Sign Builder June 2022

THE HOW-TO MAGAZINE

J U N E 2022 | S I G N S H O P.CO M

SIGN BUILDER

ILLUSTRATED

SURVEY RESULTS:

CORPORATE CLIENT SIGNAGE

PRINT GRAPHICS:

WHAT ATTRACTS GEN Z?

Your EMC Vendor We

We

We

This is where our true end-to-end process starts. From the longevity of our EMC’s to the innovation of our software, the ThinkSIGN standard of excellence flows from designing with every detail in mind.

For us, it’s first-party everything and superior sourcing which means a level of control second to none. With boots on the ground to select all our materials and produce all our components, we leave nothing to chance.

Forget call centers. Our support technicians are in-house engineers.

Whether it’s a live demo, technical support, or field assistance, ThinkSIGN service is an unbeatable value to our partners and their bottom lines.

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Support

CONTENTS JUNE 2022

HOW-TO COLUMNS

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VOL. 36

NO. 323

16

A CRISIS OF THE MOMENT

By David Fellman “Tryin’ to catch up” with that eight ball.

DEPARTMENTS

4 6

Cover Photo: Taylor Studios, Inc.

8 34 36

EDITOR’S COLUMN

Editor Jeff Wooten puts on his traffic cop hat to help navigate readers through some of the latest sign-related news and stories.

IN THE INDUSTRY

Updated signage for Gila River Resorts & Casinos’ Wild Horse Pass, and the Supreme Court makes a decision in City of Austin v. Reagan National Advertising.

SIGN SHOW

The newest products and services from sign manufacturers.

SBI MARKETPLACE

Advertisements and announcements from the sign trade.

SBI OPERATIONS

Matthew Gillman pinpoints some signs that your business needs more working capital.

FEATURES

16 22 26

6 signshop.com

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CORPORATE SIGNAGE SURVEY 2022

By Jeff Wooten How involved do our readers want to be with corporate accounts?

NATURAL EFFECTS

By Maura Keller Designing and creating interpretive graphics for outdoor parks.

ACE IN THE HOLE

By Ashley Bray AlphaGraphics stays on par with a multi-faceted signage project for 390 Golf.

GRABBING THE ATTENTION OF GEN Z

By Rich Reamer Trends that will help your company grab the attention of the younger Generation Z one sign at a time.

June 2022

Sign Builder Illustrated

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June 2022, Vol. 36, No. 323 Sign Builder Illustrated (ISSN 0895-0555) print, (ISSN 2161-0709) digital is published by Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corporation

Subscriptions: 402-346-4740

EXECUTIVE OFFICES

President and Chairman Arthur J. McGinnis, Jr. Group Publisher Gary Lynch 88 Pine Street, 23rd Floor, New York, NY 10005 Office: 212-620-7247; Cell 646-637-5206

EDITORIAL

Editor Jeff Wooten 323 Clifton Street, Suite #7, Greenville, NC 27858 212-620-7244 jwooten@sbpub.com Managing Editor Ashley Bray 212-620-7220 abray@sbpub.com Contributing Writers David Fellman, Matthew Gillman Maura Keller, Rich Reamer

ART

Art Director Nicole D’Antona Graphic Designer Hillary Coleman

PRODUCTION

Corporate Production Director Mary Conyers

CIRCULATION

Circulation Director Joann Binz joann@qcs1989.com

ADVERTISING SALES Sales Manager David Harkey 212-620-7223 dharkey@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 Gary Lynch at 212-620-7247 or e-mail glynch@sbpub.com.

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June 2022

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EDITOR’S COLUMN

AGENDA

BY JEFF WOOTEN

Note: All events listed below are subject to change. Please check show sites for the most up-todate information.

JUNE 2022 JUNE 16-18:

Explore Portland, Oregon and a variety of experiential designrelated sessions at the 2022 SEGD Experience Conference. (segd.org)

JUNE 20-22:

LightFair 2022, the world’s largest annual architectural and commercial lighting tradeshow and conference, returns to the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. (lightfair.com)

Directing Traffic of Information

Some news and highlights in this month’s issue.

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This conference is being designed to help you improve your business, and one of our presenters, David Fellman, has gotten ahead of the eight ball and penned a preview article in this vein on page 12.

Meanwhile we’re thrilled to present our “Corporate Signage Survey 2022” feature on page 16. Earlier this year, we sent out an online invitation to many of our sign-making readers asking about their work with corporate clients as well as its advantages and disadvantages. We appreciate all the responses. We’ve calculated all the data and are presenting it in an easy-to-read format that can help you see not only how you stack up against other shops when it comes to working with these types of clients but maybe even give you ideas on some offerings you can explore that your competitors are not.

Finally due to a scheduling snafu on our end, David Hickey’s usual column does not appear this month but is available online at https://bit.ly/3wvN62c. In it, David talks about the Sign Research Foundation’s long-time-realized Glossary of Signage Terms. We apologize for the absence of David’s column in our print issue (as well as the results of that cornhole game with him in Atlanta). Now proceed onward and enjoy this month’s issue!

JEFF WOOTEN Editor, jwooten@sbpub.com

JULY 27-30:

SignConnexion 2022, the MidSouth Sign Association’s annual tradeshow, will be happening in Chattanooga, Tennessee. (midsouthsign.org)

SEPTEMBER 2022 SEPTEMBER 19-21:

SBI/NSSA Northeast Conference & Expo will take place at the Providence Convention Center in Providence, Rhode Island. (signshop.com/nssa)

OCTOBER 2022 OCTOBER 19-21:

PRINTING United Expo, the most dynamic and comprehensive printing event in the world, returns as an in-person event at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. (printingunited.com) Photo: Shutterstock.com/Lisa F. Young.

F

orgive the forthcoming randomness of this month’s column, but I almost feel like a traffic cop trying to direct the news announced over the past thirty days as well as the special content featured in our latest issue—only I probably need another traffic cop to help point me toward the best place to start.

One of the biggest stories with possibly the farthest-reaching consequences recently came to a head. The U.S. Supreme Court has reached a decision in the City of Austin v. Reagan National Advertising case that threatened to send the concept of what constitutes on-premise signage and how they are regulated into a scrambling battle royale of possible ordinance rewrites. To see the results of this ruling, please read the recap on page 7. And you can be sure that this will lead to further analysis over the coming months.

Elsewhere the ISA International Sign Expo returned as an in-person event last month in Atlanta, Georgia. While a fuller recap of the event will be published next issue, the initial impression is that lots of people appeared excited to finally be back physically, even if the specter of frequently mentioned factors like “supply chain” and “inflation” were still parts of too-many conversations.

This is probably a good time to bring up our SBI/NSSA NE Sign Expo taking place September 19-21 in Providence, Rhode Island (signshop.com/nssa). We have a great line-up of speakers booked for the conference portion of our show.

