January 2017 Sign Builder Illustrated

N u m b e r 259

Dominating Retrofits one innovation at a time

The how-To Magazine

Ja n ua ry 2017 | s i g n s h o p.co M

c oV e r sTo ry

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Introducing the NEW

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S i g N b u i l d e r i l l u St r at e d

hardware for oNe SigN or oNe huNdred SigNS

HOW TO Cranes

Certifying Your Operators

stand-Offs

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Contents January 2017

Vol. 31

No. 259

How-To Columns

12 15

CERTIFICATION IN PLACE

By David Hickey The clock is ticking to make sure your crane operators are certified.

A New Year for Vinyl

By Mark K. Roberts New business for the new year.

departments

8 10 59 60

EDITOR’S COLUMN

Editor Jeff Wooten wonders how a new administration will affect signage.

IN THE INDUSTRY

16

Roland sponsors Window Warriors TV series; FASI awards scholarship.

Sign Show

The newest products and services from sign manufacturers.

SBI Marketplace

Advertisements and announcements from the sign trade.

Features

16

Shop Talk

Ashley Bray speaks with a designer about industry challenges.

20

SBI ILLUMINATIONS

49 50 52 54 56 58 2

SBI ILLUMINATIONs

The latest lighting projects and products.

NEWS & NOTES

Product announcements related to sign lighting applications.

24 29

CABINET LIGHTNG

New enhancements for a church.

ACCENT LIGHTING

LED curves add the right touch to a new skyscraper.

AREA LIGHTING

LED digital sign drives auto sales while LED luminaires drive costs down.

RETROFIT LIGHTING

Casino hits jackpot with RGB DMX.

Sign Builder Illustrated

January 2017

32 41 45

THE “LIFE-GIVING” MURAL

By Brenda Murphy-Niederkorn Stained-glass mural designed for flawless installation.

CUSTOM COVERING THE GAME

By Mike Antoniak Large format printing and the Internet lead to a win for one company.

CUTTING OUT PROFITS

By Ashley Bray Investing in new equipment leads to fresh opportunities for a sign company.

ONE SIGN OR ONE HUNDRED SIGNS?

By Chris Montouchet Why programmable CNC routers may be ideal for your operation.

STANDOFF-ISH MOUNTS

By Peter Perszyk Standoffs are an important component for stand-out signage.

SAFE PASSAGE

By Lori Shridhare ADA kiosks and tactile maps guide the disabled.

NOW FOR THE REVEAL

By Peter Perszyk A sign secret can finally be revealed: the separation of sign and base. signshop.com

Cover Photo: Sean Busher/Rite Lite Signs, Charlotte, NC.

6

YOUR

HOTLINE

For Must-Have Sign Products!

January 2017, Vol. 31, No. 259 Sign Builder Illustrated (ISSN 0895-0555) print, (ISSN 2161-0709) digital is published by Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corporation

Subscriptions: 800-895-4389

executive offices President and Chairman Arthur J. McGinnis, Jr.

Wholesale Signage Distributors Manufacturers

Publisher Arthur J. Sutley 55 Broad Street, 26th floor New York, NY 10004 212-620-7247 ; Fax: 212-633-1863

editorial Editor Jeff Wooten 323 Clifton Street, Suite #7 Greenville, NC 27858 212-620-7244 jwooten@sbpub.com

Head to our Marketplace section on page 59

“I predict that ‘onestop’ and ‘speed’ will be 2017’s ‘branding,’ when it comes to trendy buzzwords.”

Managing Editor Ashley Bray 55 Broad Street, 26th Floor New York, NY 10004 212-620-7220 abray@sbpub.com Contributing Writers Mike Antoniak, David Hickey, Chris Montouchet, Brenda Murphy-Niederkorn, Peter Perszyk, Mark K. Roberts, Lori Shridhare

art Creative Director Wendy Williams Art Director Nicole Cassano “My New Year’s Resolution for you: Read more SBI!”

Graphic Designer Aleza Leinwand

production Corporate Production Director Mary Conyers

circulation Circulation Director Maureen Cooney

advertising sales National Sales Director Jeff Sutley 212-620-7233 jsutley@sbpub.com

“Looking forward to a great 2017!”

Mid-West & West Coast Sales Manager Heather Bonato 212-620-7225 hbonato@sbpub.com Sign Builder Illustrated is published monthly. All rights reserved. Nothing herein may be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission of the publisher. To purchase PDF files of cover and layouts or hard copy reprints, please call Art Sutley at 212-620-7247 or e-mail asutley@sbpub.com.

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Sign Builder Illustrated

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Editor’s Column

AGENDA

By Jeff Wooten

February 2017 February 16-17:

The Midwest Sign Association will conduct its winter meeting at the Hilton Fort Wayne in Fort Wayne, Indiana. (msassn.org)

February 16-18:

Graphics of the Americas Expo & Conference will be held at the Fort Lauderdale Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. (goaexpo.com)

April 2017

Politics as (Not So) Usual

April 19-22:

The ISA International Sign Expo takes place at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. (signexpo.org)

Will business interests now be more of a priority?

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January 2017

of the more pro-business platforms in our nation’s capital in a long, long time.

In fact, judging from the appointments made already at press time of so many CEOs and business executives, this is already being touted as the most businessoriented cabinet since Eisenhower.

And when it comes to the sign industry, business is good—and businesses that are spending are even better.

Still there is some uncertainty that might bear a little scrutiny. Will the campaign promise to “drain the swamp” of lobbyists affect those lobbying for the sign industry? (Again, with this being at face-value a business-oriented administration, I can’t imagine so.) Will tax code revisions be made to help businesses spend more on advertising? What happens to the federal overtime rule increasing the minimum salary for overtime pay exemption that was blocked last month?

In “Keep Calm and Carry On” (http:// bit.ly/2hzLjlw), Don Feagan, president and COO of sign/print provider SAi, states that “uncertainty” is one thing that businesses don’t like, but “not losing sight of such key objectives is critical when it comes to ensuring a steady ship, as is being pragmatic in the face of the inevitable scaremongering that so often goes hand-in-hand with uncertainty.”

Jeff Wooten Editor, jwooten@sbpub.com

May 2017 May 7-11:

LIGHTFAIR International 2017 will be in full effect at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (lightfair.com)

June 2017 June 7-11:

The Texas Sign Association Annual Conference happens at the WinStar World Casino in Thackerville, Oklahoma. (txsigns.org)

July 2017 July 26-30:

Shutterstock/Sean Pavone

I

t’s time again for that annual ritual of regret and renewal. Whether at home or in your shop, many of you are already making (and not already breaking) resolutions aimed at improving your lives over the next 365 days. Whether these good intentions involve investing in new equipment or proceeding into new markets, we have a bevy of articles this issue to help you make these decisions.

Resolutions are all about change, and I’m fairly certain “change” is going to be the operative word for 2017.

For example, on page 12, we will help you prepare for and understand what the OSHA Certified Crane Operator requirement means for your business, which, after a three-year delay, finally takes effect in November.

Then there’s the “change” of a new President being sworn into office later this month. Coming off one of the most divisive campaigns and even-more divisive results in our country’s history (which I won’t tread into here, for either end of the political spectrum), President-Elect Donald Trump will be our new Commander-in-Chief.

After running such an unorthodox campaign that turned every political science axiom upside-down and insideout, professional pundits and strategists trying to forecast the next four years are understandably all over the map in their projections about this administration.

However if there’s one recognizable constant when trying to read these tea leaves, this is, no doubt, going to be one

The Mid South Sign Association Annual Meeting and Trade Show takes place at the Sheraton Memphis Downtown in Memphis, Tennessee. (midsouthsignassociation.org)

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In The Industry

Roland Devices Featured

In Window Warriors Roland joins major retailers for new skill-based competition series combining art and commerce as top retail window designers compete for $100,000.

I

rvine, California—Roland DGA Corporation, a provider of wide format digital printers and other advanced digital devices, signed on as a promotional partner on Window Warriors, a new skill-based competition series that premiered on the GSN on Tuesday, November 15 at 9 p.m. ET/ PT (8 pm Central).

Roland devices played an important role in the series (which recently concluded its first season), with the company’s innovative printers and vinyl cutters serving as key creative tools for the 8

Sign Builder Illustrated

January 2017

show’s window designers vying for the $100,000 grand prize.

Hosted by actress Garcelle Beauvais (Hollywood Today Live, Spider-Man: Homecoming), GSN’s Window Warriors lifted the curtain on the intensely competitive and theatrical world of visual merchandising.

The new series brought together art and commerce as the country’s most talented window designers were challenged to design and create jaw-dropping displays each week. In each episode, the contestants were given a new

theme that correlated with one of the promotional partners, with one person sent home each week until the final top designer remained.

Along with the $100,000 cash prize, the winner received the opportunity to design a holiday display for a major retailer in New York City and be featured in design:retail magazine.

Roland devices used by contestants throughout the course of the series included the company’s SOLJET® Pro 4 XR-640 wide format printer/cutter, VersaUV® LEJ-640 hybrid wide format printsignshop.com

signage Scholars

Roland devices play an important role in a new series.

C

Photo (Right): Shutterstock/hxdbzxy.

We’re thrilled the producers chose Roland equipment for GSN’s Window Warriors. er, and CAMM-1 GS-24 vinyl cutter.

“We’re thrilled the producers chose Roland equipment for GSN’s Window Warriors,” said Andrew Oransky, president of Irvine, California-based Roland DGA. “These innovative devices [helped] the competitors make the most of their creative talents and produce impactful graphics on a variety of materials for their window displays. “[They were also able] to incorporate gloss and white inks to produce stunning dimensional and textural effects that really ‘pop.’”

Window Warriors comes from Michael Levitt Productions, the team behind GSN’s most-watched original series ever—Skin Wars. signshop.com

Executive producers include Michael Levitt (Skin Wars, Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List, and Billboard Music Awards), Jill Goularte, and Liz Cook.

Award-winning visual merchandising icon Paul Olszewski is consulting producer, and Douglas Little, a master in the world of visual merchandising, serves as a judge and creative consultant for the show.

incinnati, Ohio—The Foundation for the Advancement of the Sign Industry (FASI) has awarded the first of what it hopes will be many scholarships to collegiate members of the Academic Advisory Council for Signage Research and Education.

Stephanie Onwenu, a junior in the Landscape Architecture program in the School of Planning, Design and Construction, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources at Michigan State University (MSU), has been awarded a $1,000 scholarship.

Dr. Pat Crawford, associate director of Planning Design & Construction at MSU, stated, “Stephanie is part of the research team exploring perceptions of on-premise signage in urban streetscape environments using the IBM VAS software. She will also be exploring, firsthand, urban signage in Spain, the United Kingdom, and Italy during her study abroad.”

In a letter to FASI, Stephanie wrote, “This opportunity will allow me to compare and contrast the various ways and forms that signage is manipulated around the world.”

