Sign Builder Illustrated April 2016

dimensional led

Illuminating Router-cut Signs

service trucks

Should you Purchase or Lease?

www.signshop.com

Number 250 | april 2016

How-To

Monumental Achievements

It’s your move.

Switching to GE Tetra® LED signage systems is a brilliant strategy.

Put all the time and money-saving advantages of exceptional GE engineering to work in your channel letters, box signs, awnings and architectural details. Our comprehensive line of LED solutions gives you a tactical business advantage.

Come visit us at ISA Sign Expo 2016!

Call us today! 1-888-MY-GE-LED Visit www.gelighting.com/tetra Follow us © GE GE 2015 2016

April 2016

78

Magnificently Light

BY LORI SHRIDHARE

Stylish monument signage that’s built to last.

36 42

HDU Catch

BY JEFF WOOTEN

Lightweight HDU material and LED lighting are the sign specials of the day for a seafood restaurant.

Identities on Display

BY JEFF WOOTEN

Achieving a sandblasted redwood look with HDU substrates.

46 52

58

Expanding Mobile Signage

BY MIKE ANTONIAK

Mini mountains and giant beer cans bring a truck campaign to life.

Don’t Spoil the Third Party!

BY JEFF WOOTEN

What you should know when installing signs made by another company.

Sign Builder Illustrated (Print ISSN 895-0555, Digital ISSN 2161-4709) (USPS#0015-805) (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.

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. Prices are subject to change.

Copyright © Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corporation 2016. All rights reserved. Contents may not be reproduced without permission.

2

Sign Builder Illustrated // April 2016

Joining the Soft Signage Revolution

BY GREGORY SHARPLESS

Is your shop prepared to enlist?

64 69

BY ASHLEY BRAY

Vinyl application is breaking down all the “barricades.”

Chicago’s Shining Star

BY MIKE ANTONIAK

A sign shop starts the year with celebratory success.

74 78

From Vinyl to a View

The Service Plan

BY JEFF WOOTEN

Several roads can be taken when you’re buying a service truck.

Backlit for Beginners

BY JOHN FULENA

Four strategic tips and tricks designed to help you print backlit graphics.

83

American Treasures

BY ASHLEY BRAY

Bob’s Garage is restoring Americana.

For reprint information contact: Arthur Sutley, Publisher (212) 620-7247 or asutley@sbpub.com.

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 Illustrated, Simmons-Boardman Publ. Corp, PO Box 1172, Skokie, IL 60076-8172 POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Sign Builder Illustrated, PO Box 1172, Skokie, IL 60076-8172.

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.

signshop.com

top left photo: Tom Gowanlock / Shutterstock.com

58 30

69

GeminiSignProducts.com 800-538-8377

WHATEVER YOU CAN VISUALIZE, WE CAN HELP YOU REALIZE. Gemini offers the widest range of custom acrylic and metal display letters to harmonize to your experiential graphic design. Display the power of your brand or the grandeur of your venue with Gemini custom display letters and logos.

Š2016 Gemini, Inc.

Agenda

How-To Columns

APRIL 2016

22

April 20-23: The ISA International Sign Expo returns to the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida. (signs.org)

The Yard Sign Pool

18

Not Fading Away

Departments 18

Not Fading Away

BY BUTCH “SUPERFROG” ANTON

The art of hand-painting signs never really left.

22

The Yard Sign Pool

BY MARK K. ROBERTS

The water’s fine as we create digitally printed team spirit signs for a high school swim team.

26

Tax Relief

Don’t let running a shop prove too taxing.

DIMENSIONAL LED

SI GN B U I L DER I L LUSTR ATED

Monumental Achievements A PRI L 2016

4

8

Dispatches

A new USSC research study details best LED brightness levels, and a searchand-rescue team benefits from digital print technology.

10

Sign Show

85

SBI Marketplace

Advertisements and announcements from the sign trade.

88 Shop Talk

SERVICE TRUCKS

Should you Purchase or Lease?

Ashley Bray speaks with an ISA Elite program member about how she is continuing a family tradition of signage.

www.signshop.com

NU MBER 250

NUMBER 250 | APRIL 2016

Illuminating Router-cut Signs

UpFront

Jeff Wooten delves into the many layers of dimensional signage.

The newest products and services from sign manufacturers.

BY DAVID HICKEY

HOW-TO

6

On the Cover This stylish community monument sign is made of lightweight foam-core material.

Photo: Viscom Architectural Graphics.

Sign Builder Illustrated // April 2016

April 26-28: LIGHTFAIR International, the world’s largest annual architectural and commercial lighting tradeshow and conference, will occur at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, California. (lightfair.com)

JUNE 2016 June 9-11: The 2016 SEGD Conference is scheduled to take place at the Westin Seattle in Seattle, Washington. (segd.org)

JULY 2016 July 28-30: The Mid South Sign Association’s Annual Meeting & Tradeshow happens at the Beau Rivage Resort & Casino in Biloxi, Mississippi. (midsouthsignassociation.org)

SEPTEMBER 2016 September 14-16: SGIA Expo 2016 takes place at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. (sgiaexpo.org) September 22-23: NSSA’s New England Sign Expo 2016 will occur at the Twin River Casino in Lincoln, Rhode Island. (nssasign.org) signshop.com

Up FRONT

by jeff wooten

April 2016, Vol. 30, No. 250 Sign Builder Illustrated (ISSN 0895-0555) print, (ISSN 2161-0709) digital is published by Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corporation

Cutting through the many layers it takes to craft dimensional signage.

executive offices

President and Chairman Arthur J. McGinnis, Jr. Publisher arthur j. sutley 55 Broad Street, 26th floor New York, NY 10004 212/620-7247; fax: 212/633-1863 editorial editor

Jeff Wooten

The Layers of Sign Making

I

t’s really only been just a few moments from when I sat down to start writing this month’s column when I realized this is the 250th issue of our magazine. In our nearly thirty years of publication, we’ve seen a lot of technologies, materials, and trends evolve, but if there’s one that hasn’t changed, it’s our readers’ thirst for sign-making knowledge.

With that in mind, in addition to our magazine and e-newsletters, be sure to visit the “Industry Resources” section on our home page at signshop.com, where you’ll find a number of recently uploaded White Papers written for your benefit. Topics here include printing directly to magnets, the benefits of using liquid laminates and coatings, pricing signs accordingly, and the differences between CNC routers and digital finishing systems.

Speaking of CNC routing and finishing, we have several project-related articles of note this month. One of these profiles Signs

by Van, a sign shop in Salinas, California that found success working with dimensional signage and LED lighting on a brand-new identity sign for a seafood restaurant located along busy Fishermans Wharf in Monterey, California (“HDU Catch,” page 36).

Signs by Van Owner Phil VanderKraats has been working with dimensional signs for thirty-five years and, along with his son Jeremy (also a principal at the shop), is still turning out beautiful works of art.

I touched bases with Signs by Van again for some additional information about their dimensional signs. Whether shaped, carved, or sandblasted, Signs by Van likes to design their signs with layers, more layers, and, oh yeah, even more layers. “Doing this adds the depth and dimension that people are drawn to,” says Jeremy.

I wanted to find out more about how they 6

Sign Builder Illustrated // April 2016

created one such layered sign for Freedom Market, a butcher shop in their area specializing in custom smoked meats (pictured). The finished pylon-mounted, fifteen-pound CORAFOAM® HDU sign features dimensional letters, textured backgrounds, and realistic farm characters (a pig, a cow, and a chicken).

Signs by Van began this project by building the base. Then they added the secondary layer (the grill). Next they did router inlays for the CNC-routed letters to fit snugly.

After hard-coating everything, they worked on the texturing and then carved the final layer with all the animals. Their muralist painted the animals using Behr Ultra Premium Exterior paints and applied base coats to them.

After making the final touches, they put everything together for final assembly using fiberglass resin and stainless steel brad nails and delivered it to the installation site.

The Signs by Van design and production teams agree, “It’s our job to remind [our customers] that the more captivating their sign, the more traffic they’ll drive through their door.”

It’s projects like these that show how sign makers are using design craftsmanship and ingenuity to arrive at creative solutions for their customers.

Meanwhile we’re thrilled, whether through kismet or not, that our 250th issue coincides with being distributed this month at both ISA International Sign Expo (April 23-26) in Orlando, Florida, and LIGHTFAIR International (April 26-28) in San Diego, California—two gigantic tradeshows devoted to sign and lighting technologies. For your benefit, if you’re attending the ISA Sign Expo, our Sign Show this issue also features booth numbers for those companies that will be showing new products at this year’s event.

323 Clifton Street, Suite #7 Greenville, NC 27858 212/620-7244; fax: 212/633-1863 jwooten@sbpub.com managing editor

Ashley Bray

55 Broad Street, 26th Floor New York, NY 10004 212/620-7220; fax: 212/633-1863 abray@sbpub.com contributing writers

Butch “Superfrog” Anton, Mike Antoniak, John Fulena, David Hickey, Mark Roberts, Lori Shridhare, Peter Perszyk, Gregory Sharpless art

Corporate Art Director Wendy Williams Designer Nicole Cassano production

Corporate Production Director Mary Conyers circulation

Circulation Director Maureen Cooney advertising sales national sales director

Jeff Sutley 212/620-7233; fax: 212/633-1863 jeffsutley@sbpub.com midwest

& west coast sales manager

Heather Bonato

212/620-7225; fax: 212/633-1863 hbonato@sbpub.com marketplace

& buyer’s guide

Amy Lennox

212/620-7221; fax: 212/633-1863 alennox@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 & layouts or hard copy reprints, please call Art Sutley at 212/620-7247 or e-mail asutley@sbpub.com.

Circulation Dept. 800/895-4389

signshop.com

ORACAL® 8300 Photo courtesy of TI Group

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Spice up your

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ORACAL® 8300 Transparent Cal

ORACAL® 631 Photo courtesy of Dali Decals

ORACAL® 631 Exhibition Cal

ORAJET® 3169ra Intermediate Removable Calendered Digital Media with RapidAir® Technology

www.orafolamericas.com 888.672.2251

Visit us at ISA Sign Expo 2016 Booth #2535!

ORAJET® 3169ra Photo courtesy of NovoWorks

Dispatches

Best LED

Brightness Levels

8

Sign Builder Illustrated // April 2016

Photo: Strickler Signs.

Determined for Night Viewing

signshop.com

B

Photo: NeoKraft Signs.

r is to l , Pe n n sy l va n i a —T h e United States Sign Council (USSC) has released details of a study conducted by The Larson Institute at Penn State University to determine the optimum brightness level of LED/EMC signs and displays under nighttime viewing.

The research was approached with the idea of determining the appropriate level of brightness for motorists while driving at night so that they can both see and read the EMC signs yet, at the same time, the signs will not be overbright or blinding to the viewer.

As explained in the research, the maximum luminance level of 710 to 760 nits at night for EMC signs and displays was determined by testing a sampling of subjects at the Institute’s test track at State College, Pennsylvania. The lumi-

nance level was varied and adjusted on the displays.

(Note: Luminance refers to the brightness of the display at the face or surface of the sign and can be scientifically measured.)

The research was done from the perspective of motorist and traffic safety.

The traffic safety emphasis relates directly to governing entities that require a scientific basis for regulating local lighting levels.

The recommendations made by the researchers are simple to understand by the average person and apply to situations in the real world.

A PDF copy of this research can be obtained via download on the USSC Web site at ussc.org. In addition, you can order hard copies of this study by calling 215/785-1922.

The USSC released details from a study aimed at determining the appropriate level of brightness for motorists while driving at night so that they can both see and read the EMC signs yet at the same time not be blinded by them. signshop.com

Print Technology Helps NJ Search and Rescue

Mahwah, New Jersey—New Jersey Search and Rescue (NJSAR), a team of more than fifty highly trained volunteers who conduct an average of twenty-five missing-person searches per year, recently installed an HP DesignJet T2500 Multifunction Printer (MFP) to produce large format maps to aid in their search-andrescue missions.

The HP DesignJet T2500 MFP scans, prints, and copies thirty-six-inch maps to help the team collaborate and streamline communications. With time of the essence, the machine offers crucial mobile printing, allowing search teams to print straight from their Apple® or Android™ smartphones or tablets wherever and whenever needed.

Search missions involve many organizations—including EMS, fire, search-and-rescue teams, and local law and government entities. The large format maps printed on the HP DesignJet T2500 MFP are critical in delineating search areas, keeping track of searchers’ locations, recording clues, highlighting areas of interest, and defining regions that have already been searched.

At the end of a search-and-rescue mission, NJSAR team members simply feed these maps into the HP DesignJet T2500 MFP’s thirty-sixinch scanner to instantly create digitized records of the mission, which can then be shared with law enforcement and other partners.

