Sign Builder Illustrated March 2018

The How-To Magazine

M A R C H 201 8 | signsh o p.co m

Identity

SIGN BUILDER

illustrated

Signs A High-Roller Project

How To: faux-wood hdu, email campaigns

DIGITAL PRINTING: Environmental Wraps

ELECTRONIC: Dynamic Displays

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Contents MARCH 2018

Vol. 32

No. 273

How-To Columns

28

ENHANCING THE INBOX

By Jim Hingst Improving email marketing and response rate.

departments

8 16 74 76

EDITOR’S COLUMN

Editor Jeff Wooten wonders if your shop has gotten involved in the environmental experience.

IN THE INDUSTRY

EFI Connect highlights industry trends, custom signs lead the way, and cutting-edge LED displays at 10 Times Square.

Sign Show

The newest products and services from sign manufacturers.

SBI Marketplace

Advertisements and announcements from the sign trade.

Shop Talk

David Hickey explains how it can be challenging keeping up with federal regulations.

52

50 Features

32 40 46 50 52 56 64 69

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THE SIGN-MAKING JACKPOT

By Ashley Bray A sign company wins big on a large casino signage project.

WRAP PARTY!

By Jeff Wooten A building wrap covers a big-time branding event.

ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES

By Dan Johansen How wide format continues its hot streak each year.

JUST LIKE PARADISE

By Jeff Wooten Colorful graphics help an auto dealer soak in the island life.

THE MESSAGE IS ON DISPLAY

By Lori Shridhare Putting faith in an LED signage replacement.

FAUX WOOD

By Tai Freligh The art of making faux-wood from HDU.

HELP IS ON THE WAY(FIND)

By Jeff Wooten A trail marker install better helps emergency first responders.

SERVING UP A GREAT CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

By Various Exterior LED digital display enhances unique restaurant venue. signshop.com

​Cover Photo: Christian Phillips Photography.

6

WHERE DESIGN M E E T S INNOVATION

Bring your accessible sign solutions IN-HOUSE Increase PROFITABILITY

w w w. n o v a p o l y m e r s . c o m / R O I 2018 SIGN EXPO BOOTH #4505

March 2018, Vol. 32, No. 273 Sign Builder Illustrated (ISSN 0895-0555) print, (ISSN 2161-0709) digital is published by Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corporation

Subscriptions: 800-895-4389

executive offices President and Chairman Arthur J. McGinnis, Jr. Publisher Arthur J. Sutley 55 Broad Street, 26th floor New York, NY 10004 212-620-7247 ; Fax: 212-633-1863

editorial Editor Jeff Wooten 323 Clifton Street, Suite #7 Greenville, NC 27858 212-620-7244 jwooten@sbpub.com Managing Editor Ashley Bray 55 Broad Street, 26th Floor New York, NY 10004 212-620-7220 abray@sbpub.com Contributing Writers David Hickey, Jim Hingst, Dan Johansen, Lori Shridhare

art Art Director Nicole Cassano Graphic Designer Aleza Leinwand

production Corporate Production Director Mary Conyers

circulation Circulation Director Maureen Cooney

advertising sales Associate Publisher/East Coast Sales Jeff Sutley 212-620-7233 jsutley@sbpub.com Publisher/Mid-West & West Coast Sales Monica Boutros 212-620-7225 mboutros@sbpub.com Sign Builder Illustrated is published monthly. All rights reserved. Nothing herein may be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission of the publisher. To purchase PDF files of cover and layouts or hard copy reprints, please call Art Sutley at 212-620-7247 or e-mail asutley@sbpub.com.

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signshop.com

It’s completely possible to take your shop...

From this

To this.

However, that’s only if your shop runs on shopVOX.

sales@shopvox.com - www.shopvox.com

Editor’s Column

By Jeff Wooten

AGENDA March 2018 MARCH 22-24:

ISA International Sign Expo 2018 is scheduled to be held at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida. (signexpo.org)

April 2018 APRIL 20-21:

Got Experience?

The future of vinyl branding today.

L

ast month, we ran the article “Directions for Design,” and we’d like to apologize upfront for running too-common misperceptions about ADA signage in it.

Sharon Toji (the “ADA Sign Lady”) of Access Communications, kindly wrote in pointing out that ADA encompasses more than just room identification Braille and raised character signs. “Directional and informational signs have their own specific ADA standards, and they are just as important, since the majority of people with disabilities who rely on those signs do have usable vision,” she says.

Toji says that reflective material should not be used for directional and informational graphic inserts and that “tone on tone” is a better description for contrast, as ADA does not use the word “color.”

Meanwhile, as a society, it seems a little far-out to realize we’ve reached a little piece of that Jetsons or Terminator future (depending on if your forecast is utopian or dystopian) where issues like “augmented reality,” “automation,” and “A.I.” are popping up in workplace conversations more frequently and more realistically. (Although we have yet to reach these respective sci-fi franchises’s flying cars and time machines.)

We’ve posted several articles on our signshop.com Web site discussing these narratives. This jargon also plays a big role in our “In the Industry” section this month.

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Even more amazing is that it seems we’ve somehow reached the Star Trek: The Next Generation future—well, the holodeck portion, at least. For those who have never seen this influential TV series, starship crewmembers used this room to immerse themselves in other places and time periods via digitally recreated environments.

Today one of the big ideas flowing through the print community when it comes to branding is “experience.” No not the kind Jimi Hendrix sang about (at least, I don’t think) but instead transforming an interior and/or exterior environment through vinyl graphics (instead of a computer simulation) to reinforce a brand and create a memorable experience for the consumer.

You’ll find several articles this month covering immersive branding like building wraps, wall murals, vehicle graphics, and even floor decals. “From a marketing standpoint, floor graphics are a great way to physically create a better shopping experience and environment for customers—billboards on the floor,” says Dennis Brunnett, technical service specialist at FLEXcon.

If you have the design and print skills, will you find yourself making this trend a bigger part of your future?

The British Columbia Sign & Graphics Show takes place at the Delta Hotel & Conference Centre in Burnaby, British Columbia. (bcsignassociation.com)

May 2018 MAY 7-11:

LIGHTFAIR International, the world’s largest architectural and commercial lighting tradeshow, happens at McCormick Place in Chicago, Illinois. (lightfair.com)

June 2018 JUNE 7-9:

The 2018 SEGD Conference Experience Minneapolis takes place in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (segd.org)

JUNE 14-15:

The Midwest Sign Association’s Midwest Sign Show will be held at the Motor City Casino Hotel in Detroit, Michigan. (msassn.org)

JUNE 28-JULY 1:

The Texas Sign Association’s Sixty-Fifth Annual Conference occurs at Moody Gardens in Thackerville, Oklahoma. (txsigns.org)

Jeff Wooten Editor, jwooten@sbpub.com signshop.com

Strength. Dependability.

Manitex’s unrivaled ability to understand customer needs means that your application is covered. With models ranging from 17-70 Ton, you’ll find our cranes lifting among oil fields, power lines, high rises and alley ways, all with equal ease. Whether you need to service signs or raise roofs, there’s a Manitex model to get your job done quickly, and get it done right.

Discover which Manitex is right for you.

Find a dealer: www.manitex.com or 512-942-3000

In The Industry

EFI Connect Highlights

Industry Trends M eredith, New Hampshire— The nineteenth annual EFI Connect conference took place at the Wynn in Las Vegas January 23-26. One of the print industry’s longest-running events, the user conference provided attendees with the latest training and technology details to help them profit from the analog to digital transition. The conference included a number of breakout sessions, keynotes, and a customer success panel where EFI users talked about the realworld implications and applications of their machines.

Connect also featured the debut of several new EFI products. Some highlights include the EFI VUTEk® HS125 8

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Pro and HS100 Pro Fast-4™ hybrid flatbed/roll inkjet presses; the entry-level EFI VUTEk FabriVU® 340i soft signage printer; and EFI MarketDirect, a nextgeneration cross media customer engagement platform.

The conference also shed light on a number of trends in today’s digital printing market, and as EFI CEO Guy Gecht said in his keynote presentation—print is far from over.

Fourth Industrial Revolution. Gecht’s keynote session focused on what he called the “fourth industrial revolution,” which is characterized by developments in computing and in areas such as artificial intelligence (AI) and virtual reality (VR).

How will this affect the print industry?

It already has. “Print is going to get a lot stronger because of the fourth industrial revolution,” says Gecht. “It’s changed how we manufacture things.”

VR technology is being used by companies like EFI to give virtual demos of printers in action—without the need for the printer to be physically present.

Gecht also predicts VR will be used on the service and support side to troubleshoot printer problems.

Progress is being made in AI thanks to big data, cloud computation, and faster device processing—all factors that are currently affecting digital printing.

Automation. In fact, automation is one way digital printing devices are getting faster and more efficient. This is besignshop.com

LED Wows Dental Retreat

EFI CEO Guy Gecht (far left) chats with two customers.

S

Print is far from over. It’s going to get a lot stronger because of the “fourth industrial revolution.” ing accomplished through advancements in software, color management, and finishing hardware like board feeders.

Personalization. The fourth industrial revolution has also led to much more personalization with very frequent design changes and manufacturing ondemand. Personalization and print enhancements (i.e., through the use of special effects like spot varnish, metallic inks, etc.) add value to a project and allow a sign company to charge more.

According to a recent report by Keypoint Intelligence (InfoTrends), 89 percent of print buyers are willing to pay a premium for digital print enhancements.

There is certainly room to grow revenue through personalization. signshop.com

EFI Connect started with the mantra that print is far from over, and it ended with it as well, as Dr. Joe Webb—a well-known consultant, forecaster, and commentator—saw opportunities for digital printing to dominate the future.

He pointed to digital printing’s flexibility. “Digital printing can help you with versioning, with different distribution methods and ways of integrating media,” he said. “It’s just a far more powerful tool in this kind of emerging market.”

He also forecasted that the digital print market will be one of the only sectors to show growth in commercial printing over the next few years. It was an $11.4 billion market in 2016, and by 2022, he predicts it will be at $14 billion.

cottsdale, Arizona—One of the most important events in the Aspen Dental network’s calendar is its annual Leadership Retreat, which helps independent dentists to network and learn how to make the most of dental practice ownership opportunities through keynote speakers, presentations, and awards ceremonies.

For the 2017 Leadership Retreat held last summer, Aspen Dental approached the Cleveland-based event production company Impact Communications to help create an unforgettable experience. Impact Communications’ Bob Foley says, “Providing an immersive experience to our clients is our number-one goal in message delivery for every event.”