“FASI is very proud to assist in the education of college students with an interest in signage,” said Wade Swormstedt, executive director at FASI (fasi.org).

For more information and photos related to Window Warriors, visit corp.gsn.com.

To learn more about Roland DGA Corporation or the complete Roland product lineup, visit rolanddga.com.

January 2017

Sign Builder Illustrated

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Sign Show FABRICS Enhanced Latex Printing with DigiPanorama from Top Value Fabrics Top Value Fabrics presents the latest advancement in Latex-printable fabrics with DigiPanorama, which is specifically engineered to provide Latex customers with the value-added results they are looking for in finished prints. This fabric features a uniquely formulated coating that enhances the performance of graphics when printed with Latex inks. DigiPanorama is REACH-compliant and is specially optimized for use with HP Latex Ink Technology. This knitted polyester also meets NFPA 701 FR specifications and provides options in ink compatibility for both UV and Latex. Stocked in widths to 122 inches, DigiPanorama yields outstanding color consistency, excellent image sharpness, and a vibrant color range. tvfmedia.com/digipanorama

ROUTERS/ENGRAVERS Techno’s HD CNC Routers Provide Signmakers a Profit-making, Full-service Sign Shop Solution Techno’s HD CNC Router is available in four-by-four, four-by-eight, and five-by-ten standard sizes and features a four-HP HSD high-frequency collet spindle, automatic tool calibration, four-zone vacuum T-slot table, and an easy-to-use, hand-held controller. The HD machine is open architecture—compatible with all industry-standard sign-making graphic software. (631) 648-7481; technocnc.com

SERVICE TRUCKS/CRANES/EQUIPMENT New Elliott 36142 Boom Truck Features the Longest Boom Available in its Class Elliott Equipment Company has released the new 36-U.S. ton 36142 BoomTruck telescopic truck-mounted crane model. With a 5-section, 142-foot main boom and optional 32-foot to 49-foot 2-section jib, the 36142 offers a maximum tip height of 201 feet. Key features include: A 34-foot, 9-inch to 142-foot extended 5-section telescopic main boom; a 36-ton lifting rating at a 5-foot load radius; a patented standup ride-around lower control console; a 9,060-pound single line pull winch with 12,800-pound bare drum pull that uses 9/16-inch rotation-resistant steel rope; a 21-foot, 2-inch span out-down outriggers with full and mid-span positions/charts; and more. elliottequip.com

SOFTWARE-DESIGN/PRINT/ROUTE/ESTIMATE New Software is a Faster and Easier Tool to Create 3D Packaging Designs An all-new version of Esko Studio 16, part of the Esko Software Platform 16, is now available. Studio is a unique set of tools for 3D packaging design. Studio has helped users produce better packaging designs, whether designers are trying out different ideas and want virtual mockups fast, or prepress operators are checking graphic positioning and reverse print. Creating artwork is done with the artwork print production data and eliminates the need for separate packaging artwork creation in other software. New features include the ability to create 3D compositions 50 percent faster; the ability to select materials and apply print effects; the ability to add and adjust realistic floor shadows and light source angles; and more. esko.com

VINYL/VINYL FILMS/SUPPLIES 3M Re-Energizes Flagship IJ180 Print Wrap Film Featuring the many high-quality benefits of Comply™ Adhesive with micro technology, new Print Wrap Film IJ180mC-10 will accelerate installation and provide even more design options. With advanced slideability and initial tack optimized for wraps, installers will be able to move the film effortlessly across any application surface and reposition the product to the perfect location after first contact. Along with improved liner release and the ability to stretch 130 percent without primer, IJ180mC-10 also provides a non-visible comply pattern to ensure a smooth, bubble-free finish to a completed wrap. The launch also includes the introduction of clear and metallic options: 3M™ Print Wrap Film IJ180mC-114 and 3M™ Print Wrap Film IJ180mC-120. 3M.com/IJ180

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WORLD’S

MIGHTIEST

SIGNAGE MAGAZINE! Sign Builder Illustrated is the “how-to magazine” of the sign industry. Each issue includes SBI’s signature “How-to” columns and features with detailed, step-by-step instructions covering a wide range of signage. SBI’s website (signshop.com), newsletters, Buyer’s Guide, and digital edition keep you updated with timely news, recent projects, and upcoming industry events.

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@SBIMag

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SIGN BUILDER

ILLUSTRATED

How To INSTALLATION

By David Hickey

Certification in Place The clock is ticking to make sure your crane operators are certified. ment means. When I spoke to Joe Gibson, vice president of operations and an ISA board member, he told me something that should cause anyone to pay attention: “As soon as a crane goes up in the air, an inspector shows up immediately.”

With that attention to enforcement, crane owners and operators need to comply with this mandate. Period. The maximum penalty for a serious violation will be $12,471. The ceiling for willful and repeat violations will be $124,709.

If an accident were to happen, the liability would be enormous.

Of course, creating safe job sites—and ensuring that workers remain safe—is important to everyone.

Here are a few things you should know:

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There is no doubt that complying with this rule will cost sign, graphics, and visual communications companies both time and money. The International Sign Association (ISA) has worked on this issue through the years by testifying at a hearing and by asking OSHA to exempt the sign, graphics, and visual communications industry. Neither of those measures were adopted

by OSHA. So here’s what companies face: the rule requires that the employer pay for the training and examination. Under the certification path available to most companies, employees can take that certification with them, if they go on to another job.

What is the likely impact of this regulation to crane operators?

The state of Washington (along with sixteen other states and six major cities) has already enacted a similar rule, so it is worth exploring what sign companies in the Northwest have experienced because of the certification requirements.

Ramsay Signs, based in Portland, Oregon, knows firsthand what this require-

• ISA does not recommend any specific training provider. Instead we recommend member sign companies—and the industry as a whole—comply with these OSHA requirements in the way that best suits their needs. Training may cost $1,000-$2,000 per employee or more depending on locations and providers. It’s also important to verify that any certification program is compatible with state and local requirements.

• On average, the written exam fees may cost a few hundred dollars. Retest fees (for employees who do not successfully pass the first time) cost the same as the initial exam.

• The certification is good for five years, meaning, barring any additional signshop.com

Photo: Elliott Equipment Company.

T

he certified crane operator requirement has been in discussion for decades and has been counting down to implementation since 2008. By November, companies are required to be in compliance.

The crane operator certification requires anyone who operates a crane to be trained and certified. They must pass two written exams—one core and one specialized. They also must pass a practical (hands-on) examination.

By November 10, all crane operators are required to be certified. This was initially due to take effect in 2014, before the three-year delay. This mandate predates the Obama Administration.

Consequently I do not anticipate any changes from the new administration or the 115th Congress.

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), employers, unions, testing organizations, and other stakeholders agreed with the delay in 2014 after a number of questions arose that made it impossible to comply. It’s unlikely that a delay will happen again.

• There are four options for obtaining certifications. One applies solely to military personnel. The other options include certification by an independent testing organization that is accredited.

Or a company may comply with state and local laws. Only the independent tests are portable for the employee.

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Sign Builder Illustrated

13

How To INSTALLATION

By David Hickey some information that may be helpful.

Visit signs.org/crane to learn more.

As you begin to navigate compliance, please understand that you are not alone.

changes, recertification will be necessary in 2022.

So how do you get started? The International Sign Association has compiled

Crane Compliance “OSHA’S CRANE and Derricks in Construction final rule includes a requirement for crane operator certification when operating equipment in a construction application that features a winch rated to lift more than 2,000 pounds,” says David Phillips, manager of Global Business Development & Marketing for Elliott Equipment Company. “The new federal rule mandates certifications even when operating an aerial lift

with a material-handling winch.”

Sign companies should analyze their fleet to determine what equipment falls under the new regulations.

If a company has an old machine with a winch to do light service work, Phillips says it may make sense to replace that machine with a service truck that features a 2,000-pound winch option, which falls below the OSHA crane licensing requirement.

Recently a group of sign companies in the Baltimore area banded together to host a training. This ensured that the curriculum was focused only on the certification needs of sign company crane operators, it not only split the fixed costs of hiring the trainer but it also eliminated any need for attendees to travel to a remote site for three or four days.

Consider doing something similar, if practical.

This is a great place to network with other ISA and Affiliated Association members to find out how they plan to get employees crane certified.

Ultimately this certification is a small price to pay to create a safe working environment for employees and the general public.

—Ashley Bray David Hickey is vice president, Government Affairs, at ISA (www.signs.org).

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Sign Builder Illustrated

January 2017

signshop.com

How To

BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

By Mark K. Roberts

A New Year for Vinyl Attracting new business for the new year.

Top: Shutterstock/Joshua Rainey Photography, Bottom: Shutterstock/David Huntley Creative

W

hew, time really flies!

How was the year 2016 for you? Was it great, mediocre, or “nothing to write home about?” Whatever your answer, I am sure we can all do better in this year.

Let’s take a look at some modifications we can easily implement for smooth sailing well into our new year.

Perhaps you are looking for upgrades involving new equipment, new software, new employees, or any other items you need to address. It is never too late to get your wish list ready, and it is never too early to get to the starting line before your competition beats you to it!

My January tasks always involve a cleanup of my shop and a reorganizing to kick off the brand new year we were all given. A good sweeping, vacuuming, mopping, and kicking the “clutter” to the curb is a great way to begin.

While we are at it, perhaps the time is right to add a coat of paint to your walls, a new service counter, or some other addition that would make your life easier and more manageable. Keep signshop.com

your eyes peeled for small improvements that you can take care of in a few short minutes.

Is your sign company on a busy main street? Then you should tastefully and accurately apply lettering to your main windows either through vinyl or paint.

First of all, the name of your company should be large, legible, and easy to read at a distance.

Second, you may want to have a bulleted list of the sign products you offer applied to your glass windows. Your sign client base could be very interested in your inventory—from banners, wall lettering, vehicle lettering, simple cut vinyl letters, and individual lettering of every size and variety.

Speaking of lettering, you may also want to apply “hand-lettered” copy not only to your windows but also vehicles, walls, ceilings, floors, and other strategic locations.

Also keep in mind that with the new year, there may be new state or local laws that have gone into effect.

This past year, I had the opportunity to make many “Handguns Prohibited”

signs due to new handgun laws in Texas.

Businesses had to display these signs if they did not want anyone entering with a concealed handgun.

Many of my customers were appreciative of me calling them and making them aware of this sign need. Some of these signs were window decals and others were large gate signs displaying the government codes.

Your customers can quickly choose the sign products that are applicable to their need and their budget. Some signs are entry level and others are quite pricey. You can set a sliding scale for the price of the sign that will be perfect for the application at hand. (Note: My company, The InterSign Group, is set at mid-range price level, where we have some flexibility in price.)

And in the event that your customer requires an installation, be sure you have thoroughly trained your technician to insure an impeccable installation.