April 2016 // Sign Builder Illustrated

9

SignSHOW A DA S I G N A G E /M AT E R I A L S DuetsTactiles ADA Color and Contrast Guide can be Requested Online at DuetsByGemini.com The DuetsTactiles™ ADA Color and Contrast Guide from Gemini provides useful information on surfaces that need to contrast visually with their surroundings to provide enhanced visibility and wayfinding information according to ADAAG requirements. It includes a thorough overview of ADA signage compliance guidelines with information on font, sizing, mounting, positioning, color contrast, and surface reflectivity requirements. The DuetsTactiles ADA Color and Contrast Guide also features a complete color contrast chart that presents all possible color combinations that can be achieved with DuetsTactiles substrates and appliqué. The ever-expanding Duets by Gemini line currently offers forty-seven color choices—the broadest line of ADA color options available in the industry today. DuetsByGemini.com; ISA Booth #1201

D I G I TA L P R I N T I N G E Q U I PM E N T/ S U P P L I E S Epson Expands SureColor P-Series Line with High-production 44-Inch Display Graphics Printer Ideal for commercial and production print shops managing indoor display graphics applications and large photographic and fine art fulfillment needs, the new SureColor P10000 wide format printer from Epson leverages an impressive 8,000 nozzle PrecisionCore® MicroTFP® print head, innovative media feeding system, and reformulated Epson UltraChrome® PRO nine-color pigment ink system to provide unparalleled production speeds and unmatched print quality. The SureColor P10000 utilizes an all-new 2.6-inch-tall, high-performance, 10-channel PrecisionCore MicroTFP print head capable of printing output at exceptionally high resolutions up to 2,400-by-1,200 dpi. Combined with the new Epson UltraChrome PRO nine-color pigment ink system, the SureColor P10000 provides outstanding color and black density.

Epson UltraChrome PRO is the first pigment ink set to feature four levels of gray ink technology (including Gray, Light Gray, Dark Gray, and Black pigments) to provide seamless transitions with less visible noise and reduced bronzing for superior grayscale output. proimaging.epson.com; ISA Booth #2557

Fluorescent and Light Black Dye Sublimation Inks from Mimaki USA Mimaki USA has announced the availability of Sb410 fluorescent pink and yellow and light black dye sublimation inks.

Fluorescent inks produce bright colors beyond the range reproducible by process color printing, and they are utilized in the RIP through either an extended multi-color gamut or as spot color additions to a standard process workflow. Light black ink creates smooth gradations and reduces the granular appearance, color shifting, and tone jumps that occur on monochrome/grayscale prints. These original Mimaki inks are for use in the TS300P production dye sublimation printer. They are available in two-liter ink packs and are optimized for use in the Mimaki Bulk Ink System 3 (MBIS3) – standard on the TS300P printer – for longer unattended printing and lower ink costs. Eye-catching neon colors and nuanced color printing are becoming more in-demand for the sports and fashion apparel markets, and these new ink colors, developed by Mimaki Engineering, add value to these finished products. mimakiusa.com; ISA Booth #1770

OKI Data Americas Premiers the Latest EFI Fiery C9 Server The latest EFI® Fiery® C9 Server exclusively for use with OKI Data Americas' C900 Series of professional printing devices is now available. Built upon EFI’s robust Fiery FS150 Pro system, the C9 Server offers the most popular Fiery features, including Command WorkStation and Spot-On™ to enhance production capabilities and improve the operational efficiencies of the C931/C941/C942 Printers and DP models. The new user-friendly C9 Server allows users to submit, manipulate, and reprint jobs remotely from Mac® OS and Microsoft® Windows® clients or from their desktop. Users can visually confirm document content and adjust images, plus customize and substitute spot colors.

The C9 Server helps to increase efficiency and reduce errors with server-based workflows, such as Hot Folders, for repeatable results that are easy to set up and use throughout the print facility. okidata.com; ISA Booth #1171

TrueVIS VG Series Represents Roland DGA’s Most Advanced Printer/Cutters Ever In designing the TrueVIS™ VG Series sixty-four-inch (VG-640) and fifty-four-inch (VG-540) printer/cutters, Roland combined innovative imaging technology with unsurpassed production capability to create the ideal tool for producing vehicle graphics, banners, posters and displays, labels and decals, packaging prototypes, apparel heat transfers, and more. TrueVIS VG series printer/cutters are equipped with four newly developed FlexFire™ print heads, which more flexibly control the metallic plate attached to the ink chamber for a higher firing frequency.

FlexFire print heads also deliver precision droplet placement in three sizes and a 25 percent wider print swath compared to previous Roland models. The combination of this new FlexFire head design and new TrueVIS INK, specially formulated for use with this print head, helps ensure outstanding graphic results. Users can expect exceptional detail and vibrant colors at a production speed of 107.6 square feet per hour in High Quality mode on vinyl and up to 374.6 square feet per hour in dual CMYK configuration. rolanddga.com; ISA Booth #734

10

Sign Builder Illustrated // April 2016

signshop.com

Ink Differently.

GoVivid UV-LED printers and print media deliver precise color, dimension and limitless creativity for all of your demanding projects.

Acrylic Sign Wine Bottle Wine Box

VISIT OUR BOOTH

2545

ISA Sign Expo

SignSHOW FAB R ICS Bring Promotions to Their Peak with Scrimless Banner from Drytac Drytac has launched Scrimless Banner, a 15-mil smooth, double-sided PVC/PET blockout banner media for use with interior and exterior short-term graphic applications. Primarily suited for retail environments where sturdy, professional signage is required, Scrimless Banner is dimensionally stable and has high tensile strength to keep graphics straight and taut. Its lay-flat, non-curl characteristics prevent graphics from looking wrinkled or worn, making it ideal for hanging banners or banner stand graphics. Additionally Scrimless Banner has a bright-white surface that can handle heavy ink saturation for superior print results. The media can be printed single- or double-sided and is compatible with (eco) solvent, UV, and latex print technologies. Scrimless Banner is available in roll widths up to sixty-three inches and is currently in stock for immediate shipment. drytac.com/scrimless-banner.html; ISA Booth #1079

Fisher Textiles Introduces New Backlit Fabric for Retail and SEG Applications GF 6732 Apollo速, the newest, lightweight backlit fabric for dye sublimation transfer printing from Fisher Textiles, features an extreme white point, making it excellent for retail and SEG prints requiring the brightest white possible. GF 6732 Apollo is flame-retardant, weighs 3.2 ounces, and is stocked at 120 inches wide. This particular fabric utilizes a diffuser fabric behind it, GF 6735 Diffuse, to enhance the print and prevent hotspots. Free sample rolls are available for testing.

800/554-8886; fishertextiles.com; ISA Booth #2335

12

Sign Builder Illustrated // April 2016

signshop.com

Experience ColorPainter™ H3-104s at ISA Sign Expo Booth #1171

ColorPainter Printers from OKI: The new print revolution A leader in the print technology industry, OKI is dedicated to furthering the innovative line of ColorPainter wide-format printers.

Bigger Format. Bolder Graphics.

Blazing-fast Speed.

The new ColorPainter H3-104s offers 104-inch, wide-format

OKI delivers leading-edge print solutions with unmatched

printing with brilliant, saturated colors and impressive speed—

performance that helps drive efficiency, productivity—and

up to 609 square feet per hour. Designed for mid- to high-

profits.

Customers can expect exceptional product quality and reliable support they’ve come to know from ColorPainter, but now as part of OKI, have access to an expanded portfolio of

volume printing environments where image quality and speed are top priorities, the ColorPainter H3-104s shatters expectations, delivering stunning graphics at a rate that redefines print shop productivity.

commercial print solutions.

Learn more about ColorPainter printers: www.okidata.com/wide-format ColorPainterInfo@okidata.com

800-264-1272

The wide-format printing group of Seiko Instruments (SII) joined OKI on October 1, 2015. © 2016 OKI Data Americas, Inc. OKI, Reg. T.M. Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd., Reg. T.M. Oki Data Corporation. ColorPainter is a trademark of OKI Data Infotech.

SignSHOW No Mess! Presto Says WallFab Will Change the Way People Perceive Wallcoverings Presto Tape has added WallFab, a thick fabric material, to its product line. Its smooth finish offers reliable performance over time, and the microsphere adhesive makes installation faster and easier than earlier wide format digital printing media. But the finish of the new product is the most eye-catching feature of all. WallFab comes with a choice of gold iridescent, pearlescent, silver metallic, and black finishes that create a high-contrast ratio with the printed pattern for a more vibrant image. WallFab’s repositionable adhesive practically guarantees fast, flawless, and wrinklefree installation. The fabric is resistant to peeling, shrinking, and curling over the lifetime of the installation. While the adhesive is strong enough to last for years, it removes without peeling underlying paint or damaging walls.

WallFab is available in widths of thirty, fifty-four, and sixty inches. WallFab is printable with all major ink systems (UV, latex, solvent, and eco-solvent). prestotape.com; ISA Booth #2427

Supercharge Your Graphics with Supernova from Top Value Fabrics Top Value Fabrics presents the latest advancement in backlit fabrics with Supernova. This material offers the same market-leading performance as Top Value Fabrics’ Impact Prime backlit fabric but with a slightly lighter weight, lower price point, and an even brighter white. Supernova was engineered specifically to help printers and their customers to impress with the striking illuminated graphics that are winning business in retail and expo markets. Supernova is REACH-compliant. This knitted polyester backlit also meets NFPA 701 FR specifications and provides options in ink compatibility (including Dye Sub Direct, Dye Sub Transfer, UV, and Latex). Available in widths up to 122 inches, Supernova yields outstanding color consistency, excellent image sharpness, and a vibrant color range. Request your sample today. tvfmedia.com/supernova; ISA Booth #1259

SIGN BACKLIGHTING DONE RIGHT! Brite Light Sheet • The most affordable way to create DIY backlighting…

Under $2.95 per sq. ft.

• Sold in 4-ft. (H) x 25-ft. (L) rolls…

Can be shipped via UPS • Easy to install…

The Brite Light Sheet adheres to any acrylic or glass substrate without any required installation depth • Low tack resistance enables the Brite Light Sheet to be easily removed and repositioned as desired without damage to the Light Guide Panel • Can be cut to any size or shape to accommodate any contour Please call for a free sample Go to Web: Catalog 43, Pages R-84a ~ R-84b

Our

Aluminum Channel

(L-TASK-149)

Our

Your

LED Strip

Acrylic or Glass

Our

Self Adhering Brite Light Sheet Adheres to the Back of Your Acrylic or Glass

Magic Backlight Sheet • Specifically designed for edge lit signage applications • Clear acrylic light guide panels are formulated with evenly dispersed “Pixie Dust” illuminating particles to provide bright, even lighting without hot spots • Offered in 2’x2’ and 2’x4’ nominal 1/8” (.157”) thick sizes • Light guide panel is crystal clear both with and without illumination • Can be used with any color temperature of white or RGB lighting • Ideal for single and double sided lighting purposes • Works with Outwater’s 3014 LED Ribbon Strip • Other sheet sizes are available • Priced as low as $10.00 per sq. ft.

Please call for a free sample kit [#MLS-FSK]

Tri-Mod Backlighting System • A great way to backlight your graphics, posters and promotional messages • Suited for use in tight applications. Requires less than 1-1/2-in. can depth • Only 1/16-in. thick • Offered as interlocking and connectable panels in different sizes • Easy to install by anyone without any special knowledge of electronics using just standard tools • Can be arranged in many varied configurations to accommodate almost any type of application Go to Web: Catalog 43, Pages R-87 ~ R-89

Go to Web: Catalog 43, Page R-84c

Outwater Plastics Industries, Inc. New Jersey • Arizona | 1-800-631-8375 | www.outwater.com/vip2

14

Sign Builder Illustrated // April 2016

Nova Sheet • Can be custom manufactured in most sizes and shapes with color light options • Saves time and money… Less build up… No required framing or housing…Substrates can be placed directly on top of the Nova Sheet Panel without any installation depth • Evenly illuminates all translucent panels without any hot spots • Extremely durable... Can be configured for use in damp locations • Etched multiple grooves use patented 3-D / V-Cutting Technology to create a uniform matrix that can be modified to achieve proper luminescence • Suited for single or double faced applications Go to Web: Catalog 43, Pages R-85 ~ R-86

Serving the Industry Since 1972

FREE 1,000+ Page Catalog!

signshop.com

SERVICE TRUCKS/CRANES Modernize Your Boom Truck Work Platform with CraneMate CraneMate™ from ReachAll Platforms features hydraulic auto-leveling that insures stability of payloads, regardless of the rotational position. It hydraulically rotates 180 degrees, reducing unsafe stretching to reach those hard-toaccess jobs and bunch up at one corner of the platform. Its jib has a 12V remote-controlled winch, an 11-foot height, 80 degrees of articulation, and 360-degree rotation. It enables one worker to install a large sign safely and precisely in one day (instead of two). CraneMate is “stow and go”-designed for road travel. The company would also like to remind you to certify your crane to Aerial Lift Standards ANSI 92.2. 941/256-4165; reachallplatforms.com

S i g n en g ineerin g YJ Inc., Provides Sign Engineering Documents for a Wide Variety of Signage YJ Inc., is a nationwide sign engineering firm with licensure in forty-eight contiguous states (including Washington, D.C., and Hawaii). The company offers exceptionally fast one- to two-day turnaround on engineering documents for permitting purposes at a competitive fixed per project price with no add-ons or charges for revisions prior to wet stamped drawings submitted to clients. The company’s team has a combined forty-plus years of structural engineering experience with fifteen years of focused experience in sign engineering. YJ Inc.’s engineers are committed to pro-active problem solving and are always accessible and responsive, so that projects move forward with maximum cost efficiency. yjinc.com

MIMAKI CJV150 Series The Mimaki CJV150 Series cut and print devices go beyond extraordinary to deliver a wide range of applications. Utilizing eco-solvent inks – including Silver, advanced printing technologies, superb quality, color fidelity, and flexibility – plus cutting capability – you’ll go beyond the expected to increase your business and deliver more than your customers can imagine. The CJV150 is available in four versatile media widths – 32”, 43”, 54”, 63”.

