Sign Builder Illustrated November 2012

Graphics

deSigning monuments

www.signshop.com

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Num ber 209 | No v em ber 2 0 1 2

How-To

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The Case for

Sculpting

> Service Vehicles No v e mb e r 201 2

> Brushed Aluminum > CNC Routing

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November 2012

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The “Best” Type of Warning

BY JEFF WOOTEN

A lawyer’s edict leads to a sign maker walking away with Best in Show.

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Programming Growth with CNC

BY JERRY FIREMAN

A sign shop uses CNC technology to prosper in a weak economy.

Sign Builder Illustrated (Print ISSN 895-0555, Digital ISSN 2161-4709) (USPS#0015-805) (Canada Post Cust. #7204564) (Bluechip Int’l, Po Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B2, Agreement # 41094515) is published monthly

by Simmons-Boardman Publ. Corp, 345 Hudson Street, 12th Floor, New York, NY 10014. Printed in the U.S.A. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY and Additional mailing offices.

Pricing, Qualified individual working in the sign industry may request a free subscription. Non-qualified subscriptions printed or digital version: 1 year US $105.00; foreign $197.00; foreign, air mail $297.00. 2 years US $149.00; foreign $267.00; foreign, air mail $497.00. BOTH Print & Digital Versions: 1 year US $158.00; foreign $296.00; foreign, air mail $396.00. 2 years US $224.00; foreign $400.00; foreign, air mail $600.00. Single copies are $36.00 ea. Subscriptions must be paid for in U.S. funds only.

Copyright © Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corporation 2012. All rights reserved. Contents may not be

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Sign Builder Illustrated // November 2012

34 41

Ready, Set, Install!

BY MIKE ANTONIAK

Successfully operating service equipment on-site.

An Education in Identity

BY JEFF WOOTEN

Giving monument signage the ‘new” college try.

reproduced without permission. For reprint information contact: Art Sutley, Publisher 212-620-7247 or asutley@sbpub.com.

For Subscriptions, & address changes, please call (800) 895-4389, (402) 346-4740, Fax (402) 346-3670, e-mail circulation@sbpub.com or write to: Sign Builder Illustrated, Simmons-Boardman Publ. Corp, PO Box 10, Omaha, NE 68101-0010.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Sign Builder Illustrated, PO Box 10, Omaha, NE 68101-0010.

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

signshop.com

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How-To Columns

20

Agenda NOVEMBER 2012

Monumental Plans

November 29-December 1: The USSC Sign World International Tradeshow and Education Conference takes place at the Atlantic City Convention Center in Atlantic City, New Jersey. (www. ussc.org/main_signworld.html)

FEBRUARY 2013

17

February 21-23: Dscoop, an independent global community of graphic arts professionals who use HP equipment and related solutions, will be conducted at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel and Convention Center in Nashville, Tennessee. (www.dscoop.org)

Keeping Your Eyes on the Prize

Departments

17 Keeping Your Eyes on the Prize

BY MARK ROBERTS

Don’t undersell your window graphics capabilities.

20 Monumental Plans

BY LORI SHRIDHARE

A sign company offers tips for creating monuments that impress.

6

UpFront

8

Dispatches

The sign industry experiences a tragedy, and Editor Jeff Wooten offers a remembrance of the victims and thoughts on some possible issues.

The latest news from around the industry.

12

Sign Show

46

SBI Marketplace

48

Shop Talk

The newest products and services from sign manufacturers.

Advertisements and announcements from the sign trade.

SELL WINDOW

DESIGNING Monuments

www.signshop.com

Graphics

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NU M BE R 20 9 | NOV E MBE R 20 12

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The Case for

Sculpting

> Service Vehicles OC TOB E R 20 12

4

> Brushed Aluminum > CNC Routing

Ashley Bray shows how PVS In-Store Graphics is pushing the envelope.

On the Cover Sculpted “Seymore” the lawyer sternly dispenses rules in this photo by Gary Johnson of The Great American Sign Company in Basking Ridge, New Jersey.

Sign Builder Illustrated // November 2012

February 21-23: The 2013 Graphics of the Americas event will take place at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida. (www.goa2013.com) February 26-28: The tenth annual Digital Signage Expo® 2013, co-located with the Interactive Technology Expo and Digital Content Show, is scheduled at the Las Vegas Convention Center. (www.digitalsignageexpo.net)

MARCH 2013 march 26: The IPAF Summit conference, combining education and networking opportunities in the access industry, will be held at the Hilton Miami Downtown Hotel. (www.iapa-summit.info) signshop.com

Up

by jeff wooten

November 2012, Vol. 26, No. 209

In Remembrance

Sign Builder Illustrated (ISSN 0895-0555) print, (ISSN 2161-0709) digital is published by Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corporation executive offices

President and Chairman Arthur J. McGinnis, Jr. Publisher Arthur J. sutley

A tragedy affects the sign industry.

S

ign Builder Illustrated would like to offer its sincerest condolences and sympathies to the family, friends, and co-workers of Reuven Rahamim, founder of Accent Signage Systems in Minneapolis, Minnesota; Accent Signage Systems employees Ron Edberg, Jacob Beneke, and Rami Cooks; and UPS driver Keith Basinski. All recently lost their lives in a senseless act of workplace violence, when on September 28, a recently fired employee returned to the site, killing five and injuring three others.

I did not know the victims personally, so I do not want to trivialize this event here in an “UpFront” column. I would like to start off that the tributes I’ve read from those who did know them really speak volumes. In fact, Reuven Rahamim’s immigration from Israel to this country at age fourteen and building his thirty-employee sign business from the basement up beginning in 1984 is a very inspirational story even in the shadow of this tragedy.

This is a difficult column to put together. Before this event, I planned to discuss here incorporating dye-sublimation into the workflow or managing projects around a shop. However a tragedy can make such plans so inconsequential. Unfortunately the sign industry now finds itself linked in the headlines with the Aurora, Colorado and Empire State Building shootings that occurred this past summer.

You are probably already going to hear (or are even making) arguments in the wake of this horrible act debating gun control versus gun

6

345 Hudson Street, 12th floor New York, NY 10014 212/620-7247; fax: 212/633-1863 editorial editor

Jeff Wooten

323 Clifton Street, Suite #7 Greenville, NC 27858 252/355-5806; fax: 252/355-5690 jwooten@sbpub.com associate editor

Ashley Bray

rights. Even if this event has strengthened or weakened your opinion here, hopefully mental health find a way to be addressed, as it is a topic unfortunately swept too often under the rug.