Never leave any fingerprints, smudges, or anything on the walls that will mar the surfaces.

Work carefully and thoroughly as your reputation is at stake!

Mark K. Roberts is a thirty-nine-year sign professional, the owner of the InterSign Group in Houston, Texas, and lovin’ every minute of it! He wishes you and your business a very prosperous 2017!

Vinyl isn’t just for vehicle wraps! Consider also covering walls, windows, and floors.

January 2017

Sign Builder Illustrated

15

Artistic

By Brenda Murphy-niederkorn

Th

G e f e “Li

A

new stained-glass, forestinspired mural installed last October at Maui’s Pukalani Elementary School in Pukalani, Hawaii, gave Big Island conservation artist Calley O’Neill (CalleyONeill.com) of Waimea, Hawaii, the opportunity to inspire children to nurture their connections to the land.

It also allowed her the opportunity to experiment with a new design/installation process she developed with her

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January 2017

l a r u M ” g n i v i

long-term glass-partner Lamar Yoakum utilizing Gatorfoam® graphic display board by 3A Composites USA (GraphicDisplay.com).

The fifty-two-foot-long stainedglass mosaic mural entitled “Na Wao A’O Pi’ilani” (The Life Giving Forests of Maui) was commissioned by the Hawai’i State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, as part of its Art in Public Places Collection.

The mural, which was installed

onto an exterior wall at the elementary school, features an interior mosaic comprised of 3,350 pieces of stained glass and measuring fourteen feet tall at its peak. A mural border created with 25,000 smalti glass tiles was worked on by nearly 260 Pukalani community members, including teachers and approximately 185 students in the elementary school’s fourth- and fifthgrade classes.

O’Neill and Yoakum, a Waimea-based signshop.com

All Photos: 3A Composites.

Stained-glass mural designed for flawless installation.

master stained-glass/mosaic artisan, share a combined fifty-five-plus years of experience in creating stained-glass windows, stained-glass paintings, and mosaic murals, skylights, and fine art.

They previously had created their stained-glass murals following traditional design methods on a concrete substrate. Stained-glass mural pieces would be covered with mosaic tape, lifted up, and installed into thinset mortar directly on the wall. signshop.com

“Some artists use a grid during installation and spacers to produce all grout joints evenly,” said O’Neill, who has been painting her fine art easel paintings and interior murals onto Gatorfoam for more than twenty-five years. “But this process doesn’t have the organic fluidity that I wanted.

“People love detail. I knew Gatorfoam could allow me to design a mural that would be invisibly installed.”

Gatorfoam consists of polysty-

rene foam bonded between two layers of wood-fiber veneer laminate. This unique construction makes Gatorfoam rigid yet lightweight and warp-resistant; its surface is also exceptionally smooth and strong, offering superior dent- and scratch-resistance.

O’Neill wanted to utilize Gatorfoam not only to create the detailed mosaic pattern but also to work on with the glass pieces, which allowed her to improve detail, accuracy, and ease during installation.

Additionally the Gatorfoam was designed to protect the stained glass during shipment by both truck and barge from her studio on the Big Island of Hawaii to Pukalani Elementary School on Maui.

“I knew we could develop a fail-proof way of creating, building, and installing with [this material],” said O’Neill.

The artist had three full-sized fiftytwo-foot-long cartoons of her original forest-themed mural master plan printed. The plans show the numbered, clear pencil line drawing that she had originally executed at quarter-scale on vellum.

The first mural cartoon was preserved intact as the blueprint and base pattern upon which to place the mural each time it was fitted on a gym floor.

The second mural cartoon was adhered to 1/2-inch-thick white Gatorfoam panels with a temporary adhesive and jigsaw-cut into a giant puzzle of seventy-five segments that had been sandwiched with lightweight cementbased building panels.

An additional ninety-five Gatorfoam segments were cut for the children’s mural border.

All Gatorfoam segments were installed on the school’s exterior wall.

The third full-sized cartoon was printed on thin polyester-sheet material and precisely hand-cut with pattern shears into the 3,350 pieces as glasscutting patterns, leaving 1/8-inch of space between each piece.

Each Gatorfoam piece installed on the school’s exterior wall was removed, as its matching stained-glass segment adhered to cement-based building panels was set into place with thinset mortar.

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Mural installation was completed in one week by a four-person craftsmen team working under the direction of Isaac Homza from Higher Standard Tile and Stone of Lahaina, Maui (instagram. com/higherstandardtilemaui), with the artist and her son assisting.

“The mural could be installed flawlessly,” says O’Neill, noting the artistic freedom they enjoyed on this project.

“We were able to create the design on Gatorfoam and check it on the gym floor twice before installation.

“While the completed stained-glass pieces on the cement building panels are heavy, we were able to construct the design on Gatorfoam panels that are super lightweight-yet-rigid and resistant to water. We could easily carry these pieces around our shop and on to the wall. The Gatorfoam protected the stained-glass pieces during transport and produced a fail-safe installation.”

O’Neill spent two years doing research, design, full-color cartooning, organizing, acquiring materials, and directing fabrication with Yoakum and assistants, as well as participating in the mural’s installation.​ Reactions of community residents, 18

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teachers, and students to the installed “Na Wao A’O Pi’ilani” (The Life Giving Forests of Maui) mural at Pukalani Elementary School, have been “wonderfully gratifying,” according to O’Neill, who designed this mural to symbolically reflect old Hawaiians’ ecological practices and to promote the restoration of Hawaii’s native forests today.

“Some people cry when they see it,” said O’Neill. “We were very happy with the results and with the technique we developed with Gatorfoam.”

O’Neill, who earned a bachelor of fine arts degree from Pratt Institute in New York, has focused her artwork— including painted murals; stained-glass paintings, windows, and mosaic murals; and fine art easel paintings—on ecological and indigenous themes.

While well versed in all these art forms, the multi-media artist (who holds a Master’s degree in social ecology and public art from Goddard College in Plainfield, Vermont) has shown

a preference for creating large-scale murals on solid surfaces.

“I am primarily a mural artist,” said O’Neill. “I don’t know how artists work with bouncy canvas.”

Added to the springy characteristic of canvas are the humid conditions inherent to living and working in “the semi-tropics,” according to O’Neill, who said mold and mildew growth often can be a problem in absorbent art materials.

To address the drawbacks of painting on canvas, O’Neill decided to create her own rigid painting surface with oneinch-thick rigid foam adhered between two thin pieces of plywood. She then coated the plywood painting surface with ten coats of primer—fine sanding between coats—before creating her glaze paintings.

“I did a series of these paintings, which were beautiful and lightweight,” said O’Neill.

O’Neill most often chooses 1/2-inch

Gatorfoam with white facers/white foam in the 48-by-96-inch sheet size supplied by 3A Composites’ distributor One Shot & Grafic Art Supplies (OneShotSupplies.com) in Honolulu for her fine art paintings.

She preps the Gatorfoam wood veneer surface with 400-grit sandpaper before laying down dozens of luminous painted layers with fine Politec acrylic paints.

O’Neill describes the artistic genre of her fine art paintings as “symbolic or magical realism.”

And while the characters and imagery portrayed in her paintings are wide-ranging—including ancient Hawaiian mythology, endangered wildlife, African sister ancestry, and droughtplagued lands—all are focused on preserving planet Earth.

“I want my paintings to be gorgeous but meaningful,” said O’Neill. “We need to take care of the Earth to have a healthy future.”

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Sign Builder Illustrated 7/13/16 9:31 AM 19

Personalization

By Mike Antoniak

Large format printing and the Internet lead to a win for one company.

Custom Covering the Game

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The great idea Back and three friends had was painted cornhole sets. At the time, cornhole (or corn toss), was primarily a regional game, popular in parts of the Midwest, southern Ohio, and Kentucky. Players are challenged to score points as they toss sewn bags of corn kernels through holes cut in fourby-eight wooden boards at set distances.

The game boards of their youth were largely homemade—cut from plywood or cobbled together from boards.

“We thought we might be able to sell some painted cornhole sets and offered them for sale on eBay,” Back recalls.

Their intention was to test the concept without risk. They had no stock and didn’t build their first set until they had an order. One came almost im-

mediately. Then another. And another.

Soon a business was born.

From Garage to Warehouse Working out of a garage, Back and friends assembled then painted those first game sets in a few colors.

Today he and partner Jason Wahl ship somewhere between 100 and 200 cornhole sets each day during the busy summer and holiday seasons from the company’s 30,000-square foot print and warehouse facility. They’ve expanded their offerings to include accessories and other game sets, including a tabletop version of the game.

AJJ Enterprises now employs twentyfive people, including three full-time graphic artists. signshop.com

All Photos: AJJ Enterprises.

B

ack in 2005, Shane Back and some friends had an idea for a way to pick up some extra money. They tested it on eBay, and it took off immediately—sowing the seed for what has grown into a multimillion dollar business, AJJ Enterprises (ajjcornhole.com) of Cincinnati, Ohio.

“If anybody had told me this is where we would have ended up, I wouldn’t have believed them,” admits Back, coowner and co-founder. “It’s a matter of being in the right place at the right time, recognizing an opportunity, and running with it.”

Were it not the for the versatility of large format digital printing delivered by digital presses, the business may never have flourished.

Interest in the game is now so great that they source their pre-built game boards from China then print and apply the graphics in-house. Buyers can choose from thousands of designs or submit their own graphics for customprinted sets from the company’s e-commerce site. The catalog also includes licensed NCAA, fraternity, and sorority sets and even boards decorated with members of the rock band KISS. Everything is printed digitally. “Roland printers have been a big part of our success and one of the prime reasons our business has grown,” says Back.

Niche printing was not part of the original plan, however.

“After we started selling more sets, some people asked if we could put photographs and other graphics on the boards,” he says. “We started working with a local print shop.”

That company printed the designs on adhesive-backed vinyl, which was then applied to the cornhole sets by Back,

signshop.com

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2016 3M Wrap2Wrap Contest Reaches Finale at SEMA

After an incredible amount of high-quality submissions and a difficult judging process, the 2016 3M Wrap2Wrap Contest came to a close on the floor of the 2016 SEMA Show. Selected for their outstanding vehicle wrap entries, winners Chad Munroe of Get Graphic and Jeremy Conner of

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Who Did That!?! Inc., received an all-expenses paid trip to SEMA to showcase their skills at 3M’s booth.

While surrounded by hundreds of attendees, and under the serenade of “Don’t Stop Believin’” from an on-site pianist playing a wrapped piano, Chad and Jeremy put their heads (and hands) together to wrap musical instruments with 3M™ Wrap Film Series 1080. This included two Fender Stratocaster guitars that were part of their prize winnings.

Later that night, the duo attended a performance of an Eagle’s cover band at The House of Blues, where they showcased the instruments they worked on.

Wahl, and their team.