mimakiusa.com

info@mimakiusa.com

888-530-4021 © 2015 Mimaki USA

signshop.com

Mimaki_CJV150_H_SB1015.indd

1

April 2016 // Sign Builder Illustrated 9/8/15

11:1115 AM

SignSHOW S O F T WA R E - D E S I G N / P R I N T/ R O U T E / E ST I M AT E New Design and Machining Options Added to ArtCAM Pro Artistic CADCAM The 2015 R2 version of Delcam’s ArtCAM Pro artistic CADCAM features improvements in design and machining, including the ability to create support structures for 3D printing. Users can generate intelligent support structures (either manually or automatically) and can also use batch assembly for the printing of multiple items. The range of modeling tools that operate in real time has been extended to include the ability to create smooth domed shapes or domes with a centerline ridge and the option to make intricate weaves. The new release also includes significantly faster machining simulations, thanks to a new algorithm that uses the specialist processor in modern graphics cards to calculate multiple operations simultaneously. Another area of improvement is corner machining, where fillets can be added to vectors to allow more accurate machining of slots. In a related development, loops can be added for creating corners with knife cutting. artcam.com; ISA Booth #723

v in y l / v in y l fi l ms Looking for Your Favorite New Wrap Tool? 3M Recommends Geek Wraps Many great ideas and advances within a market can evolve from the collaboration of industry leaders. It is in that spirit that 3M has now entered into a marketing agreement with Geek Wraps, Inc., to feature a wide collection of Geek Wraps tools and products at industry tradeshows and installer training programs, as well as provide select Geek Wraps products with official listing as 3M Approved Installation Tools. Geek Wraps offers a robust ensemble of tools that range from microfiber squeegees, power slam magnets, advanced tool pouches, wrap juice, and more. Many of these products have been featured during live wrap demonstrations and vehicle wrapping contests hosted by 3M. Geek Wraps is also home to Geek Wraps University, a 3M Authorized Training and Testing Facility that offers 3M Advanced Installer Training and 3M Preferred Graphics Installers testing. wraptools.com; ISA Booth #1700

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Sign Builder Illustrated // April 2016

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Vinyl Zapper is the User-friendly Way of Removing Vinyl The patented, high-performance Vinyl Zapper® tools from MONTI – Werkezeuge GmbH removes vinyl, stickers, adhesive residues, reflecting foils, pin-stripes, and double-sided adhesive tape from acrylic paints on metal surfaces, wood, and aluminum, as well as adhesive residues from moldings—all with no damage to paintwork! The “rubber” is suitable for use on water-based paints, glass fiber-reinforced plastics, plexiglass, and acrylic glass. The Vinyl Zapper operates with a “peeling" motion and not with “rubbing” techniques. The result is that the tool doesn’t care about the age of the film: Whether one-year- or eighteen-year-old decals, the vinyl can be stripped away in seconds—with no leftover residue.

Furthermore the quality of film does not play an important role; the Vinyl Zapper removes the “good stuff” as well as the “cheap stuff” similarly. The Vinyl Zapper comes in two versions: pneumatic and electric. The pneumatic model has only a weight of 2.2 pounds and is “fixed” to the air compressor. The electric version is, with its 4.8 pounds, heavier but is, in return, “portable.” monti.de/en; ISA Booth #1151

WAY F I N D I N G / I D E N T I T Y S I G N A G E Open for Business: Meet Vista’s Slider Signs Thanks to Slider Signs from Vista System, office buildings, educational institutions, and medical facilities can benefit from one sign that functions, with alternating graphics, as a multiple wayfinding solution! It is both clever and costeffective. Vista’s Slider Signs have undergone a short evolution from the first simple slider signs with a top polycarbonate sliding element through a fully finished aluminum slider extrusion moving across the actual assembled sign. This new version is a combination of a slider element, embedded into an existing aluminum wall sign, allowing interchangeable graphics on top, while the bottom slider provides the necessary “Occupied/Free” function. The aluminum sign frames are strong, vandal-proof, easily maintained, and require no special tools for mounting on walls, doors, and various other materials. The slider provides yet another personalization element within a modular sign, and the frame num Difference in Printable M e the Magvistasystem.com; ncmessage. provides just the right background without dominating ISA Booth #2823, 3018 agnet Experiethe

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April 2016 // Sign Builder Illustrated

17

HOW-TO

By Butch “Superfrog” Anton

Customization

Not Fading Away The art of hand-painting signs never really left.

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I

started painting signs way back in 1970.

I didn’t really know what I was doing back then because I didn’t have the right brushes or paints nor did I really know the proper techniques.

After acquiring the right brushes, I got better at painting through practice, and I found myself starting to make a real living at it in 1972.

I remember well the many hours and nights I sat at home practicing on a piece of glass.

You see, I was going to college at the same time as I dabbling in the paints, but I was so taken aback with hand lettering that I kind of neglected to pay attention to my studies.

I painted houses while in college and incorporated painted signage as I had many requests for it.

For the first three years, I only knew how to do a block letter called a “yardstick font.” This was kind of like Helvetica but involved using the width of a yardstick to make the letters.

Sign Builder Illustrated // April 2016

My next learning tool was a Speedball lettering book. (Note: They’re still around today, but the newer books don’t have the little paint brush figures telling you which way to hold the brush and the stroke pattern of each letter; they use a pen nib instead to illustrate stroke direction.)

One night I was faced with a dilemma. I had to do a script for a real estate sign and needed it finished by the morning. I started learning about 9 p.m. how to do the script, and by 11:30 p.m., I finally had one I could use.

It wasn’t pretty, but it was a start.

After all these years, I can grab a brush and whip out a script in seconds without guide lines and keep the lower case letters all in line.

It took me about six months to clean up my script and improve on it. But with constant practice, I mastered it. Today script is one of my favorite things to do.

Back in the 1980s, many sign painters complained that the then-new 4B computer was

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ease shouldn’t jeopardize quality.

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going to put them out of business. I Iooked at this machine like a tool that was going to make me a lot of money— which it did.

But being a sign painter is like riding a bike. You never forget how to do it. Unlike software, sign painting takes practice and the ability to comprehend the concept of the eye-to-hand movement of the brush.

Although I was still painting many signs, the computer gave me opportunities to experiment with new concepts and ideas and speed up some of my painted signs.

To this day, I still take along a small sign kit when I do a vinyl install, in case the digitally printed graphics get damaged or need to be touched up. The sign kit has saved many a job over the years—especially when I’m twenty-five to one hundred miles away from my shop.

Every sign painter has a sign kit that

Mack, and the list goes on.

I use Kafka Brushes by Steve Kafka from Arizona. Hobby Lobby and Michael’s have the basic gray sable lettering brush for the novice. The really good brushes are bought from a brush supplier like Letterhead’s Sign Supply in Petaluma, California, for example.

Paint Years ago, there was only solventbased lettering paints; today waterbased paints are offered as well. However the primary paint used here is solvent-based or lettering enamel.

These paints provide the ability to flow and cover in one coat of paint. They provide a durable exterior finish that will last years of outdoor use. If the paint oxidizes with age, it can be restored with a good automotive car polish.

(Note: The quality of the paints for lettering have depreciated over the years because the EPA made them re-

The Speedball lettering book is still available today and is a great tool for beginners.

strumental in organizing sign painters in sharing the craft and allowed many of them to refine their skills through this knowledge of sharing.

Hand lettering is making a resurgence, and today, sign painters have many more tools at their disposal—including tips, tricks, and videos posted on social media by other sign painters. provides them with the basics to go out on a job and do it with proficiency. It usually has three required things for sign painters (plus miscellaneous tools like stabilos, stir sticks, pounce wheels, tape, etc.). Let’s take a look at these items now!

Brushes Brushes come in many different sizes and shapes. A quill has a square tip that is nice for making a block or Helvetica style of letter or a thick and thin script.

For any novices just starting out, get between a No. 6 to No. 8 quill.

The quill is made from hairs of a squirrel tail. Don’t worry. The squirrel isn’t harmed during this process; his hair will grow back.

Sign painters are like car buyers— they all have their own favorite brush.

PB’s (Percy Baker), Yellow Tails (Langnickel), Blues (Grumbacher),

20

move the lead, which gave it the durability it needed.)

Thinner Many types of thinners can be used in lettering enamels. The most common thinner used by sign painters is Mineral Spirits, which can be bought from hardware stores or even Walmart.

Not much thinner is needed in the lettering paint. Use too much and the paint will run, resulting in no durability. Failure to use enough thinner and the paint will drag.

Applying just the right amount of thinner comes with practice. This and running a brush are the two hardest parts of learning to letter.

Today there’s been an undercurrent of hand lettering going on, and it’s now making a resurgence. It never really died—it just kept under the radar.

The Letterheads movement was in-

Sign Builder Illustrated // April 2016

Letterheads events are still going on, although to a lesser degree. But at each and every Letterheads meet, you’ll see young people taking up the craft. This is encouraging, since a lot of us Baby Boomers are moving into our “rust years.” Knowing that the art and traditions will continue is reassuring.

Social media is helping to change education in that many good sign painters post tips and tricks on YouTube and Facebook, so there is so much more information available today than when many of us older painters got our starts. Glen Weisgerber from New Jersey is a classic example. His posts on Facebook are great assets to old sign painters and the beginner, in that he shows brush techniques as well as cool tricks.

So even though many consider the sign painter to be dead, the truth is that we are as alive as ever.

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HOW-TO

By Mark K. Roberts

Printing

The Yard Sign Pool The waters’ fine as we create digitally printed team spirit signs for a high school swim team.

E

very year, my shop makes yard signs for the local football, drill, and band organizations at a high school here in Houston, Texas. A parent living in the community saw one of these signs and was so impressed with their quality that she called and asked us to make yard signs for a nearby swimming club (consisting of 250 members, including their child).

If there’s one thing you need to know about Houston, it’s that the city has its lion’s share of swim teams, and they’re all ready to battle with their opposition at any time. After all, bragging rights are on the line!

Back in the day, rectangular yard signs were

about as good as we could get with this medium.

However fast-forward to now and we have the option of providing and producing free-form shapes for sports signs. Then factor in that digital printing technology makes the task a whole lot easier than it was just a few years ago.

We always start with a nice design and tweak it to the buyer’s desire. Sometimes we must revise a design to get it just right for our paying client, but we usually manage to come to an agreement by, at most, the second design.

When all parties have agreed to the design, we write up the work order and collect our deposit for the new sign. For our long-time, established clients, we’ll waive the deposit and settle up at

Coroplast signs featuring vinyl graphics were mounted to wire step stakes.

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Sign Builder Illustrated // April 2016

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Choice is here. Duets™ premium engraving, ADA and architectural sign substrates are now available in-stock from the industry’s leading distributors, coast-to-coast. Contact your preferred engraving materials partner for the fastest availability of the vast and growing selection of high-performance Duets substrates – all with the familiar personal and local service you’re accustomed to receiving.

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Shops now have the option of sprucing up yard signs with free-form shapes.

the completion of the project.

On this particular swim team sign project, our order consisted of eighty-five Coroplast sign panels mounted on wire step stakes. We applied digitally printed vinyl graphics featuring both the swim club moniker and the team member’s name surrounding a non-descript swimmer to the white Coroplast.

The signs are lightweight and easy to install, and if needed, they can be uprooted and moved to other locations.

Usually the buyer of the signs will furnish the artwork; however you may encounter a client who would like to have all the steps taken care of—and this is what we like!

We adhered the vinyl prints to four-by-eight-foot white Coroplast sheets and perimeter cut the individual sign panels with an

X-ACTO® knife. Once cut, we inserted the Parker Step-Stakes inside two of the flutes of the Coroplast sheet. We repeated these steps for each sign until we finished the project.

On delivery day, make sure that you’re dressed nicely and that your signs are clean and “staked up.” This simple task will take you and your sign company to a brand new level of client loyalty. They will see the difference between you and your competition. After all, an impressed client will become your loyal client—and what a fantastic place to be!

Mark K. Roberts is a thirty-nine-year sign veteran and teacher of our wonderful craft of sign making. Drop him an email at markrobertsigns@gmail.com.

C

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CM

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Contact us with your ADA signage needs at: sales@cab-signs.com • www.cab-signs.com Phone: 718-385-1600 • 800-394-1690

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Sign Builder Illustrated // April 2016

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HOW-TO

By David Hickey

Business Management

Tax Relief Don’t let running a sign shop prove too

ation when a new business owner is facing all the start-up costs.

Until the Tax Relief Act, the amount of the purchase that was allowed to be written off changed annually—and typically not until a December act of Congress, often arriving too late to allow most companies to take advantage of the tax relief.

The International Sign Association (ISA), working alongside numerous other advocates for small businesses, has long argued that extending this tax break would help businesses to grow.

Research from the National Federation of Independent Businesses estimated that passage of the Tax Relief Act would create 197,000 new jobs during a ten-year period and add $18.6 billion to the U.S. real economic output.

While those numbers are impressive, behind

Shutterstock.com/ marekuliasz

taxing.

Y

ou’ve probably seen it on your customer’s face every time you deliver a new sign—maybe the joy of seeing the new “Grand Opening” banner hung or the pole sign going into the ground. And maybe you’ve felt it yourself when buying a new piece of equipment.

There’s a certain thrill to opening your own business, a feeling recaptured during times of significant growth.

But this thrill has been dampened due to an uncertainty caused by the tax structure.

Fortunately that has ended now.

In late 2015, Congress passed the Tax Relief Act, which accelerated the timing of deductions of the cost of some equipment—including signs. It has a net effect of reducing the cost of purchasing a sign, which is a valuable consider-

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Sign Builder Illustrated // April 2016

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every one of them is a story.

Because a small business is able to depreciate qualifying equipment all at once (up to $250,000), it essentially lowers or offsets a business’s taxable profits and simplifies tax accounting on major purchases.