Orlando-based Evolve provided Impact Communications with stateof-the-art equipment to help turn its vision of fourteen projection surfaces and multiple LED installations into a vibrant reality. A triple stream AV Stumpfl Wings Engine RAW server was used for feeding content to two 192-tile LED walls (2.9mm pitch) and two 15-by-45-foot projection surfaces. A Wings Engine STAGE media server was additionally used to play out content to two 14-tile and two 16-tile LED columns, plus three 16-by-9 images. Evolve also provided backup servers and two Barco E2 image processors.

March 2018

Sign Builder Illustrated

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In The Industry Going 3D

S

Custom Signs

Lead the Way

S

tatesville, North Carolina— Agio Imaging, a large format provider based in Kalamazoo, Michigan, recently used Sintra graphic display board by 3A Composites USA (supplied by the Grand Rapids, Michigan branch of distributor Laird Plastics, Inc.) to create a range of custom interior wall signage, such as school educational signage and corporate departmental designation wall décor.

Agricultural Education. Agio Imaging reproduced the National FFA Organization’s logo—a large shield topped with an intricately routed eagle and arrow elements—designating FFA Agricultural Education at Maple Valley High School in Vermontville, Michigan (pictured).

The bright logo—featuring yellow, red, white, and blue colors—was direct-printed onto 6mm Bright White Sintra with a super-wide format UV printer. Exposed edges of the CNC-routed logo were custom-painted dark blue. The finished logo was direct-mounted to the wall with stainless steel fasteners.

Department Designation. A wall display for a corporation’s retail r&d department featured multiple routed elements from Sintra graphic display board—including cutout letters and a series of vari12

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ably sized and direct-printed circles.

Agio Imaging selected 12mm Dark Blue Sintra to CNC route individual letters spelling “innovative” in a lower-cased contemporary font; the letters’ exposed edges were custom-painted dark blue.

The cutout letters were dimensionally mounted to the wall with the words “retail research” printed and cut from selfadhesive vinyl installed beneath.

Five circle elements completed the departmental design. One large, red, CNCrouted circle element featuring a white shopping cart image was direct-printed onto 12mm Bright White Sintra.

Four smaller CNC-routed circles were direct-printed on Bright White Sintra— two in the 12mm thickness and two in the 6mm thickness. The circle elements were finished with custom-painted edges and dimensionally installed on the wall.

Agio Imaging utilized a super-wide format UV printer to direct print the circle elements.

uwanee, Georgia—Mimaki USA has installed the first 3DUJ-553 3D printer in the Americas at Pictographics in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The Mimaki 3DUJ-553 printer offers an unprecedented printing experience with a number of enhancements to produce objects with high-definition, fine detail, and in full color up to 20 inches wide-by-20 inches deep-by-12 inches high.

It is a color-managed device with more than 10 million possible color combinations for photorealistic output. Clear ink is available for creating translucent colors. It uses water-soluble support material that is easy to remove, maintaining fine details.

The family-run Pictographics has been recognized as one of the most “technologically advanced and diverse” large and grand format print providers in the world.

The company produces everything from vehicle graphics to specialty garments.

“Pictographics has expanded its market by becoming a total solution provider and by partnering with other solutions companies,” explained Craig Miller, president & CEO of Pictographics.

“This is our plan for 3D printing as well, and the Mimaki 3DUJ-553 printer is a key component in our business strategy...for the [detailed] 3D work we want to produce.”

To view these projects, as well as learn how Agio Imaging created a custom wayfinding look for the culinary services department at Michigan State University by incorporating the school’s colors on two layers of Sintra, as well as routed shapes and custom-painted edges, visit http://bit.ly/2BYEA1U. signshop.com

Materials & Products for Engraving | Digital Printing | Sublimation Professionals Visit us at the ISA Show Expo

Booth 4600

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In The Industry Full STEAM Ahead

I

Cutting-Edge LED Displays AT

10 Times Square

N

ew York City, New York— Sansi North America (SNA) Displays, a manufacturer of custom LED display and lighting solutions, recently installed five exterior LED video displays at 10 Times Square.

The project site, owned by L.H. Charney & Associates, is the new home to Champs Sports, a division of Foot Locker, which is moving its flagship store.

Given the historic tower’s architecture and the corner that juts into the intersection of 7th Avenue and 41st, SNA Displays engineered custom corner pieces for the displays to meet at a 106-degree angle.

SNA Displays provided an exterior S|Video™ product with a 10mm pixel pitch. All LED displays employ surfacemount device (SMD) pixel packaging for crisp, vibrant imagery and a widened viewing experience.

“The displays are quite impressive,” said John Pisciotta, who handled project management for SNA Displays. “The nearly 2,000 square feet of video displays really enhances the building façade.”

The project’s main screen, which wraps around the eastern corner of the building, is comprised of four smaller displays, totaling 68 feet wide and 24 feet tall. Two of the four displays meet at the corner while the other two displays serve as return features to the building, giving 14

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the main screen a three-dimensional aspect. Additionally a three-foot-high ribbon display stretches seventy-seven feet along the side of the building facing 41st Street. In total, the display system contains more than 1.7 million pixels.

“This project installation did not come without challenges,” said Pisciotta.

“The display hovers pretty close to the ground, just ten feet above the sidewalk and directly above one of New York’s busiest subway stations.”

In addition to dealing with the substantial amount of pedestrian traffic, the crews worked in sometimes single-digit temperatures to complete the project on time.

To celebrate the launch of the new displays, the digital art initiative 24:7, produced by Tzili Charney and featuring artists from Asia, Africa, Europe, Australia, and the Americas, ran for the first thirty days of operation. SNA Displays worked closely with several partners to ensure the safety parameters and precision required for the installation were all met.

Show + Tell and Analog Way provided the content management system for the project; McLaren Engineering Group provided structural engineering services; Jack Green Associates handled electrical engineering services; USIS North America provided fiber cable terminations; and Milrose Consultants, Inc., expedited permits.

rvine, Califonia—The first public school Fab Lab established in Arizona as well as the first 4-H Foundation Fab Lab in the United States held its grand opening ceremony this past January 18 in Lakeside, Arizona.

T h e c u tt i n g - e d g e fa c i l i t y, located at Blue Ridge High School and funded by the University of Arizona, is designed to train the n ex t g e n e ra t i o n of S c i e n c e, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math (STEAM) professionals through the use of real-world digital fabrication hardware and software.

For its printing, cutting, and milling equipment, Blue Ridge chose Roland DGA. Included with the equipment were Roland DGA’s Project Based Learning (PBL) modules, which make it easy for students to learn through hands-on, step-by-step projects.

“We’re excited about playing an integral role in the opening of the country’s very first 4-H Fab Lab,” said Roland DGA President Andrew Oransky. “While the machines we have provided incorporate cuttingedge technology, they are also incredibly simple to operate. Within no time at all, students of all levels can be using our devices to learn and apply STEAM education in fun, practical ways.”

signshop.com

TM

Modules | Stiks | Retrofits | Resources TM

1

2

3

4

Meet the NEW Qwik Modâ„¢ family at ISA in Orlando, FL at BOOTH #3304 P-LED.COM/ISA2018

Sign Show AWNINGS & BANNERS Sunbrella Introduces the Newest Version of its Sunbrella Graphics System: SGS 400 Machine Developed and field-tested by awning, sign, and banner professionals, Sunbrella®'s SGS 400 system rapidly creates custom logo designs and multi-color graphics with no minimum fabric requirement. A motorized lid that is operated by a dual-button control allows users to effortlessly raise and seal the lid. Unlike pressuresensitive vinyl, it uses a heat-activated adhesive that is dry to the touch at normal temperatures but liquid at activation temperatures. In conjunction with the vacuum system and heat source, the liquid adhesive better penetrates the fibers of the fabric to bond Sunbrella fabric and thermal film together without any cracking or creasing. Sunbrella’s proprietary SGS thermal film is virtually permanent. sunbrella.com; ISA Expo Booth #4135

DIGITAL PRINTING EQUIPMENT/SUPPLIES National Business Lender Helps Small- to Medium-sized Print Shops Finance Epson Technology Epson America and CIT Direct Capital have announced a partnership that will allow CIT Direct Capital to provide Epson dealers, channel partners, resellers, and customers a primary source of financing through a single point of contact. This will simplify Epson’s financing process by streamlining communication between equipment manufacturers, dealers, and funding sources, creating a more straightforward, enhanced customer experience and a single online finance solution. The partnership allows Epson dealers the capability to provide a uniform online finance option through CIT Direct Capital, delivering better insight into the sales pipeline and increased transparency on transactions. epsonamerica.directcapital.com; ISA Expo Booth #2635

Avery Dennison and Summa America Bring Traffic Signage Finishing to a Higher Level Avery Dennison Reflective Solutions, manufacturer of prismatic retroreflective sheeting for highway and street safety solutions, has launched a TrafficJet™/F1612 bundle with professional finishing cutting equipment manufacturer Summa America, a division of Summa nv, for the finishing component to their TrafficJet™ Print System. The versatility of Summa’s F1612 flatbed cutting system ensures Avery Dennison’s printed and laminated high-reflective substrates can be cut with unsurpassed precision and ease. This expansion and “finishing touch” of Avery Dennison’s offering will help to provide complete and solid printand-cut solutions to customers. averydennison.com; summaamerica.com; ISA Expo Booth #3623, #4238

Go Three-dimensional with Massivit 3D Massivit 3D is set to demonstrate the versatility of its large format 3D printing technology at ISA International Sign Expo. Utilizing the flagship Massivit 1800 3D Printer, sign and display print providers can produce a range of applications, including striking advertising campaigns, stunning retail displays, and engaging bus wraps to name a few. With the ability to quickly 3D print large and complex objects, print providers can add a new dimension to their business, shave weeks off their production methods, and enjoy greater design freedom. For intricate, customized, and repeated campaigns, print providers also have the option to 3D print molds for vacuum forming. Massivit3D.com; ISA Expo Booth #629

SAi Offers New Flexi-powered Traffic Signage Software in Collaboration with 3M SA International (SAi), in collaboration with 3M™, has launched FlexiPRINT Authorized 3M™ Traffic Edition, a design-to-output traffic signage software powered by SAi’s acclaimed Flexi software. The new solution is compatible with HP 300 and 500 Series Printers and combines Flexi’s feature-rich capabilities with six ASTM traffic signage colors. FlexiPRINT Authorized 3M Traffic Edition guarantees traffic color output on selected 3M substrates and HP Latex large format printers. Enabling the output of signage that complies with rigorous global regulations, FlexiPRINT Authorized 3M Traffic Edition allows print businesses to increase revenues and enhance their competitive edge by adding traffic-compliant signage to their application offerings. thinksai.com; ISA Expo Booth #2417