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, one in four Americans (approximately 57.7 million Americans) will face some form of mental illness this year. When one mentions the words “mental illness,” people’s first thoughts turn to schizophrenia and borderline personality disorders. However mental illness also encompasses anxiety, panic, depression, eating disorders, addictions, and anything thing else that “disrupts a person’s thinking, feeling, mood, ability to relate to others, and daily functioning.”

With all the stress that can go about running or working in a sign shop (or any business in any industry), mental illness is not something to be ignored anymore. Even depression or anxiety can affect output. Maybe addressing this topic more seriously can do something to help prevent more tragedies such as this from happening.

On a later day, discussions can be made how treat the small number of people inclined to commit acts of violence. Or why many insurance plans seem more concerned with physical rather than mental well being. Or if “need for treatment” laws should be implemented in more states.

But now is the time to honor the victims of this workplace tragedy. As more of their stories and tributes come out, it is also an opportunity to be inspired by the work they accomplished and the lives they touched. We hope you take a moment of silence at some point to remember them.

Sign Builder Illustrated // November 2012

345 Hudson Street, 12th Floor New York, NY 10014 401/722-5919; fax: 212/633-1863 abray@sbpub.com contributing writers

Butch “superfrog” Anton, Mike Antoniak, Jerry Fireman, Jim hingst, Peter Perszyk, Mark roberts, lori shridhare, randy Wright art

Corporate Art Director Wendy Williams Associate Art Director Phil Desiere production

Corporate Production Director Mary Conyers circulation

Circulation Director Maureen Cooney advertising sales east coast regional sales director

Jeff sutley 212/620-7233; fax: 212/633-1863 jeffsutley@sbpub.com west & midwest regional sales manager

Kim noa

212/620-7221; fax: 212/633-1863 knoa@sbpub.com

For reprint information contact Art Sutley 345 Hudson St 12 Floor New York, NY 10014 212/620-7247; fax: 212/633-1863 Circulation Dept. 800/895-4389

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Dispatches freestanding sign, external illumination or non-illuminated.

USSC SIgn

Design Winners

8

Sign Builder Illustrated // November 2012

bottom: freestanding sign, illumination. middle: multimedia.

Bristol, Pennsylvania—The judging is in, and the 2012 USSC Sign Design Competition demonstrates that the members of the United States Sign Council are highly creative designers— coming up with some of the most innovative ideas in sign design throughout the country.

Gary Johnson, owner of The Great American Sign Company in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, was awarded First Place in the “Carved/Dimensional Sign-Freestanding” category and “Best in Show” for his "Seymore the Lawyer" sign for the Bedminster Community Garden.

First Place winners included: “Banners, Murals, or Supergraphics” – Graphic Visions, Inc., of Northville, Michigan (company)/Sue Dillon and Jeff Wild (designer) (Protect Cell) (project); “Building Sign, External/No Illumination” – Gable Signs & Graphics of Baltimore, Maryland/Curtis Arbaugh (Clipper Mill); “Building Sign, Illuminated” – Metro Sign & Awning/Susan MacGregor of Tewksbury, Massachusetts (Oliver’s Nightclub); and “Carved/ Dimensional, Affixed to a Building” – The Great American Sign Company/Gary Johnson (Bedminster Public Library).

Other First Place winners: “Electronic Message Center Sign” – Green Sign Company of Greensburg, Indiana/Shawn Green and Mike Harvey (Erich K’s Collision); "Freestanding Sign, External Illumination or Non-illuminated” – Quint Creative Signs of Piqua, Ohio/Brian Quinter (Purk Automotive); and “Freestanding Sign, Illumination” – Horst Signs of Myerstown, Pennsylvania/H. Horst and R. Bergey (Horst Signs & Truck Lettering).

And: “Monument Sign, External Illumination or Nonilluminated” – Gable Signs & Graphics/Steve Roupe (Deep Creek Village); “Monument Sign, Illuminated” – DeNyse Companies of Douglasville, Georgia/Joe Ballew (Allen Ridge Apartments); “Multimedia” – Gable Signs & Graphics/Curtis Arbaugh (Two Rivers Steak & Fish House); “Sign Systems” – L&H Companies of Reading, Pennsylvania/Scott Long (River Walk at Millennium); and “Vehicles” – Countryside Signs of Seekonk, Massachusetts/ Mike Szczoczarz and Jay Szczoczarz (Scorpio Towing).

Judges this year were Marty Jacobson of Forman Sign Co., in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Bill Weigand of H.A. Weigand, Inc., in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania.

The winning entries will be featured in the USSC’s 2013 Sign Design Calendar; meanwhile all entries will be on display at this year's Sign World International being held November 30 to December 2 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. To view photos of all the First Place recipients, visit www.signshop.com. signshop.com

carved/dimensional, affixed to a building.

building sign, external illumination or non-illuminated.

Healing Display

vehicles.

photo courtesy of yesco.

To read how this year’s “Best in Show” sign was created, turn to page 24.

Logan, Utah—A new digital display now graces the main lobby of the Levine Cancer Institute in Charlotte, North Carolina, which offers state-of-the-art cancer care to patients from across North and South Carolina. Last August, the facility brought on YESCO (www. yesco.com) to install the new display, which features soothing images and sounds from nature.

The digital display is about 21 feet tall and 16 ½ feet long, and it wraps around a 90-degree corner while maintaining seamless images. The display uses the latest developments in surface mount LEDs while incorporating a quarter-million RGB pixels oriented at a 10 mm pitch to provide stunning images.

YESCO had an aggressive schedule on this project, as the display needed to be in place prior to the Democratic National Convention held September 4-6 in Charlotte. “[The project] went off without a hitch, and the institute is very pleased with the results,” said YESCO Project Manager Steve Sluder Sr.

signshop.com

November 2012 // Sign Builder Illustrated

9

Dispatches +

Alexandria, Virginia—After several years of advocacy on the issue, the International Sign Association (ISA), working with the Mid South Sign Association (MSSA), has received an exemption from Louisiana’s phaseout for mercury-added neon signs.

Before the decision, sign companies operating in Louisiana were limited to 10 mg of mercury per neon tube, a level below the minimum necessary to operate properly.