So when a new restaurant installs a sign, its owners get the economic benefits that extend well beyond letting customers know they are there.

They’ll pay less in taxes. They may

then be able to add another worker, extend operating hours, or make some other type of investment to help their business grow.

Of course, it benefits the sign and graphics manufacturer too, who is now able to keep workers on the job.

A sign and graphics company can benefit by not only providing the sign but also by taking advantage of the same tax benefits.

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Sign Builder Illustrated // April 2016

bucket truck begins paying off immediately through the tax relief—and then continues to pay off by the income it generates.

Tax law is, by nature, complex, and the Tax Relief Act has restrictions on who can take advantage of this deduction and what type of equipment qualifies. Make sure to discuss this with your tax professional.

Even if your company is not able to take advantage of the depreciation benefits, you can still benefit by making your customers aware of this tax relief.

The time is right to grow your business. And there’s no better place to do so than at ISA International Sign Expo 2016, April 20-23 in Orlando, Florida.

The tradeshow floor will top 200,000 square feet—offering all sorts of opportunities to invest in your business. For many attendees, it will mean that any purchase will not only allow them to upgrade equipment or expand into new lines of business but also to reap a bit of a tax break.

In late 2015, Congress passed the Tax Relief Act, which accelerated the timing of deductions of the cost of some equipment, including signs.

The sign and graphics industry helps people achieve their dreams of owning their own businesses. And thanks to the work of ISA and other organizations on the Tax Relief Act, they can continue to invest in helping those businesses grow—and business owners achieve their dreams.

David Hickey is vice president, Government Affairs, at ISA. To receive free admission to the ISA Sign Expo tradeshow floor, register at www.signexpo.org and use the pass code FTS16. signshop.com

Misplaced your favorite issue of WE CAN HELP. Back issues are available.

CALL FOR AVAILABILITY: 1-800-895-4389 or 1-847-763-9686 Follow Us On: Sign Builder Illustrated

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?

M o nu m e n t s / By Lo r i S h r i d h a r e / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

Sign makers can now easily mimic the look of traditionally constructed structures.

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Sign Builder Illustrated // April 2016

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//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Magnificently Light

Stylish monument signage that’s built to last.

U

photos: viscom architectural graphics.

biquitous in towns and suburbs across the country, monument signage is as classic as signage gets. Its pervasive impression of heaviness, however, may be just that— a perception only.

Reminding us of the traditional methods that are used to manufacture and install this type of signage, Jim Nordquist, president of Viscom Architectural Graphics (viscomgraphics.com) in Clearwater, Florida, points out that non-illuminated monument signs have typically been built on site on top of a poured concrete base.

“A mason would then create the monument structure using cinder block with stucco finish or brick construction,” he explains. “Once complete, a sign company would be called in to add the letters and graphic elements to complete the sign monument.”

Today it’s a walk in the park—at least when it comes to efficiency and material weight. It’s now possible to manufacture the entire structure, including the dimensional graphics, as a finished, lightweight product.

Proper Planning Before launching a monument or any other exterior dimensional signage project, Nordquist points out some essential things to keep in mind. signshop.com

First, he says, it’s imperative that the sign company employ due diligence for the client and check with the municipality signage regulations (including, of course, size) in their location.

“This is one of the biggest mistakes I see when my clients are designing these types of signs for their customers,” he says. “The last thing you want is to have your customer agree on your design and hand over the deposit to get the ball rolling, only to find out that the city will not allow you to install the structure that you spent so much time and effort on.

“Do your homework first and then start designing.”

Durability Thanks to lighter weight materials like EPS foam, sign makers can not only mimic the look of traditionally constructed structures but also achieve a wider range of design options that would be near impossible or cost-prohibitive to accomplish using traditional construction methods.

In addition to eliminating the heavy weight, gone are the hassles of chipping stones and wearing foundations. Today there are materials that make monument signage long lasting and durable.

“We manufacture many of our monument structures using CNC hotwire-

April 2016 // Sign Builder Illustrated

31

cut EPS foam, adding an extremely durable polyurethane hard coat, and then finish off with a mold-resistant acrylic stucco finish,” says Nordquist.

He recalls the first monument his shop constructed this way—a sign still keeps an eye on while driving to and from work since it was installed twenty years ago.

“Other than one paint job on the trim, the unit still looks amazing,” says Nordquist. “The durability of this type of construction is simply amazing, when done correctly.”

It’s now possible to manufacture an entire monument structure, including the dimensional graphics, as a finished, lightweight product.

Design Beyond durability, using EPS foam also allows Viscom’s clients to easily engage their customers in the design process and have it efficiently installed at their business.

Nordquist offers a few monument structure design tips: + “Be creative, but don’t overdo it.

Just because you can design almost any style and shape of monument doesn‘t mean you should.” + “Take a look at your customer’s location (especially the style of the buildings) and implement some of the buildings’ design nuances to help complement and tie the two together.” + “Take advantage of monument manufacturers’ Web sites and Google Images for inspiration. Today, there are hundreds of pictures of monuments to help you get an idea of what can and has been done.”

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Recently Viscom has been fabricating monuments that incorporate nontraditional materials such as tile and decorative metals.

“This effect has great impact on the look of the sign, but we use only exterior-grade products in our design,” says Nordquist. “We’ve even reproduced barrel tile roofing using hard-coated foam to match existing construction.

We then maybe add a real brick or stone base.

“This not only looks great but adds extra protection against weed wackers and lawnmowers.”

Viscom still occasionally does turn to the tried-and-true methods of manufacturing monument signage by working with heavier materials like real stone, as well as working with welded aluminum construction for larger structures.

“Real stonework adds protection and curb appeal, but it also a few pounds to the finished product, which should be taken into consideration when there are limited installation resources,” says Nordquist.

A final, but critical design element, are the dimensional letters and logos that make the signage “sing.”

“When you’ve designed a great-looking structure that, by its very nature, has many dimensional elements, adding a flat, digitally printed face to it just won’t do justice compared to a nice sandblasted or routed face or dimensional letters and graphics,” says Nordquist. “It’s all about dimension.”

Between those two options, Viscom does about 60 percent dimensional letters and 40 percent sandblasted or routed faces.

Sign Builder Illustrated // April 2016

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Sandblasted or routed faces or individual dimensional letters and graphics can be the perfect finishing touch.

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April 2016 // Sign Builder Illustrated

33

New lighter weight materials allow sign makers to create a wider range of designs while still offering the necessary durability.

WAIT!

“Instead of using flat cut-outs for everything, some of our clients will add sculpted and hard-coated EPS graphics that allows the imagery to stand out,” says Nordquist.

As Viscom has been part of monument signage’s rise through modern history, the company has worked on designs from the simplest to the most complex.

“Some of the more elaborate deSign shop owners qualify for a FREE SUBSCRIPTION signs we’ve seen include monuments to every issue of Sign Builder Illustrated. with built-in planters, others that incorporate water features with recySubscribe at www.signshop.com/mag cling water systems, and signs with 4.56x4.875 Justin Sign_March014:4.56x4.875 Justin Sign_Dec06 3/10/14 12:21 AM Page 1 built-in mailboxes,” says Nordquist.

One sign, in particular, included full columns built using translucent acrylic with internal RGB LED lighting controlled via remote control.

“The sky’s the limit, especially if a monument can be considered lightweight,” he says.

Don’t break into that piggy bank just yet.

Installation When it comes to working with lighter monument signage, one of the greatest perks is the ease of installation. Once the EPS foam monument sign is delivered to the site, two to four people can handle the job in under two hours.

“First installers will set the mounting pipes into the monument, then dig two or three holes in the ground,” explains Nordquist. “They set the monument with pipes into those holes, typically holding the sign off the ground a few inches with wood blocks. They then mix and pour the concrete into the holes.

“Finally, they pull out the wood blocks and push the structure toward the ground.”

At this stage, it’s important that everything is level before the concrete sets.

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Sign Builder Illustrated // April 2016

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C N C Fa b r i c at io n / BY J e f f Wo ot e n / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

HDU catch

T

he Crab House is a seafood grill located in historic Fisherman’s Wharf in Monterey, California, yet they were having trouble pulling patrons into their establishment. Owner Michael Zaouck thought their plain sign was getting lost amidst the barrage of competing restaurants in the district.

36

Zaouck knew he was going to need a truly eye-catching, blockbuster sign for his building.

The end-result is a 112-by-40-inch identity sign featuring a designed-from-scratch large-sized crab and dimensional letters router-cut from high-density urethane, outlined with LED lighting, and attached

Sign Builder Illustrated // April 2016

to a customized steel frame bracket. Carefully positioned spotlights add to its enticing effect.

The company responsible for designing, fabricating, and installing this stunning sign is Signs by Van (SignsbyVan. com), a six-person shop based in nearby Salinas, California that specializes in signshop.com

all photos: signs by van.

Lightweight HDU material and LED lighting are the sign specials of the day.

The Crab House sign project was the first time Signs by Van ever incorporated LEDs into the final design.

custom, high-end dimensional signage and murals. For over the past thirty-five years, they’ve crafted a number of creative 3D projects out of redwood, cedar, and HDU. Owner Phil VanderKraats honed his skills in the metal works, welding, and wax casting industries before he made his first sandblasted sign back in 1981.

He’s also studied dimensional art for years. “I’m constantly looking at what’s out there, in order to provide the best product for our customers,” he says.

Signs by Van credits their design skills, craftsmanship, and (most importantly) passion for their sign success.

Phil preaches the timeless quote: “Good enough seldom is.”

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One could correctly label the shop as perfectionists. “More times than not, we have to remind our team that, yes, the sign looks awesome but to stop tinkering with it because it’s costing us money,” says Phil. “Then again, quality is how we built our reputation—so what is too much?

“Our signs are built to last for twentyfive years, particularly since our clients are, most of the time, willing to pay for that quality.”

Phil credits Zaouck as being an exceptional client who gave his shop “cart blanche” on design and sign placement in order to deliver a sign that screams, ‘Walk on in!’”

Interestingly the new sign for the

Sign Builder Illustrated // April 2016

Crab House is the first time Signs by Van incorporated LED border lighting into the final design. The city of Monterey recently gave businesses the go-ahead to be more creative with their lighting solutions, so the shop saw this as an opportunity to try out something new themselves.

Since this was their first LED project, the shop learned several things here— (1.) install a dimmer in case the lights are too bright, (2.) add exterior spotlighting so the sign won’t be overpowered by the LEDs, and (3.) include electrical work into the budget.

“When we mixed heavy dimension with Sign Lighting World’s RGB Flex Neon LED, we got awesome!” says Phil’s signshop.com

son Jeremy, a principal at Signs by Van. “The sign has received rave reviews from tourists, the city, and even their competitors on the Wharf who, of course, now need a new sign upgrade!”

Signs by Van boasts a variety of tools to aid them in their dimensional signmaking quest—such as, traditional handcarving tools, paint brushes, sandblasting systems, and a MultiCam 1000 Series CNC router.

In fact, they’re using the MultiCam router on an increasing number of applications each year—whether cutting complex sign shapes out of wood or foam, routing out letters, adding textures into backgrounds, or creating intricate character add-ons. They base their decision of whether to bring out the CNC router on cost effectiveness.

For example, if a project is going to take more time to design and produce via the CNC router, they’ll let their hand-carvers tackle the job instead. “On some jobs, our carving team still has to touch up the finished routed pieces based on the level of detail our machinists puts into the route job,” says Jeremy.

The crab and letters for the new Crab House sign were router-cut using 3/8-inch bits from fifteen-pound CORAFOAM® HDU from DUNA-USA. Signs by Van have been using this substrate exclusively for over the past seven years. “It’s easy to touch up and finish after it’s been routed,” says Jeremy.

One reason they prefer fifteen-pound HDU is its workability and ease of postfabrication preparation. To add durability (depending on the application), Jeremy says, “We’ll hard-coat the foam after we route, carve, or sandblast it.”

When it comes to painting, Signs by

The new Crab House sign has received rave reviews and now their competitors want a sign upgrade!

A custom sign done for a winery in the area.

Van uses Behr Ultra Premium Exterior on all their outdoor signs. “Two coats will do the trick,” says Jeremy. “It dries quickly and lasts a long time.”

The shop also uses Painters One-Shot as the coating for any sign that requires a glossy finish.

They also like Nova Color acrylic

paints, which they use for all indoor/outdoor murals, as well as large detail work on signs. “They have a line of acrylics that have long-lasting, brilliant colors,” says Jeremy, adding that, when necessary, they’ll also apply a coat of Nova’s Exterior Matte Varnish for extra durability and longevity.

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Sign Builder Illustrated // April 2016

On the Crab House sign, the shop wasn’t going for realism—instead they wanted more bright and colorful hues. “So we faded latex Nova Color paints onto the sign components,” says Jeremy.

When it comes to weather proofing and durability, Signs by Van will spray Bondo Fiberglass Resin over the entire sign face, wait ten minutes, and then spray Evercoat® Slick Sand™ Polyester Primer Surfacer 100709 right over the resin. “This will result in an ultra-smooth finish that’s easily sandable,” says Jeremy.

As mentioned earlier, Signs by Van is located in Salinas, which is also home to a “bustling” architectural industry and located near some of the largest wine-grape producing regions of the state. This has opened the doors for the sign shop to design and build dimensional creations for nearby wineries and farms, as well as various stops along U.S. Highway 101.

One thing that Signs By Van has learned about businesses in the area is that several of them have been using the same branding for years and don’t really want to change their design. So they’ve had to figure out ways to work with this.