JULY 2022

NOVEMBER 2022 NOVEMBER 17-19:

Digital Signage Experience 2022, connecting the digital signage community with buyers and sellers and produced by Questex, will be co-located at the Las Vegas Convention Center with Live Design International (LDI) and XLIVE. (digitalsignageexperience.com)

signshop.com

IN THE INDUSTRY

UPDATED SIGNAGE FOR

WILD HORSE PASS S alt Lake City, Utah— YESCO, the 102-year-old company known for creating, repairing, and maintaining internationally recognizable signs, has announced it has completed the design, fabrication, and installation of new signage for Gila River Resorts & Casinos’ Wild Horse Pass located in Chandler, Arizona. The new signage was illuminated for the first time during a community reveal event on Friday, April 1.

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Gila River Resorts & Casinos - Wild Horse Pass is a AAA Four Diamond Award recipient. The resort features a mix of entertainment, retail, and restaurants with breathtaking scenery. and its new tower marries style and comfort for a tranquil experience.

As part of the rebranding of three properties, two 105-foot-tall and two 116-foot-tall outdoor LED strips and one set of channel letters displaying the property’s name and logo were in-

stalled on the exterior of Wild Horse Pass. The new LED strips will function as a video wall displaying colorful imagery as well as casino- and resortthemed animations. The Gila River Resorts & Casinos’ logo measures 16 feet high-by-34 feet wide.

In addition, a couple of 331-foot-long blue LED strips were installed around the property’s new rooftop restaurant.

On the south corner of the Wild Horse Pass parking garage, YESCO signshop.com

SCOTUS SIGN RULING

A

LEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA— The Supreme Court of the United States has ruled that the traditional regulatory distinction between on-premises signs and off-premises signs (billboards) is content-neutral and therefore constitutional. The ruling came in a closely watched case, City of Austin v. Reagan National Advertising. A lower court had ruled that cities could not differentiate between the two types of signs.

The International Sign Association (ISA) has long contended that the traditional regulatory distinction between on-premises signs and billboards is location-based, not content-based, and that eliminating the distinction would be harmful to the on-premises sign industry.

“We submitted amicus briefs to educate the Court on the practical and legal differences between billboards and on-premises signs. We pointed out the importance of onpremises signs to America’s small businesses, and it appears that six justices took our advice to heart,” said David Hickey, ISA’s vice president of Advocacy.

The ISA says it is pleased that the U.S. Supreme Court of the United States came to a reasonable and thoughtful decision. “Thanks to [their] decision, we will have regulatory certainty in the United States, and our industry can continue to succeed and grow,” said Hickey.

installed six new channel letter sets for the property’s restaurants, sportsbook set-ups, and other amenities.

New interior signage includes a 25-by-12-foot curved 1.99mm Watchfire LED wall display surrounding the entrance to Prime, A Shula’s Steak House. It showcases lively photos of dishes, videos of the chef preparing meals, and drone footage of the restaurant. In order to ensure a perfect fit on the curved wall, YESCO professionals signshop.com

took measurements every six inches and customized the door surround.

Installation of all the signage required the use of two 185-foot lifts. It took approximately 1,800 man-hours to complete the project.

“The signage will play a vital role in the rebranding of the Wild Horse Pass resort and casino, and we are proud to be part of such a momentous project,” said Kelly Chipman, senior account executive at YESCO. June 2022

Sign Builder Illustrated

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SIGN SHOW LED MODULES

SOFT SIGNAGE

Lighting Solution is the Straight Line to Stunning Outdoor Displays

A New Canvas of Improved Roland DGA Media Products

SloanLED BrightLINE Outdoor is an innovative solution for illuminating exterior shallow sign cabinets and push-through acrylic signs that require higher levels of brightness. SloanLED BrightLINE Outdoor, with its wide product spacing and silicone coating for safe, dependable use in outdoor signage applications, utilizes a customized version of SloanLED’s prism lens technology that captures otherwise wasted light and redirects it toward the sign face for bright, even illumination. Designed with sign makers in mind, SloanLED BrightLINE Outdoor is available in Long and Short lengths for versatility and ease of installation and comes prewired using fewer connections for increased reliability and faster installs. It is engineered with the highest caliber components, delivering 150 lumens per watt and maintaining brightness and consistent color throughout its life for maximum reliability and cost-effectiveness. sloanled.com

Roland DGA has replaced its existing line of canvas media products with two new and improved canvas of ferings—ESM-SSC2 (Solvent Satin Canvas) and ESM-SGC2 (Solvent Gloss Canvas). Both of these new 22-mil media are 65 percent polyester/35 percent cotton blends with an Oxford weave that offer the traditional look and feel of real artist canvas. With their natural white color and increased white point, they yield outstanding image definition, richer dark tones, and more vivid prints. In addition, these products do not contain optical brighteners, and they have excellent archival properties. ESM-SSC2 is available in twenty-inch, thirty-inch, and fifty-four-inch sizes, while ESMSGC2 is offered in thirty-inch and fifty-four-inch widths only.

The introduction of new ESM-SSC2 media marks the first time Roland DGA has offered canvas media in a twenty-inch size.

Customers can choose from two available roll lengths when purchasing the twenty-inch ESM-SSC2 media—forty-five feet or ninety-nine feet. dgastore.roland.com

VINYL/FILMS Avery Dennison Launches New Quick-release Decorative Architectural Window Film Many companies today are rethinking how they use office space and are valuing products that can give them greater flexibility as their needs evolve. All-new Dusted Crystal decorative architectural window film from Avery Dennison® Graphics Solutions offers privacy while providing a translucent light effect for interior environments using glass to signify specially-designated spaces. Dusted Crystal decorative architectural window film is available in a matte and luster finish and features a remarkable, first-to-market, wet-apply quick-release adhesive that allows the film to be repositioned during installation and removed easily after drying with virtually no residue left on the glass. Moreover the frosted film’s adhesive doesn’t stick to itself, which eliminates mishaps when removing the film from its liner prior to application. Interior spaces ideally suited for Dusted Crystal decorative architectural window film include corporate meeting spaces, schools, medical offices, hospitality reception areas, and glass partitions. graphics.averydennison.com

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SIGN SHOW LED MODULES/ STRIPS/TUBES Five New Tetra LED Products for the People Behind the Signs

CNC ROUTERS/ENGRAVERS Manufacturer Signs With YouTube Media Tormach, Inc., has signed a partnership agreement with Linus Media Group. Under terms of the agreement, well-known YouTube personality Linus Sebastian and his flagship YouTube channel, Linus Tech Tips (LTT), will serve as a Tormach brand ambassador. With 14.5 million subscribers, Linus Tech Tips is one of YouTube’s most popular channels devoted to electronics. LTT recently purchased a Tormach mill, and their video focusing on their unboxing and commissioning of their new Tormach 1100MX CNC Milling Machine has over 1.4 million views to date. While LTT has been known primarily for its product reviews of PCs and electronics, it is growing and moving into in-depth testing. As part of their new venture, they are building a state-of-the-art lab for testing computer parts and will be using their Tormach CNC mill to custombuild in-house testing tools and fixtures. tormach.com

