Sign Builder Supplement November 2013

Signage or Art... YOU DECIDE

®

NovaPolymers.com/Creativity NovaPolymers.com/ADA

There is a reason more Braille signs are made with NovAcryl® Designer Series Photopolymer worldwide than any other substrate.

NovAcryl® Series Photopolymer is the world leading substrate for ADA Braille and Accessible Room Identification Signage. NovAcryl® has the most diverse range of substrates available and allows for unlimited design while being environmentally responsible. Don’t sacrifice your design to comply. NovAcryl® allows your creativity to flow free and make your ideas possible.

NovAcryl ® Series Photopolymer ®

novapolymers.com

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Call: 888.484.6682

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info@novapolymers.com

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North America

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Canada

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Middle East

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Australia

ADA TRENDSETTER 2014

Innovative Solutions For Accessible Signage

“We believe signage is part of the design, part of the built environment...”

Nova Polymers, Inc., is the global leader in the development of materials and processing equipment for the fabrication of Accessible and ADA compliant signage. With a focus on education and the continued development of innovative materials that meet international accessibility guidelines, we continue to lead the sign industry and help people with visual disabilities navigate the built environment.

We believe that signage— specifically wayfinding signage for those with visual disabilities— is not simply an element that is added to design. We believe that signage is part of the design, part of the built environment.

Wayfinding signage for those with visual disabilities does not have to be something that presents itself as a visual pollutant. It is something that should be incorporated into a facility’s overall design while addressing the needs of those with visual impairments.

As an AIA continuing education provider, we are able to collaborate with those architects and specifiers that are designing the built environments of tomorrow. The Accessibility courses we offer are designed to educate the design and fabrication industry on the new accessibility codes and how to use them to enhance the overall design and accessibility of a facility.

We deliver over 250 AIA

The New ADA In March of 2012, the Department of Justice (DOJ) updated the ADA codes in the U.S. for the first time in over twenty years, making the 2010 Standard for Accessible Design (SAD) the law of the land.

The new ADA added restriction relating to typography but countered that with a provision for variable message signage that expands design capabilities to better meet the demands of everyone.

Industry Trends The Novacryl Photopolymer Designer Series was developed to incorporate the very same materials and finishes that are being used as wall coverings, fabrics, and organic panels in some of the world’s most exotic locations, local educational institutions, and healthcare facilities.

In many instances, Novacryl is much more than tactile wayfinding signage—sometimes, while meeting ADA base needs, we are

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continuing education programs every year—engaging with thousands of Architects and Designers. With each of these visits, comes the opportunity for Novacryl to be specified.

embracing emerging technologies like QR codes and NFC (Near Field Communication) for assistive devices that take ADA signage to a completely new level.

The Future Over the last twenty years, all public facilities in the U.S. have become accessible to those with all disabilities. Signage has and will continue to play an integral role in accessibility allowing people to navigate the built environment.

This trend is expanding globally into Canada, the Middle East, Australia, and beyond.

Our community of Preferred Fabricators allows us to educate our industry and provide the best quality accessible signage in the world. As technology continues to evolve and commercial building expands globally, the need to understand how to navigate people through the built environment with accessibility signage will be in continued demand.

When you work with Nova Polymers, you are working with a network of property owners, architects, designers, fabricators, and a material manufacturer that is always finding new ways to lead our industry.

—Mike Santos, Director of Sales & Marketing To find out how to get involved, visit us at www.joinourcommunity.org.

November 2013 // SBI Trendsetters

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Our largest table available at 40 ″x 28 ″

• 40″ x 28″ engraving area

• Flame-polished edge cuts • Laser tube wattages up to 120 watts

• Large viewing door with LED lighting • Our highest engraving and cutting speeds • Engrave items up to 14.25″ in material height

Improved motion control for superior cutting quality.

Offering a 40 ″ engraving table at a 36″ price. Contact us today!

To request a brochure, DVD, and samples, contact us at: epiloglaser.com/sbi • sales@epiloglaser.com • 888-437- 4564

LASER ENGRAVING TRENDSETTER 2014

“Lasers are allowing sign shops to be one-stop shops...”

We’ve seen a move in the signage industry to investing in machinery that can allow companies to diversify their product offerings.