Take the work they recently did for Century Oak wineries, where Signs By Van decided to incorporate their longtime logo in a new way onto an alreadyfunctioning sign. “We actually vectored a photo of a one hundred-year-old oak tree from the property and based the design off of that,” explains Jeremy. “The owner wanted the sign to evolve over time—therefore the letters and border are stainless and the background is plate steel that will rust forever and change through the seasons.”

Meanwhile Signs by Van’s business model is growing, as they’re now accepting orders to provide nationwide wholesale signage. They’re also looking into investing in a MultiCam Series 5000 CNC router, as well as adding a plasma cutter sooner rather than later to increase their job turnaround times.

Signs by Van recognize that, in this current economy, potential clients are budget-driven and some aren’t necessarily looking for show-stopping signage.

Still they’re proud of being able to find ways of adding value to a client’s signage all the while saving them from going overbudget—while still creating captivating signs that garner attention. signshop.com

CHANGES ARE HAPPENING FOR

DECEMBER 1-3 | ATLANTIC CITY, NJ. We’re making major changes in 2016 to give your sign business revenue driving resources, refreshed insights, and new opportunities.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR AND WATCH FOR DETAILS AT

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The United States Sign Council (USSC) is the only national association open to sign companies of any size. Get valuable discounts and resources for your business, and watch for new membership benefits this year!

Sign Builder Illustrated has gone social. Join the conversation on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

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D i m e n s io n a l / By j e f f wo ot e n / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

Identities on Display Achieving a sandblasted redwood look with HDU materials.

all Photos: fastsigns of boulder.

T

hanks to their investment in key equipment, FASTSIGNS® of Boulder, Colorado is able to produce the majority of its signage requests in-house— dimensional lettering, ADA signage, engraved signs, printed graphics, etc.

The shop had already been using two roll printers and recently installed a new HP Latex 360 and an Océ Arizona 318 flatbed with white ink for their graphics projects. And their bucket van aids them in installations.

Bob Okun and his wife Ani have coowned this FASTSIGNS operation for the past five years. They both possess studio arts degrees from the University of Colorado at Boulder, and they both had about a years’ worth of experience at this FASTSIGNS before deciding to purchase it.

“I spent my time learning the entire business from customer service and sales to production, output, and installations,”

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says Bob, “while Ani focused primarily on customer service, sales, and production.

“Even though we hadn’t been there very long, we were both very motivated and enthusiastic to learn everything we could prior to even considering purchasing the business.”

Bob and Ani credit their team of five full-

time employees for helping them produce high-quality signs. However the couple knew that, to grow their business, they were going to have to get involved in dimensional signage at some point.

They have a CNC router that helps them produce dimensional lettering and imagery in-house while reducing their

April 2016 // Sign Builder Illustrated

43

The new HDU sign proved a durable update for the warped wooden sign.

turnaround time and cost of goods. But they still have some limitations on what they can produce and have turned to other vendors to help them get jobs done, as demonstrated in a couple of recent identity sign projects.

For example, the owners of Vista Village, a manufactured home park located in Boulder, emailed the Okuns looking for a new entrance sign to replace the warped sandblasted wooden one they’d been using for years. At first, they wanted another wooden sign and even contemplated downgrading to a 2D vinyl print on MDO. But after doing a site survey, Bob sold them on a high-density urethane (HDU) sign instead. “I told them that a dimensional sign would add impact, greater visibility, and value to their community,” he says.

The Okuns had long wanted to get into monuments, community entrance signage, and building-attached signs. They’ve been successfully selling and installing these types of signs to their customers, while partnering with Peachtree City Foamcraft to manufacture the actual HDU panels.

FASTSIGNS used software to come up with layout designs and color schemes.

Once Vista Village property management approved their proposal, they sent the design to Peachtree for production onto three-inch-thick HDU. Peachtree created computer-generated files that are stored in a Cloud-based system (so they can be easily restored in the event the signage needs to be reproduced down the road due to expansion, vandalism, natural disaster, etc.).

Then they employed CAD software and MultiCam CNC routers to carve the signage—including the dimensional and background elements.

Peachtree finished by applying the Matthews Acrylic Polyurethane (MAP) line of paints to the HDU panels for UV and weather protection.

Aside from trying to sell this sign upgrade to Vista Village, the only real challenge this FASTSIGNS encountered was dealing with the city on its placement.

The city wouldn’t allow the new sign to be installed in the same location as the old sign, due to code changes. “So instead of being mounted onto the wall of their onproperty office located at the community entrance, we were told we needed to have

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Sign Builder Illustrated // April 2016

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this sign be set back further from where the old sign was and instead be installed onto posts,” says Bob, noting that, although the new sign is a bit less visible, it still looks great.

The sign shop bolted the completed 38-by-44-inch HDU panel flush onto three 4-by-4-by-96-inch painted wooden posts at the community entrance.

Bob was also more open to suggesting the use of HDU here on this project since it’s lightweight and extremely durable. And the environment played a big role too. “High-density urethane doesn’t warp, crack, split, or peel,” he says, “which is very important in our dry Colorado climate.”

FASTSIGNS also recently installed another HDU panel sign for a company called iSupportU, an IT services and computer repair store also located in Boulder.

The owners had worked with the Okuns over the past five years, so when they moved to a new building, they contacted them about building and installing a new identification sign for them.

“Their new building had a strict HOA sign code that only allows a sandblasted

redwood sign,” says Bob. Bob worked closely with the HOA board to show them the added benefits and longevity of using an HDU panel for this location, and they agreed to use it.

FASTSIGNS ordered the HDU sign panel from Peachtree, once again painted with the MAP system. “Aside from adding their logo and using the HOA-mandated colors and border, we didn’t have to do much else,” says Bob. FASTSIGNS installed the sign onto a wood shingle wall using a French cleat system from treated two-by-fours. However the French cleat two-by-fours started to warp, which, in turn, made the entire sign look like it was warping. “The moment we took it down and removed the two-by-fours from the back of the sign, the sign went back to laying perfectly flat,” says Bob. FASTSIGNS instead installed it flush to the wall with lag bolts.

Five years after purchasing their FASTSIGNS, the Okuns remain excited to learn new technologies, eager to take on bigger and more challenging projects, and keep their existing customer base satisfied with their work.

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C u s t o m i z at io n / By M i k e A nto n i a k / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

Custom-built extrusions plus a full vehicle wrap created the illusion of a beer can lying on its side.

E x pa n d i n g Mobile Signage

T

SN Advertising of Santa Monica, California focuses on big box advertising. Literally.

“We make sure our clients’ trucks look good and are wrapped to our standards,” says CEO and Cofounder Eric Zdenek. “We specialize in this platform only and offer turnkey services to provide them with a durable and beautiful canvas for their message.”

The company established its niche with its InfinityWrap proprietary design, print, and installation services in which an entire trailer truck body is 46

wrapped and transformed with stunning digital graphics. These trailers (some as long as forty feet) have been featured as rolling billboards in campaigns for major brands in major markets throughout the country.

In a highly visible demonstration of its prowess last year, TSN (tsnadvertising.com) outfitted a fleet of six Coors Light delivery trucks with custom-built 3D extrusions for a new marketing campaign promoting the brand in the Los Angeles area. The project added a new dimension to TSN’s definition of

Sign Builder Illustrated // April 2016

truck-side marketing.

Half depict the Rocky Mountains with a lifelike rendering of snow-capped peaks running from front to back along the top, their colors seamlessly blending with the wraps covering the rest of each trailer’s exterior.

The other three trucks were transformed to suggest the truck is hauling a gargantuan can of Coors Light around.

Custom-built extrusions combined with a full vehicle wrap and shading effects created this illusion of a rounded beer can lying on its side. signshop.com

all photos: action vehicle engineering.

Bringing a Coors Light truck campaign to life with mini mountains and giant beer cans.

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In an era when everything seems to be given the wrap treatment, a rolling mountain range and a giant can of beer are the kind of effects that get people to stop, stare, and remember that brand.

A Wrap and So Much More On this particular project, client MillerCoors approached TSN about incorporating 3D effects onto its delivery trucks, much like MillerCoors had done on a successful stationary billboard campaign.

“They wanted to know if we could create a 3D version of their 2D art,” says Zdenek, “if we could adapt effects used on their billboards like the silhouette of the Rocky Mountains and Coors cans to some of their trucks.

“That’s something they hadn’t done before.”

With ample time before the campaign’s fall launch, Zdenek assured them he could.

TSN’s success and reputation has 48

been built with this can-do approach, no matter what the project. “We understand our clients needs and how to deliver on those needs,” explains Zdenek.

“Our focus is on this platform (of advertising) exclusively and the turnkey services to take care of the entire process for them.”

This project put that commitment to the test. After all, to convey a comparable sense of reality at street level called for much more than simply extending the wrap above the truck body.

For TSN and its print and installation partners, covering each of the trailer boxes with its InfinityWrap was a routine assignment. But the 3D extrusions were anything but routine, and they had to be in place before the wrap

Sign Builder Illustrated // April 2016

could be installed and the artists could blend everything together for a seamless, sculptural effect.

Custom-built Car Specialist Zdenek turned to Billy Hammon, founder and president of Action Vehicle Engineering (actionvehicleeng.com) in Chatsworth, California, for help with the extrusions. “We build everything here from scratch,” says Hammon.

Hammon’s company specializes in custom-built vehicles and special effects on cars and trucks. Among its many notable accomplishments are full-sized, running versions of some of Mattel’s popular Hot Wheels® toys, as well as custom builds featured in movies and commercials. signshop.com

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When Zdenek contacted Hammon, he had the concept nailed down but was waiting on the art from MillerCoors. The two discussed the project, all it entailed, how they could go about it, and deadlines.

“Every step needed to be discussed then the details worked out and executed,” says Zdenek. “At first, the biggest challenge was just figuring out how to create a 3D version of their 2D art.”

That was only compounded by the

50

fact that the project called for the extrusions to be installed on a total of six trucks of four different sizes. “There were definitely elements you have to consider truck by truck,” says Zdenek.

“Each ends up being essentially a oneoff—a custom build.”

Although the installations on the front and rear of the trucks would look the same, Hammon’s designs had to be scalable so they could be adapted to the length of each trailer body.

Sign Builder Illustrated // April 2016

Once he had the final rendering of the mountains in hand, his artists went to work.

A Team Effort They divided the mountains into four sections then hand-sculpted a 3D rendering of the peaks in high-density foam.

This foam served as plugs for the fiberglass molds used as the peaks.

The mountain range sections were adjusted, as needed, to accommodate the length of each truck.

For the beer can, Hammon started with a 3D scan of a Coors Light can, which was then sized on a computer to the individual truck lengths. For these trucks, the sections for the front and rear (representing the bottom and top of the can) were sculpted from foam using his company’s five-axis router. Again these served as the plugs for the fiberglass molds for each rounded section.

The extrusions were assembled in sections then affixed to the truck and secured to the rails. Installation of each typically took two or three days. And the clock was ticking, since each of the trucks had to be taken out of service for the job.

Hammon’s crew had to fill in the space between the front and rear of each truck to simulate the shape of a beer can. For this, they built rounded frames of steel affixed to the sides then covered the frame with sheet metal.

Only when installation of the 3D sections on each truck was complete could TSN add its mastery—applying the InfinityWrap of printed graphics. Then artists had to touch up each truck, so the fiberglass and graphics blended seamlessly. For the Coors Light cans, shading effects were added to help convey the look of a rounded container.

Zdenek estimates that as many as twodozen people worked at some point on each of the truck conversions from design through installation.

In an era when everything seems to be given the wrap treatment, a rolling mountain range and a giant can of beer are the kind of effects that get people to stop, stare, remember that brand, and even post on social media about it.

“Our trucks encourage people to engage with a brand using online social media,” says Zdenek. “When people see them, they’ll tweet images of the trucks or share their pictures on Facebook.” signshop.com

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Join us this December 1-3 in Atlantic City, NJ Questions or suggestions? Contact us at signworld@ussc.org

C h a n n e l L e t t e r s / By J e f f Wo ot e n / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

Don’t Spoil the Third Party What you should know when installing signs made by another company.

F

or sign shops and installers that don’t have in-house equipment like benders, notchers, and brakes, there are still several ways for them to get involved with channel letter signage—either sub-contracting this work out to a third-party provider, ordering through a wholesaler, or even having your customers come to you with letters already purchased.

Although you’re relying on another source to provide the channel letters for the project you’re working on, it’s important to understand that you still have a key role to play in the process.

For example, there’s going to be a lot of research and legwork involved on your part, in order to make sure that your client is going to end up with the best possible set of channel letters at their location.

Sign Builder Illustrated spoke with

52

Bernie Ostrenga, sales executive at World Wide Sign Systems, Inc. (wwsign.com), a provider of wholesale signs and sign faces to the sign industry. Ostrenga has been involved with channel letters for thirtysome years now, and he has plenty of insight into what the sign shop/installer

needs to know when it comes to working with a set of LED- or neon-illuminated channel letters that have been created by a third-party source.

And a lot of your success here is going to stem from not only knowing what your client needs but also what you need.

SignSmith, Inc. of Greenville, NC recently installed thirdparty-provided channel letters for the new World’s Coolest Comics & Collectibles location.

Sign Builder Illustrated // April 2016

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Question: What factors should sign installers consider before they contact a third-party source to provide channel letters on a project?

Ostrenga: Spend some time talking with your customer about the specs at their particular site. Then do some drawings, so they can see what size will fit that area. A lot of times, end-users are only focused on getting a certain size (too big or too small) without knowing what will work in their space.