AJJ Enterprises outsourced their printing for about three years. Demand for the cornhole sets grew to the point where they considered bringing the printing in-house.

“We started to realize how much we were spending on printing and the money and time we could save if we did it ourselves,” Back explains.

Following the lead of their print services provider, AJJ purchased the Roland VersaCAMM® VS-540 with a 54inch print width, in 2011.

For the next two years, it hummed along, reliably running up to twelve hours a day. The business grew as a supplier of customized cornhole sets in limited quantities.

Boosting Production In 2013, an order arrived from the Old Navy® retailer for 600 cornhole sets, taxing their production capabilities.

Back turned to his local Roland resell-

signshop.com

er, Nazdar SourceOne, to ask what they had on hand that would immediately boost production capacity.

“I ended up buying the Roland [VersaCAMM®] VS-640i 64-inch printer cutter they had as a demonstration unit,” he says.

Running in tandem, the two Roland presses kept pace with the ever-increasing demand for game sets for the next few years.

Then Back saw the Roland VersaUV LEJ-640FT UV flatbed printer at a tradeshow last year. Intrigued he brought some blank cornhole sets to Nazdar SourceOne to test the direct print capabilities of the flatbed. The results convinced him he needed one for his company.

“The main reason I bought it initially was because I saw we could save as much as five dollars per set with direct printing on the flatbed,” he explains. “I also recognized flatbed printing would give us new capabilities.”

Popular Favorites His company still wraps most of its game sets in vinyl printed on the VS540i and 640FT. As far as the graphics, consistent favorites include those featuring a patriotic or military theme.

Some of the company’s most popular design themes are proving to be the “stained” and “retro-stained” series produced with the flatbed. On these sets, the design is printed directly onto game boards with enough transparency so the grain of the underlying wood shows through for a distinct look.

Clients can select and preview these or choose from hundreds of other designs and place their order on the company’s Web site. Combined with its digital print capabilities, e-commerce has helped the business flourish in ways inconceivable in the pre-Internet, pre-digital era.

“Most of our advertising is done online and through Google,” Back reports.

“People anywhere can search ‘cornhole’ and find us.”

In fact, the reach of the Internet and the customization AJJ Enterprises provides in pre-built, personally designed corn hole sets has helped the game expand beyond its regional roots. signshop.com

“We’ve grown every year we’ve been in business and now get some large orders from corporate customers,”says Back. Those game sets have figured in promotions for Coca-Cola®, Kroger’s®, Jim Beam®, and Jack Daniels®, to name a few.

“The largest single order we’ve had is for 3,000 sets for a Mountain Dew

promotion,” he says.

Back estimates the company will ship a total of 16,000 sets this year, all showcasing graphics produced on one of his three Roland printers.

“Being able to provide people with better graphics and being able to offer them so many choices has certainly helped our success,” he says.

www.fasi.org Dedicated to the sign industry FASI Awards First Scholarship FASI is pleased to announce that it has awarded its first scholarship to Stephanie Onwenu, a Junior in the Landscape Architecture program at Michigan State University. She will be studying signage in Spain, the United Kingdom and Italy, and later plans to work toward a Masters degree in environmental design. FASI is offering one scholarship to each member school of the Academic Advisory Council for Signage Research and Education (AACSRE). Texas A&M will soon be receiving a scholarship as well. FASI is proud to contribute to the education of college students whose academic classes are related to signage.

Wade Swormstedt, Executive Director Email: wade@fasi.org Phone: (513) 701-2197

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Cutters

By Ashley Bray

Investing in new equipment leads to fresh opportunities for a sign company.

P

IP Printing of Alaska in Anchorage has been in business since it opened its doors over thirty-five years ago. The company specializes in large format printing while also offering marketing services.

A few years ago, the company invested in a number of new pieces of equipment.

“We were opening up a new facility,” explains Dana Profeta, digital operations manager of PIP Printing of Alaska (pipalaska.com), “and we were making new investments in equipment really across the board as far as signage went.”

One of the new additions was an HP Scitex FB700 Industrial Printer.

The shop knew it would have a lot more rigid substrates to cut, so it began looking for a new cutter to handle the increased output.

Using their new cutter, PIP Printing produced a four-by-six-foot HDU identity sign for outside their sign shop.

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Cutter Considerations PIP Printing came across Colex’s Sharpcut Flatbed Cutter at a past ISA Sign Expo.

With a five-by-ten-foot bed and the ability to cut substrates they commonly worked with (such as foam-core and Sintra®), the company was sold.

Prior to purchasing the Colex® cutter, PIP used straight edges and knives to make straight cuts in rigid media.

They outsourced any custom and contour-cut work on rigid substrates, while using a kiss cutter for cuts in vinyl.

The new machine allowed them to bring the custom work on rigid substrates in-house, but the shop was still unsure of whether or not the machine would pay off.

“It was a little bit of a leap for us because we weren’t requesting that outsourcing enough, in my mind, to justify buying this piece of equipment,” says Profeta. “But as soon as we got it on our floor, all the cutting [jobs] started to come out of the woodwork.”

Pr

Going 3D The cutter also allows for 3D work, which PIP has gotten into recently.

Profeta has created a number of samples to get comfortable with 3D work on the machine, including address letters and people’s names on different textures (pictured, page 26). He’s even cut out plywood to make a chair prototype (pictured, right).

“We’ve done a handful of runs with HDU board and routing 3D stuff,” he says, “so we feel pretty comfortable with it.”

One of the biggest challenges of learning to use the machine for 3D work was changing out tools between passes.

“It’s a little bit tricky in that there’s not an automatic tool changer on it,”

says Profeta, “so you rough-cut, then you change the tool out making sure not to move the board, put in your bit for the finish cut, and then start that new file.

“And it will go right over what it already did for the rough cut.”

At first, Profeta found himself nersignshop.com

rofit All Photos: PIP Printing of Alaska.

Cutting Out

vous that he was finishing a cut, changing out a bit, and starting a new file hoping that it would match up with the first one that he did. “But there were no problems,” he says.

After a handful of runs and samples, Profeta felt comfortable enough to do a large, full-scale sign. He started work signshop.com

on a four-by-six-foot identity sign made from fifteen-pound Precision Board® HDU for outside his sign shop.

Profeta began the design by importing the shop’s logo into EnRoute software from SAi. “I created different levels with it to turn it into something 3D rather than

2D,” he explains.

When the file was ready, Profeta began the rough cut of the HDU using his Colex machine, which took about an hour.

He then changed out the tool to an 1/8inch ball nose end mill to do the finish work and let the machine run overnight.

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“It’s kind of nice that you can be making signs and making money while there’s nobody here,” says Profeta.

“Then come in in the morning, and it’s done.”

From there, the sign was primed and painted with household latex exterior paint, which was enough to protect it from the outdoors. The paint was applied with brushes.

“Everything’s with brushes if I can help it here,” says Profeta. “There’s other production equipment nearby, so it concerns me to be spraying.”

PIP also fabricated a basic, rectangular steel and wood framework for the sign to hang on. This structure was anchored into the ground, and the sign was hung on it using a cleat.

So What’s Next?

The shop recently purchased a Fotoba XLD 170 Digital Print Cutter for flexible media.

The shop had been using its Sharp-

Colex Flatbed Cutter: • 5’ X 10’ Work Area • Triple Interchangeable Tool Head • Vision Registration • Router, Fixed Knife & Oscillating Knife & Many More • Installation and 3 Day Training On Site Included • Models/Options Available: 5’ X 10’, 10’ X 10’, Conveyor Belt Available for all models, Automatic Roll Feeder, Automatic Board Loader

201-265-5670 • www.colex.com 26

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of U.S. and imported parts

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cut for flexible media up to ten feet in length, but this new machine enables them to do longer runs—a 150-foot roll in under ten minutes—more efficiently and accurately.

“So now if we have a long run, we can load this roll up on there and allow it to cut,” says Profeta. “It’s going to enable us to be more efficient with cutting banners and posters, wall panels, any murals that we’re doing on walls. I think it’s going to be a lot more accurate.”

Profeta says the addition of new equipment has helped in PIP’s progression as a business.

“This has just been an evolution,” says Profeta. “We started with the plotter just doing some posters initially and then evolved into latex printing, getting a flatbed printer, and a flatbed cutter.

“Every step along the way has just made us more efficient and brought about other, new possibilities for us in this industry. And it’s been pretty exciting.”

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Five Reasons For New Signs ONLY

$23,000* *Base price shown without vacuum pump or training.

Series 4' x 8' CNC Router has significantly changed how we do business. “ OurForHDmany products, our turnaround time is quicker, our quality is better, more consistent, and our profit margins are up. We have entered new business lines, too!

Not surprisingly we have started to discuss purchasing a second Techno Router.

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”

— Vincent Marino, Owner, Signarama

From entering the building’s parking lot to finding your way from the conference room to the nearest restroom, static signage is necessary in any corporate facility.

Here are five reasons to convince your corporate facility client to re-do their wayfinding system.

1. Improving Safety Procedures.

In case of an emergency, it’s mandatory to stay codecompliant. Products such as photoluminescent staircase labels or signs identifying exits and fire extinguishers are imperative.

2. Helps First-timers Navigate.

In many cases, corporate buildings are often identical to those surrounding them. To assist visitors having trouble finding the building, recommend exterior solutions like architectural or directional signs.

3. Enhance Corporate Brand Recognition. A consistent brand or logo throughout the campus will confidently enforce your client’s message. Recommend that your client match exterior efforts to interior designs such as wall murals and room doors. It’s another method to advertise their business, so why miss out?

4. Point Users to Appropriate Destinations. Security personnel and other staff may not always be there to guide users, so it’s imperative to include symbols and other helpful tools to direct users to the appropriate location.

5. Identify Conference Rooms and More. Often in large buildings, rooms look identical. To help distinguish one room from another, recommend room identification signs to tell rooms apart such as a “staff restroom” from a “visitor restroom.”

—Diana Di Raimondo, Social Media and Marketing Specialist at GDS Signs (gdssigns.com).

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CNC ROUTER

By Chris Montouchet

ONE SIGN or

ONE HUNDRED SIGNS?

Why programmable CNC routers may be ideal for your operation.

All Photos: AXYZ International.

S

ign-making companies that turn out custom work for clients are now benefitting from the use of programmable CNC (computer numerical control) routers. This technology is operator-friendly and offers costeffective ways to maximize productivity, making it ideal even for smaller sign shops, where manpower levels may be an issue.

Due to the wide variation in types of companies that turn out signage, it is difficult to put a percentage on how many sign makers have opted for CNC techsignshop.com

nology. However it is safe to assume the number is well below fifty percent.

Companies that produce high-quality indoor or outdoor signage that demands accurate reproduction from the original design with intricate graphics and are made from durable materials that also makes tolerances harder to hold are ideal candidates for manufacturing via CNC equipment. It’s also a matter of repeatability when producing more than one piece with the same design.