To be covered by the exemption, sign companies must join ISA Manufacturer's Designated Industrial Trade Group. Trade group members also must report their annual mercury usage and abide by product labeling requirements.

“While we are dedicated as an industry to appropriate use and disposal of substances such as mercury, we are also committed to delivering the most appropriate sign methods for the businesses that we serve,” said ISA President and CEO Lori Anderson. “Building bridges to government entities is important to ensure that we continue to have the ability to create neon signs, which have been valuable to our industry for generations.”

The form to join the ISA Trade Group can be accessed at www.signs.org/mercuryforms.

10

photo courtesy of captive media.

ISA Exemption

Hands-free “Stream” of Consciousness Andover, Massachusetts—Most people are used to the restroom visit being a fairly straightforward affair, but one digital signage company has successfully implemented tech that is making this experience even more interactive.

The U.K.-based Captive Media is the brainchild of Cambridge engineering graduates Mark Melford and Gordon MacSween. The company has been transforming men's restrooms in European bars since November with an interactive media system that features a highdefinition screen placed eye-level above the urinal. The person watching the screen can control what he sees on it not through touch—but through direction of his stream.

He can play video games or interact with programs and advertising. (Note: Screens can also display special offers, news stories, photos, etc.)

The Captive Media urinal device features a toughened glass fascia and white acryliccapped ABS casework. It is only connected to a regular power socket and an Ethernet hub. When a user approaches, a patented proximity sensor flips the unit into gaming mode, which begins as soon as the player starts to urinate.

“We put stickers in the urinal itself just

Sign Builder Illustrated // November 2012

for guiding and showing where to aim,” says Ed Gundrum, U.S. manager at Captive Media. “The operation detects the heat off the stream of the urine."

When the game ends, the unit's network connection picks up the current high-score table for the venue (or chain of venues) and shows this alongside the player's score. The eventual hope is that the system will trigger competitions between players elsewhere. “So you can go into your neighborhood bar and compete with someone half-way around the world,” says Gundrum.

When a unit isn’t playing a game, it shows ads, short content, and clips via PTV, the world’s first digital restroom media channel (also managed by Captive Media).

Gundrum admits, “There’s a certain initial ‘ick’ factor, but once you see it operational and see the reaction of the customers and hear how much fun they're having, it becomes the buzz of the evening.

"Another advantage is that it is actually keeping the restrooms cleaner because people are paying attention to what they’re doing.” —Jeff Wooten For more information, call 978/4740187 or visit www.captive-media.co.uk.

signshop.com

ON the RIGHT TRACK

US LED was a proud participant in the 2012 Formula Expo held in Austin, TX. Working with Godstone Ranch and The American Heart Association, US LED provided 80 bright white L-Grid 2’x2’ fixtures to create an impressive 40’x8’ display wall behind the Godstone Ranch Ferrari. Seen by over 20,000 people throughout the weekend, the L-Grid wall illuminated a larger-than-life rendering of the Circuit of America creating an awe-inspiring draw to the Expo.

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SignSHOW AW N I N G S & V I N Y L - COAT E D FA B R I C S Top Value Fabrics Expands Premium Textiles Line Top Value Fabrics has added 9 oz. Blockout Self-adhesive Wall Covering to its line of premium textiles. The opaque fabric wall covering is engineered to be printed on UV, solvent, latex, or screen printers. It has a superior inkjet-receptive layer that achieves vivid prints, and it is repositionable to install with ease on flat surfaces and simple curves. The new fabric is ideal for fine art reprints, interior décor, and upscale P-O-P, as well as applications when complete blockout is necessary. www.topvaluefabrics.com

D I G I TA L P R I N T I N G E Q U I PM E N T/ S U P P L I E S Labels are a Snap on OKI Data’s new pro511DW Digital Web Press OKI Data Americas announces the availability of its new OKI pro511DW digital web press, part of the proColor™ Series of commercial-grade digital color printers. The OKI pro511DW has the capacity to produce thousands of productionquality, full-color labels per day. The printer features easy-to-use custom label management software from Hybrid, as well as Harlequin® RIP. The new printer also includes a heavy-duty rewinder, which now incorporates a pre-assembled slitter. The pro511DW delivers fast, customized continuous web printing with exceptional color quality, plus easy operation in both continuous and cut sheet modes. It produces HD color printing for breathtaking output (even on ordinary paper), and it also supports variable data printing for optimum productivity. www.okidata.com

Three-in-One! Graphics One’s Innovative GO Cubix 308 UV Printer Graphics One, LLC (GO) has launched the Go Cubix 308 UV, a high-performance and high-speed UV LED three-in-one flatbed printer. The GO Cubix 308 UV is a unique industrial UV flatbed printer offering a print width of thirty inches and an eight-color channel system for printing rigid substrates up to five inches in thickness using its adjustable gantry.

GO’s Cubix UV can print on either flatbed for rigid substrates, roll-to-roll for traditional roll media and 3D cylindrical objects (golf balls, glass bottles, mugs, etc.), and on a variety of materials (glass, metal, wood, acrylic, vinyl, aluminum, and much more). The GO Cubix UV flatbed features an advanced piezo drop on-demand printhead capable of achieving 1.5 picoliters in drop size with high definition and high resolution imaging of up to 1440 dpi. The eight-channel system design enables the use of eco-friendly CMYK, White, and Clear Varnish UV inks that produce no VOCs for exceptional professional color imaging. The GO Cubix UV offers imaging speeds of up to 120 square feet per hour and is powered

by Wasatch SoftRIP. www.graphicsone.com

Roland Introduces New, Heavier Glossy Photobase Paper to its Media Offerings With its high gloss and excellent contrast characteristics, premium, heavyweight (10.5-mil) Glossy Photobase Paper from Roland DGA is specially designed to enhance image quality and maximize the eye-catching effects of metallic graphics. Glossy Photobase Paper is the perfect receptor for Roland’s Eco-Sol MAX solvent inks, making it an extremely versatile solution for fine art and photographic images (including posters, presentation boards, P-O-P displays, tradeshow graphics, and more). Profiles available within VersaWorks RIP Software allow end-users to take full advantage of Roland’s Glossy Photobase Paper by optimizing print quality, color, and vibrancy. Roland’s Glossy Photobase Paper (SCM-GPP2) is available in 20-inch-by-100-foot, 30-inch-by-100-foot, and 54-inch-by-100-foot roll sizes to suit varying printer sizes.