It’s hard for some customers to visualize what something’s going to look like unless you put it to scale on a drawing, add the colors to it, or show how it’ll fit on a building or wherever they’re putting it.

Make sure your customer understands the differences between remote and raceway mounting. Then ask them if they’d rather have a standard logo or a custom-shaped one. Or do they want LED or neon? Or a digital print vinyl logo on the face?

But most importantly, know what the city code and the building code will allow. Some codes deal with brightness, while some limit the size of the letter set. They may also only allow racewaymounted letters. Or they may state that they can only be front-lit or have to feature vinyl to curb brightness.

You don’t want the city inspector to show up after your install and tell you that the letters are a violation of the code. It’s a painful process to have to remove letters.

And your customers need to know what they have to get so they can factor this into their budget.

Gaining access behind the wall to wire the letters out front.

“Make sure you [are going to be able] to mount the wiring and power sources behind the wall. If not, you may need to look into a raceway set of letters.”

SignSmith Lead Tech Scott Levine tests out the power for the letters.

54

Sign Builder Illustrated // April 2016

—Bernie Ostrenga

Speaking of budget, how important is it for the shop and the customer to figure this out before ordering channel letters from a third party?

This is very important! A lot of times when an installer asks for a budget from their client, they’ll see that the figures and costs don’t match at all what they want. They may be asking for a twenty-four-inch set of letters but you’ll notice they only have budgeted for an eighteen-inch set.

A good salesperson will go back to their design department and work up a layout of that particular site and the space that’s available and then show the size of the letters in that area to the customer to demonstrate what’s possible with what they’re willing to spend.

A lot of times, the end-user doesn’t equate dollars to size. A sign installer recently worked up an order for one of their clients indicating an 11-inch set of channel letters with a tagline below it measuring 12 inches-by-10 feet. However the customer wanted to change it to 14 inches-by-11 feet. This would’ve meant twenty-four more inches of material, which would’ve been costlier.

However he put his sales cap on and sold them on a larger letter and a slightly smaller tagline to stay at the same measurements. signshop.com

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So do your due diligence with your client and get some kind of agreement with them based on the color, the size, the price, and installation method.

What should the installer pay attention to during the site survey before ordering third-party channel letters?

If you want to do flush-mount letters, find out the wall material that the letters will be attached to and make sure that it’s conducive to drilling holes and that you can mount the wires and power supplies behind the wall. If not, you’ll need to order a raceway set instead.

How can sign shops help their customers avoid going for just the cheapest price out there?

Today’s business reality is that endusers can shop online for the cheapest price or bring something back from a store immediately. A new business that’s just opened is trying to get their name out and just wants something that will get them started. Keep in mind you can follow up with them later to find out if they’re interested in

56

Makng certain that the letters are properly wired to the power source behind the wall.

a possible upgrade.

However it’s important that your salesperson really draw out to the customer the value they’re getting in fitting the needs for their particular site—the colors, the size, the font style, the illumination method, and so forth—and using this to identify the client’s business.

Sign Builder Illustrated // April 2016

Sometimes they’re going to have another sign company calling on them, selling strictly on price without describing what’s being offered for it. This customer gets this in their mind and then comes to you to match or beat that.

It’s up to you to slow the customer down and explain to them what they get for your price and their price.

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April 2016 // Sign Builder Illustrated

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F a b r i c s / B y G r e g o r y S h a r p l e ss / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

Joining the Soft Signage

I

t’s no secret: There’s been an uprising when it comes to the printing of graphics—the digital printing of fabrics.

If you’ve been to one of the major tradeshows in the past few years, you’ve seen firsthand the exponential growth of manufacturers, suppliers, and distributors playing in the fabric side of the market.

And you’ve no doubt seen the number of shops like yours investigating this technology.

After all, printing on fabrics can be applied to a variety of products and markets. It offers advantages over other substrates such as ease of shipping and reduced shipping expenses. It

58

produces a unique aesthetic, as well as texture (both important factors when it comes to salability). And it carries a certain high-end cachet versus vinyl.

It’s no wonder there’s a fabric revolution underway in digital printing.

What follows are five considerations to take into account if you decide to add fabric printing to your own digital operation. There are, of course, many other factors, but these five should certainly enter into your fabric equation.

One: Expanding Your Comfort Zone What types of jobs do you want to take on?

If you’re already producing signage,

Sign Builder Illustrated // April 2016

then soft signage might be an obvious choice—banners, posters, flags, tradeshow displays, out-of-home advertising, and similar applications will come naturally to you. It’s likely that you already have clients and potential clients in your customer mix.

But there’s an array of other applications and jobs you can consider—from garments and home décor to industrial applications and theatre backdrops.

As with any other business decision you make, analyze your shop’s strengths (and weaknesses) insofar as specific markets and job types.

Do you have enough potential clients to pursue an application that isn’t already in your comfort zone? signshop.com

Tom Gowanlock / Shutterstock.com

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You’ll already be taking on a technology that’s new to your shop; is now the best time to also strive to take on a new subset of customers?

Digitally printed fabrics can be used for everything from banners, tradeshow displays, and garments to home décor, industrial applications and theatre backdrops.

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Sign Builder Illustrated // April 2016

Bringing fabric printing in-house will likely require additional hardware plus media and consumables.

Other in-house considerations include: floor space (do you have the square footage for more hardware?); bringing on additional staff (do you have the budget to do so?); initiating training on new equipment (do you cross-train existing staff?); and others.

There is, however, another option for you to pursue—partnering with a shop that’s already producing digitally printed fabrics.

This can work especially well if your signshop.com

Photos :(top) top value fabrics; (bottom) dreamscape brilliant.

Two: In-house vs. Outsource

There’s a fabric revolution underway in digital printing with the growth of manufacturers, suppliers, and distributors in this market.

“We do acknowledge our fabric graphics on our main Web site,” says Freer, “however we have a comprehensive list of fabric graphics and visual display solution capabilities. Our goal is to have them prominently displayed.”

Four: Choosing a Printing Technology Just as with traditional graphics and rigid substrate printing, you have a choice when it comes to which fabric

printing technology to utilize to achieve your goals—dye sublimation or another technology (UV, latex, solvent)?

All of these technologies offer advantages and disadvantages and all have their proponents as well as their detractors.

Explore the possibilities by discussing the various options with manufacturers, distributors, and your existing shop network.

Factors to take into consideration

“partner shop” is in your same city or region, and, of course, if your customer mix and markets don’t overlap too much.

Yes this type of partnership brings with it a variety of sometimes uncomfortable business arrangements— profit splitting and determining who has which rights to which customer, to name just two—but it can also be a nice way to gain entry into a new market and application.

Three: Marketing Newfound Capabilities Depending upon your current application and client mix, you’ll probably want to explore ways to market your newfound fabric-printing capabilities (whether these are in-house or outsourced).

Yes you’ll be marketing to many of your current customers, but you’ll also be welcoming an entirely new batch of potential customers as well.

For instance, Merritt Graphics (merrittgraphics.com) in East Hartford, Connecticut, first entered digital textile printing in 2014, then began putting even more of an emphasis on its fabric offerings.

“The event and venue tradeshow markets, as well the retail markets, were making a shift to soft-sided signage and graphic solutions,” says Pat Freer, Merritt Graphics VP and Product Group Director.

After two years of refining its techniques and learning the soft signage market, the company launched a Web site (merrittfabricgraphics.com) devoted entirely to its fabric-printing capabilities. The objective here was to gain more exposure for their digital textile capabilities and offerings. signshop.com

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April 2016 // Sign Builder Illustrated

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typically include: lightfastness; fabric/ materials gamut (what type of fabrics and materials can the printer print upon?); color gamut/vibrancy; durability/washability; and more.

Dye sublimation continues to expand its presence in the textile market, says consulting group Smithers Pira (smitherspira.com). In its recent report, The Future of Dye Sublimation Printing to 2021, the organization forecasts that, in 2021, “nearly 900,000 square

meters of textiles will be printed with the process, creating a global market worth nearly [$3.4 billion].”

But, the consultancy indicates, “… dye sublimation, as a process, is limited to use with synthetic or synthetic-coated materials—overwhelmingly polyester—by the need to bind the dyes into the internal fibers. In the future, dye sublimation systems may face competition from pigment inks, if their suppliers can resolve quality,

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62

Sign Builder Illustrated // April 2016

reliability, and other issues. Pigments have greater substrate flexibility, and significantly this includes natural substrates, like cotton.

“This combined with their simplicity of processing and the tactility of the printed textile will enable pigment inks to grow, if the print process can become reliable enough at production scale.”

Five: Heavy Metal and Beyond If you’ve added the capability to print on rigid substrates, you’re well aware that pursuing a new technology in-house generally involves adding more than a single machine to your shop’s capabilities.

Printing on fabrics involves hardware beyond the fabric printer itself.

It can also necessitate adding equipment that’s particularly important in the finishing process and critical in turning the printed fabric into a saleable product: + A heat press + Cutters (including laser cutters that are fabric-specific) + Sewing machines/sergers + G rommet machines and others Also keep in mind that you’ll need to train staff to work with these components or bring in additional personnel.

“Digital textile printing is not as simplified as printing on latex, inkjet, or some UV wide format print systems,” says Freer. “Assigning our very best digital print operator to the new system was the first and most important decision we implemented, to make certain our best new printer was paired with our best operator.

“Having your best print operator trained to understand all of the critical media feed, sublimation, and print profile calibrations goes a long way in producing great output and reduced waste.”

Just as with hardware, bringing digital fabric printing in-house will also likely necessitate a new array of inks, software, and media/fabrics that are compatible with your machine(s), your applications, and, particularly for fabrics themselves, adequate storage space.

Gregory Sharpless is a Jacksonville, Florida-based freelance writer and the former editor-in-chief of The Big Picture and Digital Output magazines.

signshop.com

Spike App Wins New Product of the Year ikeGPS announces that Spike, a laser measurement solution, received the New Product of the Year award at the annual Alliance Franchise Brands Sign & Graphics Division Convention.

The award recognizes vendor excellence in a variety of categories.

“Our franchisee members recognize any product that offers time savings as a huge plus,” says Steve Hoyle, director of franchise services for Alliance Franchise Brands Sign & Graphics Division.

“Spike is an invaluable tool that helps our franchisee members conduct more surveys in a day and better manage their time. Along with the time savings Spike offers, it’s also more accurate than getting on a ladder and trying to capture measurements from that angle.”

Spike allows sign and digital graphics professionals to capture accurate measurements of the width, height, and area of signage locations from a smartphone or tablet picture. A ladder, bucket truck, and tape measure are no longer required to create estimates, saving sign companies time and overhead costs.

The measurements of the sign or graphic location are saved with the Spike photo and can be shared with customers, designers, or production.

“The fact that our franchisees selected Spike for this honor means a lot to us as a company and shows how impactful Spike has been to the sign and digital graphics industry,” says Jeff Ross, chief marketing officer of ikeGPS.

signshop.com

April 2016 // Sign Builder Illustrated

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V i n y l / B y A s h l e y B r ay / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

From Vinyl Vinyl application is breaking down all the “barricades.”

all Photos: er2 image group.

I

n recent years, vinyl application has expanded to include windows, walls, floors—and now even barricades.

On a recent project for Merchandise Mart in Chicago, ER2 Image Group (er2image.com) in Bloomingdale, Illinois was tasked with creating a large vinyl wrap for a drywall barricade blocking off the food court while it was under construction.

This wasn’t ER2’s first job with Merchandise Mart, a large commercial building that houses everything from wholesale goods to retail shops to a college campus. The sign company has worked with Merchandise Mart for almost eighteen years and has provided a good portion of the graphics they use on a regular basis.

On this particular job, ER2 started by meeting with the client to discuss their vision. A design firm designed the wrap, which features historical figures in black and white.

ER2 next took measurements of the roughly 300-foot-long, 10-foot-high barricade.

“The barricade is a very rough construction, so even if the measurements are correct on the architectural plans, once actually built, it’s sometimes a little bit different,” explains Gary Schellerer, COO and vice president of

64

ER2 Image Group. “So we went out and took field measurements of everything that was produced.

“Then we took the designs that were given to us from the design firm and altered them to fit the actual barricades.”

A lot of vinyl was needed to complete the project, but ER2 didn’t have to waste any time on ordering any since they already had it in stock.

“We have a lot of production printers, so we have a very big inventory of pressure-sensitive films that we keep on our floor on a regular basis,” explains Schellerer. “It’s not uncommon for us to do a barricade or display of that size.”

ER2 used an HP Scitex LX850 printer to output the graphics onto 3M™ Controltac™ Graphic Film Series IJ160-10 vinyl with an accompanying calendar overlaminate. The shop chose this particular vinyl because it had a lower life expectancy and was therefore less expensive, which made sense since this was a temporary install that would only be up for less than a year.

“With barricade-style graphics, they’re not going to be up for more than a year, so you don’t need a cast film that has a life expectancy of exterior five-plus years,” says Schellerer.

Another reason they chose this vinyl was because of the adhesive. Often-

Sign Builder Illustrated // April 2016

signshop.com

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to a View Vinyl application has expanded to include windows, walls, floors, and now even barricades.

signshop.com

April 2016 // Sign Builder Illustrated

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The combination of a vinyl wrap and a unique visual element helped turned Merchandise Mart’s temporary barricade into something more. times vinyl can have a difficult time adhering to certain paints, especially low-VOC paints. So a combination of a strong adhesive and advising the client on the best paint to use on the barricade worked in ER2’s favor.