With the required materials becoming

more costly all the time, CNC routers can help reduce scrap rates by getting it right on the first pass: cutting simulations (provided by the software) provide a digital rendering of the cut product allowing toolpath adjustments before any material gets cut. Scrap materials mean money coming right out of the sign shop owner’s pocket.

Additionally CNC router technology enables increased production, which has a direct impact on the bottom line.

Consider this example: an entry-level CNC router suitable for the industry

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CNC routers can increase productivity, control manpower costs, and minimize waste.

may cost $40,000 or more including the CNC table, a vacuum “hold down” system, and an operator-friendly software program. For a smaller sign shop that may have two or three employees manning the equipment, payback on that investment may occur in as little as two

years with an entry-level CNC router.

Using the Right Cutting Tools Sign shops are willing to consider CNC routers with one very good reason at the top of the list: digitally-rendered designs make it easier to create a CNC program

that cuts using traditional router bits for harder materials and tangential knives for softer ones like foam-core (which router bits tend to “grab”).

PVC, acrylic, aluminum, and composites are just some of the sign making materials suitable for today’s CNC routers.

Creasing wheels fitted to the tangential knife are another option that can be implemented in cardboard products to create fold lines without creating cuts.

Programmable CNC routers can cut materials between a few thousands of an inch and two inches in thickness.

For non-digitized designs, CNC router technology can scan a product using a laser pointer to create a router path after assigning digital points for each feature.

The leap from traditional sign making software to programs used by CNC routers is not a long one and eases the transition for operators.

Learning the capabilities of the software is 70 percent of the learning curve and reputable suppliers of CNC equipment

Meet the ShopBot Desktop MAX Now get the power and precision of the award-winning ShopBot Desktop CNC — in a larger format. With a tool bed measuring 36” x 24”, the Desktop MAX is great for an endless variety of cutting, drilling, and carving operations and has the ability to do so in a variety of materials: wood, MDF, plastics, foams, vinyl, and aluminum. Plus, its dual-motor gantry design provides both stability and precision.

To learn more and see a video of the Desktop MAX in action, visit our website: ShopBotTools.com/Desktop-MAX

For full tool specs and pricing visit our website.

Then call us to order yours!

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888-680-4466 • ShopBotTools.com

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should supply the initial requisite training needed, in less than a week on average.

CNC Routers are Now More Reliable The quality and durability of the typical CNC router has never been better, as it also adapts for usage in different sectors of the manufacturing industry.

In the sign business, the more robust construction overall means decreased regular maintenance, increased flexibility, and more cost-effective production.

For example, it is very unlikely that the servo motors driving the motion of the router would need to be replaced during the lifespan of the machine. Stable power supply within the shop helps protect the electronic circuitry.

Additionally a helical gear rack and pinion system allows more power to be driven into the gears and creates a smoother motion and more efficient material cutting. That means increased accuracy and tighter tolerances.

Selecting the proper tool for the mate-

rial to be cut is often the operator’s toughest task. That is why proper training at the time of installation and a database that cross-references materials and appropriate tooling is key to any shop’s success.

Is it Time to Consider a CNC router?

The Sign Bros., a four-man sign shop in Athens, Georgia, invested in a CNC router when they realized how much money they were spending to outsource work.

Their business has grown considerably in the four years since making that upgrade. Much of that growth is a direct result of increased speed of production, the ability to create signs on-site, and the addition of new configurations that weren’t possible when outsourcing jobs.

A CNC router was “the best purchase we ever made as a sign company,” says co-owner Justin Seibert. “Now we [can] route shapes and letters for all kinds of dimensional signage.”

For about the annual cost of one experienced employee, companies can invest in a

reliable, operator-friendly technology that will be on the job for many years to come.

Chris Montouchet is a U.S. regional manager for AXYZ International, a global manufacturer of CNC Router and CNC Knife Systems.

Call 800/361-3408 or visit axyz.com.

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January 2017

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INSTALLATION

By Peter Perszyk

Standoffs are an important component for stand-out signage.

Standoff-ish MOUNTS

S

tandoffs are round, metallic, puck-topped little barrels that hold flat acrylic and metal sign panels and plaques in many exterior and interior locations.

They are used to attach these types of signs to a wall with a minimum of four small cylinders of a specific 32

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length—one in each corner. They are mounted slightly off the finish or surface, hence, making the sign “stand off ” from the wall.

We tend to readily design with standoffs in mind or, rather, with the round, finial, metallic puck that is the topper of the standoff as a visually acceptable

fastener—even while the actual, unacceptable fastener hides just below the surface.

These components are usually made of metal (although that is not always the case, as you will learn later on) and are defined in size because sign makers typically purchase them from a catalog signshop.com

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The logic behind standoffs is really very simple. they are used when you need a way to not only mount a sign but also make it look elegant and easy to do.

Standoff supports are a great way to mount a sign to an uneven surface.

For example, when you find yourself needing a non-stock length of standoff, you should consider cutting a metal tube to length and then paint-

as opposed to fabricating them specifically for a job.

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www.capsandstandoffs.com 34

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ing it with an internal sleeve. Internally a short section of appropriately sized hose will center the outside nicely around a threaded rod going through (visualize an automotive vacuum line or water hose here).

This reasoning may even account for the use of faux pucks to simulate a real standoff. What looks like a standoff could actually be a length of painted tube with a button at the end featuring a counter sunk 1/4-20 threaded insert in between.

Creating your own puck for the finish is also a convenient way to match materials in the design. It also hides the real fastener for a bit of pilfer proofing.

Installation The logic behind standoffs is simple.

They are used when you need a way to not only mount a sign but also make it look elegant and easy to do. The hardware needs to be invisible while still in plain sight.

Fortunately mounting a typical fourstandoff sign is a straightforward process—four sides and four mounts symmetrically from the perimeter corner points. (Note: the location of the round dot being inset symmetrically from the perimeter corner points).

Yet this mounting of a four-standoff sign is also one that boasts a variety of signshop.com

cushions, or spacers. (Note: This added price may not be needed for a simple sign panel.)

Standoffs are a popular component that is utilized to firmly hold glass tenant identifiers. However keep in mind that a white backer, which can often be made from vinyl, appears to be a requirement here for readability purposes, as black letters on glass panels will cast a slight shadow and the clear of the glass on metal can be an oddly reflecting combination.

Multi-part standoffs, i.e., those with the removable threaded inserts, are often a plus in sign installation based on their adjustability.

Let me explain: The first insert is mounted to the wall. The barrel then goes on with the second insert and with the stud sticking out. (Note: Keep the barrels loose until the panel is over all the studs and the pucks are threaded on partway.

After checking to make sure that they are level, finish tightening one or two of the standoffs and then adjust the balance to keep the sign in place.

If there is an additional adjustment required, the fastener on the first insert

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different options.

If you are installing standoffs on just one sign, use the sign itself to mark the wall for drilling.

However, if you are going to be using them for many signs, then make a template to mark the holes.

Templates are especially useful when the standoff-mounted panels are going to be positioned in a defined, repeating location (a hospital or a hotel spring immediately to mind).

A reusable template for standoffs is actually very simple to make. This falls under my professional motto: “Work smarter, not harder.” In fact, you can simply CNC router-cut a template out of thin hardboard.

Some adjustability may be desired here though.

It is easier, for example, to place a drill guide against the doorframe and flat to the floor for an efficient way to mark the holes.

Standoff fasteners are varied in both the connection to the wall and the holding of the sign.

If they are going to be used for holding a sign, the standoffs involved might have need for additional washers,

Multi-part standoffs with removable threaded inserts are often a plus based on their adjustability.

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S A E D I G N I T A L U STIM

APRIL 19–22, 2017

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IF WE THINK of a sign design requesting a tall box shape with a vertical graphic layout, the need for framing is complex compared to a single- or even double-faced cabinet. Standoffs to the rescue!

Yes there is a structure inside this example under the pretty photos, but it is hidden from view.

Adjustability is easily built in with the integrity assured from the in-shop production.

Even the down lighting is hidden from view, though its position keeps the general public from getting a good look up inside the sign.

has a chance at adjustment here. The barrel may even end up with a slight angle to make the sign hold.

This style of standoff also allows for alternate fasteners into the wall. Wood screws are typical, but machine bolts are a plus when the facility construction is going to be unpredictable.

Bigger signs equate to either the need for bigger standoffs and/or more mounts. And more mounts equate to a greater chance of error.

One thought here: Make the mounting holes in these bigger signs a bit larger (and not just bigger than the diameter of that finishing puck).

Also use fasteners, where possible, that float in the wall. Now I agree that this is not always possible, but the traditional toggle fastener has adjustability in the nature of the method. For example, the hole, sufficient in size for the fastener to get into the wall, is much larger than the component being threaded into it.

An interesting trick is the barrel of the standoff being hollow and not threaded. It simply acts as the spacer behind the sign panel.

The threaded stud or hanger bolt goes into the wall by itself. Adjustments are made with a pair of lineman pliers or a hammer. A tweak here and a bump there result in an easy way to level the sign out, if needed. signshop.com

The Sign Trade’s Source for:

Standoff Sights Standoff supports are a great way to mount a sign to an uneven surface.

They keep the sign panel away from the wall while still looking to the viewer as if it was always planned as flat.

The distance from the background also allows for additional thickness to the graphic or fasteners that may protrude unseen out the back of the sign.

If the object is to enhance the dimensionality of the sign, multiple standoffs can be utilized with several flat, layered shapes. The result is faux-3D signage!

Just connect individual standoff barrels with threaded studs. Only one final cap is needed.

(Note: One long stud could do the trick, if the assembly is in a controlled environment without the assembly obstruction that gravity often plays.)

Standoff fasteners are a clean way to have a changeable panel on a sign.

These are easy for tenant panels that, in the long run, will be swapped out.

But if standoffs are going to be used for changeability, someone out there may tempt fate and see how easy it is to take them off.

Fortunately methods exist out there to make the hardware a little more tamper-resistant.

Secondary set screws are one way to lock the standoff onto the internal stud. After all, the idea that a passerby

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Design Ideas: Standoffs Save the Day!

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2016 USSC Show Recap

INTRODUCING THE ALL-NEW

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THE 2016 USSC Sign World International show (usscsignworld.com) was held at the Atlantic City Convention Center in Atlantic City, New Jersey this past December, and the feeling on the floor was one of positivity. The show had a two-pronged focus on buying as well as educating the industry.

Education sessions, wrap demos and workshops, a national installer networking event, artistry on display in the Bullpen, and special on-floor seminars about various topics were held throughout the show.

A three-day vehicle wrap contest drew plenty of attention, and three winners were crowned: First place winner Absolute Perfection received $3,000 (pictured); second place winner Big Splash Graphics received $1,500; and third place finisher KDF Reprographics, Inc. took home $1,000.