800/542-2307; www.rolanddga.com

The Scodix S Series (Scodix S74 and S52) Represent Two Sheet Size Formats Scodix has introduced the new Scodix Digital Press S Series (S52 and S74) to support B2+ (20-inch) and B3+ (29-inch) size applications and increase the differentiation capabilities that print service providers can pass on to their customers.

The Scodix S Digital Press series that creates the tangible Scodix SENSET experience uses advanced jetting block and multiple independently controlled inkjet nozzles that deliver Scodix’s proprietary PolySENSET clear polymer in small drops and multiple layers. The Scodix patent-pending Optical Print Alignment (OPA) camera system executes enhancements with pinpoint accuracy, scanning each and every sheet to ensure delivery of the Scodix PolySENSET clear polymer to its exact location. As a stand-alone solution compatible with offset, laminated sheets, and digital print feeds, the press automatically processes a wide range of substrates and formats. The Scodix S Series can print variable levels of thickness and texture, with a thick clear polymer that can reach as high as 250 microns, enabling the production of Braille letters as well as graphic elements. www.scodix.com

12

Sign Builder Illustrated // November 2012

signshop.com

An Easier Way to get Your Message Across Advertise In

Contact Jeff Sutley (East Coast) at jeffsutley@sbpub.com or 212-620-7233 or Kim Noa (West, Central U.S.) at knoa@sbpub.com or 212-620-7221 Follow Us On: Sign Builder Illustrated @SBIMag SBIMag

In Print, In Person and Online Log on to www.signshop.com

SignSHOW LED MODULES/TUBES/STRIPS GSG Offers EGL Portable LED Tester The EGL portable LED tester from Graphic Solutions Group is a fast and easy way to diagnose problems or check for light output of 9- to 12-volt DC LED modules. It also tests for color and polarity. It has a rugged plastic housing and is portable for use in the shop or on service calls. It has quick connect terminals and operates with the push of a button. www.GOGSG.com

MaxLite Introduces Energy-efficient LED High Mount Area Light MaxLite announces the availability of its new, energy-efficient DesignLights™ Consortium-approved LED High Mount Area Light. Using just 30 watts, the LED High Mount Area Light replaces a 150-watt high-pressure sodium fixture for use in areas like parking lots and garages. It saves up to 80 percent in energy consumption throughout the fixture’s L70 50,000-hour life. The LED fixture can be mounted to walls or sealed J-boxes and delivers a light output of 2090 lumens with an efficacy of 69 lumens per watt. The LED area light operates with a Class II driver on electrical systems ranging from 120 to 277 volts. The new luminaire is constructed of heavy-duty, die-cast aluminum with a bright, anodized aluminum reflector housing. The luminaire ensures color uniformity and consistency while producing an accurate color rendering index of 86 or greater. www.maxlite.com

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 High speed – 345 sqft/hr in 4-color mode.

An optional front Drying Fan attachment shortens drying time for a faster continuous take-up.  Two newly developed piezo print heads in a staggered arrangement facilitate a wider printing coverage.  540, 720, 1440 dpi print resolutions with variable dot technology.  Uninterrupted Ink Supply System (UISS) ensures continuous ink supply of SB52 dye sublimation ink.

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14

Sign Builder Illustrated // November 2012

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S I G N B L A N K S / PA N E L S / S U B ST R AT E S Chemetal Offers New InteriorArts Design Laminates InteriorArts hpl design laminates are a new collection of laminates from Chemetal. Featuring seventy-four design laminates in four-foot-by-eight-foot sizes, InteriorArts pops with texture and gloss. The collection offers more than a dozen surface textures with dimensional relief, exotic wood looks, and high-gloss finishes. Plus it is GreenGuard®certified. www.ialaminates.com

VEhIcLE GRAPhIcS Revolutionary Knifeless Tape Cuts Cleanly Without a Blade and Delivers a Sharp Edge 3M Commercial Graphics and Knifeless Tech Systems have entered into an exclusive partnership to lets graphic film installers cut quickly without a blade. The combination of 3M’s high-performance films—like Controltac™ Graphic Film with Comply™ v3 Adhesive IJ180Cv3—with Knifeless Tape will have them saying, “wow!” The incredible power of Knifeless Tape is in a high-strength filament that is embedded in the center of the tape. To use, Knifeless Tape is applied to the vehicle body wherever cuts will be needed, prior to the application of the graphic film. The film is then applied, after which the installer simply pulls the high-strength filament in the tape, producing the fastest, sharpest cuts ever made on a vehicle wrap. To finish, installers simply re-squeegee the edges, as is done in all installations.

With Knifeless Tape, installers never have to worry about scratching paint with a knife. The tape is extremely flexible and turns smoothly in any direction. The excess tape removes cleanly after the filament is pulled, leaving absolutely no residue behind. www.3mgraphics.com; www.knifelesstechsystems.com

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November 2012 // Sign Builder Illustrated

15

SignSHOW VINYL/VINYL FILMS/SUPPLIES ORACAL Gets Reflective with New Prismatic Film ORACAL USA announces the addition of ORALITE® Series 5900 High Intensity Prismatic Grade Reflective Film to its ORALITE® line. The new film provides superior visibility (day and night) for use on traffic control, guidance, warning, and informational signage. Series 5900 is a 9-mil, ten-year prismatic reflective film, featuring a clear, permanent adhesive designed for long-term reflectivity. This film meets ASTM D 4956 specifications for Type IV, Class 1, retroreflective sheeting, and has excellent screen and UV printability. It is available in white, yellow, orange, red, green, blue, and brown.

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Outwater Introduces MirroFlex™ Door Skins Designed to breathe new life into those old, unadorned doors that would otherwise be headed for the garbage dump, the new, environmentally friendly peel-and-stick MirroFlex™ Door Skins from Outwater Plastics Industries, Inc. + Architectural Products readily adhere to existing flat panel doors for a perfect fit and fresh, new look without the cost or time that it would take to install new doors. Manufactured from high impact-resistant Class-A Fire Rated Thermoplastic, Outwater’s MirroFlex Door Skins are offered in many different finishes to complement your décor. Sizes include 36-by-84 inches and 48-by-84 inches; custom-formed 3D Door Skins are available (but please inquire for minimum count). 800/631-8375; www.outwater.com

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16

Epilog

Sign Builder Illustrated // November 2012

See us at Sign World International Booth #602

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signshop.com

HOW-TO

By Mark roBerts

Business Management

Keeping Your Eyes on the Prize

Don’t undersell your window graphics

T

he definition of a successful business is to offer great ideas, great service, great products, and most of all, to create a nice return on your investment as the owner.