“If you can get in front of the painters and make sure that they’re using the appropriate paints in this day and age, your life will be a lot easier in the graphic world,” says Schellerer.

The install took about three days in total and included more than just vinyl graphics—it also incorporated a unique visual element.

ER2 wanted to give visitors the option to “see through” the wall and view the construction going on behind it.

The company came up with the idea for circular, acrylic peepholes. To fit the design, these holes were cut out of

66

the drywall where the eyes of the historical figures would be.

ER2 chose acrylic for the transparent panels, since the material would be able to withstand people looking through and touching it.

Using its MultiCam 3000 Series CNC router, ER2 routed the 3/4-inchthick clear acrylic into shape so that it could be adhered from the backside.

“We chipped away the outer rim of the acrylic, kind of like if you can imagine a Frisbee—the outside two inches were only 1/4-inch-thick, and then the acrylic itself is 3/4-inch-thick,” explains Schellerer. “There’s a process where our router will actually go maybe 80 percent through the material and just hatch away all the acrylic so that there’s a ring that allows you to press against it from the backside and adhere

Sign Builder Illustrated // April 2016

from the backside to the drywall.”

ER2 applied adhesive around the ring to hold it in place in the drywall.

Black 3M pressure-sensitive vinyl in the shape of a spiral was applied to the face of the acrylic before it was installed.

The final result was so “eye-catching” that the client asked ER2 for more.

“They loved it,” says Schellerer. “In fact, they contracted us to extend the wall into a different area and create the same type of scenario into another area of the Mart.”

Transparent acrylic panels allow visitors to peek through the wall and view the construction on the other side.

signshop.com

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Beginner and experienced installers can improve and demonstrate their skills.

Regional training and installation testing programs are located across the country — including our exclusive Knifeless™ Accredited Installer testing for qualified 3M Graphics Installers at 3M Center in St. Paul, MN. Installers who pass the testing programs can promote themselves as the best in the business, and we’ll feature their services on our website and social media.

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Chi-town Rising’s illuminated midnight star was quite literally the star of the show.

Chicago’s Shining Star Chicago sign shop starts year with celebratory success.

all Photos: speedpro imaging.

W

hen the brilliant Chicago Star rose into the air, and the fireworks began to welcome in 2016, sign maker Eric Lazar could finally relax.

“It was a big relief,” admits the owner of a SpeedPro Imaging franchise in the Windy City.

Only two months earlier, Lazar had been awarded the contract to produce all the signage supporting the inaugural Chi-town Rising. signshop.com

Planned as the Second City’s very public New Year’s Eve party, the Chi-town Rising event took over Chicago’s riverfront between Michigan Avenue and Columbus Drive with a full schedule of celebratory performances and activities. The illuminated midnight star was literally the star of the show.

The contract charged Lazar with helping to brand the entire new event— from its main stage to scissor lifts, the hospitality area, and even the streets.

“We did everything from wraps, directional signage, menu boards, and stage banners to putting vinyl on tents,” he says, noting they produced and installed more than 7,000 square feet of printed graphics.

A Marine…for Life Given the high profile of Chi-Town Rising, this would be an ambitious undertaking for any sign shop.

But Lazar only entered the large fo-

April 2016 // Sign Builder Illustrated

69

All graphic installations produced by SpeedPro Imaging for this event were handled by the event’s own crews.

mat graphics business last summer with an investment in a SpeedPro Imaging (speedpro.com) franchise. Based in Centennial, Colorado, the company’s franchisees run local studios specializing in large format print solutions—including wall murals, event and window graphics,

70

tradeshow displays, and vehicle wraps.

A former Marine, Lazar credits his commitment to the Marine for Life program (marineforlife.org) as giving him the entrée which led to this project.

Marine for Life’s mission is to help Marines transition and prosper in pri-

Sign Builder Illustrated // April 2016

vate life after service. The executive producer of Chi-Town Rising, John Murray, is also an ex-Marine and supporter of that cause. A mutual acquaintance and another ex-Marine introduced the two.

Lazar and Murray discussed the upcoming event and its need for graphics.

After that meeting, Lazar worked up and submitted his bid, which was approved.

This was all standard procedures, but when Lazar took on the project, his SpeedPro Imaging storefront didn’t have any in-house print capability. His business at the time was basically the name, an address, and three employees (including himself).

Delivering all that signage to meet the December 28 deadline required a lot of outside help, and Lazar is quick to spread the credit for his success around.

“My background is in marketing and advertising,” he begins. “When I looked around to find a business aligned with my experience, the SpeedPro Imaging concept really resonated with me.”

After he bought into the program, he attended the company’s national con-

signshop.com

vention last summer. There he asked company officials to introduce him to the owners of the ten most successful SpeedPro Imaging locations.

Main stage headers helped brand the new event.

Learning from the Experts Lazar asked each if they would be willing to host him for a few days so he could see their businesses in operation and learn from their experiences, and they agreed.

“All during June and July, I was flying around the country, spending about a week with each, at my expense,” he says. “They taught me about the technology, how they did things, and their pricing philosophy.

“What they shared with me and the relationships we established allowed me to start building my business in Chicago and take on this project.”

The relationships he had established with these mentors gave him a network of wholesale providers within the SpeedPro Imaging group. He tapped all their capabilities to offer a diverse range of printed products as he established his business, based on what they

could produce.

His experience working with them in those early months gave him confidence he could deliver the Chi-Town Rising project—despite the deadline and lack of large format printers. Fortunately, he says, he had also made “the right hire at

the right time” when he added a client account manager to his staff just before he met with Murray.

“Once we understood the size of this project, we had to determine who had the capabilities and availability within the system to produce the different

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April 2016 // Sign Builder Illustrated

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signs we needed, on time,” Lazar says.

“We worked with three SpeedPro studios on this project for the printing of coroplast and banners, including grand format and vinyl.”

A Well Managed Project Advance planning and project management were critical because final art wouldn’t be delivered to his designer until the first week of December, barely three weeks from delivery date.

Seventy percent of the art was in hand by that initial deadline, but the project remained in flux through the Christmas holiday as some graphics were revised and more signs added.

“This was our project, but we had to work closely with each of the studios to make sure we could have the work back in time to meet our deadline,” says Lazar.

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Sign Builder Illustrated // April 2016

®

The relationships Lazar established with other shops gave him a network of wholesale providers within the SpeedPro Imaging group.

Lazar and his staff had some anxious days and long nights, but everything was delivered as promised, by the 28th.

All installations were handled by the event’s own crews.

The remote possibility that some sign might be damaged or need to be replaced had Lazar on edge right up until the stroke of midnight, when the bright Chicago Star climbed into the night and lit up the sky.

Then, he could finally relax, proud of his small company’s contribution to such a big, successful event. “It was a great way to end the old year and start the New Year,” says Lazar. “It’s certainly the biggest project we’ve taken on to date, and an opportunity to show all we’re capable of, in a very visible way.” signshop.com

Your Direct Source for Sign Information 3 Easy Steps

Receive vital product and service information from manufacturers and distributors by completing the adjacent card or visiting www.signshop.com/infodirect

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

2. Select up to 28 suppliers and record InfoDirect # on card.

3. Mail card to start getting info!

Page

InfoDirect #

Page

InfoDirect #

1

3M Industrial Adhesives. . . . . . . . . 67

33

Hartlauer Bits.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

65

Techno CNC Systems . . . . . . . . . . . 40

2

4Ever Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

34

J. Freeman Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

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TRC Electronics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

3

AdamsTech. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

35

Justin Inc./ AxiomLED.. . . . . . . . . . 34

67

Trotec Laser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

4

AkzoNobel Coatings, Inc. . . . . . . . . 21

36

Justin Inc./ AxiomLED. . . . . . . . . . . 56

68

Universal Laser Systems . . . . . . . . 70

5

Alpina Manufacturing LLC. . . . . . . . 86

37

Laguna Tools. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

69

US LED. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

6

Alpina Manufacturing LLC. . . . . . . . 86

38

Magnum Magnetics Corp.. . . . . . . . 17

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USSC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

7

Aprintco.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

39

Master Magnetics, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . 61

71

USSC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

8

A.R.K. Ramos.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

40

Matthews Paint Company. . . . . . . . 19

72

Vista System. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

9

Biesse America. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

41

Mimaki USA, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

73

Wilkie Mfg., LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C3

10

Brinks Mfg. Co. (Van Ladder) . . . . . 72

42

Mutoh America, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

74

YJ Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

11

Brooklyn Hardware, LLC. . . . . . . . . 85

43

Nova Polymers.. . . . . . . . . . . . Flap A

12

CAB Signs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

44

OKI Data Americas . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

13

Canon Solutions America, Inc.. . . . 59

45

Orafol Americas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

75

3M Commercial Graphics . . . . . . . . 16

14

Channel Letter USA. . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

46

Orbus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

76

Delcam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

15

Coastal Enterprises Co.. . . . . . . . . . 71

47

Orbus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

77

Drytac. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

16

Corel Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

48

Orbus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

78

Epson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

17

Delcam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

49

Ornamental Post, Panel & Traffic. . 85

79

Fisher Textiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

18

Duxbury Systems, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . 85

50

Osram GmbH. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

80

Geek Wraps, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

19

Echod Graphics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

51

Outwater Plastics Industries . . . . . 14

81

Gemini Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

20

Elliott Equipment Company. . . . . . . 75

52

Principal LED. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

82

Mimaki USA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

21

Epilog Laser. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

53

ReachAll Platforms CraneMate . . . 77

83

MONTI – Werkezeuge GmbH. . . . . . 17

22

Epson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

54

Roland DGA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

84

OKI Data Americas . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

23

FASTENation, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

55

SGIA Expo.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

85

Presto Tape. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

24

FASTSIGNS.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48A-B

56

ShopBot Tools. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

86

ReachAll Platforms. . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

25

Fisher Textiles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

57

Sign America. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

87

Roland DGA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

26

G2G Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

58

Signs365. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C4

88

Top Value Fabrics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

27

GE Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C2

59

SloanLED. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

89

Vista System. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

28

Gemini, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

60

Small Balls, Inc. .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

90

YJ, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

29

Gemini, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

61

Southern Stud Weld, Inc. . . . . . . . . 72

30

Global Lux. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

62

Stamm Manufacturing.. . . . . . . . . . 84

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GoVivid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

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S e r v i c e Ve h i c l e s / B y J e f f W o o t e n / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

Any companies that want to expand their offerings are ideal candidates for service vehicles.

The Service Plan W

ith today’s low interest rates, there’s probably never been a more attractive time to buy or lease a sign truck. However there are a lot of considerations you’re most likely pondering that might have you feeling “up in the air” about how to proceed here.

The first thing you’ll need to determine is the type of truck to bring in at your shop. “If you have a crew that’s just servicing signs, a man-lift-only aerial would be sufficient,” says Trip Griswold, managing director of Altec Capital (altec.com). “If a sign company is going to service and install lightweight signs out of the same truck, then a light-duty jib could be added to the platform, making the aerial a material-handling device.

“If the purpose is to install all types of signs at a higher

74

Sign Builder Illustrated // April 2016

reach, then an aerial device with both a jib at the platform and a main line winch would be required.”

Bryan Wilkerson, vice president at Wilkie Mfg. (wilkiemfg. com), recommends setting your truck up with proper storage space for the job that it’s intended to do. “Sometimes a few extra dollars spent upfront on the body to get the proper supplies out to the job site the first time can pay huge dividends later on by eliminating extra back-and-forth trips to your shop,” he says.

Tim Raymond, owner of Reach-All Platforms (reachallplatforms. com), says, “Keep in mind, a truck over 26,000 GVWs [gross vehicle weight] is going to require a CDL license to operate it.”

However if your company performs light-duty installs or service work, you can consider non-CDL models. “These are also good if signshop.com

Photo: altec.

Several roads can be taken when you’re buying a service truck.

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

you’ve experienced trouble hiring or retaining CDL drivers,” says David Phillips, manager of Global Business Development & Marketing for Elliott Equipment Company (elliottequip.com).

Sign companies should think long-term in their equipment

the long-term view of sign companies significantly benefiting from purchasing a service truck uniquely designed for their business. “Most rentals/leases are going to be base stock configurations, whereas sign truck owners can work with manufacturers to configure unique vehicle layouts including custom toolboxes, welder/oxy acetylene storage, custom paint, and more,” says Phillips. “Doing so can help them improve safety and increase productivity.”

Many dealers offer rental-purchase options that apply rental payments towards the final purchase price of the truck. Some leasing companies even offer a convertible lease that can be switched from a lease to a simple loan. “Or the lease may have a simple buyout clause at the end, such as a $1 buyout, which is the last month’s payment plus $1 and you retain ownership of the equipment,” says Wilkerson. “This is something to negotiate with your lender when you’re doing your purchase.”

Having the needed discipline to save up for a new truck can be difficult though. “Even if owners do have the discipline,

Many sign companies look at the initial cost of the purchase of a service vehicle and buy for the lowest price. They should instead consider the overall value of an investment and the total ownership cost.

76

Sign Builder Illustrated // April 2016

most risk-averse short-term investment accounts simply aren’t paying attractive returns,” says Griswold. “When you compare saving monthly to leasing or financing, it’s simply more attractive, especially in this low interest rate environment, to conserve your capital.”

Once you decide to lease or finance, make sure you underInvest in what you really need—consider your area’s height restrictions and how high you will have to reach.

Photos: elliott equipment company.

acquisition plans and consider the total ownership cost and not just the initial price. “Carefully consider your needs and capabilities in terms of working heights, lifting capacities, and payload requirements,” says Phillips. “If you need to haul a lot of cargo, carefully review the machine’s GVW and transmission ratings to ensure that they’re sufficient to do the job.”