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Sign Show DYE SUBLIMATION Fisher Textiles Presents GF 6090 SunBright Brilliant Backlit SEG Fabric The new GF 6090 SunBright® fabric from Fisher Textiles produces brilliant backlit silicone-edge graphics and is compatible with transfer dye-sublimation printing. The basis of development for this knit fabric was to enhance light dispersion for the production of brilliant backlit prints. GF 6090 SunBright gives a rich color and has a super soft hand. It is wrinkle- and craze-resistant, easy to sew, and features an excellent stretch for a quick install and proper fit in aluminum framing systems. This fabric weighs 6.3 oz/ yd2 and is stocked 123 inches wide. It is flame-retardant and meets NFPA 701 and California Title 19 fire standards. 800/554-8886; fishertextiles.com/GF6090; ISA Expo Booth #1407, #5403

Kornit Digital Launches New HD printing Technology for the Avalanche Series The successor to the Avalanche Hexa, the direct-to-garment Avalanche HD6 print system from Kornit Digital is equipped with the company’s HD print engine and NeoPigment™ Rapid ink, which leads to significant reductions in ink consumption and therefore cost per print. The HD6 will reduce the ink consumption by up to 30 percent compared to the current “R-Series” version and up to 46 percent compared to the previous Non R-Series versions of the Avalanche Hexa. In addition, Kornit is launching an HD version of the Avalanche 1000, called Avalanche HDK. The company also announced that existing Kornit customers now have an upgrade path for their Avalanche Hexa and Avalanche 1000 systems. kornit.com

Stimpson

Grommets and Washers Sheet Metal Grommets with Plain, Teeth and Neck Washers • Self-Piercing Grommets and Washers Rolled Rim Grommets with Spur Washers • Oblong Grommets and Washers Stimpson Grommets and Washers meet the latest government and commercial specifications and are supported by a full line of grommet machines.

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Inc.

1515 SW 13th Court, Pompano Beach, FL 33069 Toll Free: 877-765-0748 • Fax: 954-545-7440 customer_service@stimpson.com • www.stimpson.com

signshop.com

Material this tough shouldn’t engrave this easily.

NEW Dura-Guard™ makes Duets® Laser XT even more durable.

Introducing Dura-Guard, a new option for Duets Laser XT that dials up maximum durability. Ideal for high-traffic, high-contact signage, wayfinding and industrial labeling applications, Dura-Guard offers the perfect balance of wear resistance and easy cleaning.

Try it yourself. Go to duetsbygemini.com/duraguard for a free test sample, or ask your Duets by Gemini distributor.

Duets

BY GEMINI

PARTNER NETWORK

DuetsByGemini.com/partners

Available in-stock, nationwide from the Duets partner network of leading distributors

©2018 Gemini Incorporated. Duets® is a registered trademark of Gemini, Inc.

Sign Show Now Available at LexJet: InFuze Dye-Sub Transfer Papers Transfer paper is a vital element in the dye-sublimation printing process. With this in mind, LexJet has developed the InFuze™ line of dye-sublimation transfer papers with a proprietary microporous ink-receptive coating that handles and performs better than other papers on the market. The microporous coating is different because, when the ink is printed, it sits on top of the paper, rather than soaking into the paper, like others that are considered “swellable.” This new line includes four new papers for a variety of applications— textile, apparel, rigid substrate, and multipurpose use. The LexJet InFuze line of papers won’t cockle the way others do, and it’s a lay-flat, fast-dry solution that makes transferring easier. The coating also helps to minimize ghosting of the image, even with heavy ink loads. (800) 453-9538; lexjet.com/dyesub

Top Value Fabrics Introduces High-Definition Textiles by Georg+Otto Friedrich The new line of Georg+Otto Friedrich (G+O) High-Definition Textiles offered by Top Value Fabrics (TVF) is a relaunch of fabrics that were previously offered by Pacific Coast Fabrics, which TVF acquired last year. TVF has strengthened the partnership with G+O to stock the collection through expanded, nationwide distribution. Their newly introduced line of High-Definition Textiles is comprised of a full range of styles, with options in backlit, blockout, mesh, flag, and frontlit display fabrics. Samples of these innovative fabrics are available upon request. TVFMedia.com; ISA Expo Booth #4438

From easy-to-change, direct-print magnetic graphic systems to a wide selection of powerful fastening magnets, we have it all.

Rely on Master Magnetics for competitive pricing, fast delivery and expert advice. We’ll help your projects stay on time and budget.

To learn more, go to magnetsource.com/one or call 800.525.3536

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BOOTH #

4908

signshop.com

Sign Show LETTERS Gemini Releases its 2018 Professional Signage Catalog The new 2018 Professional Signage Catalog from Gemini provides an overview of the manufacturer’s made-to-order dimensional letters, logos, architectural plaques, and production capabilities. Catalog highlights include: Fabricated Aluminum Letters and Logos (with aluminum letters as tall as ten feet in one piece); Formed Plastics; Reseller Sales and Marketing Tools; new Dura-Guard coating for Duets® Laser XT (providing an extra level of durability and abrasion resistance without sacrificing on the ease of cleanup after the engraving process); and the Made True Video in Augmented Reality rich media experience.

(800) 538-8377; GeminiSignProducts.com; ISA Expo Booth #1400

SERVICE TRUCKS/CRANES/EQUIPMENT Altec to Reach New Heights at ISA Sign Expo Altec will feature a line-up of aerial devices designed for the Lights and Signs industry at the ISA International Sign Expo in Orlando. On display will be the AT48S aerial unit and the LS63 (pictured) and LS87 aerials with versatile crane lifting capabilities. In addition, after months of customer interviews, research and development, and design work, Altec will launch its latest Lights & Signs product at the show. Be sure to come by the Altec booth to see the new model and speak with the team that developed this new product. altec.com; ISA Expo Booth #C15

THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING (Auto rivet hole punching with seam overlap)

New from

¹⁄8” rivet holes, ¼” weep holes

Seam overlap offset

And of course, it still bends, flanges, notches and broaches!

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How To

MARKETING By JIM HINGST

Enhancing the Inbox Improving email marketing and response rate. characters. That’s a tough assignment because you also want that message to be intriguing enough for the reader to want to know more about your offer.

(Caution: Don’t make misleading claims in the headline in order to get the reader to open the mail. The ill will that this engenders will damage your credibility and hurt your chances of making a sale.)

Why Your Subject Line Determines Success. The subject line of your email serves a function similar to the headline of an ad or a news story. What you write determines whether your reader opens your email and reads your message.

For that reason, if you want great results, give your readers a compelling reason to open the email, by suggesting value in a benefit statement. For examples: “What Window Designs Generated Highest Store Traffic,” “How to Reduce 28

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Nighttime Accidents by 15%,” “Five Reasons Why You Should Redesign Truck Graphics Every Five Years,” and “What You Should Know When Buying a Banner.”

if you want great results, give your readers a very compelling reason to open the email.

Some words or phrases you can use in the subject line that can improve the open rate are: “Free,” “How To,” “Reasons Why,” and “New.” Keep that subject line statement short and sweet. One rule of thumb is to limit the message to about fifty to seventy-five

When Should You Use Background Color? Used incorrectly, color can also be distracting—especially when dark colors are used for an email background.

The best background color for an email is white. If you must use a color behind a copy block, make it a very light color. One of the worst color combinations for email is white copy on a black background.

Which Images to Use? Images are important. Just don’t overdo it.

The images should not dominate the layout, so keep them small. For my emails and blog articles, photos are no larger than 72-dpi and 300 kb. That’s more than you need for emails, Web site, signshop.com

Photo: Shutterstock/ kozirsky.

T

he challenge for any business using email campaigns is improving the open rate and response rate.

In large part, success depends not on what you say, but how you say it.

Your choice of word selection, typeface, colors, and arrangement of the design elements on the page create an impression on the reader. This first impression determines whether your message is read or discarded.

Here are a few ideas that you should consider when writing and designing your emails.

Which Typefaces Aid Readability?

Some of the most readable typefaces to use for emails are the simplest and most commonly used: Arial, Baskerville Old Face, Bookman Old Style, Calibri, Georgia, Gill Sans MT, Tahoma, Times New Roman, and Verdana. Many feel that Sans-Serif is more modern-looking and thereby more appropriate.

In selecting a typeface, the safe bet is to stick with one font. If that is too boring for you, try variations of the letter weight and style.

Many of the more ornate fonts are just too difficult to read, especially Script.

While some funky fonts can attract attention, often they can distract from your message. These typefaces can also be difficult to read.

Visual & Thematic Consistency. Use colors in your emails that complement your company’s colors on your Web site and logo. The images and message of the email should also reinforce your branding and marketing themes.

how your offer satisfies those needs.

What they teach you in writing direct marketing copy is to emphasize the key benefits of your offering in the first paragraph. In the subsequent paragraphs, you build up those assertions with arguments and evidence.

Note that I used the term “benefits” not “features.” Whatever you do, resist the urge to list all of the technical features. If the reader wants to know the nitty-gritty details, they can call you, email you, or click on a link to your Web site.

Your copy should stress the benefits of your product or service. It should answer the primary question in the reader’s mind: “What’s in it for me?” Explain what your company can do for the prospect that your competitors can’t do.

Getting Your Message Across. Before you start writing, make sure that you know the specific needs and problems of your target audience. Then as you are writing, explain to your reader

Get to the Point. In writing your first paragraph, employ Rudyard Kipling’s six honest serving men in crafting your message: who, what, why, when, where, and how. Your first paragraph should

and blogs. What’s more, to aid readability when using pictures, provide enough white space around the image so you don’t crowd the copy.

Images should be relevant to your audience and consistent with your message. If your email campaign targets retailers and is about the benefits of a window graphics program in cost effectively remodeling the appearance of store locations, you should use photographs of retail store locations not gas stations.

provide answers to the most important questions that a reader may have within a few sentences.

Keep Your Message Simple. Avoid industry jargon, technical terms, and acronyms. As one editor instructed me, describe your proposal in simple, easy-tounderstand terms and in a way that you would explain something to your mother.

Your narrative may focus on your company’s proven track record of manufacturing and installing major sign programs or emphasize the financial strength of their organization.

If your sign company has won any national design awards, you should explain how the program was developed and what it accomplished for the client.