Your ideas, your designs, your products, and your services are what you have to offer your clientele.

However the fine line we must all walk is the tendency of the client to exceed their requests of ideas, designs, layouts, and other items that must be on the clock to preserve the profitability of your sign business. The ease of creating

photo courtesy of dave forrest.

capabilities.

speculative layouts can reduce the dollar-perhour fees that successful sign companies should be collecting.

For instance, let’s say that you have a customer who is interested in a set of perforated window wraps. He visits your office, sees your capabilities and your previous projects in this field, and suggests that he will be a viable client for these services.

Next said client produces a list of items he would like to advertise on each window (complete with pictorial representations of the products he offers for sale and advertising copy).

Be sure to take extremely accurate measurements of each and every window before beginning an installation.

signshop.com

November 2012 // Sign Builder Illustrated

17

photo courtesy of clear focus imaging, inc; graphics produced by guild art.

Successful window wrap programs are not cheap, nor should they be.

We are not just selling ink on perforated vinyl; we are also selling the advertising of our client’s products.

Now before the excitement lowers your resistance to jump in and create speculative layouts, take charge of the sale.

Instead of creating layouts for each and every window, you first step should be to show actual photographs of window wraps you have already produced.

Taking this catalogue approach instead of the Photoshop approach will save you valuable time and money that could be lost on a prospective client.

Your portfolio should be organized with three levels of quality—good, better, and best. Not every client wants the best, yet you certainly do not want to sell on the lowest price level either.

A happy medium must be reached for a successful sale. This is the time to ask outright for the client’s budget for the project. You are going to need a crystal-clear monetary figure to work with—not some nebulous, pie-in-thesky wish of the client.

Successful window wrap programs 18

Sign Builder Illustrated // November 2012

are not cheap, nor should they be. We are not just selling ink on perforated vinyl; we are selling the advertising of our client’s products. With our successful marketing ideas and designs, the windows will attract potential buyers to them like a magnet.

Once you have convinced the client to invest in a window graphics program, make it happen. Have the client sign off on the sizes of the prints, the artwork, and the agreement to your terms of sale.

Next present them with the invoice and obtain your deposit. Projects like these should be 50 percent down upfront for all new clients or net thirty days payments for those clients with whom you have a track record of successful transactions. I have discovered that the younger my clientele becomes, the fewer the requests for thirty-day payments arise. And good for us! We are sign professionals—not banking institutions. Conduct your business as you see fit. signshop.com

Out at the site survey, check and recheck your measurements for each window. I take extremely accurate measurements of every window, and I assign each one a number.

Then return to your sign facility and convert the presentation files into production files. I create my layouts in Adobe® Illustrator® and output these graphics via my Roland VP-540 printer/cutter.

(Note: I do not laminate my window prints.) After printing and trimming, the numbered prints are taken to the job site and adhered to each window, left to right.

Another form of cheap insurance I use is the 3M™ Edge Sealer, which is applied in a one-inch strip around the entire perimeter of every window.

By doing this, your prints will stay in place until their new window program takes effect.

I enjoy selling and installing window perfs because, while out at the project site, a lot of other people stop and watch you as you work. Be sure to take a few moments to chat with them and give them two or three of your business cards.

After seeing your work in action, they will be calling you first, so never miss this golden opportunity to market yourself and your work out on a job.

FLAT CUT METAL LETTERS 6 Different Alloys • Made in Just Days • Design Flexibility www.signletters.com 1-800-538-8377

photo courtesy of clear focus imaging, inc; graphics produced by refined sight.

Mark Roberts is the owner of The InterSign Group in Houston, Texas. For more information, visit www.theintersigngroup.com.

Winning Windows

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The most experienced, trusted name in perforated window films signshop.com

November 2012 // Sign Builder Illustrated

19

HOW-TO

By Lori Shridhare

Dimensional

Monumental Plans A sign company offers tips for creating monuments that

may be, new technologies (such as LED message centers) can augment their appearance and add a certain “pizzazz” that brings more movement and fluidity to these brick-and-mortar signs.

Many sign companies fold monuments into their mix of offerings. Creative Sign Designs (www.creativesigndesigns.com) of Tampa, Florida, is one such company. In addition to working with a range of signage from awnings and channel letters to outdoor directional signage and dimensional letters, the company dedicates approximately 10 to 15 percent of its work to monument signage.

all photos courtesy of creative sign designs.

impress.

M

onument signs stand out as foundational signage—solid, resistant icons that convey stability in a variety of venues (from retail to corporate parks). They are an ubiquitous part of the landscape, conveying a sense of permanence to an establishment.

The construction materials used (EPS, aluminum, etc.) allow these signs to blend into the borders surrounding a location—complementing a stone wall, for example, or mirroring the other signage used on or by the business.

As traditional as the look of monument signs

20

Sign Builder Illustrated // November 2012

signshop.com

Materials In most municipalities (including Tampa), monument sign regulations are grouped together under freestanding and ground signs, which may also include pylon signs.

Jamie Harden, president and CEO of Creative Sign Designs, says that he mainly sees monument signs being requested for residential and commercial industries, which include golf courses, hospitality, and corporate.

For materials, Harden notices mostly EPS (expanded polystyrene) or aluminum with decorative features or stonework as very popular. “For residential neighborhood applications, brick structures with individual stud-mounted letters indirectly illuminated are frequenly used,” he says.

“The stud-mounted letters typically are mounted directly to a tile that is attached onto the brick veneer.

“Meanwhile for commercial applications, we’re seeing [an increase] in

internally illuminated aluminum cabinets sporting a more-modern look.”

Nicole Cavalani, marketing manager for Creative Sign Designs, says that they work with a range of options when it comes to monument sign materials. “The materials vary greatly—from aluminum and steel to lightweight and eco-friendly sign foam,” she says. “Sign foam monument signs are affordable, durable, and eco-friendly, while monument signs constructed of aluminum or steel offer not only a high-class look but also durability.”

Harden says the choice of material boils down to the look the client is trying to achieve and the location of the signage. “You wouldn’t put decorative stone in front of an industrial park, for example,” he says. “EPS is better suited for this environment because it typically offers more unique shapes. It is also used with monument signage that is traditionally landscape-illuminated.

