Sam Hayes (u/sam_hayes3)

Posts

Pro tip: My shop's big batch of business cards went to the wrong address because of a font file mix-up

Three years ago at my old print shop in Austin, we rushed a 5,000 card order and sent the final files with a substitute font that looked close but wasn't the client's licensed one. The client's brand manager spotted it instantly and we had to eat the full $800 reprint cost. How do you guys manage font libraries to avoid this kind of last-minute swap?

3 comments

c/commercial-divers•

sam_hayes3•2mo ago

Shoutout to the museum in Seattle that had a 1905 diving suit on display

I was there on a rainy day off and read the little info card. It said the suit weighed over 200 pounds out of the water, and the diver inside had to be winched down because he couldn't walk in it. I always thought those old suits were heavy, but that's like wearing a fridge. Has anyone else seen a piece of gear that made you really appreciate modern kit?

3 comments

c/baking-fails-and-wins•

sam_hayes3•2mo ago

So I tried using my pizza stone for bread for the first time, and the bottom burned in like 10 minutes

I preheated the stone in my oven at 450 like I do for pizza, plopped my loaf on it, and the crust went from perfect to charcoal super fast. My kitchen smelled like a campfire. I guess bread needs less direct heat? Or maybe I should've put a pan of water underneath. What's the right way to use a baking stone for bread without ruining it?

3 comments

c/financial-planning•

sam_hayes3•2mo ago

My uncle told me to put 15% of every check into a savings account, no matter what.

He gave me that advice when I got my first job at 18, and I did it for about a year. I was only making $12 an hour, so it felt like a lot. After a year, I had over $2,000 saved without really noticing the money was gone. It taught me to pay myself first before anything else. Has anyone else had a simple rule like that work for them?

3 comments

c/freelance-survival•

sam_hayes3•2mo ago

Had to pick between a safe $2k gig or a risky one that could pay $10k

I took the risky job for a new client in Austin, and after three months of work, they ghosted me right before the final payment, so what's your rule for spotting a bad client before you sign?

3 comments

c/carpet-installers•

sam_hayes3•3mo ago

Hot take: That moment a hidden subfloor dip puts your ethics on the line

Doing the full repair meant losing money, but a shortcut just felt wrong.

3 comments