Case studies are effective in telling your story. When I worked for one large fleet graphics company, I developed several direct marketing programs that utilized testimonials.

Use subheads, bold copy, and bullet points. Break your copy up into short paragraphs of just a few sentences each to aid reading.

Many emails are too long. Writing good email copy is similar to writing good ad copy. You need to rewrite the email over and over again until your prose is condensed to poetry.

How long should your copy be in explaining the features, benefits, and advantages of your offer? That depends on the product or services you’re trying to promote and the complexity of your offer.

Don’t Forget the Call to Action. After your prospect reads about the benefits of your proposal, what do you want him to do? Do you want him to call your company, visit your Web site, request more information, or have a salesperson call?

Whatever your objective is, make it easy for the prospect to respond with multiple calls for action. Highlight your call to action by using a bold typeface for hyperlinks or incorporate a brightly colored response button.

Throughout your message, you should provide several hyperlinks. Multiple calls to action give the reader many opportunities to respond, which can improve your response rate.

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Look for us at booth #2026 Hex Cap

VISIT standoffsystems.com/sbi CALL

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IDENTITY

By ASHLEY BRAY

R

ivers Casino & Resort in Schenectady, New York is an LEEDcertified entertainment complex with five restaurants and a spa that boasts a variety of gaming options on its 50,000-square-foot gaming floor with 1,150 slot machines, sixty-seven gaming 32

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tables, and sixteen poker tables.

It also boasts a wide assortment of signage—everything from channel letters to digital signage to monuments to ADA and wayfinding—and Nova Sign Group in New Jersey was responsible for providing every single piece of it.

“We did every sign on that site,” says Corey Kennedy, COO of Nova Sign Group. “right down to the smallest exit sign with Braille on it.”

Nova Sign Group has been around since 1982 when it was known as Delaware Valley Signs and worked on large signshop.com

cess, when only 50 percent of the site had been constructed. They bid on the subcontracted signage portion and won the job.

The sign-making

jackpot

All Photos: Christian Phillips Photography.

A sign company wins big on a large casino signage project.

franchise retail locations for clients like Burger King and Dunkin Donuts. Corey Kennedy’s father George started and owned the company, and when Corey came on board in 2006, the sign company changed to Nova Sign Group. “We’ve pivoted our business model and now we signshop.com

focus on more specialized construction projects rather than retail projects,” he says. “Instead of doing multiple locations, now we focus more on a singlelocation project.”

Nova Sign Group was brought onto the casino job pretty early on in the pro-

Design From an aesthetic perspective, the designs for the signage were already taken care of by Entro Communications and Cleo Design, the design firms responsible for the signage design and approval.

“Cleo was the interior design firm, and some of the signage within the environment that Cleo created had to meld into that,” explains Tim Stoume, project manager at Nova Sign Group.

The designs may have been in place, but the engineering and fabricating side of things hadn’t been determined.

“We got the designs from Cleo or Entro and then figured out the best way to build it, the best way to install it, how to make it work with the rest of the building, how to get it engineered, and how to get it to pass a permit,” says Stoume. “We also worked directly with the end client, Rush Street Gaming, who owns the casino, to work on certain signs that they had issues with in the past at their other properties.”

Project Management Nova Sign Group had a large, diverse group of clients to work with on this project (see sidebox on page 36), along with a large number of signs, so project management was key.

To start, the sign company hosted a messaging meeting at its shop with all the parties to go over what would be on each sign. They then prototyped every sign that would be on the site and hosted another meeting.

“We had about twenty-five people come in, all the decision makers, and everyone had to sit down and decide on what they liked—all the way from the facility manager up to the CEO of the company and the architects and designers,” says Kennedy, who explains this streamlined the decision-making process.

After the prototyping review, Nova Sign Group got started on manufacturing right away.

To keep track of the project and all of the paperwork that went with it, the shop used eSUB construction software.

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less power than other displays on the market. It utilizes Vantage’s SM Infinity™ cloud-based system to create, schedule, and manage content on the LED sign.

Flexface Banner. To the left of the digital sign is a large, flexface banner.

(Note: Nova Sign Group subbed out the printing of the banner to a third party.)

The 3M™ Panaflex™ Awning and Sign

Facing 945GPS material is housed in a 42-foot-by-9-inch-wide, 22-foot-by8-inch-tall SignComp Flat Bleed Retro Frame - Part #2104 with a Flat Bleed Retro Frame Cover - Part #2121. The banner is frontlit by an external lighting source.

Main Entrance Channel Letters.

Large channel letters spelling out “Rivers Casino” were installed on the roof

To keep tabs on all of the signs and the building and install process, they used an in-house software system. “We start off with every single sign on a site plan that’s geo-tagged,” says Kennedy, who explains that they start taking pictures on day one, even if the site is just a steel structure. “Every one of our installers carries an iPad with them on a site.”

On this iPad, the installers are able to reference any of the photos that are taken over the course of a job so they know, for example, what’s behind a wall before they cut into it. They can also pull up the design drawings, engineering drawings, final photos, and even the project manager’s notes. Once the job’s completed, they take a picture of that particular sign or site, and the pictures and any other information can be shared with people back in the office in live time so everyone is on the same page.

Exterior Signage – The Highlights Digital Sign. The Rivers Casino project called for a large digital sign outside of the front entrance. As part of the prototype meeting, Nova Sign Group called in its supplier Vantage LED, which set up a display trailer with a digital display for the client to see.

Originally the display was slated to be 12mm, but the client was swayed to go with 10mm. “Vantage had programmed in custom graphics from Rivers and from our company as well,” says Stoume. “It sold them on switching to the 10mm.”

Kennedy states moving to the 10mm was a good choice, given the display’s proximity to the public. “It really was the best move because the bottom of that screen is almost at eye level,” he says, “and even though there’s landscaping in front of it, it’s right next to the main entrance as people are coming in.”

The low-power HD Outdoor LED sign from Vantage LED uses 70 percent 34

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of the building adjacent to the entrance.

The .090-inch aluminum returns of the letters were custom bent on a brake. The acrylic faces and the 1/4-inch aluminum backings were cut out on a MultiCam APEX3R CNC router.

Gold Matthews Paint was sprayed on the returns and gold ORAFOL translucent vinyl applied to the acrylic faces.

White Matthews Paint was sprayed onto the oversized backers that serve to highlight the letters. The letters were both face-lit and reverse-lit by Bitro LEDs. To install the letters, Nova Sign Group engineered a large steel structure to carry the letters. “There’s a continuous steel tube underneath those letters,” says Kennedy. “Before any of this left the shop, we put holes in that steel tube so that we knew where the letters needed to land.”

The steel structure was needed for additional support. “That parapet that they’re sitting above isn’t structural at all and wouldn’t have been able to hold those letters,” explains Stoume.

The letters had to be placed individually by the shop’s Elliott Equipment E160 E-line truck. “It’s a substantial crane, however, our reach that we had was about 130 feet out on that crane,” says Kennedy. “At 130 feet, a crane doesn’t carry as much weight as it normally would at 30 feet, so we had to keep the weight down on each of these, and we individually set the letters.”

The shop used a second boom lift for installers while working on the install. The letters were bolted into place with structural hollow bolts into the steel tubing.

Even though the casino wasn’t open during the installation, Nova Sign Group still faced logistical and scheduling challenges when setting up and completing the installation due to the number of trades simultaneously working onsite. For one, they had to make sure their crane was placed so that there was still an access lane open for other essential site traffic.

“We have to work with every trade on a site,” says Kennedy. “You have to play nice with everybody and make sure they have continuous access. When we were over the top of the main entranceway, safety calls for not allowing people underneath the crane. So we basically had to close off the main entrance, and we were not necessarily the most popular guys onsite at that point in time.”

The sign company also had to work around the paving schedule and make sure their trucks were in and out for the installation before the finished paving was completed. “It was a logistical challenge, but ultimately it got done in time,” says Kennedy.

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Monuments. Nova Sign Group provided multiple monuments throughout the casino campus—including two large ones and ten slightly smaller directionals.

The two larger monuments mimicked the look of the building façade by using the same stone and yellow cladding.

“It was this special stone that we had to import from Turkey at the same time as

the exterior cladding company ordered theirs, because it had to match that,” explains Kennedy, who says the shop ordered extra in case anything happened during the installation (luckily everything went smoothly).

The faces of the monuments are routed aluminum with routed push-through acrylic copy. First surface 3M™ Day/

Night Film 3635-91 was applied to the copy (as well as to two signs at the entrances to the parking garage) so that the message wouldn’t get lost during the day. During the day, the copy reads black, but at night it’s backlit with warm white LEDs from Bitro.

The monuments were secured to the ground using steel posts.

Interior Signage Nova Sign Group provided various illuminated and non-illuminated ADA, wayfinding, and identity signage in the casino.

Directional hanging signs were made from aluminum and painted with custommixed Matthews Paint to match a metal veneer in the casino. A faux-wood laminate was applied to the ends of these signs.

The custom-mixed shade of Matthews Paint was also used on the returns for some of the other signs in the building such as “Poker” and “High Limit.”

Final Touches The signage portion of the Rivers Casino job took about half a year to complete, with the entire casino being completed in just a year.

Nova Sign Group went back in before the casino opened and installed additional identity and wayfinding signs management deemed necessary, like signage for the ATM and cashier sections.

Rivers Casino Project The following parties were involved in the Rivers Casino project: • Entro Communications (designer) • Cleo Design (designer) • Klai Juba Wald Architects • DMAC Architecture • Norwood-LeChase (general contractors) • Development Management Associates (building consultant) • Rush Street Gaming (owner)

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Feature Name INSTALLATION

By JEFF Author WOOTEN

Party!

Wrap

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M

A building wrap covers a big-time branding event.

signshop.com

All Photos: FASTSIGNS Internatiional.

ost exterior building wraps involve covering a wall or two in highly visible, highly strategic spots. Then there are those rare gargantuan wraps that cover the entire building from top to bottom. One sign shop recently worked on a project of this size to help an international ladder company take their tradeshow event to new heights.

The Specialty Tools & Fasteners Distributors Association (STAFDA) serves the construction/industrial market, and its annual STAFDA Convention is geared toward the hardware and installation markets. The forty-first edition of this event was held last November in Austin, Texas.

WernerCo® is a worldwide manufacturer and distributor of specially branded ladders, ladder accessories, and climbing equipment, and the STAFDA Convention is a big tradeshow for them each year. Over the past several years, they have held offpremise private parties at this event for their hardware customers, select convention attendees, and key decision makers.