Increasingly we’ve seen sign shops discovering that they can become one-stop shops for their customers by adding a laser to their business.

By investing in a laser, they can customize products, offer award engraving, and even engrave company giveaways all for the customer base that they’ve already developed.

With our ability to create highresolution engraving and fine detail cutting, we see our laser systems as a great fit for these companies looking to diversify.

Our company manufactures powerful and user-friendly equipment that is a huge asset to sign shops. Our systems are robust enough to handle a variety of signage projects. From cutting dimensional letters and graphics to engraving text, photos, or other images (even creating the most intricate inlay work), high-quality laser cutting and engraving are valuable tools in the signage industry because they can tackle such a variety of projects and materials.

In the sign industry, we’ve learned bigger is better. Shops want to be able to quickly and easily produce a large quantity of a particular item or be able to mark or cut larger pieces of different substrates. And they want to do it with a system that’s user friendly and doesn’t take

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ages to learn.

To meet this demand, we’ve created the Fusion Laser series.

The Fusion Series features three systems—the Fusion 32, FiberMark Fusion 32, and now the Fusion 40 (which was released in mid-September of 2013). The series truly changes what people expect from a laser.

This Fusion Series features a redesigned motion control system to allow higher speed engraving, as well as the best cutting quality we’ve ever produced. Users will see true flame-polished edges on acrylic and up to 150 percent speed increases in cutting thin woods and acrylics, which is especially beneficial to the signage community. The large (32-by-20inch and 40-by-28-inch) engraving beds also allow sign shops to tackle larger jobs or increase production by filling up the entire bed for a particular job.

While the CO2 version of the Fusion can work with a variety of materials (wood, acrylic, fabric, etc.), the FiberMark Fusion system was designed for direct metal marking, which is ideal for businesses specializing in more industrial projects featuring materials like stainless steel, titanium, chrome, and other metals.

We’re constantly striving to bring to market the features and benefits our users are looking for.

Our most recent innovation is the Epilog Control Center (ECC), which can be found in the Fusion Laser

Series. The ECC offers users a host of features that will help them minimize job setup time and maximize all of the other great Fusion features. Not only can users access a job-time estimator and job-time recorder, but they can also move the lens carriage in real time and send jobs to the laser directly from the ECC. Sign businesses are constantly looking for a way to increase throughput and maintain product quality while minimizing costs. They’re also interested in creating the most stunning signage in the most time-efficient manner.

With Epilog’s large engraving areas (up to 40-by-28 inches) and powerful wattage configurations (up to 120), we’re helping the signage industry quickly and easily create amazingly detailed engraving results, as well as laser-precise cutting applications.

—Amy M. Dallman, Marketing & Communications Specialist For more information, scan here.

November 2013 // SBI Trendsetters

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Innovative CNC Routing and Knife Solutions

800 361 3408 sales@axyz.com www.axyz.com SBI Trendsetters.indd 1

04/10/2013 08:09:06

ROUTERS TRENDSETTER 2014

“The use of one large machine with productivity equal to two separate machines…”

At AXYZ International, innovation is crucial to maintaining our competitive advantage. The AXYZ CNC Routers are widely regarded as the most versatile in the industry. This has been achieved through years of innovation and working with customers to develop cutting systems that are extremely powerful, easy to use, and incredibly reliable.

Why is versatility important in a CNC router?

Signmakers will typically need to process many different sizes of different materials using a range of cutting tools. AXYZ routers are all built to order in whatever size and with whatever cutting head configuration is most suited to the customer’s needs. It may be used for V-Carving a natural wood 3D sign one minute, and then a few minutes later, it may be utilizing a tangential knife to cut pre-printed graphics with the AVS camera registration system.

The use of one large machine with productivity equal to two separate machines is becoming increasingly popular. Advantages include lower running costs and a smaller factory footprint.

With its 103-inch process width, the AXYZ 8000 Series machine accommodates two standardsized sheets of material. The two independently controllable cutting heads operate simultaneously cutting two identical parts at the same time.

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One of the biggest developments in the graphics industry in recent years has been the ability to print on just about any substrate through the use of UV-based flatbed technology. It is now common to see high-quality printing on a wide range of rigid substrates such as aluminum, acrylic, wood, MDF, aluminum composites, and many others.