Tetra ® signage lighting from GE Current, a Daintree company, is for creating unforgettable first impressions. Judged against competitive LED systems, Tetra® LED systems provide improved brightness and uniformity, easier jobsite installation, less frequent maintenance, and energy cost reductions for signs, channel letters, and border and canopy lighting. Indoors or out, Tetra enables virtually endless signage applications with a complete roster of flexible, robust products now including these five new exciting options: Tetra® LT offering 24-volt performance at an everyday price; Tetra® Contour Flex so you can bend it over and over again; Tetra® Contour Gen 2 for labor-saving installation; Tetra® EdgeLine for wall wash applications; and Tetra® Slim EdgeStrip to keep signs on the leading edge of brightness. gecurrent.com/brands/tetra-led-system

VINYL/FILMS General Formulations Launches a Fantastic Product for the Visual Market New GF 765 Rainbow Holographic Film from pressuresensitive films manufacturer General Formulations adds a whole new dimension of color to graphics. For starters, GF 765 Rainbow Holographic Film is 6-mil thick, making it ideal for easy handling. Meanwhile the film’s permanent adhesive makes it great for decals, retail displays, packaging, or whatever you can dream up! GF 765 Rainbow Holographic Film is compatible with solvent, latex, and UV-curable inks. Meanwhile General Formulations recently unveiled intentional new branding for their company, keeping with historical colors to signify the continuation of their mission statement (to provide high-quality, customerdriven solutions with exceptional service to the graphics industry) and two dashes highlighting/signifying their two main product categories—GF Print Solutions and GF Cut Solutions. generalformulations.com

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signshop.com

SIGN SHOW DIGITAL SIGNAGE/EMCS/VIDEO DISPLAYS High-brightness Displays for Window-facing and Outdoor Installations LG Business Solutions USA has unveiled three models of 4,000-nit, high-brightness displays specifically designed for outstanding visibility in window-facing installations. Featuring a thin profile, slim bezels, and automatic brightness control with ambient light detection, the latest models in the LG XS4 series—forty-nine-inch (49XS4J-B), fifty-five-inch (55XS4J-B), and seventy-five-inch (75XS4G-B) class models—deliver unrivaled visibility and clarity for locations where direct sunlight shines on displays. All three are able to be integrated in double-sided installations to provide both high-brightness window-facing and standard-brightness interiorfacing messaging and visuals. The 75XS4G-B model is LG’s first 4,000-nit display to offer UHD resolution for superior detail from virtually any viewing distance. Each of these three displays can be oriented either horizontally or vertically and includes the powerful webOS 4.1 smart signage platform, enabling ease-of-use of the display, an Internet browser, compatibility with the LG ConnectedCare™ subscription-based remote management system and the LG ecosystem of third-party applications. With a built-in Content Management System, System-on-Chip, WiFi, Bluetooth, and Beacon technologies, users can leverage these capabilities for a variety of use cases. For multi-display installations, one display can be set as the “master” to control brightness for multiple units, allowing all to exhibit the same brightness even when one display’s light sensor is blocked but the others are not. Without this capability, each display adjusts individually, and passing shadows can cause adjacent displays to project noticeably different brightness levels. lg.com/us/business

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June 2022

Sign Builder Illustrated

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HOW TO MANAGEMENT MANAGEMENT || BY

BY DAVID DAVID M. M. FELLMAN FELLMAN

A Crisis of the Moment

I

f you ask my friend Fred how he’s doing at his shop, his standard answer is, “Tryin’ to catch up.”

Fred finds himself perpetually behind the eight ball. He runs a business that pays him a reasonably good salary but rarely makes him a profit. And that’s especially sad because his product is in demand, and he could sell a lot more of it if he only had time to sell.

But Fred spends most of his time chasing the “crisis du jour”—his term, by the way, and not really accurate because, for Fred, it’s really more about the crisis of the moment.

Do you spend too much of your day trying to catch up with your eight ball? If so, here are some thoughts that might help.

Micromanagement I believe micromanagement is a good thing. But let me clarify: I think overmanagement is a bad thing.

I define micromanagement as making

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sure that everything from the big things to the little things gets done and done right.

I define overmanagement as providing more management than is necessary.

Fred is an overmanager. He has made it clear that he wants all of his employees to come to him with any problems so he can solve them—his way.

You can’t cure overmanagement overnight—from either side of the equation— but the process is pretty straightforward.

I would ask Fred not to just tell someone how to solve a problem but rather to ask them what they would do if he wasn’t around to tell them. Based on the answer, he could either teach or empower—or perhaps teach and empower.

If he didn’t like the employee’s solution, he could say, “I’d rather have you handle it this way.” If he did, he could say, “Next time something like this comes up, just solve it the same way.” Either way, he could say, “Now you know how I’d like you to handle a situation like this. You

don’t need to ask me for permission.”

Please note that “a situation like this” carries both opportunity and risk. The opportunity is to foster even further initiative. The risk is to flirt with mistakes at the point where the employee is confident enough to make a decision in a similar-butnot-exactly-the-same situation, but it’s not the decision the boss would have wanted.

Hopefully those mistakes won’t be critical.

The end result of all of this can be “partners” who can make sure that everything from the big things to the little things gets done and done right within their areas of empowerment. If Fred could trust his employees to make the right decisions, he would free himself up to do any number of other things.

Personally I think Fred has some pretty smart people working for him who would respond well to this sort of teaching and empowerment. I think they’d also respond well to being treated as partners, not in the financial sense perhaps, but signshop.com

Photo: Shuttertstock.com/skunkchunk.

“Tryin’ to catch up” with that eight ball!

HOW TO MANAGEMENT | BY DAVID M. FELLMAN

in terms of being trusted to do the right thing in support of the team’s goals.

Interruptions vs. Opportunities I think I know the answer. Planning a block of time to work exclusively on sales—or anything else—is one thing. Sticking to that plan is another thing altogether.

I have another friend who claims that his ratio of known tasks to interruptions is fiveto-one. For every task he puts on his plate on any given day, he says five more appear during the course of the day. Like Fred, he sells a product that’s in high demand; but also like Fred, he could cut down on the number of issues he has to deal with by teaching and empowering his employees.

He could also gain some perspective, I think, by separating these additional tasks into two categories—interruptions and opportunities. The separation process is elegant in its simplicity.

Do I gain something by adding this task to my plate? If so, it’s an opportunity.

Do I lose something by adding this task to my plate? If so (and the principal currency we’re talking about here is time), it’s an interruption.

Opportunities can range from low to high in terms of priority. Interruptions can only be low. Therefore don’t even think about changing your plans for interruptions—only for opportunities!

Even then, measure the importance/ priority of the opportunity against what was already on your plate.

One of the realities of management, especially in a small business, is that you will almost always have more known tasks plus new opportunities than you will have hours in the day. You will never have enough time to do all of the things that you could be/should be doing. Once you understand that some things must be left undone, the question becomes:

Photo: Shuttertstock.com/Elnur.

Blocks and Hats I would also ask Fred to start planning his day around blocks and hats. Fred wears multiple hats; he doesn’t have formal titles.

But this is very typical of a small business.

Ultimately the owner is responsible for making sure that everything from the big things to the little things gets done and done right in these areas—or to put that another way, ultimately the owner is the one who benefits or suffers the most based on his or her team’s performance.

On any given day, Fred might have three to six tasks that connect to each hat.