One of the most anticipated parts of this year’s show was the keynote address on Friday night

by Mike Wolfe of the History Channel’s American Pickers. In front of a standing room-only crowd, Wolfe talked about the importance of signs to the economy and the businesses of “main street America” while also detailing how he got started “picking” at the age of four.

Be sure to set aside the dates for next year’s USSC Sign World International 2017 show on November 30, December 1, and December 2 at the Atlantic City Convention Center.

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Put the resources of Clarke Systems to work for you by partnering with us to win important ADA & wayfinding sign programs in your region. And, teaming up with us means support for:

Standoffs exist that make signs appear to float off the wall.

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if the object is to enhance the dimensionality of the sign, multiple standoffs can be used with several flat, layered shapes, resulting in faux-3d! has a 2mm hex key on their person is a remote assumption.

So a screw set in the puck or barrel holds the standoff assembled as desired. This feature also allows for the puck finish to remain slightly loose for expansion or imperfections in the mounting surface.

Maybe you have seen standoffs where there is a small hole in the side.

If so, place a nail or drill bit in and it turns tighter than hand-tight and easier than a tool. signshop.com

ADA & Wayfinding

Selling

Several companies also make standoffs with decorative hole patterns in the face, which are intended to be used with a special spanner tool uncommon to the general public that fits correctly into those little holes.

On the reverse side, in the right location and if the panels are light enough, you may only need two fasteners into the wall at the top.

The bottom two look good, but in all honesty, they are really just along for the ride.

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STRAIGHT

TO YOUR

INBOX SBI Update, Sign Builder Illustrated’s e-newsletter, delivers the latest hot topics and news from around the sign industry right to your email.

What’s the hot topic this month?

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wayfinding

By Lori Shridhare

SAFE PASSAGE

All Photos: InTouch Graphics.

J

ADA kiosks and tactile maps guide the disabled.

oe Cioffi, M.Ed. is an advocate for the deaf-blind who has spent over thirty years as a teacher of independent travel.

He launched an innovative company called InTouch Graphics (intouchgraphics.com) over twenty-five years ago to create some of the first tactile-visual maps in line with inclusive and universal design principles. An orientation and mobility specialist, Cioffi established ClickAndGo Wayfinding Maps (clickandgomaps.com) in 2010 and is currently the CEO. “My experience as a teacher and advocate in deaf-blindness coincided with a mainstream explosion of mapping technologies,” says Cioffi. “These technologies, however, were not freely accessible to blind and deaf-blind users.

“In some cases where devices were designed with a few accessible features, they were priced far beyond the economic reach of blind and deaf-blind individuals who needed them the most.”

There is a serious lack of appropriate wayfinding support for blind pedestrians in transit, higher ed, and urban environ-

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ments. “Despite legislation that generally supports disability issues, specific wayfinding supports, as a rule, are lacking across all venues in the U.S.,” says Cioffi.

Armed with a mission, Cioffi’s concept for ClickAndGo was to develop a technology exclusively for deaf-blind users that would deliver accessible, high-quality route travel information at no cost.

No product existed that could provide step-by-step navigation support and walking directions for both indoor and outdoor environments. “We learned that we could expand this free service to blind users (hearing-blind),” he says. “Later we broadened this vision to include wayfinding supports for wheelchair travelers.

“Now we offer a service that can impact users of all abilities—delivering quality data to users on their own personal device—free of charge.”

Here’s how the technology works: ClickAndGo Navigation relays narrative walking directions and virtual tours using low-vision maps and real-time location support via Apple’s iBeacon technology and devices that pick up signals from the

ClickAndGo iPhone app. The iBeacons are placed at all relevant locations within venues (including entry and exit points) and provide landmark identification, hazard and construction announcements, and location-specific orientation support.

“The narrative data is actually the heart of our technology,” says Cioffi.

“We’ve only recently begun offering lowvision maps and iBeacon support.

“Quite frankly, the service is only as good as the data we collect and compile.

One might think of ClickAndGo as the visually impaired traveler’s alternative to Google pedestrian directions but highly specialized to meet their unique needs.”

The directions and descriptions in the app are customized to include important details necessary for a blind person

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to navigate: signalization, travel distance, intersection geometry, acoustic cues, changes in slope and texture, location of important and highly visible landmarks, among other features.

“These narratives emphasize specific cues that a pedestrian who is blind or has low-vision relies upon and which are unavailable from any other wayfinding system. We now have our technology licensed in a variety of venues, including city parks, universities, government facilities, hotels, and transit environments,” says Cioffi.

A Washington D.C. Metro station piloted ClickAndGo navigation for their two-level facility at Gallery Place. Begun in late 2014, the company has just been awarded a phase two contract to deliver more robust wayfinding projects for seven additional D.C. stations beginning this fall. The first phase delivered solely narrative walking directions, but phase two will include iBeacons.

ClickAndGo’s kiosk solution is now being used at Columbia University’s

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Teachers College, which in 2015, recognized that their newly installed wayfinding kiosks for students and visitors had one very important drawback: they were completely inaccessible to blind travelers.

“To resolve this, we developed a fully accessible “equivalent database” of pedestrian walking maps for blind users. We believe this represented the first project anywhere that delivered an equivalent accessible body of data for a previously inaccessible visual kiosk system,” says Cioffi.

With one-in-five people potentially in need of devices that provide assistance, why is there not more interest in developing a market? Cioffi’s experience has taught him that it’s all about profit.

“Since companies are by nature profitdriven, most have not been interested in creating solutions for a demographic that is not likely to pay directly for the technology,” he says, noting that 70 percent of the blind are either unemployed or underemployed and, for the deaf-blind, the numbers are significantly higher.

In addition, many companies act only out of fear. “The usual motivation involves a fear of being out of compliance and perhaps facing community protest or legal action—both of which are infrequent,” says Cioffi.

Cioffi has encouraged facilities and government-run locations to become accessible in the spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act. With this introduction, Cioffi and his team follow up by offering their expertise in transforming their venues into accessible places, and most importantly, making the service free for users.

In essence, he’s shifting the cost to those who are responsible for the safety and well-being of their citizens, visitors, guests, and patients.

A new project for the city of New York is on the horizon that includes accessible wayfinding in three venues: a ferry terminal, city park, and pedestrian plaza.

In these locations, disabled pedestrians will have access to virtual tours, intersection descriptions, points of interest, and

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indoor and outdoor route/walking directions. There will also be low-vision route and tactile maps, and iBeacons will be installed to deliver real-time messaging.

To gather this data, ClickAndGo takes the information about the visual environment, reformats it for input into a narrative database, and then supports it with low-vision (high-contrast) maps and tactile maps. This is all complemented by a venue-wide installation of iBeacons that provide real-time messages to support orientation and navigation.

While the technology seems complex, it’s easy for anyone to access and download. For the blind, the company has made a special effort to ensure the relevant data is accessible in a variety of formats. Once ClickAndGo is implemented within a venue, an unlimited number of users can access the data without the need for any special device.

“Our data is made available through every possible delivery mechanism, lowtech to high-tech, including interactive

While accessibility technology has moved forward, policy is still behind.

voice response technology via any telephone or cell phone, auditory output via any standard computer screen-reader, direct text or MP3 download from the Web, or via large print or Braille,” says Cioffi.

“We deliver via iPhone App and soon will launch an Android App. In the case of a deaf-blind user, data can be accessed through any refreshable Braille device.”

Cioffi says universities and colleges are interested in these products since they are invested in providing accessibility to

blind students who need to navigate campus daily. Transit and other facilities also show interest, but they move slowly.

“As a society, I think we are increasingly respecting the needs of the disability community and understanding that we have an obligation to provide safe and reasonable access to public buildings, parks, public transit, etc.,” says Cioffi. “With emerging intelligent camera technology, artificial intelligence, and sensors of various kinds, better innovations are inevitable.”

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InfoDirect Your Direct Source for Sign Information Receive vital product and service information from manufacturers and distributors by completing the adjacent card or visiting www.signshop.com/infodirect

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1. Choose up to 10 categories of interest and check off on card.

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CONSTRUCTION

By Peter Perszyk

NOW for the Reveal A sign secret can finally be revealed: the separation of sign and base.

Photo: Howard Industries.

A

friend of mine was recently hired to design an identification pylon for an indoor tradeshow exhibit. He began by trying to get as much height on it as possible, but his client told him that they needed a pylon that also could be reduced in size (so as to fit size requirements for specific shows).

It’s easy to reveal the solution [drum roll]: Put something in between the sections of the pylon.

For the tradeshow exhibit, the reveal

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allowed for sections to be built where the middle sign cabinet or even the associated reveals could be taken out.

Voíla! Lower height is achieved!

The question here: How does one make this break look clean and appealing?

This is the same conundrum sign companies frequently come up against when they design a large pylon but, because of sign codes, also have to utilize standardsize acrylic or lighting components.

Reveals occur in architecture at a remarkable rate: big gaps, small gaps,

windows, bricks, expansion gaps, trim, etc. This could be attributed to aesthetic reasons—to break the monotony of a long, unending suface. After all, when a design is created as an unlimited, continuous, flat, white plaster wall, the reality of production is going to set in.

In the case of a sign pylon, the reveals help make it a simplified fabrication with sections that are easy to produce, handle, and install.

One post-and-panel system developed for a veterans hospital featured

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for multi-tenant, i.e. cohabitation, pylons with long length internal lighting.

Decoration is also a valid reason to add a reveal to a sign cabinet. The flourishes are often what creates the look and feel. Breaks in color can be accentuated with a dividing reveal.

An accurate and simple way to produce a reveal is to utilize standardthickness materials and CNC-cut them out of plate aluminum or composite plastic into the needed shape.

The reveal doesn’t even need to be dimensional. It could be the lack of something—as if you’re looking straight through between the sections.

If the main supports of the sign are on or towards the ends, this is easy to accomplish. It also deletes an element from the production list.

If you’re in the mood to go a little crazy here, consider making the reveal bigger then the cabinets. It serves the same function in production and adds a bit of pizzazz.

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Photo: Creative Sign Designs.

reveals made from one-by-one and two-by-two aluminum tube stock extrusions welded/adhered into frames and painted a subtle shade different

from the adjacent face. This was an offthe-shelf solution and one that was easy to put in between the primary sections of the sign. With the sign supported on the sides, these reveals “went for the ride” between segments.

The general assumption is that a reveal is in the negative direction; that it goes into the sign and then portions of the sign are completed and stacked/ attached like a layer cake. The puzzle then comes apart in reverse for any modifications.

The sign logic here may be to give the sign maker room to easily remove the retainer, especially if the standard retainer is accessible from the side and the face slides out.

On the other hand, an entire face with CNC-routed aluminum copy and acrylic backing will require you to take the whole frame out.