For the Austin convention, they hosted a party at the Coppertank Event Center, a 100-plus-year-old brick building located in the heart of downtown Austin that had been converted into a trendy event space.

As you’ve probably heard, “everything is bigger in Texas,” and WernerCo had equally big ideas for this event: They wanted to wrap the exterior of the 12,000-square-foot building for maximum brand visibility, and in turn, offer a unique environmental experience like had never been encountered there before.

The marketing team at WernerCo reached out to FASTSIGNS in Elk Grove Village, Illinois to see if they would be able to print and install this short-term, branded vinyl

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wrap for an entire building. “We told them that we could, and as soon as we got off the phone, we immediately had to figure out exactly how we were going to do this,” chuckles Owner David Becker.

Becker has been involved with the FASTSIGNS network for fourteen years, first starting his Arlington Heights location from the ground up and consistently growing it over the years. He added ownership three-and-a-half years ago of the nearby Elk Grove Village location, recognizing he could help turn it around after a period of underperformance.

His office is located a mile away from the runways of O’Hare Airport in Chicago, and as a result, his shop has found success serving the needs of manufacturing and transportation logistics companies.

One of these companies is WernerCo. Becker’s FASTSIGNS has enjoyed a healthy working relationship with WernerCo for about a year now, after fulfilling their needs for some quick turnaround signage. “WernerCo had scheduled a sales meeting with one of their customers and realized they needed some easy decal letters to show off at this meeting very quickly,” Becker recalls. “They found us through our Google AdWords placement on the Internet and saw our proximity to them. They loved the job we turned around for them in time, and they regularly come back to us.”

Becker’s FASTSIGNS had already provided adhesive-backed vinyl coverings over glass windows for WernerCo’s private event at the prior year’s STAFDA Convention in Atlanta. For the Austin building wrap design, they had their

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brand logos covered with various colorful backgrounds for a “fixed, vibrant look.”

WernerCo provided FASTSIGNS with a photo of the Coppertank Event Center building with a mock-up of their branding concepts placed on it, showing how it would look. Becker was tasked with material selection, printing, shipping, and overseeing the installation and removal of all

the vinyl.

Becker called the owner of the Coppertank Event Center and learned some challenging news.

One of the big events held each year in Austin is the SXSW music festival, and the prior spring, a record company had painted the entire Coppertank building black and then brought in a mural artist

signshop.com

to paint a record album cover on a wall for a Foster the People release party.

“The owner told me that he didn’t care what we put on the building, but when it was removed, it couldn’t remove any paint off because he had spent $10,000 on the record mural. As soon as he told me that, I thought, ‘Well, there go half of my ideas,” laughs Becker.

signshop.com

This meant the building wrap had to be temporary and removed the day after with no damage to the historic building.

After research and calling around to other FASTSIGNS owners, Becker opted to use Photo Tex™ (OPA), a peel-andstick adhesive made of polyester fabric, since it takes thirty days to fully set up and is removable within the same year.

Soon after, WernerCo added event signage requests for such as thirty outdoor directional signs, two interior wall photo backdrops, and promotional vehicle graphics. “This project turned into more than just a building wrap; we provided a comprehensive solution,” says Becker. “We wanted to show that we can put branding on just about any surface.”

Pre-planning is key to completing large projects, but imagine the obstacles of trying to set up a job of this magnitude from 560 miles away.

Early on, Becker realized that the building dimensions provided by his contacts were for the interior only. Fortunately he didn’t have to go to Austin. “Being involved in a FASTSIGNS network, I was able to call Lucas Fernandez, the owner of the downtown location, who was kind enough to do a site survey and get us a lot of the data on the doors, windows, and other obstructions,” states Becker. “He was also able to measure the length and height of the building, which gave us a better idea on price and the total material we’d need to provide for this job.”

One of the biggest challenges for a printer is getting a client to understand the resolution needed to reproduce in grand and wide format sizes. It can get messy.

Although initial images were sent to his shop sort of inverted (75-dpi at 50 percent size instead of 200-dpi at 25 percent size, which required finagling), Becker knew the logos were going to be the money shots, so he made sure they were sent in a vector format to guarantee they would show up crisp and sharp on the building.

Becker used his two HP L360 Latex

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printers at his two locations to print all the graphics overnight. “We printed to fiftytwo inches with a one-inch overlap on 54-inch-by-100-foot rolls,” recalls Becker, noting they printed seven rolls and shipped them separately in boxes clearly marked with where they were to be installed.

Becker says that this was one of the most complex installation projects his shop had ever done. “Wrapping a building is not something I do every day,” he says.

Fernandez pointed Becker to Archer Sign Installation, who had prior experience wrapping buildings. Becker and two of his installers flew down and teamed up with the three-person Archer Sign Installation team to apply the building wraps with knives, squeegees, tapes, etc., via ladders and rented scissor lifts.

Each team started at opposite corners of the building and wrapped until they met. About 3,100 square feet of Photo Tex was used for the exterior, and it took two ten-hour workdays to finish.

The thirty arrow-shaped concrete sidewalk graphics directing people from the hotels and convention center to the venue were printed and die-cut onto AlumiGraphics aluminum-based foil decal print media coated with AlumiGrip®.

The two backdrops for the interior wall mural were printed onto 3M IJ35C vinyl, while the two logo-branded trucks (brought in by two local dealers) were covered with 3M IJ-180 vinyl.

All the event signage was removed the morning following the party. The main wrap came down in less than two hours with no damage to the building. The concrete graphics were easy to remove thanks to their short-term use.

Becker now has even more confidence in managing large projects remotely, and this project has further deepened his relationship with WernerCo.

Watch a video of the visual communications solutions provided here: http://bit.ly/2BKiHzh Watch a time lapse video of the building wrap installation here: http://bit.ly/2l6tjCy

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Feature WIDE FORMAT Name

By DAN Author JOHANSEN

Endless How wide format continues its hot streak each year.

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W

hen I got started in wide format printing back in 1994, there were only a couple of real options for high-resolution color inkjet.

As a former employees of Iris, some colleagues and I built a business around using the company’s inkjet printers for everything other than what they were designed for. We took these Iris printers,

which were meant to be proofing devices for commercial printers and service bureaus (remember those?), and ran wild.

Posters, signage, backlits, photography, and art reproduction were all part of our business, and we were liberated by the sheer diversity of what we could print on, the color, and the quality.

At the time, other companies were also beginning to push the boundaries signshop.com

All Photos: Dimensional Innovations.

possibilities

of inkjet, dye sublimation, and electrostatic printing into new markets where on-demand, short-run large format created endless opportunities for what we’ve called “pay for print” for the past two decades. It was amazing. Imagine a printer that could make a full-color, 30-by-40-inch print in just one hour!

Fast forward twenty-four years, and we’re still talking about the evolution of wide format inkjet and the boundaries it continues to break, creating opportunities for marketers and manufacturers to see virtually every surface as an art board. It’s also allowed the printers and sign shops that support them to supply the product, knowledge, and expertise to help them realize their vision.

For the most part, it’s not really the equipment or software companies that are breaking new ground. It’s the buyers of wide format printing who continue to ask the questions, “how can I make this, do this, sell this, brand this, customize this?”

These are not just traditional print buyers. They are manufacturers of custom furniture looking to create the next oneof-a-kind table. They are custom clothiers who want to digitize textile production to make on-demand wearable products.

They are large e-tailers who strive to offer customizable everything to a mass market.

And yes, they are also print buyers who continue to leverage wide format products to market, promote, message, and brand.

I love going to tradeshows and meeting entrepreneurs who ask those same exciting questions we heard back when everything Bryan Adams did, he did it for you.

“Can this printer print on _____?”

So who’s buying wide format today and where do we see the demand going?

In a recent survey by Keypoint Intelligence, the top industries purchasing wide format products are: • Retailers • Advertising • Education • Real Estate • Construction • Restaurant/Food Service • Manufacturing There’s a correlation between being among these top industries and how that industry supports both wide format printers and sign companies. That corre48

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lation also explains why the line between the two continues to blur.

Many wide format-enabled printers are doing more sign-specific work than in the past, in part because their customers are asking for it but also because it tends to offer greater margins than more commoditized products (like higher volume P-O-P display work).

On the other side, sign companies are seeing similar diversification, as their clients are asking them to do more, even if that includes smaller format, sheet-fed

the lines between what is printable and what isn’t are blurring. work. The driving motivation is growing customer wallet share and attracting new customers. Portfolio expansion is key to achieving both.

Another area contributing to this ongoing evolution is growth among market segments whose spend in wide format is increasing. For example, healthcare, construction, education, and real estate are industries that are buying more wide format printing, while other, traditional buyers of wide format, such as restaurants and food service, manufacturing,

and architectural/engineering businesses are buying less, especially as products are being brought in-house or moving to alternate technologies such as digital signage.

Today we’re seeing options for wide format printing and finishing products that create entry points across the spectrum for businesses of all types and sizes.

Opportunities for growth exist in broad market products (like banners, vehicle graphics, and soft signage) and more diversified applications (like wallpaper and interior vinyls, garment printing, décor, or furniture manufacturing).

These applications are being driven by customer imagination—and, in response— amazing diversity in inks and substrates.

As I mentioned, we’re seeing lines blur between what’s printable and what isn’t. There are products on the market, or in development, that allow for infinite possibilities in product customization and manufacturing in ways we couldn’t have imagined years ago.

While the market has changed significantly, let’s face it, it’s still printing, and the same basic principles apply.

Customers have images and messages they want to convey. They have brands they want to promote and protect. They want to help us get where we’re going.

And maybe along the way, printers and sign makers can have some fun asking, “I wonder if I can print on _____?”

Dan Johansen is marketing manager, Wide Format Solutions, Commercial & Industrial Printing Business Group, at Ricoh USA, Inc.

signshop.com

Feature Name gRAPHICS

By JEFF Author WOOTEN

Just Like

Paradise W

e needed to turn a place that had the life sucked out of it into something fun.”

That was the reaction General Manager Jerame Jones had when he took over the Leith Volkswagen dealership in Raleigh, North Carolina. He found the interior and exterior of the building to be very sterile with its plain white walls.

Jones also noticed that employees were just going through the motions, resulting in stagnant sales. “[The place] had no energy, no culture, [and] no vibe,” he says.

Jones had been very successful with rebranding at other Leith Automotive dealerships he had managed, and he 50

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quickly knew this location needed a fun, colorful visual rebranding.

For this Volkswagen makeover, Jones turned to local SpeedPro Imaging of Apex, NC Owner Mark Simmons for ideas. His studio began a working relationship on multiple projects with Leith Automotive about a month after Simmons opened his doors eighteen months ago.