“Aluminum is used as a better comple-

ment for internally illuminated signage.”

Materials can also help lend a monument sign a unique appearance. “There are several materials and finishes you can use to make your monument sign stand out, such as high-density foams, block, brick, concrete, stucco, or tile, just to name a few options,” says Harden. “You should discuss these available options with the client during the design process.”

An attractive embellishing option for monuments is electric illumination of some kind. “You can add outside-thenorm products such as reverse-lit dimensional channel letters, LED border illumination, and electronic message centers to give these signs a real ‘pop,’” says Harden.

And another one of the newest trends the company is observing in monument building is the turn towards the use of green materials in the substrate, as well as in the paints (MAP Ultra Low-VOC Matthews Paint, as an example).

Embellishing a monument with electric illumination— LEDs, EMCs, or channel letters—helps to add

“pizzazz” 22

Sign Builder Illustrated // November 2012

signshop.com

InstallatIon Aside from material choice, some installation considerations should be studied as well. The key is to understand the location, especially if water may be an issue on the job site. “Any nearby retention ponds or drains typically complicate installations,” says Cavalani. “Another challenge is how far above sea level the monument will be resting.

“I have run into situations where if you’re close to a body of water (a river, for example), then when you dig the footer, water will tend to pour in. Then you’re going to need to use a casing or change to a spread footer.”

Since monument signs can take up a great deal of space on the landscape, Cavalani says that it’s also important to first clear away any flower beds so that the sign installation doesn’t disturb delicate flora. She also advises that any finishing touches on landscaping should be completed after the sign has been installed.

In general, Harden’s advice on installation is to “expect the unexpected” and to “prepare for unforeseen challenges.”

cased its capabilities with monument signage—only this time, it was for an audience that would be far, far away from its home base.

The company was tasked with custom-fabricating twenty-foot-long, threedimensional guitars in the shape of the concert series logo. These monument signs would be placed at the entryways of the amphitheater property.

These Farm Bureau Live at Virginia Beach guitar-shaped monuments were

completelly built out of CNC-routed EPS, textured, and painted at Creative’s headquarters in Tampa.

Because of the overall scale of this sign, Creative Sign Designs had to direct-ship it in several pieces. Thanks to long-distance project management from Creative, the Virginia-licensed installers were able to put the sign together and put it up. The end-result was so impressive that Creative also built similar twenty-foot-tall guitars for the amphitheater stage.

Project examPles Monument signs can completely change the look of a business or provide a range of options when incorporated into a sign program.

On a recent project in northern St. Petersburg, Creative Sign Designs focused on refurbishing an existing monument sign. Lincoln Shores Apartments called upon the sign company to update its signage, in addition to providing outdoor wayfinding and directional signage, exterior unit numbering, and post-andpanel signs for the entire complex.

“The use of aluminum, PVC, and stucco on the existing brick structure surpassed the client’s expectations for a new, updated look for the complex,” says Cavalani. “Our creative department designed the radius top-cap with three different levels along with the bottom feature.

“Meanwhile all of the copy featured on this monument sign is 3/4-inch PVC that was stud-mounted to a stucco finish on existing brick.”

On another “fun and challenging” project for an outdoor venue in Virginia Beach, Virginia that was hosting the Farm Bureau Live concert series, Creative Sign Designs further showsignshop.com

November 2012 // Sign Builder Illustrated

23

Dimensional / By Jeff Wooten ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

The “Best” Type of

Warning G

ary Johnson, owner of The Great American Sign Company (www. greatamericansign.net) in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, has created a number of award-winning dimensional signs over his fair share of years in the industry, and he keeps adding to this total.

His recent dimensional sign work designed, carved, and crafted for the Community Garden at the library in Bedminster, New Jersey earned him the “Best in Show” in the 2012 USSC Sign Design Competition. (Note: See page 8.)

In fact, the story behind its creation is probably just as award-worthy.

“The library official was looking for ‘welcome’ and ‘do not’ type of signs for their garden,” says Johnson, “and at the end of our meeting, he had a big

24

Sign Builder Illustrated // November 2012

frown. He told me that he needed one more sign that their lawyer insisted be placed as well.”

The purpose of this “required” sign was to inform visitors that any individuals entering the garden essentially waived any claim of liability. “We both shook our heads and thought, ‘What has our world come to that we need a sign like this in a place that’s supposed to be a refuge from the real world?’” says Johnson.

Yet this depressing thought actually brightened Johnson’s creative vision to come up with something outside the box. He inquired about lightening up the message a bit, and without hesitation, the client agreed.

Johnson envisioned an old lawyer standing in front of the garden and warning signshop.com

all photos courtesy of the great american sign company.

A lawyer’s edict leads to a sign maker walking away with “Best in Show.”

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

“ You look at a lot of references, but in the end, you have to see the person that wants to come out of the clay.” — Gary Johnson, The Great American Sign Company signshop.com

November 2012 // Sign Builder Illustrated

25

Case study

Orca West Orca West Inc., is a specialist signmaking company based in Edmonton in Alberta, Canada. It has been serving the oil industry with quality signs and decals for almost two decades. As trade began to rapidly increase, they purchased a Camtech Z7 machine from AXYZ International.

The Camtech Z7 is a multipurpose routing machine, designed for cutting all types of plastics, woods, foams, and metals in both 2D and 3D. Dan Boudreau, owner of Orca West, purchased the Camtech because he was tired of waiting on other companies to cut his designs and was always surprised at the high price he was charged for the privilege. Boudreau can now turn that same job around in just days instead of weeks!

Reducing the lead times means reduced costs and that can only lead to more happy customers.

—Press Release

To save the “Sy” design for possible future production, Johnson took the sign components to a Konica Minolta lab and had them create a 3-D scanned version.

26

Sign Builder Illustrated // November 2012

signshop.com

everyone who enters about the rules.

“I imagined [him] with his hair turned gray from worry standing watch with his trusty power suit and tie doing battle against frivolous lawsuits,” he says.

At first, Johnson was inspired by the “Walter” puppet used by comedian Jeff Dunham, but he also searched Google™ Images™ for a variety of older people (“angry old man,” anxious old man,” “wrinkled old man,” etc.) to arrive at his final composite image. “My designs always change when I flesh them out,” he says.