My point is that he can probably create some efficiency in all of this by working at similar tasks in sequence, as opposed to jumping from one hat to the next.

Fred is very familiar with “the zone.”

He has a favorite story about getting “into the zone” on his bowling night a few years ago, which resulted in nineteen strikes in a row—three at the end of the first game, twelve for a perfect score in the second game, and then four more to

start the third game.

The way Fred tells the story, it was all about focus: “I wasn’t thinking about work. I wasn’t thinking about what I was doing next. I was thinking about what I was doing now.”

If he could bring that level of focus to his work, I’m pretty sure that he could find a similar “zone” effect. How about you?

Could you get more done in terms of, say, your sales hat if you could set aside an hour to work on nothing but sales? OK, here comes the big question: Why can’t you?

signshop.com

June 2022

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HOW TO MANAGEMENT | BY DAVID M. FELLMAN

employees may be more important than even customers or prospects.

None of this is universal; often it will be case-by-case. The bottom line is that some things are more important than others, and the greatest opportunity in front of you is simply to manage your time with that in mind.

You may never catch up with your eight ball. I don’t think Fred ever will. But some people make more money chasing their eight ball than others. Isn’t that who you want to be?

Which things? And the best answer to that is the lowest priority things.

That’s ultimately what prioritization is all about. If you can’t do everything, do the most important things. In business,

David M. Fellman is the president of David Fellman & Associates (davefellman.com) in Raleigh NC, a sales and marketing consulting firm serving numerous segments of the graphic arts industry. Dave will also be a speaker at our SBI/NSSA NE Sign Expo (signshop.com/nssa) taking place September 19-21 in Providence, Rhode Island.

that’s mostly about the most important people. Your customers are usually more important than your suppliers. High-value prospects are usually more important than low-value customers. High-value

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Everything You Need to Know to Manage a Successful Sign Business To run a successful sign shop, you need to run a successful business. Sign Builder Illustrated can help. Not only do we focus on the work you do on the shop floor, but we also focus on the work you do to improve the success and wellbeing of you and your team.

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SPECIAL: AWARDS CORPORATE SIGNS BY

BY JEFF AUTHOR WOOTEN

Corporate Signage

SURVEY 2022 E

arlier this year, Sign Builder Illustrated sent a multiple-choice survey invitation to our sign-making readers gauging their interest and activities with corporate clients (either for their headquarters or their branches). Over 250 responded with some eye-opening answers.

For example, 88.7 percent of these shops indicated that they are currently working with corporate clients. Of those respondents who indicated they did work with corporate clients, 90.2 percent said they would like to increase the amount of work in this area. Interestingly for those not working with corporate clients, it was a straight-up 50 percent split as to whether they had interest in 16

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working with them or not.

Shops sized 2 to 5 Employees and 6-14 Employees each accumulated 30.86 percent of responses, leading the way in shop size. Shops with 41+ Employees followed with 17.19 percent then 15-40 Employees with 15.63 percent. Oneperson Shops brought up the rear with 5.47 percent.

Dean Brooks, director of sales at custom sign manufacturer Creative Sign Designs in Tampa, Florida, says that their corporate clients are now expecting original concepts. “Customers want their signage to be unique to their particular culture and environment,” he says. “They are moving away from “standard” restroom/code re-

quired signage toward signage/graphics that support who they are. This improves their employee and customer experience.”

Meanwhile A.J. Titus, president of the SIGNARAMA® brand, says corporate accounts typically purchase storefront signage, vehicle graphics, interior graphics, ADA signage, and tradeshow displays.

“We are seeing more and more storefront and monument signage requests,” he says.

“Digital has also been a growing trend with corporate clients.”

The following pages feature results to the other survey questions. These can be used to help you see how you stack up against competitors in this field or show areas where you can provide services. signshop.com

Photo: Shutterstock.com/Mike Mareen.

How involved do our readers want to be with corporate accounts?

Q1. WOULD YOU LIKE TO INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF WORK YOU DO WITH CORPORATE CLIENTS?

Q2. WHAT PERCENTAGE OF YOUR CUSTOMER BASE WOULD YOU SAY EQUATES TO CORPORATE CLIENTS?

Analysis: Most shops (28.4 percent) responded that their corporate clients were in the 11 to 25 percent range, which may indicate why a majority of shops would like to see that number go up. While there was no clear-cut winner, it is interesting to see that 1 to 10 percent finished next-to-last with only 13.1 percent.

Q3. WHAT TYPE OF SERVICES DO YOU OFFER CORPORATE CLIENTS?

Analysis: Obviously Fabrication was going to be the most-likely number one choice (90.7 percent), but Design at 86.9 percent proves interesting, as it highlights the importance of having at least one design specialist on your staff.

signshop.com

Q4. WHAT TYPES OF SIGNS ARE YOU INVOLVED WITH FOR CORPORATE CLIENT PROJECTS?

Analysis: A wide variety of answers here. The top three were Vinyl Graphics (89.1 percent), Wayfinding (83.6 percent), and a tie between Post-and-Panels and Channel Letters/Sign Cabinets (77.1 percent). Although with all the talk of branding and a noticeable shift toward dye sublimation for many companies during the pandemic, only 29 percent chose Soft Signage and/or Printwear. Keep your eyes on Digital Signage over the coming years, as this technology makes more inroads into more sign makers’ repertoire.

June 2022

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Q5. WHAT IS THE BIGGEST ADVANTAGE TO WORKING WITH CORPORATE CLIENTS?

Analysis: The overwhelming response proved to be Potential for Future/Continuing Projects at 66.7 percent, as corporate clients have proven to be a very lucrative—and very rewarding—market to work with. We must have a very modest group of readers as Awards & Honors garnered nary a single vote. “Be entrenched in the [corporate] client’s vision,” advises Dean Brooks, director of sales at Creative Sign Designs. “Ask as many questions as you can and focus on delivering a quality product to them on time!”

Q6. WHAT IS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE WHEN IT COMES TO WORKING WITH CORPORATE CLIENTS?

Analysis: The wait time associated with the approval process appears to be the biggest hurdle dealing with corporate clients at 23 percent. Bidding on Projects followed at 19.7 percent. We appear to have lots of willing collaborative readers as Working with other teams outside your shop brought up the rear at 4.9 percent. Brooks says that timelines and “many cooks in the kitchen” can prove challenging. “You can encounter many decision makers with potentially different ideas,” he says, “and expectations on quick delivery times.”

Q7. WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BEST WAY TO ATTRACT CORPORATE CLIENTS TO YOUR SHOP?

Analysis: It might not come as any surprise that Referrals at 78.7 percent proved to be the overwhelming runaway choice here. Project Bidding (21.9 percent) and Web Site Portfolio (21.9 percent) followed. Only one respondent mentioned that they utilized TV/Radio Ads to garner these clients, so maybe there is an avenue here for you to explore?

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Going Digital in Corporate Just Got Easier

ACTIVESCENE™, A DYNAMIC SOLUTION that transforms existing glass walls and windows into on-demand digital signage, offers a number of uses for the corporate world.