The ability to cut clear acrylic and leave a smooth polished edge is important because flame or diamond polishing cannot be used on printed materials. The AXYZ router utilizes a new sevensegment controller for ultrasmooth motion and a high-quality helical drive system with servo motors maintaining rigidity and precision at all times. The result is a smooth, virtually polished edge that needs little or no further finishing.

Another challenge facing the sign industry is rising energy costs. AXYZ is leading the way with innovative solutions to address these costs by making the routers more efficient. Large vacuum pumps or blowers (which power the vacuum decks of CNC routers) are one of the more expensive parts to run. AXYZ has pioneered a unique approach that allows smaller pumps to be used with no loss of performance.

The zoned vacuum deck has

multiple smaller zones that are automatically activated or deactivated as the machine head moves around the table. This allows the vacuum hold down to be concentrated in the area it is most needed while utilizing smaller more efficient pumps.

Traditional finishing systems that use a high-speed knife or low power routing spindle are not suited to cut heavier materials.

Traditional sign-making routers such as the AXYZ Series routers with their high-power 5 or 10hp spindles and camera registration for exact print to cut alignment are the only cost-effective way to process these materials. These routers now include new cutting heads, vision systems, drive methods, and all-new controllers to handle high-speed motion smoothly and safely.

To learn more about AXYZ routers, visit www.axyz.com.

—Greg Jenkins, VP, Sales For more information, scan here.

November 2013 // SBI Trendsetters

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RFQ for shirts Send out invoices Tasks

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SOFTWARE TRENDSETTER 2014

“Everyone in the sign process should be on the same page at the same time...”

TechVOX Inc, creators of signVOX and recently launched shopVOX, is a cloud technology company based out of Palo Alto, California.

As an innovative leader in the sign industry, we provide professional tools to the sign, print, and promotional products industries where true collaboration software is needed. These industries provide custom services and products where everyone involved—like the customer, sales rep, production staff, installers and vendors—need to be easily accessible to one another with updates and other valuable information. Today instant gratification is often expected, hence there is a need for more effective ways of interaction than phone/fax. TechVOX Inc provides these solutions. signVOX is a complete business management software built from the ground up specifically for these industries.

Our many years of software applications experience and sign industry involvement has made this possible.

We believe everyone involved in the sign making process should be on the same page at any given time. Hence our pricing is for ten users, not per user. If signVOX was priced per user, it would be unaffordable for all employees to be on signVOX creating information holes which would defeat the purpose of using the software. shopVOX, our recently launched simple production management software, is perfect

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for a small shop with a couple of users that utilizes Quick Books as POS to a complex fabrication shop with multiple workflows, job costing, and custom steps using either signVOX, Quick Books or other big ERP systems.

Even though the sign industry is a large and old industry, we have witnessed that it is very unorganized. Sign shops tend to be more reactive than proactive due to information not being

When cloud-based signVOX entered the scene, we have enabled every sign business, small or large, to take advantage of software to help manage their business very efficiently.

We also offer tools which integrate signVOX to popular applications like Google apps, Outlook, Constant Contact, Mailchimp, QB online, Xero, etc.

We are also ready with an open API to integrate signVOX/shopVOX

easily available and the lack of affordable Business Intelligence. signVOX and shopVOX provides business organization by making available a platform where information is readily accessible to all team members on the cloud at an affordable cost.

Software products have been very expensive—costing tens of thousands of dollars upfront, which made it unaffordable for smaller sign shops. Since software is now more affordable and available on the cloud, the sign industry is realizing the benefits of software products to help manage sign businesses.

to new software.

The sign industry continues to experience changes due to technology advances, and we will be here providing continuous updated technology needed to allow our customers to manage their business effectively, collaborate better, and project a more professional appearance, while saving time and money.

—Rao Meka, Co-Founder www.signVOX.com www.shopVOX.com 855/GET-VOX9

November 2013 // SBI Trendsetters

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The Complete Matthews Paint System For Ultimate Color, Durability and Protection Developed specifically for the signage industry, the Complete Matthews Paint System is a total paint solution for the varied and extreme demands of architectural, commercial and outdoor sign applications.

• Highest quality sign paints available • Hands-on technical training • Custom color matching tools • Experienced technical assistance • Exceptional customer service

800.323.6593 www.matthewspaint.com

PAINTS TRENDSETTER 2014

“Bringing quality and value to your sign paint projects...”