A reveal can be simply created with a face-mounted frame that is part of the main sign body. This is a great solution

Winterizing AWP and Boom Trucks PREPARING YOUR AERIAL LIFTS or boom truck cranes for cold weather operation is important. Here is a list of maintenance steps to consider as the cold weather hits: 1. Oil Warming Solutions. When the temperature drops so too does the temperature of your hydraulic oil.

Cold oil dramatically decreases flow in your hydraulic system, which causes many equipment functions to slow down and underperform.

Consider adding a hydraulic oil heater to the hydraulic tank. These systems utilize heating elements inserted directly into the oil tank that run off the truck power.

2. Hydraulic Oil Replacement.

Standard hydraulic oil has a viscosity

that’s ideally suited to an average climate. When the temperature drops, your oil will lose stability and require additional heating. Consider replacing your oil with specialized cold-climate oil that has a lower viscosity and retains stability in temperatures as low as -50°F. 3. Cold Weather Hoses and Seals.

Consider replacing critical hydraulic hoses and seals with specialized cold weather replacements that stay soft even in the coldest climates.

Before operating, make sure your hoses are tightly secured, particularly the hydraulic return system. And always warm up your equipment before operation.

4. Prepare Your Chassis. Ensure

your truck passes DOT inspections with adequate tire tread and tire pressure for driving in snowy weather.

Check all brake and turn signal lights to make sure drivers are aware of you. Also check systems on the chassis that can pose potential problems in the cold (like water in air tanks, batteries, and engine fluids).

5. Heaters in the Platform. Keep your personnel comfortable by adding heat via a 110V-powered heater on the platform.

—Cara Eccleston Cara Eccleston is marketing coordinator at Elliott Equipment Company, a manufacturer of telescopic truck-mounted aerial work platforms, cranes, and digger derricks.

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SBI Illuminations The latest lighting projects & products.

A supplement to sign builder illustrated

news & notes sbi illuminations

New product announcements related to sign lighting applications.

National Specialty Lighting: High-Power eStrip and RGB eStrip National Specialty Lighting introduces the LED eSTRIP and New High Power eStrip with twice the lumen output of their regular eSTRIP.The LED eSTRIP is an indoor/outdoor flexible light strip that is an alternative to neon. Made with ultra-bright 3014-type LEDs encased in a durable, PVC-flexible extrusion, eSTRIP provides a clean neon look at a fraction of the price and 1/10th the energy consumption. The LED eSTRIP is field-cuttable, making it simple to install. A variety of mounting accessories and power supplies further enhance ease of installation, and safe 24V DC operation make eSTRIP a very practical product. RGB eSTRIP utilizing RGB LEDs is also available and allows you to produce color-change effects for building outlines, architectural features, or anywhere color-change display lighting is needed. nslusa.com

Principal LED: An Affordable Border Solution with New Street Wrap The Street Wrap™ is a fresh border solution from Principal LED that is populated with LED modules, not a stiff board of lights like many other solutions. This permits customizing and trimming in the field. It also allows for easy spliceand-replace maintenance. Street Wrap can be used anywhere border neon or accent lighting is needed. It can replace outdated or run-down neon border.

It can also provide accent lighting to buildings to help them stand out. At only 2.2 watts per foot, The Street Wrap is offered in blue (360 lumens/unit), red (390 lumens/unit), green (1020 lumens/ unit), white (1620 lumens/unit), and RGB LED modules, as well as custom specialty colors. This new lighting product is also offered in red, green, blue, and white housing. (325) 227-4577; p-led.com/streetwrap.php

Global Lux: Literod

GSG: Now Offering France LED-1260MPS Power Supply

Literod from Global Lux is the perfect solution to replace fluorescent lamps and improve your customer’s corporate image. This product is designed for six- to twenty-four-inch double-sided light boxes keeping eight to eighteen inches center-tocenter. Reduce maintenance costs and save energy (6 Watt consumption per foot)! UL Listed E480257, Literod allows you to spread the distance between each row and keep the uniformity. It features high-brightness 630 lumens per foot and a 170-degree beam angle. Colors include daylight 6500k, sign white 5400k, cool white 4100k, and any other white Kelvin color upon request. Different lengths are also available: 36-, 42-, 48-, 60-, 64-, 72-, 84-, 96-, and 120inch (with 18-, 24-, 30-, 108-, and 117-inch available upon request).

Literod can be used for indoor/outdoor locations and comes with a fiveyear warranty. global-lux.com

The France LED-1260MPS mini power supply, available from wholesale distributor GSG, comes in a compact (7.12-inchlong-by-1.80-inch-wide-by-1.49-inchhigh) unit. The 1260MPS can be used indoors or outdoors in letters, raceways, or France LED cans and is UL-rated for use in protected damp places. It features high electrical efficiency and cool operation, with an input voltage capacity of

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120-277 VAC and an output of 12 VDC, 5 amps, 60 watts, with no minimum load requirements. Designed to operate reliably at 100 percent power in maximumrated ambient temperature, it requires no de-rating (unless the maximum temperature is exceeded). The 1260MPS also features overload protection shut down and LEDs blink if it is significantly overloaded. (800) 366-1776; gogsg.com

GE Lighting: One-of-a-Kind Batten Solution GE Lighting has expanded its product line to include highly demanded red, blue, and high-output white Battens to its product offerings. The Batten comes in lengths as small as one foot and as long as eight feet, making it suitable to various applications. Red Battens are offered in three different sizes (2-, 4-, and 8-foot) with up to 1,334 lumens per fixture, and the blue is available in 2- and 4-foot sizes with up to 334 Lumens per fixture. High-output whites feature up to 6,430 Lumens per

fixture (typical). The Batten can be daisychained from end to end, making installation a snap. Its integrated power supply eliminates the need for external drivers.

The Batten can be used in harsh conditions of -40ºF to 140ºF and wet weather thanks to its IP66 rating. (888) MY-GELED; currentbyge.com/tetra

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LET THERE BE LIGHT! FROM NEON SIGNS and fluorescent lighting to LED, outdoor signs have always been about one thing: capturing attention and effectively communicating a message or brand image. But as technology continues to advance and products proliferate, it’s becoming harder and more complex for sign shop owners to find the most effective means to transition designs from paper to real-life signage.

Visual Science: You only have three to five short seconds to get your viewers’ attention, and with the wrong sign design and/or color scheme, all your hard work could be for naught. All designers want their work to be noticed, but apart from artistry and feel, years of scientific study have produced the ability to assess design performance and an understanding of how messages get noticed.

With 3M™ Visual Attention Software (VAS), shop owners can assess how a sign will perform before it’s even assembled. From color selections and images to logo and text placements, VAS can help designers create signs that grab the most sets of eyes and help determine which products they’ll need to move forward with.

Reliability: The performance and durability features of a film can heavily influence a sign’s long-term success as well. There’s an old saying that states, “You get what you pay for.” This rings true in the sign and graphics industry.

Sign professionals lean on products for their reliability, and those that contain the science and chemistry makeup to last and live up to their guarantees stand above the rest. Films that offer advanced durability and premium warranties ensure a sign will look good not only on its first day but also its last.

when exposed to the outdoors. Each film is different, but it is important to be informed of the temperature limitations set by each manufacturer.

In areas where the film has been exposed to longer periods of high heat, the surface gloss of the rigid plastic sheet may be altered. Film failure caused by overexposure to heat during the thermoforming process is often not covered under warranty, leaving you and your customer high and dry.

Thermoforming: This is one of the trickier components of assembling an illuminated sign. There is a lot of artistry that goes into the practice of thermoforming signs, and many do it by touch and feel. But it is crucial to factor in the scientific makeup of a film and go by the numbers.

Excessive heat can cause a film to degrade and may result in the film changing color or failing prematurely

These are just a few of many considerations, but with a greater understanding of design, product offerings, and techniques, shops will be able to deliver high-quality signs that catch more eyes, run more efficiently, and last for many years.

—Tony Fulco & Tom Stirling

Tony Fulco is marketing manager and Tom Stirling is application engineer at 3M Commercial Solutions.

Films: Selecting the right film not only impacts the design of a sign, but can also dictate its energy efficiency.

Choosing a flexible substrate that allows for higher brightness can grab more attention and also reduce the number of LEDs needed to light it. Films also have a large effect on how a sign’s look can change day vs. night.

Diffuser films are crucial in the execution of a successful sign design, as they make the most of the light that you have. The best diffuser films offer a light transmission range between 42 to 68 percent, which can help emphasize a company’s logo or design message, leading to a clearer, more aesthetically pleasing end project.

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CASE STUDY: CABINET LIGHTING SBI Illuminations

NEW ARCHITECTURAL ENHANCEMENTS

FOR LOCAL CHURCH

S

ometimes it takes more than a sign to draw attention. In fact, a combination of creativity, acrylic, and LED lights can be a powerful thing.

Sign Effectz, Inc. (signeffectz.com) was chosen by the New Horizon United Church of Christ in Kewaskum, Wis52

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consin to help design, build, and install an illuminated cross atop its building as well as provide lighting enhancements to the church’s entry.

Church administrators were expanding the parking lot and looking for ways to enhance the entrance to the building with a new carport in order

to better serve its members and visitors. These modifications would make it easier for people with disabilities to enter the place of worship, especially during bad weather.

And along with the expansion of the facilities, it made sense to upgrade the lighting and consider new architectural signshop.com

enhancements as well, starting with the cross. A new illuminated cross on the roof would provide the church with greatly enhanced visibility at night.

Sign Effectz, Inc., helped design and build a cross using energy-efficient LED lights. The ten-foot-high cross consists of illuminated acrylic so, regardless of the viewing angle, it can be easily seen at night.

The cross is composed of polycarbonate support tubes on the inside. Acrylic pieces form the cross and are chemically welded to bind the pieces together. No metal hardware was used.

The company also designed, built, and installed similar lighting technology and materials on the canopy above the new carport. Designed to replicate rays of light emanating from a rising sun, this lighting is a beautiful enhancement.

Together all of this new lighting gives New Horizon church great visibility on a high-traffic road.

There are a number of unique features

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about these lighting enhancements: • The base structure is anchored to the gable of the roof. The power supplies are enclosed inside, which makes regular maintenance easier. All of the circuitry is easy to access too. • For the face structure (end cap) of the

carport, the crew built the cabinet with back lighting and finished the space with the same finish to match the rest of the existing structure. • The depth of the cabinet was custommade to match the depth available for the end cap.

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CASE STUDY: ACCENT LIGHTING SBI Illuminations

LED Curves Add the Right Touch

A

to a New Skyscraper

new forty-story residential tower is quickly becoming a local icon. Known by its address, 2929 Weslayan, the LEED Gold-certified structure in the ubran core of Houston, Texas was designed by Dallasbased RTKL Associates. It provides panoramic views from spacious balconies.

These curved balconies are on every floor and are accentuated by lines of iLight Plexineon White 2X 4500 LED fixtures (ilight.com), which outline the edges of the balconies and form what appears, from a distance, to be a wave of light.