“We can now take that glass that’s existing and maneuver it so that it’s either transparent, opaque, or has

branding on it,” says Rich McPherson, senior product manager, Sharp NEC Display Solutions.

Created through a partnership between Sharp NEC Display Solutions and Avery Dennison and launched last summer, ActiveScene combines Avery Dennison’s Vela™ Dynamic System and Sharp/NEC projection technology for a comprehensive AV solution.

The complete ActiveScene solution includes the NEC projector, lens, standard mount, Vela film, Veladesignated controller, media player, and basic content management system (CMS). It is available with three high-quality NEC laser projector options with different brightness levels, including the 10,000-lumen PX1004UL, the 8,000-lumen PA803UL, and the 6,000-lumen P605UL. The Vela film is a polymer-dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) film that has liquid

Observations About Corporate Clients “OUR CORPORATE CLIENTS wish to be easily seen and their brand recognized. They desire exterior signage that contributes to the brand and hallmarks the location.

Their interior environment should encapsulate the corporate image, values, mission, etc. Clients want their workspaces to exude their brand. We help accomplish this with wall graphics, window graphics, and unique signage throughout their buildings.” — Dean Brooks, Director of Sales, Creative Sign Designs, Tampa, Florida “CORPOR ATE ACCOUNTS G E N E R A L LY h a v e v e r y h i g h expectations, and it is very important [ f o r s h o p s ] t o e xc e e d t h o s e

signshop.com

expectations.” – A.J. Titus, President, Signarama “AS PEOPLE ARE GETTING BACK to t h e o f f i c e, w e’ v e fo u n d t h a t corporate clients are using materials to enhance the functionality of a building to keep them there.”

– Survey Respondent

crystals floating between two electrically conductive membranes. When the film is in its “off ” state with no electricity applied, the liquid crystals are left unorganized, which makes the w i n d ow o p a q u e, g i v i n g t h e appearance of frosted glass.

When an electric charge is applied to the film in the “on” state, the liquid crystals straighten and become aligned in a row, allowing light to pass through and thus making the glass transparent.

The Vela film actually provides ActiveScene customers with a choice of three states for their glass: transparent for conventional use; opaque for privacy screen applications; or as a high-quality digital sign display. Electricity to the Vela film is supplied via a busbar, a copper piece adhered to the film, with wires concealed by edge trim that runs alongside the glass. The Vela film only draws about 70 watts of power.

The installation of the system is fairly straight forward as it requires the mounting of the projector to point down at the glass along with the installation of the Vela film on t h e g l a ss. “ I t re a l l y re q u i res somebody with the knowledge and capability on how to install this film on the glass because it has to be perfectly flat on the glass,” says McPherson. “Otherwise, if you see any kind of bubble…it doesn’t look very good.”

ActiveScene can be used in the corporate setting in conference rooms to show presentations, act as a privacy screen, or to display branding information about the company to visitors. It can also be used to add a unique wow factor to a corporate lobby. —Ashley Bray

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September 19-21, 2022

Rhode Island Convention Center Providence, RI

Prepare Your Sign Shop for Success Learn how to increase your sign shop’s sales and profits through strong business management, improving operational efficiency, and expanding product offerings.

SBI and NSSA have collaborated to create a program designed to help both sign shop owners and employees navigate a rapidly changing industry landscape, an unstable economic outlook, and the influx of non-sign companies offering signage services.

PLUS: A large exhibit hall will showcase digital and flatbed printers, laminators, CNC routers, engravers, LED Displays, channel letter benders, service trucks and many more—everything you need to serve existing clients and attract new clients.

Learn More www.signshop.com/nssa

EXHIBIT SALES: David Harkey T: 973.563.0109 E: dharkey@sbpub.com EVENT INQUIRIES: conferences@sbpub.com ASSOCIATION INQUIRIES: Tricia Smack • tricia.smack@nssasign.org

TOP 5 REASONS TO ATTEND: 1 • Spend time building your business instead of just working in it.

2 • Streamline your workflow by maximizing your shop layout and production methods.

• Learn how to combat the labor shortage with better hiring and employee retention practices.

4 • Expand your profits with proven sales strategies and methods to break into new markets.

• Walk away armed with all the tools you need to become a better business owner.

SPEAKERS INCLUDE: AUTHOR DAVE FELLMAN to speak on employee retention and 5 principles for sales success.

JOHN HACKLEY Chief Efficiency Officer Oculus Business Solutions, Inc.

MATTHEW SPOEHR Lead Economic Devel.

Specialist U.S. SBA, Rhode Island Dist.

VIEW OUR EXHIBITORS AT www.signshop.com/nssa

FEATURE NAME OUTDOOR SIGNAGE

BY MAURA AUTHORKELLER

Natural

Effects

Designing and creating interpretive graphics for outdoor parks.

All Photos: Taylor Studios.

G

signshop.com

racing various parks, museums, nature preserves, and heritage sites across the country are signs, exhibits, and dioramas that have earned Taylor Studios, Inc. in Rantoul, Illinois, accolades aplenty.

From three-dimensional wayfinding signage to a life-size woolly mammoth to interactive corporate displays, Taylor Studios has made a name for itself since its inception in 1991, within the signage and display arenas.

And one such project that has captured the attention of many is a series of graphic panels the Taylor Studios’ team designed and fabricated for both Busey Woods, a fifty-nine-acre natural area, and Meadowbrook Park, both located in Urbana, Illinois.

Noted for its bird watching, spring wildflower display, and delightful 1/3mile elevated boardwalk where visitors can get up close and personal with nature, Busey Woods celebrates all of the unique natural elements found within its environs.

As such, the Taylor Studios’ team was tasked with designing a whimsical treeshaped gateway, which included a sculptural interpretative panel, for the boardwalk that would entice visitors to read, learn, and engage with all the elements they saw along the trail.

According to Betty Brennan, president of Taylor Studios, the overall idea of the Busey Woods gateway is not just to be a portal to the boardwalk through the woods but to illustrate the significance of that site and the important environmental management practice within the natural space.

“Within the area, they plant specific plants that attract particular insects that, in turn, attract specific birds,” says Brennan. “You can see this within our design. Looking down below on the concrete pad, there are plants and insect silhouettes within the Corten ‘bush’ shapes that wrap the feet of the kiosk.

“Looking at eye level or on the kiosk, there’s a song bird silhouette perched.

Then looking at the tree there’s a raptor silhouette that is hunting the song bird. This is all meant to direct your eye back to the kiosk to learn all about this life cycle.”

Because exhibit planning, design, fabrication, and 3D storytelling is the backbone of Taylor Studios’ work, for the Busey Woods gateway project, the team also incorporated a kiosk with a high-pressure laminate (HPL) graphic flip book.

Along the trail, interpretive panels are stationed to provide historical information about the region, explain management practices of the nature area, and call attention to the park’s ecology.

As Jason Cox, creative director at Taylor Studios explains, the client provided Osage Orange wood boards for the kiosks that they milled down themselves.

“They cleared out some areas of their properties and wanted to use the wood,” he says.

In addition, Taylor Studios used Corten steel for the tree and foliage cutouts below.