Harkening back to the beach culture image Volkswagen had cultivated in advertising during the 1960s and 1970s, Jones wanted to recapture that magic and use a Polynesian island vibe to enhance the dealership both outside and inside.

Larger-than-life, floor-to-ceiling color-

ful hibiscus flowers, Tikis, and surf boards, wrap the building’s exterior windows creating a fun, unique atmosphere that fits right in with the VW brand and attracts drivers’ attention. Meanwhile a large beach scene wall mural continues the theme inside and brightens the mood of both employees and customers.

This project is an example of one of the hottest trends today in commercial interiors— Experiential Graphic Design (EGD), which connects people to a place or brand by creating memorable experiences through graphic design applications; in turn, it improves the consumer experience and boosts employee morale. signshop.com

Photo: (Top) Dave Forrest; (Right) SpeedPro Imaging-Apex, NC.

Colorful graphics help an auto dealer soak in the island life.

Businesses are now turning to printing companies to help visually enhance their environment with EGD solutions.

Simmons had worked as a long-term retail executive yet yearned to get involved in the sign industry. He feels his background provided a perfect fit for operating his SpeedPro Imaging studio and satisfying the needs of his clients. “I had experience in both operations and sales and have always had an eye for detail,” he says.

Simmons says that his shop is able to take clients’ ideas and, in a relatively short period of time, convert them into a great solution. He is able to do so with three employees in defined roles for producsignshop.com

tion, design, and inside sales. “However, being a smaller operation, everyone wears a lot of hats and jumps in and helps out whenever they can,” he says, noting that he manages outside sales relationships and keeps an eye on overall operations.

The project for this particular Leith Volkswagen dealership in Raleigh was the most extensive inside-outside job that his shop had ever done.

Simmons sat down with Jones and explained to him how his studio’s printing technology could bring the building to life.

A majority of the front of the building is glass windows. The upper portion of the glass panels feature strategically placed large format cut-vinyl hibiscus flowers, while the lower portion hosts a full see-through perforated wrap adorned with Tikis and Hawaiian flowers.

The reason for this two-part glass solution is actually two-fold. “The sales associates work at an open desk area inside the dealership, and direct sunlight shining through all that front glass was causing a lot of glare for them in the daytime,” says Simmons. “So not only did they want visual appeal for the outside, but they also wanted to block out the sun.”

A site survey proved critical for these eyecatching graphics. Simmons had to measure not only the dimensions of the building itself, but also how far back it sat from the busy thoroughfare. “We pieced everything based on the layout of the windows to make sure it all flowed correctly,” says Simmons.

“We went through three or four variations of how it fit on the glass up front before we decided on the final design.”

The 30-by-6-foot interior wall mural features a beach scene put together with surfers and other island-inspired images.

Since these interior images were photographic (whereas the outside was vector), design time was pretty extensive.

“We had to blend together different photographic images to create this mural and make sure they were large enough and crystal-clear enough so they wouldn’t pixelate when we printed them out. Photoshop® helped us here,” says Simmons.

Simmons used 3M 40-C laminated gloss for the outside graphics and the interior wall mural. “It’s low-tack, so if it has to be removed, it won’t damage the substrate behind it,” he says. “The 40-C

applied really well to the aluminum wall panels. We put a gloss laminate on it instead of our typical matte because they wanted the colors to be really vibrant.”

SpeedPro Imaging of Apex, NC used their HP Latex 560 to print out all the vertically oriented panels and cut graphics.

Using a boom lift, the installation took two days. Since the install took place during a very hot time of the summer, Simmons and his crew avoided blazing hot glass and installed the outside graphics in the evening, after the sun had peaked.

For the interior, they cordoned off the wall mural installation area and worked during daytime hours on the boom lift.

Enthusiastic reaction to this rebrand has carried over into additional Polynesian-themed work provided by SpeedPro Imaging of Apex, NC to Leith Volkswagen—partial vinyl wraps featuring similar iconography for loaner cars, printed sweatshirts, and custom nametags.

Since this large format rebranding, employee morale at this Volkswagen dealership has risen, and car sales are up by 30 percent. “They now have beach music playing inside the dealership, which they didn’t have before,” says Simmons. “And they have these nice, colorful graphics to put employees—and customers—in a better mood.”

From printable wallpaper-type materials to window graphics to building wraps, the opportunities are endless in the field of EGD. “Impact graphics are popular with architecture firms, interior designers, large commercial projects, and interior offices,” says Simmons, noting that he’s working on a similar experiential branding project for a large dental firm. “It’s different than the average décor you’d find in an office.”

March 2018

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EMC

By LORI SHRIDHARE

Putting faith in an LED signage replacement .

The Message is

Z

oning laws didn’t stop one church from installing brandnew LED signage on its grounds.

Replacing a set of 30mm red monochrome digital signs with new fullcolor LED displays for a baptist church proved to be a rewarding, yet challenging job for Southern Sign Systems, Inc. (southernsignsusa.com), a full-service sign company located in Marietta, Georgia.

The First Baptist Church in Woodstock, Georgia had been using these two 52

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monochrome signs for quite a while, but when these started to fail, this prompted members to begin searching for fullcolor replacements that would adhere to the local zoning restrictions.

“Since the time the original signs were installed, the local sign code had changed [in regard to EMC displays]. Fortunately, the First Baptist Church sign size was grandfathered,” says Kimberly Dumett, co-owner of Southern Sign Systems, Inc. “But the new installation had to be exactly

the same size as the signs it replaced.”

A parishioner with an electrical engineering background had researched Watchfire LED signs and also discussed with other sign owners their experience using these electronic message centers.

After contacting them about displays and seeing what was offered, First Baptist Church officials decided on two full-color 15mm 3-by-17-11/12-foot Watchfire units. What made these attractive is that Watchfire is able to match both the color signshop.com

Photo: Watchfire Signs.

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and brightness of the neighboring panels.

In addition to the failing electronic panels, the church also figured it was an ideal time for an update, since they had grown frustrated by the types of graphics that could be displayed on these monochrome units.

An attractive selling point for them was that the Watchfire signs come with software that is pre-loaded with thousands of images and even allows them to use their own designs. Now instead of having to use dial-up connections to update their display content, they can schedule messages from their mobile phones and receive alerts if anything happens.

“First Baptist Church has a large graphics library of its own and was able to incorporate them into Watchfire’s Ignite software,” says Dumett, noting that the full-color graphics and messages about their services and events the church has been uploading to the displays has played a role in its increased membership.

Another plus for Southern Signs is Watchfire’s true pixel pitch product, which was especially important with this project since zoning laws in the city require the images to be still, not animated.

“The problems that arise with virtual pixel pitch or pixel sharing can be obscured when the display images are moving. But in this case, true pixel pitch was a better choice because we are working with still images on the display,” she says.

In addition to producing the electronic message center for the church, Watchfire designed a customized cabinet featuring an additional height of five inches and an extra width of three inches to meet the specs of the original sign and adhere to city code, so the sign company did not have to do a lot of extra fabrication.

“They recreated the cabinet size...so that it could go in as a replacement part under the maintenance clause,” says Dumett.

The removal of the original signs and the installation of the new electronic message centers was fairly straight-forward, but Dumett does say that the biggest challenge was having to move these cabinet pieces around due to their heavy weight.

Two lift trucks were needed to move the old and new display cabinets. “It didn’t turn out to be that much of an issue because we weren’t putting these units that high up in the air,” says Dumett. “They were so low to the ground that we were able to use the lifts to guide them into place.” signshop.com

Feature Name HDU

By TAI Author FRELIGH

FAUX T

here’s something nostalgic about a wood sign. So it really should not be surprising that people want to have signs that appear to be made out of wood but without the drawbacks—rotting, warping, or deteriorating.

Brian Quinter of Quint Creative Signs (quintcreative.com) in Piqua, Ohio has created hundreds of fauxwood grain textured signs from Precision Board HDU so it’s become almost second nature. His shop has even given them names for it—“Basic Wood

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Grain Texture” and “Super Realistic Wood Grain.”

Quint Creative Signs creates one-ofa-kind signs that will help set any type of business or organization apart from others. I talked to Brian about some of his recent projects and the tips and tricks he uses for making faux-wood signs from HDU blanks.

Quinter first started making faux wood signs seven years ago that looked like sandblasted wood signs. That changed when a job came to him about four years ago for The Barrel House, a

beer house in Dayton, Ohio.

The Barrel House owners wanted something that looked like an old sign that may have been found in a barn with deep wood grain and a natural wood finish. That was when Quinter started making his Super Realistic Wood Grain textured signs.

That Traditional Fake Wood Look To achieve their Super Realistic Wood Grain, Quinter uses Vectric Aspire. He creates 3D components from two different bitmaps of wood grain. signshop.com

All Photos: Quint Creative Signs.

WOOD

The art of making fauxwood from HDU.

Quinter often finds a texture first on the Internet and uses it to create a 3D Component. The second he creates using CorelDRAW, which he converts to a bitmap and edits in Corel Photopaint.

He uses an Eye Candy plugin from Alien Skin Software to make his grains look how he wants and then creates a 3D Component. Quinter then bakes both textures together as one 3D component and finishes the design in Vectric Aspire.

Quinter produces all his faux-wood signs on his AXYZ Z7 CNC router. signshop.com

“At one of the first tradeshows I went to years ago, I saw a CNC router in action, and that got me interested in three-dimensional signs,” says Quinter, recalling why he uses this machine for his dimensional sign work. “However I couldn’t get into CNC right away because of the expense.

“So I did as much as I could, at the time, with hand-routers and jigsaws to cut out my own 3D lettering and 3D elements.”

Seven years ago, Quinter received a low-interest rate grant from the city designated to help business growth. He

purchased his first CNC router, and the rest was history.

“I don’t do any sandblasting,” he says, “just exclusively a CNC router.”

He uses a 3D Finishing toolpath for his faux-wood HDU work.

“I usually include elements like knots and often bring the texture and faux painting onto the framing of the sign. I find having some machining lines help make it look even more like wood when we do the glazing after we paint it,” said Quinter. “We typically use a 0.25 bullnose bit for all my wood grain and March 2018

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57

Faux-wood hdu signs provide a classy, traditional look and are popular with markets desiring a higher-end presentation. knots, unless it’s a smaller sign, where I’ll then use a 0.175 router bit.

“I do basic textures using Aspire’s Texturing Toolpath tool, but I like to do Full 3D wood grain for the higherend signs.”