Johnson named the stern lawyer “Sy,” because it sounds like “sigh” and is short for “Seymore.” “I thought ‘Seymore’ was appropriate because he ‘sees more’ than the flowers and vegetables,” explains Johnson. “He sees danger, and in a weird way, that kind of makes him a hero.”

Even though the library’s budget was only about a third of what Johnson normally charges for a project of this type, he liked its playfulness. He agreed to proceed, as long as there were no further revisions or deadlines. “I’ve never met the actual lawyer, but I’m told it’s a

“I’ve never met the actual lawyer, but I’m told it’s a pretty good likeness,” chuckles Gary Johnson.

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800 361 3408 sales@axyz.com www.axyz.com November 2012 // Sign Builder Illustrated

27

How to be ready when Hollywood calls?

Work really hard, and use a ShopBot. Melissa Jones from Minnesota, a mother of two, has been diligently building her one-woman sign business for about 5 years.

She got a ShopBot CNC router in 2008 to expand her production capability, and that’s when the call came from Sony Pictures to make specialized props for “The Green Hornet.” And business has been going well ever since.

See Melissa’s and other ShopBotter stories at shopbottools.com

ShopBot offers powerful, precise and affordable digital fabrication tools. So give us a call and let’s see how we can help your business dreams come true.

ShopBotTools.com 888-680-4466

28

Sign Builder Illustrated // November 2012

pretty good likeness,” chuckles Johnson.

Johnson constructed the sign panel out of thirty-pound Coastal Enterprises Precision Board™ HDU by carving it with a Gerber Dimension 200® router and Enroute 4 software. Johnson used the remaining Precision Board to make the banner, the circle behind Seymore, the border, and the smalts channel as a one piece. “I like to carve using a single piece of material, as much as possible,” he says.

Seymore the Lawyer, the flowers, the vegetables, and the vines were all handsculpted out of Abracadabra Sculpt Epoxy using a few dental tools. They were then painted with Sherwin-Williams® latex paints.

To attach Seymore to the Precision Board panel, Johnson inserted screws through the back of the HDU. He affixed the smaller pieces (the plants, the flowers, etc.) to this painted back panel using a little freshly mixed putty while these components were still soft.

The legalese portion of this sign was constructed out of 1/4-inch white acrylic that Johnson painted black. The lettering is incise-carved, while its border is inlaid black osmalto (smalt).

The actual sign panel measures 24 inches tall-by-20 inches wide. Because of its weight, Johnson affixed it via an aluminum French cleat and a few screws to a six-foot-tall single wood post, which he had recycled from a job he completed five years prior. “It was a beautiful cedar post that I salvaged from a sign replacement I did for a local church,” he says. “With the low budget on this job, it was the perfect opportunity to put them back into service.

“I just needed to add the fluting and give it a fresh coat of white paint.”

Johnson started thinking about the possibility of needing to recreate this sign for future placements. He needed to be able to save his design for routing or 3-D printing, so he took the pre-painted Seymore sculpture and panel to a nearby Konica Minolta Lab. Johnson welded a little base to Sy here, so that he could stand upright for the scanning process.

It took Johnson five months to complete this sign. “This might seem like a long time,” he says, “but because the budget was so low, I had to give it a low priority. Even though this was a pet project essentially for charity, I wasn’t willing to compromise and rush to get it done.

“I wanted it to be a showpiece.” signshop.com

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////CNC Routers / By jerry fireman

Programming

Growth with CNC

A sign shop uses technology to prosper in a weak economy.

W

With an unemployment rate in the neighborhood of 15 percent, Fresno, California would seem to be one of the least-promising places to succeed in the sign business.

However after spending twenty years in the trucking business, Lonnie and Heidi

all Photos courtesy of diverse signs.

English decided they wanted to get into something more creative.

“We went to a sign-making show and saw a CNC router running, and we were in awe

of what it could do,” says Heidi.

Slightly over a decade later, the Englishes have a successful and growing business

that not only keeps them busy but also employs the couple’s son, Kyle.

signshop.com

November 2012 // Sign Builder Illustrated

29

“ We went to a sign-making show and saw a CNC router running, and we were in awe of what it could do.”

— Heidi English, Co-owner of Diverse Signs

The CNC router has set the English’s company, Diverse Signs (www.diversesigns.com), apart from others in the area for its ability to produce attention-grabbing 3-D signs. They offer a wide range of products: exterior and interior signage; 3-D architecture; vehicle, aircraft, and boat graphics; banners; cut letters and sign blanks; and decorative concrete stencils and forms.

The Englishes begin the typical dimensional project by scanning existing images or creating original artwork in partnership with the customer. They

30

then import it into ArtCAM software, where they develop the cross-sections often needed in 3D signs.

When the draft design is finished, they create a rendering of the image to present to the customer for review. Once the design is approved, a toolpath and G-code is generated and the components of the sign are produced on their MultiCam CNC router.

Keep On Truckin’ Lonnie and Heidi’s first design was a sign built out of high-density urethane

Sign Builder Illustrated // November 2012

(HDU) for their family’s trucking company. They used the vector offset feature in ArtCAM to create the black and white lines that divide the different areas of the sign. One-half-inch of material was removed from the background areas of the substrate to provide a multi-level look.

The word “English” is made from acrylic letters inlaid into the HDU substrate. The typography was originally designed for the company’s logo.

They scanned the camera-ready art, then imported it into ArtCAM and cleaned it up with the “node editing”

signshop.com

features. They then selected the “inlay” option to create both the male and female cut for the letters.

On Exhibit at a Zoo On a sign for Stingray Bay, an exhibit at the local zoo, Diverse Signs started the design process by taking a photograph of wood with the right weathered look.

They then opened the JPEG image in ArtCAM, and from the bitmap layer, created a 1/2-inch-thick relief layer. Using the “smooth relief” feature and sculpting tools, they touched up certain areas of the image (such as the depth of the knots and grain) to make them pop out more.

They then cut the HDU panel out on their MultiCam router. The panel was hand-painted with five different shades of gray and brown latex paint using

teresting is mounted above the art store and incorporates two paint brushes and a pallet along with stylized letters.

“The customer gave free reign to our creativity,” says Heidi. “He told us which signs were needed and told us to have at it.”

The Englishes used a specialized typographical program to produce the whimsical letters and imported them into ArtCAM. “We printed the surfaces of the letters with a digital printer on vinyl and

HDU

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With a CNC router and the right software, the possibilities are endless. darker colors on the deeper layers and lighter colors on the high areas.