“Spacers needed to be used between the HPL graphics, such as the large leaf, so rust streaks wouldn’t get onto the graphics,” says Cox. “We thought the Corten rust color would be good for the exterior use, but it would also look striking in the spring and summer with the green forest backdrop.

“The style of the tree worked well—it indicated bark in how we designed the lines in the trunk silhouette but also looked seamless and dead during the winter months.”

The design of the tree using layered flats not only cut down on overall cost but also worked well with the overall graphic design.

At Meadowbrook Park, Taylor Studios also designed and fabricated a gateway signage system that was reminiscent of that found at Busey Woods.

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The Meadowbrook Park included a Prairie Outlook signage system with a total of twelve graphics distributed on three signs.

THESE TYPES OF PROJECTS ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO GET OUT INTO NATURE, LEARN ABOUT IT, AND FALL IN LOVE WITH IT.

Specifically, the signage project at Meadowbrook Park included a Prairie Outlook signage system that measured 36-by-24 inches and had a total of twelve graphics distributed on three signs.

The Douglas Creek sign measured 24-by-36 inches and included a total of four graphics on one sign, and the Anita Purvas Nature Center features a total of six graphics on two signs, measuring 38by-48 and 24-by-36 inches respectively.

Finally the Rain Garden sign at Meadowbrook Park features a 36-by-24-inch sign with a total of four graphics.

“The prairie plant silhouettes that 24

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match the Busey Woods tree silhouette/cut outs were so tall we needed to strategically overlap the plant stems to account for wind and structural support,” says Brennan. “The footprint size was important because of weight and wind issues. With the butterfly silhouette, we strategically designed the wings to have openings to allow the wind to go through.”

In addition, the client poured the concrete pads so Taylor Studios had to communicate carefully, providing them with drawings and having discussions about the engineering of the pad to accommodate the large sculpture and

meet ADA standards.

Taylor Studios’ Busey Woods and Meadowbrook Park signage projects illustrate how the company strives to meet its mission to create products and experiences that inspire people.

“These types of projects encourage people to get out into nature, learn about it, and fall in love with it,” explains Brennan. “We are very proud of both the Busey Woods and Meadowbrook entry signs. The large cut-out of the tree and plants are eye-catching and creative.

“We’re grateful the client embraced this design. We think it’s a big ‘wow’!” signshop.com

Graphics. Dimensional. Lighting. Digital. Installation. Operations.

We’ve Got You Covered Sign Builder Illustrated’s newsletters keep you up-to-date with timely news, industry trends and “how-to” articles on every aspect of the sign industry.

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SIGN SYSTEM FEATURE NAME

BY ASHLEY AUTHORBRAY

Alphagraphics provided wayfinding signage for the facility, including two large signs installed with standoffs at the front entrance.

ACE IN THE HOLE T

he newest Wood Dale Park District facility, 390 Golf Experience, recently opened in Wood Dale, Illinois. The Wood Dale Park District—a six-mile area comprised of a variety of park sites and facilities as well as an extensive selection of recreational and leisure-time programs—decided to convert a recently vacated building into this top-notch golf experience, and the transformation took about a year of development.

390 Golf Experience is home to gaming, seventy-six golf bays with TopTracer Technology, a private event room, Parlay Bar & Grill, and golf lessons led by Chicago School of Golf.

The facility needed identity and wayfinding signage to direct guests to all of its attractions, and the Park District tapped AlphaGraphics in Wood 26

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June 2022

Dale, Illinois to get the job done.

“Being in the community as long as we have and having connections through the Chamber of Commerce and other events that we’ve been involved with, we’ve had the opportunity to work with the Park District over the years,” explains Jeff Bittner, owner of AlphaGraphics. “When the time came for this project, we were the ones they thought of and called.”

AlphaGraphics is a franchise with over 270 locally owned centers worldwide. The full-service Wood Dale location opened in 1998 and started out with mostly small-format, digital work.

Today, the location also handles large format print jobs thanks to its two rollto-roll printers, EFI™ Pro 16h LED UV hybrid inkjet printer, and 5-by-10-foot Colex Sharpcut Series Flatbed Cutter.

“We are family owned and have been in business for twenty-four years.

We’re doing something right if we’ve made it through the recession and through COVID,” says Bittner, who explains one of the biggest challenges for his shop is combating the perception some clients have that it only does one type of thing—like business card printing. “Sometimes people just have that preconceived notion of what you are, and trying to break that mold is a big piece for us—trying to get people to understand that there is more to us than just a small mom-and-pop printing company.”

The 390 Golf Experience project was certainly a way for AlphaGraphics to prove its chops as the wide-ranging project included the fabrication and installation of three large exterior signshop.com

Vinyl graphics were featured in the form of window graphics, 390 golf branding, and identity signage for places like the golfing bays.

AlphaGraphics stays on par with a multi-faceted signage project for 390 Golf.

All Photos: AlphaGraphics in Wood Dale.

signs, window graphics, interior vinyl graphics, interior standoff signs, and a variety of interior wayfinding and identity signs. While the Park District designed the 390 Golf Experience logo for all of the signage, AlphaGraphics helped them polish and finalize it.

The Front 9: Interior Signs The Park District originally requested vinyl graphics throughout the interior of the facility, but given that the building had previously housed a Topgolf, AlphaGraphics worked with them to find a solution with more of a “wow” factor that was on par with the previous tenant.

Bittner suggested using acrylic letters on the wall in the entry to add some dimensionality to the space.

“I think you need to have a bit of a ‘wow’ statement when you walk in the signshop.com

Caption

Acrylic letters and a logo were installed on the wall in the entry to add some dimension to the space.

front door, and you need to get that first immediate impression that this is every bit as cool as that [Topgolf] was,” he says. “My favorite part of the whole conversation in the consultation part is when we get to sit down with the clients and hear what they want to do and then figure out a way to either take their ideas and make it better, or say, ‘Hey, this is a great plan, how are we going to put this together and execute what you came up with?’”

The Park District loved the ideas and decided to move forward with the dimensional signage alongside the vinyl graphics—all of which was installed in one day.

Entry Letters. For the interior entry sign, AlphaGraphics sourced the acrylic letters from Gemini. The large

letters spelling out “390 Golf ” are 18 inches tall-by-107 inches wide and made from .75-inch acrylic. The smaller letters spelling out “Experience” are 7.5 inches tall and made from .375inch acrylic.

The logo next to the letters featuring a circle, golf ball, and tee are 36 inches around and made from .25inch acrylic. The elements were fabricated in-house using the shop’s Colex Sharpcut and printed on its EFI Pro 16h. The logo elements were actually one of the first jobs on the shop’s new EFI printer.

Utilizing an internal scaffolding system still up from the building renovation, AlphaGraphics installed the letters and logo on the wall. To install the acrylic letters, holes were drilled into the wall and the letters were stud mounted. The June 2022

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27

PEOPLE HAVE THAT PRECONCEIVED NOTION OF WHAT YOU ARE, AND TRYING TO BREAK THAT MOLD IS A BIG PIECE FOR US—TRYING TO GET PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS MORE TO US THAN JUST A SMALL MOM-ANDPOP PRINTING COMPANY. logo elements were applied to the wall using adhesive.