Quinter uses Sherwin-Williams weathered industrial paints and Nova Paints for his faux-wood projects.

He typically primes and paints the surface, preferring not to add a clear coat or face coat. The big challenge is, if

you’re trying to mimic a certain type of wood, finding the right colors at a paint store or through a paint vendor.

“If we’re doing a solid painted background, it’s pretty straightforward when it comes to color choice. Some-

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what I’m going to get. If I hit a knot, it can mess me up,” he says. “I can deliver what I’m designing without worrying about problems during fabrication and my client gets what they have been shown in a proof.”

times you have to pick the right colors so the contrast works,” he says. “But with Super Realistic Wood Grain, there are several steps, and you have to be aware of what the colors are going to look like when you start making glazes

out of all of them.”

Quinter says that he prefers HDU blanks over actual wood because he can control what he makes.

“If I’m using wood and trying to expose the natural grain, I don’t know

Faux-Wood Hits the Links The Hawk’s Nest golf course in Creston, Ohio is Quinter’s most recent faux-wood project.

The property’s owners wanted a rustic appearance for their sign, which is why they went faux-wood instead of flat plastic or aluminum.

Quinter’s shop fabricated this sign using PBLT-15 that was 1.5 inches thick for the background. The letters were also made out of PBLT-15 and were 1.5 inches thick.

Nova Color paints and glazes were used for the entire project, including the metallic silver and gold.

Quinter used convex letters to give the sign some highlights and shadows.

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“There are a lot of little touches that help bring it together that may not be noticed by the normal person,” says Quinter. “If you look at the letters, the sides are painted black, and the front is painted the main color for the letter.”

Getting Started on Your Own Fortunately Quinter has some advice for those just starting out with fauxwood signs.

“The hardest thing is color choice when you start painting it,” he says.

“Some of that is experimental to achieve the wood look.

“Prime it. Give it a base coat with a mustardy color. Glaze it and then wipe it off to give it highlights. Start with lighter and work to darker colors. Textures also help when glazing and leaving some of the darker colors of paint set in the texture.”

Quint Creative just recently completed another faux-wood project for the local park system.

“We just replaced some sandblasted wood signs for Tipp City Parks that were faded and deteriorating and used Precision Board HDU made to look like wood,” says Quinter. “They came to me first asking if I could repaint them. But by the time it would take to clean them off enough to repaint them, I convinced them that it wouldn’t have cost that much more to do a new sign in HDU.” The project involved mimicking the original design of a sandblasted cedar redwood sign, which meant going with a basic woodgrain for the background.

“We’ve done three signs for these parks so far,” says Quinter, “and we are supposed to do four or five more of them this year and more over the coming years, according to their budget.”

Attaching letters and decorative ornamentals to these signs varies on application. The letters for the Hawks Nest and Barrel House were applied directly to the face using silicone.

“Sometimes, if we have access to the

backs of the signs, we’ll just do a stud and bolt it on the inside, since HDU is so light.”

Quinter notes that faux-wood HDU signs provide a classy, traditional look, so they are popular with markets desiring a higher-end presentation. The funeral home industry is one, in particular, that he has noticed.

“Appearance is a big thing with funeral homes,” he says. “As soon as one goes up there, their competitor down the road is asking us about doing a faux-wood sign for them.”

Attorneys are also attracted to these types of signs. “Faux-wood helps them achieve the high-end look they need to be able to get clients,” says Quinter.

Tai Freligh is marketing associate at Coastal Enterprises. Portions of this article first appeared on their blog at precisionboard.com. Some additional reporting for this piece was provided by Jeff Wooten.

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Feature Name WAYFINDING

By JEFF Author WOOTEN

HELP IS ON THE

WAY(FI

I

A trail marker installation helps emergency first responders.

n June of 2015, a man fainted along the extensive 1.14-mile woods-surrounded walking trail path at Cold Spring Harbor State Park in New York.

His wife called 911 for help, however, she had no way of telling dispatchers exactly where they were located. After a time-consuming search by emergency responders, the couple was eventually found and the husband transported to a nearby hospital.

Suffolk County Police Officer James Garside is also an Advanced Emergency 64

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March 2018

Medical Technician who regularly patrols the area, and to him, this near-miss incident set off an internal alarm that something needed to be done to better help emergency response teams quickly locate injured hikers along this rough terrain path.

His idea: Highly visible trail markers identifying hikers’ locations.

After receiving permission from his superiors to proceed, Garside contacted George Gorman, deputy regional director of the New York State Office of

Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservations (NSOPRHP), who assigned Leonard Krauss, facilities manager for Cold Spring Harbor State Park (along with two other parks in the area), to make these trail markers a reality. (Note: Krauss was also in charge of hiring the sign shops to make these signs.)

Garside and Krauss collaborated to try and decide on the information that would work best to display on the markers. Garside suggested that the signs avoid a cluttered layout; he explained signshop.com

Photo (Trailhead Info Panel): NSOPRHP.

ND) that their appearance should be simple and clean and tell someone exactly where they are on the trail.

The fifteen identification markers that are used along the Cold Spring Harbor State Park trail path are actually two components—(1.) an upper circular piece provided by forestry supplier Ben Meadows featuring silver arrows pointing up and placed over a yellow background, and (2.) 3-1/2-by-5-inch aluminum trail marker panels overseen and produced by Dawn Tiritter-Bent, president of Signarama in Huntington Station, New York.

Signarama printed the panels out onto signshop.com

3M vinyl, adhered it to the aluminum, and applied a UV overlaminate.

These white background panels feature the official branding image of the New York State (NYS) Parks and the “Cold Spring Harbor State Park” name in green text, the larger trail marker number in bright yellow, and information about the emergency contact numbers in red fonts.

The initial design called for only the park police’s seven-digit number to be included on the trail maker panel, but Garside persevered that the 911 phone number should also be included on them.

“Technically it is the NYS Park Police’s jurisdiction, so their seven-digit number was going to be posted on the sign; but 911 is a universally recognized number,” he says. “With the Suffolk County Police Enhanced 911 System, even if you’re not able to speak to us, using a three cell tower triangulation, we can still find out your latitude and longitude.”

There were a lot of questions that Garside and Krauss had to answer during the initial stages of this project about how these trail marker panels would be presented along the path. For example, what materials to use for these trail markers—metal, plastic, or reflective 3M™ Scotchlite™?

Signarama made the trail markers out of .040-inch aluminum plate for both economic and durability reasons. Sixty trail marker signs were created (four for each of the fifteen trail marker numbers) to account for possible vandalism or theft.

Placement of the markers also had to be considered. Would they be located on a post, a concrete monument, or on the existing trees? In the end, the budget dictated their application to the trees.

The markers feature four 3/16-inchdiameter holes and were attached to the bark on two sides of each tree via 1.5inch stainless steel nails. However park conservation ideals also played a role in their installation. “We were careful to avoid hammering the nails in all the way into the bark, so as to allow continued healthy growth of the tree,” says Krauss.

The trail markers are numbered sequentially from 101 to 115 in a brightyellow font. Officer Garside’s initial suggestion was to place ten markers along

the trail at 1/10-mile increments, so that the marker not only defined the location but the distance as well. But NYS Parks plotted fifteen instead.

“With the additional five markers, a hiker is never far from spotting one,” says Garside. “There are a lot of lightbrown to medium-brown oak trees in the area, so the bright yellow numbers on the markers really make them stand out on the trail.”

Meanwhile the NSOPRHP had hired a GIS unit to come in and provide GPS mapping and longitude/latitude coordinates for the markers. “They also provided us with the appropriate spacing of the trail markers along the path,” says Krauss. “We worked with them as far as the multiple overlays and points where identification was necessary.”

The Cold Spring Harbor Fire Department then did a walk-through, identifying the best points of access for each marker (the north end, the south end, or even cutting through people’s adjoining property) to move the sick or injured person from the trail to the ambulance.

“We know the latitude and longitude of all the trail marker signs,” says Garside.

“This is particularly important for those who become sick or injured and are not on the trail. With Enhanced 911, we can see they are close to whatever trail marker is nearby and then start from there and work in that area trying to find them.”

In addition, the NYS Parks organization also took this new trail marker instal-

The trailer marker signs save first responders Critical minutes, even seconds, which plays a significant part in saving lives.

March 2018

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65

lation opportunity to update an existing kiosk located at the park. They agreed to print out and install a 36-by-54-inch double-sided trailhead information panel that would be beneficial to both emergency service personnel and hikers.

The map features area ecology provided by the state’s Regional Environmental Department, identifies property lines and large structures along the trail path, and provides coordinates for the new markers. “Once all the information was

compiled onto a single map, NYS Parks then internally shared it with New York State Park Police, Suffolk County Police, and other emergency service entities that could be involved in responding to aided calls at the park for their input,” says Krauss.

A QR code is also printed near the top of the map. The barcode can be scanned, allowing users to download and then view the trailhead map on their personal electronic devices.

Due to prior work relationships on other sign projects for his parks, Krauss hired Fossil Graphics of Deer Park, New York to make this sign from phenolic resin. “We wanted a product that could be exposed to the elements over a long period of time and not be affected,” he says.

Accompanying 11-by-17-inch laminated maps of the trailhead were placed inside each of the fire department’s vehicles. “The fire department was even able to have the trail map added to their

Photo (Officer James Garside): Long Islander News.

sales@cabsignsinc.com • www.cabsignsinc.com

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SIGNAGE Head to our Marketplace Section in the back of the book Need materials, equipment, or to outsource a process? The SBI Marketplace Section offers product and service solutions for all types of sign shops. Start your search for new signage solutions with Sign Builder Illustrated.

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the GPS location.”

Garside stresses that the mapping of the trail markers proved to be an integral

ESRI Explorer smartphones application,” says Garside. “Pressing a yellow trail marker on the screen will tell you

part of this project. “Perhaps sign companies will consider this when installing signs in a similar situation—to either provide this service or outsource to another company,” says Garside. “The trail marker map was able to be shared on simple laminated maps, a smartphone application, as well as a mobile data terminal.”

While there have been several emergency calls made using the trail markers to report the location, the most critical call came on October 15, 2017 when a forty-seven-year-old man experienced a heart attack halfway along the trail. Unlike the June 2015 call, Garside and the Cold Spring Harbor Fire Department knew exactly where he was located and used a predetermined point-of-entry to the trail to be at his side within minutes of the call.

“There is little doubt how important these signs are. Critical minutes, even seconds, were saved and that played a significant part in saving this man’s life,” says Garside.