For over seventy-five years, Matthews Paint has been a leading manufacturer of acrylic polyurethane sign paint. Unlike many coatings that evolved from house or automotive paint, Matthews Paint is formulated from the start to satisfy the varied and extreme demands of architectural, commercial, and outdoor applications. Through an ongoing process of intensive research, development, and field-testing, we offer the most advanced sign paint system available.

The Complete Matthews Paint System: Matthews Topcoats provide a long-lasting, UV-resistant finish that boasts unsurpassed color and gloss retention. With three different lines to choose from— including the environmentally friendly MAP Ultra Low VOC—and unlimited color options, there is a topcoat to meet any project requirement.

An environmentally friendly option, MAP Ultra Low VOC limits VOC to less than 50g/L, while providing greater durability, gloss retention, and hiding than standard acrylic polyurethane paints. Available in 75,000plus colors and satin and gloss levels, MAP Ultra Low VOC allows professionals to meet the strictest regulations while maintaining quality.

Matthews Primers, including Chromate-Free and Low VOC product lines, provide excellent

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paint adhesion to a variety of hardto-adhere substrates and can be directly coated with any Matthews topcoat. In addition, Matthews Primers offer increased paint durability, corrosion protection, and filling capability.

Available in all finishes for a variety of applications, Matthews Clearcoats protect your paint job while enhancing its depth and vibrancy. Comprised of the same durable resin as our color lines, Matthews Clearcoats provide unparalleled resistance to UV rays, moisture, harsh weather, impact, chemicals, and graffiti.

Matthews Cleaners are designed to remove waxes, grease, silicones, and other contaminants on a variety of substrates including bare metal, plastics, primers, and more. Our environmentally friendly, Ultra Low VOC option is highly effective and compliant with most VOC rules nationwide.

Customize your application with Matthews Additives to achieve your project goals.

Our suede additives provide a unique, textured finish. Matthews metallic tones help you achieve optimum brilliance. Brush and roll additives offer maximum

leveling and flow characteristics.

Our basecoat converters allow you to paint multicolor signs in hours instead of days.

Delivering free-to-attend world-class training in state-ofthe-art facilities is just one more way that Matthews Paint helps you outperform your competition.

Matthews Training classes provide both classroom-style technical training and hands-on opportunities to practice what you learn.

Matthews offers a number of Color Tools to ensure a precise color and gloss match. The Online Color Formula Retrieval allows easy and accurate retrieval of Matthews Paint formulas, matching more than 75,000 paint shades in over 196 color systems. With over 1,580 colors, the Spectrum of Color card deck system makes choosing colors easier than ever. Matthews Paint mixing stations allow you to mix over 75,000 colors according to your specifications.

Exceptional Customer Service and technical support is a cornerstone of Matthews Paint. Our highly skilled professionals take pride in bringing quality and value to your sign paint projects. From substrate preparation to clearcoat application, the Matthews team listens to your needs and responds quickly and creatively.

For more information, scan here.

November 2013 // SBI Trendsetters

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Switch On.

The first graphic films that optimize LED light 3M™ Envision™ Translucent and Diffuser Films Greener Solutions

The first graphic films that offer a greener solution without sacrificing performance.

• Achieve vibrant, richly colored graphics with fewer LEDs, using less energy* • Bright, even sign illumination with no hot spots

Platinum Patron

• Backed by the 3M™ MCS™ Warranty See videos, product details, and order film samples online.

KNOW IT: Bookmark 3Mgraphics.com/switchon.

BUY IT: Visit 3Mgraphics.com/wheretobuy or call 1-800-328-3908.

TRY IT: Go to 3Mgraphics.com/samples for a sample roll.

Make the switch. * For all film colors, except black.

3M and Envision are trademarks of 3M Company. © 3M 2013. All rights reserved.

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GRAPHIC FILMS TRENDSETTER 2014

“More customers prefer—even require— sustainable product solutions…”

3M Commercial Graphics has been a leader in translucent films and flexible substrates for decades.

We challenge the ordinary. 3M innovates with a core focus on finding solutions and helping sign makers tackle challenges.

We are a total solutions provider to the sign industry—from films to substrates, inks, graphics protection, adhesives and tapes, abrasives, and safety solutions.