Wayfinding. AlphaGraphics provided a variety of wayfinding signage for the facility, including two large signs installed with standoffs at the front entrance and smaller signs identifying locations like the restrooms. These signs were made from Dibond®, printed on the EFI Pro 16h, and cut using the shop’s Colex Sharpcut.

Vinyl Graphics. Vinyl graphics were also featured throughout the facility in the form of window graphics, identity signage for places like the golfing bays, and 390 Golf branding. Briteline® vinyl from 28

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June 2022

Grimco was used for all of the vinyl pieces.

The Back 9: Outdoor Signage Similar to the discussion around the indoor signage, AlphaGraphics advised the Park District to go with illuminated signage on the outside of the building. However, given their budget, the Park District wasn’t ready for that, so the sign company came up with the solution to use large Dibond signs on the outside.

“The company that was doing the lighting for the building, for the interior lights, approached them, and they actually put some lights above the signs to illuminate the non-illuminated signage outside,” says Bittner. “I be-

lieve, for them, [the outdoor signs are] potentially going to be a three- to fiveyear solution and then they’ll put up lighted signage.”

The other issue was that when the previous tenant’s sign was removed, it left holes from the fasteners, an outline on the building, and discolored concrete below where the sign had been hung. To keep within the Park District’s budget, AlphaGraphics decided to make the Dibond signs big enough to cover up the marks.

“They wanted a nice, clean look,” says Bittner. “We were able to take that art and make it big enough so that it had an impact on the size of the sign.”

In sizing the art, Bittner says the biggest challenge was making sure the signage was large enough to cover the affected areas while also not ending in one of the grooves in the concrete wall, which would have made installation difficult.

The shop settled on two Dibond signs measuring 42 inches-by-12 feet long and 42 inches-by-23 feet-long, depicting the 390 Golf Experience logo, which were installed on two sides of the building. The signs weren’t laminated since they would only be up for three to five years and because the laminate can shrink over time. signshop.com

SIGN BUILDER

ILLUSTRATED

Interested in digital signage but don't know where to start?

We’ve got you covered.

Subscribe to SBI’s Dynamic Digital Newsletter for tips, strategies, and how-to guides on getting started in this booming market.

SBI Dynamic Digital is a “how-to” guide to digital signage, including: • A close look at new products and services providing digital signage solutions.

• Case studies of sign shops successfully selling and installing digital signs, including which products and services were used.

• Insights from digital signage experts on what you can do to capitalize on this fast-growing market segment.

• Advice on how to fully leverage your existing assets and expertise to retain and attract clients seeking digital signage solutions.

Subscribe Now: www.signshop.com/dynamic-digital/

SBI_DigitalSignage_Full.indd 1

5/19/21 12:26 PM

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW TO MANAGE A SUCCESSFUL SIGN BUSINESS To run a successful sign shop, you need to run a successful business. Sign Builder Illustrated can help. Not only do we focus on the work you do on the shop floor, but we also focus on the work you do to improve the success and wellbeing of you and your team.

www.signshop.com

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June 2022

For the install, AlphaGraphics rented a forty-foot boom lift truck.

The installers had to set the truck up about eighteen feet away due to a bricked-in area next to the building that housed dumpsters and other equipment. Both signs were screwed into the concrete using Tapcon screws.

The wider of the two signs, at the front of the building, was installed in three sections. The other 390 Golf sign was installed in two pieces. The two locations on the building were chosen because they face the highway.

“Because the highway is elevated, the signage is almost at eye level when you’re driving on the highway,” says Bittner. “So even though it’s at the top of the building, since the road is up so high, you’re almost even with it when you’re driving past it.

“So it’s a really nice little billboard on the side of the building.”

AlphaGraphics also installed a sign for the Parlay Sports Bar, which was put up in one piece and screwed into the building using Tapcon screws. Service equipment wasn’t needed since they could access the install location from a balcony outside the restaurant.

All of the outdoor signs were installed in about half a day.

Finishing Hole When everything was finished, the Park District felt like it had hit a hole-in-one—especially after supply chain and COVID-related issues had delayed the development of the project.

“That was the bow that they were waiting to tie on the package,” says Bittner. “This came together, and they felt like, ‘Well, here it is, we can see it. Our vision is finally here.’”

AlphaGraphics was also happy to see the project reach completion.

“You feel like you helped somebody really feel good about what they were doing in a time where there was just nothing but chaos,” says Bittner. “It was a lot of fun.” signshop.com

CNC ROUTER TRENDS

BYBY BRAD RICHBURNETT REAMER

GRABBING THE ATTENTION

OF GEN Z

Photo: Shutterstock.com/Rawpixel.com.

D

on’t overlook Generation Z! Like generations that came before, Gen Z is influencing all aspects of the business landscape—from how we interact in the workplace to the types of products that we produce.

With the explosion of the young creator community, there are tons of opportunities to be unlocked. It’s time the signage industry recognizes the power of Gen Z and looks to their digitally immersed counterparts to help keep up-to-date on trends for years to come.

Here are three ways that sign shops and printers can catch the eye of Gen Z creators.

signshop.com

Lean into Aesthetic Trends A recent YouTube report highlights the growth of aesthetic trends among the Gen Z population. A demographic attuned to capturing the “perfect” look has made color scheme selection an essential component of expressing their online identity.

Much like ‘millennial pink,’ Gen Z are continuously on the hunt for the perfect color pairing that can enhance the look and feel of their content. Consider researching and incorporating innovative print solutions that offer vibrant colored inks to help enhance your client’s designs and help bring their visions to life.

For example, some large format print

Trends that will help your business one sign at a time. models now include fluorescent pink as well as green, orange, red, and violet ink—colors popular among the group.

Incorporating a high-quality printer with a powerful ink system brings colors and depth to life, something all sign shops should strive to provide.

Canon had the pleasure of working with talented artists like Alyissa Johnson, a graphic designer and self-taught handlettering artist who has spent many years designing greeting cards.

Alyissa specializes in print and digital design, merchandising, and display design. As she turns her drawings into highquality art prints, color and quality are fundamental to the process. To do this, June 2022

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31

Alyssia Johnson at work with her print designs.

Johnson uses the imagePROGRAF PRO300 printer to give her prints the depth and density of the original artwork.

Embrace Personalized Design Gen Z values individual expression.

When young creators choose an organization or business to support, personali-

zation is a determining factor.

It may seem counterintuitive to embrace personalization so heavily in an industry that prioritizes efficiency, but it’s an essential element to consider. Software gives creators access to hundreds of ready-to-use templates to efficiently create eye-popping images and posters. Us-

Prioritize CX We live in an on-demand economy where same-day service and shipping have become the norm. This is especially true among younger consumers.

While same-day service is not always feasible in the print world, shops that offer quick turnaround times have the potential to earn the trust of creators that are often on tight deadlines to produce content. This is where enhancing customer experience (CX) and workflow becomes key.

Consider infrastructure. Do customers place orders in person? Through a web site? An app? Gen Z is a digitally native generation used to ordering and customizing everything on the fly, so having a simple web site and digital interface isn’t even a choice.