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Materials

Expertise

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Photos: (left) Long Islander News; (right, ESRI Explorer app) NSOPRHP.

Find Freedom in Functionality

Displays

By Various

An exterior LED display enhances a very unique restaurant venue.

Great Serving Up a

Photo: Hilton Displays.

Customer Experience

A

restaurant’s brand is no longer only about food. According to a recent Deloitte study titled “Through Guests’ Eyes,” restaurant companies that are able to pull ahead of the pack are the ones that have committed to innovation in customer experience—changes that go beyond signshop.com

good service and focus on establishing connections with guests.

The creators of FR8yard had all of this in mind when they looked at a 1/3acre parcel of land located between two buildings in downtown Spartanburg, South Carolina, which had sat vacant for decades.

Spartanburg-based Johnson Development Associates and Hub City Hospitality Group saw the land’s potential. They knew that, to attract patrons, they needed a unique concept that would create an exciting customer experience.

Similar to establishments like Dallas’ Truck Yard and the backyard of ChicaMarch 2018

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Photo: Hilton Displays.

go’s Parson’s Chicken and Fish, they envisioned an entirely outdoor restaurant, a first in the Carolinas.

The budding concept—part beer garden, part family tailgate—garners a near cult-like following at the previously mentioned establishments.

Retaining McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture, the team created FR8yard, a vibrant beer garden with ample outdoor seating, delicious cuisine, and live music. The name FR8yard gives a nod to Spartanburg’s history as a major railroad hub.

FR8yard’s menu consists of a variety of house-made sausages, street meats, pretzels, loaded fries, salads, hummus, and more, along with a selection of craft and canned beer, wine, and housemade tapped cocktails.

The new, cash-free hybrid outdoor eatery and entertainment venue, made up of re-purposed shipping containers that have been connected and turned into a full commercial kitchen and bar as well as restroom areas, opened this past December.

FR8yard has a variety of seating areas, including tables with benches, wooden drinking rails, and “rooftop” seating above the shipping containers.

Patrons can order drinks and food from within the old shipping containers while playing bocce ball, hanging out by the fire pit, or watching sports on a massive LED digital screen.

Initially the plan was to have a giant projection screen to show sporting events and movies. However Hub City Hospitality Group Partner Richard Heatly said they instead decided on a large LED digital screen after commercial display systems integrator Hilton Displays of Greenville, South Carolina counseled them that this technology would better meet all of the venue’s needs.

“We wanted something that would enable us to show big-time events outside during the day, as well as in the evening,” said Heatly. “Whether it’s sports or other types of live entertainment, we’ll be able to show it.”

Hilton Displays turned to its longtime display partner California-based Optec Displays, Inc., to find just the

Photo: Steve Fincher Photography.

right solution. “The company is innovative in solving unique installation challenges,” said Hilton Displays Director of Sales Scott Andrews.

The 16-by-10-foot, 6.667mm pitch INFINITY-SMD™ LED display can be seen from a 160-degree horizontal viewing angle, which is important for this outdoor venue.

And because much of the programming featured on it will be sporting events, the INFINITY-SMD’s 60fps and fast refresh rate provide smooth video playback, as if the viewers were watching on a stadium’s Jumbotron.

The exterior display has weatherproof features, including water-proof modules that are certified IP65/IP54, making it resistant to harsh external elements like rain, strong winds, dust, and direct sun.

Optec Displays’ software is used to set up the video scaler that then pushes content to the LED display. The software also offers on-demand brightness timing, which allows the LED display to adjust its brightness based on the exterior light.

What will make FR8yard successful will be the energy generated in an open-air venue with high-quality food, beverages and unique recreation components, such as the large-scale LED digital display.

“To our knowledge, this is one of the first container constructions for hospitality in South Carolina, and certainly in Spartanburg,” said Eric Holman, a partner of Hub City Hospitality. “It’s really a family-friendly, dog-friendly social hub.”

By installing this anti-glare, antireflective dynamic display, a unique venue becomes an even more vibrant and high-tech atmosphere that is quickly turning into a popular community gathering place.

FR8yard patrons may watch college football and basketball games, premier sporting events (such as the Kentucky Derby®), or unique entertainment programming (like the Academy Awards®).

This large outdoor LED display provides the perfect viewing opportunity for accommodating the venue’s 350-guest capacity. signshop.com

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

InfoDirect #

COMPANY PAGE InfoDirect #

COMPANY PAGE

1

3M Commercial Solutions. . . . . . . . . . 45

43

Orbus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

2

4over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C3

44

Orbus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 Ornamental Post Panel & Traffic. . . . 74

3

Alpina Manufacturing . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

45

4

Biesse. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

46

Principal LED. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

5

Brooklyn Hardware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

47

Safety Speed Mfg. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

6

Budget Inks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

48

SDS/AdamsTech. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 ShopBot Tools. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

7

CAB Signs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

49

8

Canon Solutions America Inc. . . . . . . 21

50

shopVox. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

9

CBI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

51

Sign America Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

10

Chemical Concepts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

52

Signs365.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C4

11

Christian Phillips Photograpy. . . . . . . 74

53

Sinalite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

12

Coastal Enterprises/Precision Board. . 75

54

Southern Stud Weld. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

13

DUNA-USA Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

55

Stamm Manufacturing . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

14

Duxbury Systems Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

56

Stamm Manufacturing. . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

15

Echod Graphics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

56

Stimpson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

16

Elliott Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

58

Techno CNC Systems. . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

17

FASI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

59

TRC Electronics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

18

FASTENation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

60

Trotec Lasers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

19

FASTSIGNS International . . . . . . . . . . 34

61

USSCF. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

20

FASTSIGNS International. . . . . . . . . . . 35

62

Vantage LED. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

21

G2G Lighting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

63

Vantage LED. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

22

Gemini Duets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

64

Wilkie Mfg. LLC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

23

Gemini Letters & Logos. . . . . . . . . . . . 37

65

YJ Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

24

Gravotech Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

25

Gyford Productions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

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COMPANIES IN SIGN SHOW

26

J. Freeman Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

66

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

27

JDS Industries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C2

67

Altec. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

28

Johnson Plastics Plus . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

68

Avery Dennison. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

29

Keystone Technologies . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

69

CIT Direct Capital. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

30

Lidco. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

70

Epson America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

31

LIGHTFAIR International . . . . . . . . . . . 61

71

Fisher Textiles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

32

LMT Onsrud. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

72

Gemini Letters & Logos. . . . . . . . . . . . 22

33

Magnum Magnetics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

73

HP. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

34

Magnum Magnetics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

74

Kett Tool. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

35

Manitex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

75

Kornit Digital. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

36

Marabu North America. . . . . . . . . . . 44

76

LexJet. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

37

Massivit 3D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

77

Massivit 3D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

38

Master Magnetics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

78

Rowmark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

39

MultiCam Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

79

SA International. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

40

Nova Polymers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

80

Summa America. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

41

ORAFOL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

81

Sunbrella. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

42

ORAFOL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

82

Top Value Fabrics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

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March 2018

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75

Shop Talk

By DAVID HICKEY, ISA VICE PRESIDENT, GOV’T. AFFAIRS, ISA

Climbing Capitol Hill

Keeping up with federal regulations.

I

t has never been more challenging to keep up with codes and regulations throughout all levels of government.

At the local level, communities across the United States are changing their sign codes to become compliant with the 2015 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Reed v. the Town of Gilbert, which prohibits content-based restrictions.

Sign, graphics, and visual communications companies may hear about these ordinances through local media or through relationships with community officials. In the worst instances, they hear about code changes when a permit is denied.

But keeping up with what’s happening in Washington, D.C., is another matter altogether. Many federal laws and regulations don’t always make the national news. So, it can be challenging to stay on top of them.

At the federal level, there are a num-

ber of both new and upcoming regulations that our industry should be concerned about.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently changed rules on silica dust on the job, which could impact sign installers working on construction sites.

And OSHA’s often-delayed crane operator certification requirement is still on tap to take effect this coming November.

Add in state licensing requirements in many areas and there just isn’t enough time to stay ahead of the curve.

That’s one reason why the International Sign Association has expanded the resources it offers to help keep the industry aware of and educated on these issues.

Just recently, ISA hosted a Webinar on medical marijuana and the way that company policies may conflict with state disability laws.

Sign Builder Illustrated (Print ISSN 895-0555, Digital ISSN 2161-4709) (USPS#0015805) (Canada Post Cust. #7204564; Agreement #40612608; IMEX Po Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B2, Canada) is published monthly by Simmons-Boardman Publ. Corp, 55 Broad St. 26th Floor, New York, NY 10004. Printed in the U.S.A. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY and Additional mailing offices.

Prices are subject to change.

Pricing, Qualified individual working in the sign industry may request a free subscription. Non-qualified subscriptions Print version, Digital version, Both Print & Digital versions: 1 year US/Canada/Mexico $50.00; foreign $99.00.

Single Copies are $15.00 ea. Subscriptions must be paid for in U.S. funds only.

For Subscriptions, & address changes, Please call (800) 895-4389, (847) 7639686, Fax (847) 763-9544, e-mail signbuilder@Omeda.com, or write to: Sign Builder Illustrated, Simmons-Boardman Publ. Corp, PO Box 3135, Northbrook, IL 60062-3135.

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COPYRIGHT © Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corporation 2018. All rights reserved. Contents may not be reproduced without permission. For reprint information, contact: Arthur Sutley, Publisher (212) 620-7247 or asutley@sbpub.com

The association also brought in OSHA representatives for a webinar on the silica rule, designed to help companies comply—and avoid hefty penalties for violations.

Meanwhile ISA’s advocacy team also hosted a Sign Code Town Hall, allowing participants to ask questions of sign code experts. All three of those webinars were recorded and are now available to view at signs.org/webinars.

Crane operator certification in particular has proven to be a constantly moving target. It was delayed so many times that it would be easy for a sign shop to dismiss it taking effect this year.

That said, bookmark signs.org/cranes, which is updated as new information becomes available. If the regulation does take effect as expected on November 10, companies out of compliance could face significant fines.

I know it can be hard to stay on top of regulations when you have businesses to run, new projects to bid, and employees to bring on board. But failing to do so can be costly, especially if regulations are ignored and fines are then levied.

The ISA is here to help your business on these issues so that you can focus on what’s important—protecting and growing your bottom line.

At the federal level, there are a number of new and upcoming regulations that our industry should be concerned about.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Sign Builder Illustrated, PO Box 3135, Northbrook , IL 60062-3135.

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

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Photo: Shutterstock/ David Evison.

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