No one else offers this full set of solutions. In addition, we offer our standard-setting 3M™ MCS™ Warranty.

With multiple touch points among people, countries, technologies, and businesses, the evolution of ideas and innovation at 3M is borderless. We invest significantly in R&D capability year after year to drive opportunity for the richest collaboration possible.

3M has a diverse tool set of technologies from which to draw. To best address the sign industry, we bring our knowledge of light management and material durability that the corporation has developed over the decades in a number of varied markets.

One challenge the sign/ graphics industry faces is meeting the sustainability demands of their customers—especially as it relates to light efficiency and energy efficiency. 3M’s unwavering commitment to sustainability spans the life cycle of our products. With hundreds of new products introduced each year, we have a continuous

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flow of opportunities to improve the environmental, health, and safety effects of the things we make. 3M Commercial Graphics advances our corporate goals— and yours—with products like the LED-enabling 3M™ Envision™ Translucent and Diffuser Films, which we launched last fall.

New 3M Envision Translucent Films and 3M Envision Diffuser Films are the first graphic films optimized for use with energy-saving LEDs. 3M Envision Translucent and Diffuser Films help graphics manufacturers and sign builders create richly colored graphics for backlit signage with even sign illumination and no hot spots.

Using these films, sign shops can achieve the same level of brightness with fewer LEDs, reducing material and maintenance costs while providing the great look that customers expect. Alternately graphics manufacturers and sign builders can keep the same number of LEDs and increase a sign’s brightness even more. They can give their customers the opportunity to be more sustainable

without sacrificing performance.

The 3M Envision line of products for illuminated signage and wraps is designed to contribute to a winning business strategy for our customers—one that consists of leading-edge technology [and] best-in-class performance with a distinct sustainability edge.

As the awareness of the importance of sustainability increases, more and more customers prefer—even require— sustainable product solutions.

This will drive the sign industry to develop new approaches to provide greener solutions.

The sign industry is on a path to continue to benefit from technological advances in materials and electronics. As light sources evolve, even more emphasis will be put on efficiently and effectively disbursing light.

3M will continue to provide new products to enable those advancements. There is also movement to more complex graphics that are customized to specific locations. With our 3M MCS Warranty, 3M is well positioned to enable the sign manufacturer to build digitally printed signs with confidence that they will last a long time.

—Tony Fulco, Marketing Manager

For more information, scan here.

November 2013 // SBI Trendsetters

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SUBSTRATES TRENDSETTER 2014

“Making sure signage stays ever changing, alive, and relevant …”

Coastal Enterprises manufactures Precision Board high-density urethane (HDU) sign substrate material. We have been manufacturing Precision Board since about 1975, and our innovations for new formulations and process methods has been continuous.

Coastal Enterprises started in the machining industry making large blocks of urethane for the prototyping and tool proofing markets.

We entered the sign-making market in 1992, and ever since then, we have been selling Precision Board nationally through our distribution network.

Our product innovations are driven by staying close to our distributors and sign makers, listening closely to their ideas and recommendations.

Material and process method improvements typically start from them. Listening to them also keeps us active, humble, and on our toes.

I think the biggest challenge facing the sign market today

is making sure that signage stays ever changing, alive and relevant.

As manufacturers of sign making materials, we need to continue developing new materials for sign designers and fabricators to create new and fresh ideas on a continuing basis.

To support this, Coastal Enterprises is developing new substrate materials that will allow greater sign detail with lighter weight, easier finishing,

and higher green material content.

I think sign designs will continue to become more and more sophisticated in their design and overall structure.

Building owners will drive this by understanding the value of fresh signage ideas and will be willing to pay more for them.

New products like the ones Coastal is currently designing will support the talented and creative sign makers who will continue to breathe life into the signage industry.

It’s definitely a team effort, and Coastal Enterprises is proud to be part of the team.

—Chuck Miller, President For more information, scan here.

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November 2013 // SBI Trendsetters

TS13

Sign news on the go?

There’s an app for that.

Introducing the new Sign Builder Illustrated app SBI App

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•Up-to-the-minute daily sign news •Full access to all previous/archived editions of monthly magazine •Automatically receive new issues on IOS5 or higher •Download and save individual pages to enjoy offline or on the go

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