Speaking of “acquisition,” the big money question: Should you buy the service truck outright, lease it, or rent it short-term?

“Securing rental equipment in a timely manner can be difficult, while owning or leasing a service truck/crane means you will always have the equipment you need to do the job at a moment’s notice,” says Griswold. “Both leasing and financing minimize out of pocket expenses and allow owners to preserve capital and cash flow. This capital can then be invested back into the business.”

Purchasing is easier than leasing because there aren’t any agreements and contracts. “You simply pick out what you need and pay for it,” says Phillips. “This works great for sign trucks that have a long life.”

Another benefit is that if you own the service equipment outright, you can make any alterations to it that you want.

“You also have the option of selling it once finished with it, allowing you to recover some of the cost,” says Phillips.

Leasing, on the other hand, means less expense upfront because sign companies will have easy, predictable payments.

“You don’t have to deal with one large lump sum, making it easier to budget for the equipment over a longer period of time,” says Phillips.

While leasing works well to fill short-term needs, there’s

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stand the differences in the products. “A traditional finance agreement typically amortizes to zero or a predetermined balloon payment,” says Griswold. “This is a great product if you intend to own the equipment. Many contractors, however, are moving to the Fair Market Value (FMV) lease to lower their payments over traditional financing.”

Very few customers actually pay cash for service trucks.

In most cases, the customer finances the unit with a bank or similar institution. Under this scenario, the customer typically makes installment payments until the loan is paid off.

“Under an FMV lease, however, the monthly payment obligation is lower, which frees up cash flow to be used in other areas of the business,” says Griswold.

But if you’d like to own the vehicle at lease maturity, Griswold suggests considering a Terminal Rental Adjustment Clause (TRAC) lease. “The payment amount is lower than a traditional financing agreement, since there is a TRAC balloon at lease maturity,” he says. “So, at maturity, the customer either pays the balloon balance (for example 20 percent of the original cost) or they can refinance the balance and extend the lease further.

“Or, if the customer wants to keep newer, lower maintenance units in the fleet, they can use the FMV lease and simply turn the truck back in at maturity and replace it with a new unit.”

Under both a TRAC and FMV lease, the rates are often lower than a traditional financing agreement since the lessor passes the tax benefit through to the customer through a lower rate. “So moving to leasing is as easy as owning and financing units,” says Griswold.

Another factor to consider is taxes. Always speak with your accountant or tax advisor on the benefits of leasing versus purchasing since tax and financial implications can vary from company to company.

“Tax incentives under Section 179 of the IRS Tax Code are larger for purchasing this equipment, but have limits,” says Phillips. “If a purchase doesn’t qualify under Section 179, companies may be able to leverage a depreciation deduction for the equipment.

“Leasing is often 100 percent tax-deductible as an operational expense under the 179 IRS Tax Code.”

For tax purposes, when purchasing a piece of equipment, you’re generally able to depreciate the asset and reduce your taxable income. But this is a matter of timing.

“When you rent equipment under an FMV lease, you’re able to expense the lease payments in lieu of the depreciation, since the lessor is the owner for tax purposes,” says Griswold. “Often the rate the lessor can provide is much lower than traditional financing, since they are effectively passing the tax depreciation benefit on to you, the customer, through the rate.”

Many sign companies look at the initial cost of the purchase and buy for the lowest price rather than consider the overall value of an investment. Phillips warns against this practice.

“We encourage companies to look at their short- and longterm needs and business strategy,” he says. “To paraphrase the words of Ben Franklin, ‘The bitterness of poor quality (or buying the wrong equipment for the job) remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten.”

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Dealer/Exporter Opportunities April 2016 // Sign Builder Illustrated

77

Digital Printing / By John Fulena //////////////////////////////////////////////////////

BacklitforBeginners

T

he demands of a competitive landscape and eager customers are encouraging signage providers to work harder than ever before to get more creative and garner more attention in our distraction-rich society.

To be successful, you must embrace new types of applications that are up to the challenge.

78

Backlit printing is one such application, and it is gorgeous—and impactful.

It catches the eye in ways traditional printing cannot, making it an excellent way to help your message stand out.

However unique results demand unique skills and processes, and that can make getting into backlit printing a daunting task for newcomers.

Sign Builder Illustrated // April 2016

Backlit printing catches the eye in ways traditional printing cannot.

signshop.com

Photos: (this page) ricoh.

Four tips and tricks designed to help you print backlit graphics.

At the 2016 SGIA Expo in Las Vegas, sign makers will gather to experience the newest equipment for rigid and soft substrates including flatbeds, roll-to-rolls, dye sublimation and much more from the industry’s leading exhibitors. You’ll also see the most innovative software, automation solutions and color management tools available.

Don’t miss the best show for signage: 2016 SGIA Expo, September 14–16 in Las Vegas!

From compensating for metamerism (a much simpler process than the technical name makes it sound) to judging the right ink set and substrate for your goals, the following tips are here to help you hit the ground running to start producing attractive and high-margin backlit applications that can expand your business’s offerings and win you new work.

To be successful with backlit printing, consider consulting with someone with experience who can provide advice tailored to your specific needs and capabilities.

And remember, there is no substitute for experience.

Test different ink densities.

While the amount of ink you use has an effect on any application you produce, getting it just right—or a little wrong— makes perhaps the biggest difference in backlit jobs.

If you use too much, the application will come out too dark, often causing details to be lost and at times diminishing the dramatic effect of backlighting. At the same time, too little ink can leave applications looking “washed out,” again costing the final product in details and eye-catching contrast.

In either case, the positive effects of choosing a backlit application are minimized or lost.

Straight to Your Inbox SBI Update, Sign Builder Illustrated’s monthly 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?

Sign up at www.signshop.com to receive the newsletter and find out!

80

Sign Builder Illustrated // April 2016

signshop.com

Photo: hp permanent gloss adhesive vinyl.

1

Download and use a media profile for your RIP software that matches the backlit film you plan to use. The right profile will make a huge difference on getting color and density correct without trial and error.

The type of substrate can affect backlit printing results.

2

Photo: fujifilm.

Leverage white ink to produce dramatic “day/ night” effects.

There are many advanced techniques printers can use to produce beautiful and engaging effects for backlit applications that vary with whether or not they’re presently backlit—while looking great with or without the lighting.

This is referred to as a “day/night” effect, and it can work wonders in helping your application stand out.

However as this is more of a beginner’s guide, I’m here to tell you that those same effects can be achieved by printing the job in multiple layers: Layer white ink between two layers of color, which allows the image to have the correct density whether lit from the front or from behind.

3

View your application under display conditions.

This is where metamerism comes in.

But just as I promised, compensating for it isn’t so complex.

Metamerism, simply put, is how colors look different when viewed under various conditions, including under different types of light.

For example, a green that looks like it’s the color of spring grass when viewed in natural sunlight may look more like an algae-choked pond under fluorescent lamps with a different color temperature.

For that reason, it’s important to preview applications intended for backlighting in conditions as close to those of their intended display area as possible. Ideally that means using the exact same light box and type of illumination, so you know for sure that the display you put out in the world looks exactly how you—and your customer—intended it to.

Having color-corrected lighting in your shop for verifying color is great, but it doesn’t help if your customers are using lower cost, off-the-shelf lamps with a different color temperature in their displays. signshop.com

April 2016 // Sign Builder Illustrated

81

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Earlier we discussed the importance of using the correct profile to achieve the perfect backlit look. An important aspect of that is considering your substrates’ role in the process.

Polyester backlit film is only as good as the coating on the product. Some substrates require two layers of ink to achieve the desired density, while others do not.

Unfortunately, as backlit printing has become more popular, inexpensive but poorly made materials have crept into the market. It can be difficult to gauge which products require what amount of ink and which are of good quality until you start printing on them. Inconsistently coated materials can cause streaks or gaps in your application, significantly harming its

Sign Builder Illustrated // April 2016

2-3/16” x 10”

Know your substrates.

appearance and effectiveness.

The best way to prevent these issues—and to discover how best to print to the materials you buy—is to work closely with your supplier to understand what you’re ordering.

Conclusion While these tips should serve you well to get started in backlit printing, there is no substitute for experience.

With that in mind, I recommend you: (A.) consider consulting with someone with experience in backlit printing who can provide advice tailored to your specific needs and capabilities, and (B.) go out there and get printing!

John Fulena is vice president, Production Printing Business Group, at Ricoh (www.ricoh-usa.com). signshop.com

R e s t o r a t i o n / B y A s h l e y b r ay / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

American Treasures Bob’s Garage is restoring Americana

photo: bob’s Garage.

A

merican Restoration, a show on the History Channel that chronicles the work of five restoration shops, is all about keeping the past alive. And one of the shops featured on the program, Bob’s Garage, fixes and restores everything from gas pumps to vending machines to signs.

“We pride ourselves on saying that we can restore anything—which may or may not be actually true,” jokes Bob Halliday, owner of Bob’s Garage (bobsgarage.com). “Everything is really just a matter of time and money.

“The skill is assumed. If you don’t have the skill, you don’t work here anyway.”

Whether Bob’s Garage is restoring gas and oil steel signs or soda machines from the ’50s, the process usually involves paint.

“We have a paint booth, and it’s cooking most all the time,” says Halliday.

“That’s the largest part of our business—seems like just about every restoration starts with painting.”

Bob’s Garage has been using SherwinWilliams Automotive Finishes for years because of their durability and ease of application. But the shop also values the line’s ability to color match.

“We knew that we wanted to use authentic colors. There’s more than one signshop.com

April 2016 // Sign Builder Illustrated

83

Coca-Cola red, and there’s more than one Texaco red—it depends on the era,” says Halliday. “And we pride ourselves on using authentic colors. Years ago, we researched paint codes for all these different oil, vending machine, soda, and sign companies, etc., and sent those ref-

erenced to Sherwin-Williams so we’re able to mix exactly the right color.”

This ability to color match was on display during a recent restoration of a Dr. Pepper slider machine from the ’50s.

“The Dr. Pepper color for that era is an unusual color, which because of the

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Sign Builder Illustrated // April 2016

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photo: history channel/american restoration.

Owner Bob Halliday (right) and members of his restoration team.

Sherwin-Williams brand, we were able to match exactly,” says Halliday.

In addition to new paint, Bob’s Garage went through the whole Dr. Pepper machine.

“In this case, it was replacing the liner, replacing the stainless steel lid, and we always replace refrigeration and wiring in any refrigerated vending machine we do,” explains Halliday. “And then it’s all reassembled, and original type signs and decals are attached.”

One of the challenges of restoring these older machines is parts.

“The parts aren’t readily available,” he says. “Just parts searching is a fulltime job, as well as fabrication. If we can’t find it, we’ll make it.”

To fabricate parts, Bob’s Garage uses lathes, routers, sheet metal machines, or woodworking machines (depending on the material and the part that’s needed).

Despite the challenge involved in restorations, Halliday won’t be throwing in his paintbrush or tool belt any time soon.

“My life has been one project after another,” he says. “I’m one of those people who has to always have projects.”

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B y A s h l e y b r ay

Stephanie Poyant Moran, ISA Elite Member

All in the Family

Continuing on a family tradition of signage.

88

Sign Builder Illustrated // April 2016

portunities for anyone looking to get into the sign industry—especially women. What was once a male-dominated industry is now changing.

“I think that there are a lot of opportunities for women in the sign industry,” says Moran. “I’m proud to say that, at Poyant Signs, we do have quite a few women here; and in our organization, they do a range of things.”

For example, at Poyant Signs, women work in sales, design, paint, graphic arts, accounting, and project management. The opportunities are there for both men and women looking to enter the industry, but Moran recognizes part of the challenge in attracting new talent is raising the sign industry’s profile. The other hurdle is in getting prospective employees to realize that prior experience is not always a prerequisite for employment.

“It’s no surprise that most people aren’t going to come to your business with experience in the sign industry,” says Moran. “If you’re interested in signs, if you’re interested in marketing in that way, branding in that way, then it’s something that sign companies expect that they’re going to teach you.”

Moran herself hopes to keep learning. “I’m continuing to learn from my father and from the management team here at our company so that I have a better understanding of each area of the business,” she says. “And I think by doing that, it will really help me to succeed in the industry and continue to help our company grow.”

The inaugural class of the ISA Elite program celebrates at the 2015 ISA Show.

Photos: (top) stephanie poyant moran; (bottom) isa.

S

tephanie Poyant Moran hails from a long line of sign makers. Her great-grandfather started Poyant Signs (then known as Artcraft Sign Company) back in 1938 in New Bedford, Massachusetts, and her grandfather and father have continued the sign business into the present day.

Moran joined the family business while earning her Bachelor’s Degree, and she stayed on two additional years after that. But she wasn’t completely sold on the idea that the sign industry was for her.

“I wanted to try some other things out as well and have an opportunity to meet new people and work within the community,” says Moran, who is now account executive at Poyant Signs.

Moran left to pursue her Master’s Degree in Business Administration and also spent some years working in marketing/public relations.

After about eight years working outside the field, Moran decided the sign industry was really where she wanted to be, so she returned to Poyant Signs.

“What I love about the sign industry is it provides a unique opportunity to help businesses bring people through their doors,” she says. “Because without a sign, you don’t know that somebody exists.”

Moran also loves the pace of the industry and the way it draws on so many disciplines. “It’s a very dynamic atmosphere where you couldn’t possibly ever be bored,” she says. “You learn a lot about all different types of areas.”

It’s all of these areas that she feels create op-

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