Shops can enhance workflow by leveraging solutions that allow for efficiency and cost savings. Automated processes help achieve faster turnaround times, especially in the rapidly growing interior décor market.

Showcasing client testimonials and case studies is the perfect way to stand out from your competitors. While many large companies can deliver on speed, smaller print providers can provide better customer service and quality execution, resulting in solid customer loyalty—especially from younger consumers. Highlight those case studies on your web site and social media pages.

Rich Reamer is senior director of Marketing at Canon U.S.A., Inc.

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signshop.com

Photo: Canon U.S.A., Inc.

ers can even import their own photos and utilize the software on previously captured content. From there, shops can easily print their designs in varied sizes, formats, and colors to create fabulous décor or promotional assets.

Beyond content and imagery, embellishments or decorative details such as high-quality finishes, gloss coatings, digital foil, and embossing can make a print feel like a one-of-a-kind masterpiece. Natural and synthetic textiles can also add a level of personalization to the project. Dye sublimation inkjet printers are terrific for bringing together fabrics and inks on custom pieces.

How To Navigate A Changing Sign Landscape SBI’s new webinar series—On the Floor—is your compass to all the challenges sign shops face. Our series provides actionable steps to help your sign shop thrive amidst the expanding digital signage landscape and everyday operational challenges.

www.signshop.com/resources

MARKETPLACE FOR ADVERTISING OPTIONS CONTACT: GARY LYNCH (212-620-7247) glynch@sbpub.com

Graphics. Dimensional. Lighting.

Digital. Installation. Operations.

WE’VE GOT YOU COVERED

Sign Builder Illustrated’s newsletters keep you up-to-date with timely news, industry trends and “how-to” articles on every aspect of the sign industry.

For MAC and Windows!

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SIGN BUILDER’S

BUYER’S GUIDE

Your Direct Source for Products & Services Get access to vital product and service information from manufacturers and distributors by visiting www.signbuilderdirectory.com.

COMPANY

URL

PAGE

AP Lazer

www.aplazer.com

14

Duxbury Systems

www.duxburysystems.com

34

Echod Graphics

www.echodgraphics.com

34

Nova Polymers

www.novapolymers.com

3

SAi

www.thinksai.com

11

SBI/NSSA

www.signshop.com/NSSA

SDS Automation

www.sdsautomation.com

Signs365.com

www.signs365.com

SinaLite

www.sinalite.com

Southern Stud Weld

www.studweld.com

32

ThinkSign

www.thinksign.com

C2

Wilkie Mfg.

www.wilkiemfg.com

C3

20-21 9 C4 5

COMPANIES IN SIGN SHOW 8

Avery Dennison Graphics Solutions

www.graphics.averydennison.com

GE Current, A Daintree Company

www.gecurrent.com

10

General Formulations

www.generalformulations.com

10

LG Business Solutions USA

www.lg.com

11

Roland DGA

www.rolanddga.com

8

SloanLED

www.sloanled.com

8

www.tormach.com

10

Tormach, Inc.

HOW TO NAVIGATE A CHANGING SIGN LANDSCAPE SBI’s new webinar series—On the Floor—is your compass to all the challenges sign shops face. Our series provides actionable steps to help your sign shop thrive amidst the expanding digital signage landscape and everyday operational challenges.

www.signshop.com/resources

signshop.com

June 2022

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SBI OPERATIONS FINANCIAL | BY MATTHEW GILLMAN

Financial Difficulties

WHEN YOU HAVE SUFFICIENT WORKING CAPITAL UNDER YOUR BELT, YOU’RE MORE ABLE TO MAKE DECISIONS THAT MEET CUSTOMER DEMANDS.

You’re overworked but nothing gets done. As a business owner, you are used to wearing many different hats in a day.

You’re juggling between tasks: from meeting with suppliers to keeping your books in order to ensuring operational efficiencies in your business.

However doing everything on your own to control quality wouldn’t allow you to have more time for more important responsibilities, such as building relationships with your customers or making strategic growth decisions.

Getting access to capital means you’re able to hire more employees to help you run the show. You can afford to pay for full-time or part-time employees who can help you work on tedious and time-consuming tasks, such as running marketing campaigns or preparing your tax returns. That way, you’re able to get more time back in your day.

can’t keep up. As a business owner, it’s important to adapt to market demands quickly and efficiently.

Matthew Gillman is a business financing expert and founder of SMB Compass. To read more of his advice on this topic, visit https://bit.ly/3FHvMeF.

Signs your business needs more working capital.

R

unning your printing or fabrication business is a rewarding experience, but it also brings a host of financial setbacks.

However it’s inevitable to spend money, if you want to expand your operations.

Getting financing—whether it be a small business loan from banks or credit unions or alternative loans from lenders—will go a long way in ensuring that your business not only runs smoothly but that it also grows exponentially.

(Note: If you think that you need financing, talk to finance experts and lenders first. They will be able to present you with financing options.)

Since getting a loan is still a form of debt and you want to be smarter about your decisions, here are some common signs that signify when it’s time for you to seek more capital before securing small business financing.

You can’t deliver your promise to customers. It’s tough when market demand is constantly changing and you

Sign Builder Illustrated Magazine (Print ISSN 895-0555, Digital ISSN 21614709) (USPS#0015-805) (Canada Post Cust. #7204564; Agreement #40612608; IMEX Po Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B2, Canada) is published monthly by Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corporation, 88 Pine St. 23rd Floor, New York, NY 10005. Printed in the U.S.A. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY and Additional mailing offices.

for in U.S. funds only. 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

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COPYRIGHT © Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corporation 2022.

All rights reserved. Contents may not be reproduced without permission.

For reprint information, contact: Gary Lynch, Publisher (212) 620-7247 or glynch@sbpub.com.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Sign Builder Illustrated, PO Box 239, Lincolnshire IL 60069-0239 USA. 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.com/Jetacom Autofocus.

To do so, you need to ramp up your operations by getting better equipment or exploring new products to introduce to loyal customers.

On top of that, you also need to invest in offering better services and experiences to customers. Investing in sturdier furniture, high-quality equipment, and purchasing more printing materials in bulk all comes with a price tag and [doing so] can be costly—especially when you have to pay outright.

When you have sufficient working capital under your belt, you’re more able to make decisions that meet customer demands. Delivering your promise to customers entails investing in tools that promise your growth, making financing all the more important.

All Wilkie equipment is designed for the Sign and Lighting industry with almost 50 years experience

BIG SERVICE, SMALLER PACKAGE Non CDL truck set up 2 man power level power rotate basket standard Basket mounted jib winch that stores behind basket when not in use Easy to use controls at base and basket Mainline winch rated at 1000 pounds fully extended Full 360 degree working radius Independently controlled out and down hydraulic outriggers (no under body counter balance weight) Wide range of bed and storage box options to fit your needs 3500 pound carrying capacity on a 19,500 GVW truck

WILKIE MFG. L.L.C 2640 NW 2nd Street Oklahoma City, OK 73107

www.wilkiemfg.com 405-235-0920