also, a zipped folder of all of the sketches will be sent to the client via Google Drive for download to their permanent records.
How are live digital caricature artists from TradeToons™ different from other digital artists?
TradeToons™ prides itself in offering only the best live digital caricatures from a highly-experienced artist at a very competitive price. If you want top-shelf excellence at a highly competitive price, TradeToons™ is the one-stop live digital caricature company for you. That said, if we are unable to book for a certain date because we are already booked, we will certainly recommend a couple of our competitors who also value quality first.
How big are live digital caricature prints from TradeToons™?
TradeToons™ provides a 4”x6” print of each guest’s caricature, including the client’s logo, to take home with them. Guests also are given information allowing easy access to a full-quality digital download of their own live digital caricature which they are free to print on their own at any size they wish or share on social media.
How are live digital caricatures better than marker caricatures?
TradeToons™ live digital caricatures are superior to traditional marker-on-paper caricatures in several ways:
They are faster – especially when in color, which is significantly faster when drawn digitally.
They aren’t messy – the medium of traditional color caricatures involves airbrush or colored pencils, both of which are messy and inefficient in a trade show environment.
They enhance the entertainment experience with the large HD screen that mirrors the drawing in progress.
They always include a logo, which is easily printed on-site on every digital caricature printout.
They allow the subject the ability to download a full-resolution digital image for any digital use they wish.
They allow the client to own a digital version all all sketches created for their permanent records.
How experienced is a TradeToons™ live digital caricature artist?
Your TradeToons™ live digital caricaturist(s) will have two decades of professional caricature experience. Excellence and experience are a top priority for TradeToons™. A year of experience just doesn’t cut its or quality control.
Are discounts available for multi-day events?
Yes! TradeToons™ offers extremely competitive rates for multi-day events. We want to earn your business. With TradeToons™ you get the best marriage of high-quality art work and competitive value.
Are there any hidden fees?
None. You see only one total number in your competitive quote, and that’s the whole deal. Travel fees are the only extra cost to consider, and naturally vary based on location of the trade show venue.
How big of a space is needed in a trade show booth for live digital caricatures from TradeToons™?
At TradeToons™ we are able to be quite flexible and creative with this, but as a rule of thumb, we need about 4’x4’ to set up two chairs, an easel and a small table. There also needs to be room for folks to line up, though this often naturally occurs in the aisle next to the trade show booth. The good news is that there are several possible orientations of setup that can work for just about any trade show booth, even small ones.