Scott Oldner, of Scott Oldner Lighting Design, says the wave effect was intentional—to complement the glassy “river” 54

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that exists between the two columns of sixteen-foot balconies.

The nod to nature wasn’t the only effect the light achieved. “The building was designed to look like a woman in a flowing dress, with the balconies embellishing it like lace or the lines of a corset,” says Oldner.

Oldner chose Plexineon for its bright, consistent light. “Consistent color temperature across all the fixtures was crucial. Tape in an extrusion would not have provided that consistency,” he says.

Color-changing light was also considered but ultimately decided against. “The design was classic and costs were tight, so we needed to go with a static white look,” says Oldner. “To add a bit of eye-

candy, we used the Plexineon fixtures to define the upper dress and another color temperature for the ‘skirt’ at the bottom [Plexineon White 2X 2800K].”

(Note: In addition to the balconies, a thin line of Plexineon traces an arc along the lobby ceiling inside the building.)

Oldner says another advantage was how Plexineon can be bent in the field, allowing each curve to “be just a tad different” and further contributing to the organic feel. Bending the fixtures on-site also provided significant cost reduction. “iLight came to the table ready with questions to understand our goals,” says Oldner. “The lighting design needed to follow the architecture, and that’s exactly what it does.” signshop.com

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CASE STUDY: Area LIGHTING sbi illuminations

LED DIGITAL SIGN DRIVES AUTO SALES While LED Luminaires Drive Costs Down

C

ar dealerships use a lot of illumination. While these lights serve a dual purpose of attracting potential customers and acting as a 24/7 security system, they devour energy, which is the third-highest overhead expenditure for dealerships. So reducing electricity consumption is a major consideration.

Including this extensive use of lighting, auto dealerships consume on average more energy per square foot than a typical office building: using about 110 kBTU/sq-ft compared to prime office space at 93 kBTU (source: National Automobile Dealers Association). This can mean thousands of dollars in energy costs for the typical dealership each year.

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Meanwhile digital signage is a great medium for being timely and relevant and translates well for auto dealerships.

It’s all about increasing sales. Dealerships have to turn that inventory. Digital signage engages prospective customers and helps lessen the sales cycle because a person has gotten an idea or learned about a sale or special from the sign before even walking into the showroom.

When it comes to “call-to-action” messaging, digital signage may be the most effective and most efficient way to get people into a showroom. According to the National Auto Dealers Association, auto dealers across the country are searching for ways to incorporate more tools into their digital advertising strategy. Because

an LED sign can fully integrate with dealers’ online marketing presence, it can provide a vital link between live customers and the information they will use to drive a purchase.

After almost three years of preparation and construction, Jerry Hunt Supercenter opened their new location in Lexington, North Carolina in October 2016.

(Note: After the Department of Transportation needed their former property for a new bridge, they were forced to relocate after thirty years.)

As a customer-focused and forwardthinking business, the dealership is always looking for ways to reduce costs and increase operational efficiencies while promoting sound sustainability practices. signshop.com

vice, Todd Hunt, owner, installed a LED display board manufactured by California-based Optec Displays, Inc. Optec’s 16mm full-color, 5-by-10-foot doublesided Intelligent sign with video capabilities was installed into an existing pole to avoid any zoning issues. It’s the first time the dealership has had any electronic display signage. (Note: The UL 48 Listed and UL Energy Efficiency Certified sign can be seen from one mile away.)

Since the sign is so new, there isn’t data to support increased sales. However, anecdotally, the dealership’s sales team has said that customers actually refer to the sign and specific promotions when coming in to purchase a vehicle.

In addition to the new LED display, Hunt also upgraded to LED luminaires from the metal halide technology that was at the previous site.

Under the recommendation of twentyyear sign veteran Ryan Quimby, owner of Lexington-based QI Signs, Hunt selected

Optec LED Lighting luminaires.

Quimby and his team installed 22 300W Optec LED on the front row of the 550-car exterior lot and 78 240W Optec LED luminaires everywhere else on the property’s exterior.

“These lights make the inventory [show up] better and stand out more from the street,” said Quimby. “Additionally we anticipate these new lights will last three times longer than the fixtures at the dealerships’ other location and, the best part, virtually eliminate maintenance and the need to move cars to accommodate the rented bucket trucks to change out the burned-out lamps.”

The automobile dealership industry, like many businesses, typically only has one chance to make a positive impression with the customer, so it’s important to show products in the best possible “light.” The luminaires’ uniform lighting eliminates dim areas between lamp poles, improving the automobiles’ vibrancy.

Additionally the LED luminaires provide consistent light levels, reduce hazardous waste disposal, and provide dramatically more efficient light distribution than the MH fixtures that were at the previous location.

Employees and customers have also reacted positively to the parking lot’s crisp, bright illumination.

“When [Hunt] looked at the lights’ energy savings and that installing LED technology is really the right thing to do for the environment, it was an easy decision to make,” explained Quimby. “And the new LED display drives customer traffic and increases the Jerry Hunt Supercenter’s brand—providing another smart business decision.”

—Jeff Gatzow

Jeff Gatzow is vice president for Optec LED Lighting® and may be reached at (414) 935-8483 or jgatzow@optec.com.

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CASE STUDY: RETROFIT LIGHTING sbi illuminations

ARGOSY HITS

JACKPOT A

rgosy Casino, located in Alton, Illinois, bills itself as the place to go for all one’s entertainment needs (restaurants, shows, games and slots, etc.). However the casino recently needed a solution when sections of their 400-foot outdoor identity sign stopped working. Costly measures to maintain the sign pushed for the need for an efficient replacement system.

Argosy made the decision to replace the entire color-changing system with Allanson’s RGB DMX Color Changing System (allanson.com). DeMond Signs, located in St. Louis, Illinois, helped in the decision process as they wanted to ensure a reliable and well known system would be installed.

Once the old modules were removed, Allanson’s RGB Modules were quickly 58

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and easily installed. The Argosy sign was fitted with a face that would allow the color-changing lights to shine through— once again restoring and increasing positive attention to the casino!

In the end, 2,940 Allanson RGB DMX Modules were installed in the Argosy sign. The RGB Color Changing Modules allow Argosy Casino to program colorchanging functions and themes that tie in with their image. The casino can program the modules to allow each letter to change color, all letters to change to the same color at the same time, colors to fade from one letter to the next, colors to change in reverse, or colors to flash (if desired). One of the color schemes currently programmed allows Argosy to display the colors of the American flag. Each Argosy letter goes through a sequence

with RGB DMX System where they change from blue to red to white and then back again. Colors change from left to right to left.

Argosy Casino is happy with the reliable, simple, and customizable solution.

Their sign will continue to shine to their liking for many years to come.

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Brooke Albring, CEO of BA Sign Design

By Ashley Bray

An Eye for Design The challenges facing designers in our industry.

B

rooke Albring is a self-described dreamer and visionary with a bit of rebelliousness thrown in. All three qualities have helped her to excel in the sign industry and push the limits of sign design.

After freelancing and holding various sign design positions over the last tenplus years, Albring was recently able to step out on her own and open her design firm—BA Sign Design (basigndesign.com).

The firm typically presents clients with two designs: one based on the customer’s ideas, sketches, etc.; and a second design that is completely BA Sign Design’s own.

About 95 percent of the time, the customer chooses BA Sign Design’s unique creation. “A good designer should be able to take all the elements you’re bringing to the table and work off those to create something that the customer really needs,” says Albring.

She believes a good designer possesses

a combination of skills: intuition and curiosity, great typography skills, attention to detail, visual layout and spatial skills, and proficiency in software vector programs. A good designer also needs tough skin for when their designs are picked apart or not chosen.

Something she finds designers are lacking in our industry is a sign design education. “A lot of designers are thrown into the chaos without anything other than software knowledge and having a bit of an eye. And in the industry, designers are often expected to lay out specs on how a sign is built or wired,” she says. “They’re conceptual designers attempting to function as an engineer or a fabricator.”

Albring believes more communication with fabricators, engineers, and architects, where designers can ask questions, would help solve this problem. “The more you talk the more you know, and the more it helps you nail a project,” she says.

Sign Builder Illustrated (Print ISSN 895-0555, Digital ISSN 2161-4709) (USPS#0015805) (Canada Post Cust. #7204564) (Bluechip Int’l, Po Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B2, Agreement # 41094515) is published monthly by Simmons-Boardman Publ.

Corp, 55 Broad Street, 26th Floor, New York, NY 10004. Printed in the U.S.A. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY and Additional mailing offices.

Prices are subject to change.

Pricing, Qualified individual working in the sign industry may request a free subscription. 12 issues per year. Non-qualified subscriptions Print version, Digital version, Both Print & Digital version: 1 year US/Mexico/Canada $50.00; foreign $99.00. Single copies are $15.00 ea. Subscriptions must be paid in full in U.S. funds only.

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For Subscriptions & Address Changes, please call (800) 895-4389, (847) 763-9686, Fax (847) 763-9544, e-mail signbuilder@halldata.com, or write to: Sign Builder

Designers can also encounter a lack of creative fuel, and Albring encourages employers to listen to their designers’ concerns and to work some flexibility into their schedules to allow for breaks to recharge. Albring also suggests that designers take time to refuel outside of work. “Do more creative work outside of the office and on your own with a different medium—maybe it’s music or painting,” she says.

One of the biggest challenges Albring finds facing designers is compensation.

It’s a sensitive topic, but one she feels deserves attention. “I’ve seen many sign companies finalize a sale solely off of just having a phenomenal design concept,” she says. “Generally, the sales rep sees the benefit, not the designer. And that can be extremely disheartening.

“It doesn’t encourage the designers to throw more options on the table.”

Albring believes companies need to recognize the power of designers and credit them through compensation, bonuses, or even verbal praise and acknowledgment.

“A really good design could increase your company’s exposure once it’s fabricated and on the road,” she says. “So having an inspired designer really changes a lot.”

Albring is working on a platform that will address all these challenges and more.

“We’re hoping to give sign designers a home and a stronger voice, a place that they can come to ask questions and find answers, and a central location for them to find a lot of the tools they need,” she says. “Hopefully the platform will make their jobs easier and [more efficient].”

Illustrated, Simmons-Boardman Publ. Corp, PO Box 3135, Northbrook, IL 600622620. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Sign Builder Illustrated, PO Box 3135, Northbrook, IL 60062-2620.

Instructional information provided in this magazine should only be performed by skilled crafts people with the proper equipment. The pub­lisher and authors of information provided herein advise all readers to exercise care when engaging in any of the how-to activities pub­lished in the magazine. Further, the publisher and authors assume no liability for damages or injuries resulting from projects contained herein.

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Design: Alta at Magnolia Park Monument; Designer Brooke Albring; Oakhurst Signs; Wood Partners.

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