The blue oval border consists of a separate piece of one-inch-thick HDU mounted onto the wood background.

The center section of the oval was cut out to allow mounting of a 0.040-inchthick aluminum panel.

Heidi used ArtCAM’s clearance area toolpath to clear out the entire recessed area with an inner profile vector selected as a boundary. This toolpath quickly removed the bulk material and left a flat bottom and a terraced model.

The Stingray Bay logo and slogan were printed on a four-by-eight-foot digital print vinyl and then adhered to the aluminum panel. Lonnie then sprayed it with a flat clear urethane for UV protection.

Artisans like those at Signetics of Centerville, Ohio appreciate the detail and quality Precision Board Plus allows them to put into their sand-crafted signs.

Our new Precision Board Plus is made from 23.9% Rapidly Renewable Resources, with a Certified Carbon Footprint of 3:1, so you and your customers can be confident that one of the most durable choices for dimensional sign applications is also an environmentally friendly one. Back your signs with our “Life of the Sign Warranty”.

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Child’s Play When a contractor was hired to build an activity room for a pre-school containing a number of interactive rooms, he turned to Diverse Signs to create the signs for each room. One of the most insignshop.com

adhered them to the letters,” says Heidi.

“We created a simple outline of the paint brushes using ArtCAM’s vector drawing tools. Then we created a series of crosssections for the paint brush and used the ‘extrude to two rails sweep’ feature to convert the paint brush into a 3D object.

“The pallet was defined using the ArtCAM vector drawing tools and built using a 2D cut on the router. Each letter was mounted on a bracket, which was, in turn, fastened to the roof.”

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2012 // Sign Builder Illustrated 10/4/12 31 4:57 PM

Your Direct Source for Sign Information 3 Easy Steps

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

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

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

3. Mail card to start getting info!

InfoDirect # Company

InfoDirect # Company

1 3M Commercial Graphics . . . . . . . . 3 2 ADA Wholesale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

35 Outwater Plastics

3 Alpina Manufacturing . . . . . . . . . . 47 4 Alpina Manufacturing . . . . . . . . . . 47

36

5 A.R.K. Ramos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 6 ASE Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

38

7 AXYZ International . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 8 Biesse America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

40

37 39 41

9 Brinks Mfg (Van Ladder) . . . . . . . . 40

42

10 CAO Group, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 11 Car Top Signs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

43

12 Clear Focus Imaging, Inc. . . . . . . . 19 13 Coastal Enterprises/

45

14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34

32

Page

Precision Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Delcam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Duxbury Systems, Inc. . . . . . . . . . 47 Elliott Equipment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Epilog Laser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Formetco Powered

by Ad Tech . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C4 Gemini, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Gill Studios . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Gill Studios . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Graphic House . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Graphics One LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Hartlauer Bits, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Jasper Plastics Solutions . . . . . . . 42 L&L Industries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Manitex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Matthews Paint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Mimaki USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Mimaki USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 MultiCam Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Orbus Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Orbus Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Ornamental Post Panel & Traffic . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

44 46 47

Sign Builder Illustrated // November 2012

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Industries, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Shopbot Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Sign America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Signs By Tomorrow . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 SloanLED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C2 Small Balls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 superbrightLEDS.Com . . . . . . . . . . 46 Techno, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Tri Vantage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 US LED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 USSC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C3 Ventex Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Wilkie MFG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

InfoDirect # Company

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Companies in the Sign Show 48 3M Commercial Graphics . . . . . . . 15 49 Chemetal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 50 Graphic Solutions Group . . . . . . . . 14 51 Graphics One, LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 52 Knifeless Tech Systems . . . . . . . . 15 53 MaxLite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 54 OKI Data Americas . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 55 Oracal USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 56 Outwater Plastics Industries . . . . 16 57 Roland DGA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 58 Scodix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 59 Top Value Fabrics . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 60 Wasatch RIP Software . . . . . . . . . 12

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Artie’s Party Raises $75,000 O

n July 20-22, more than seventy pinstripe artists joined Organizer “East Coast” Artie Schilling at the Sixth Annual Artie’s Party charity auction at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse, New York.

The stripers donated their time and talents to decorate a variety of objects (toolboxes, purses, toilet seat covers, garbage cans, etc.). These works of art were auctioned off with all the proceeds contributed to the McMahon/Ryan Child Advocacy Site (which provides a safe haven for sexually abused children and victims of domestic violence).

This year, they raised more than $75,000 for the McMahon/Ryan Center. Over the last five years, Artie’s Party has donated nearly $300,000 in contributions for the advocacy site.

In June of 2011, the McMahon/Ryan Child Advocacy Center moved from its original location in a 3,000-square foot facility to its new 30,000-square foot home, which was remodeled to create an inviting atmosphere for the children and to provide facilities for all of the various agencies that comprise the Child Abuse Response Team (CART).

Contributions from the Artie’s Party auctions have helped fund the move to the new building and for hiring additional counselors.

Vendors who donated merchandise for the auction included PPG, the Evernham Family Racing for a Reason Foundation, Lincoln Technical Institute, DuPont Hot Hues, Gerber Scientific, RTape, and Xcaliber Corp.

Many of the finest stripers in the world (including as far away as New Zealand) participated in this year’s Artie’s Party, including: John “Tramp” Warner, Donny Edwards, Brian “the Brush” Briskie, Sal Cabrera, Julian “Mr. J” Braet, Mike “Mikey Boy” Fredrick, Howie Nisgor, Robert “Nub” Collard, DeWayne Connot, Neil Melliard, Tom Kelly, and Zeke Lemanski. Even former Dukes of Hazzard star John Schneider showed up.

Although the participating pinstripers

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enjoy the camaraderie, what motivates them to devote their weekend to this charitable cause is the sense of satisfaction they get knowing that they are helping children in need of care. “If you suspect child abuse, report it,” says Schilling.

— Jim Hingst

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33

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

“Nothing speaks louder than experience.

You have to identify problems before they’re problems and ensure everyone’s safety.”

— Gary Johnson, owner of Signcrafters/GK&M

34

Sign Builder Illustrated // November 2012

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////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////Service Vehicles/ By Mike AntoniAk

Ready, Set,

Install!

Successfully operating a service truck on-site.

photo courtesy of elliott equipment.

N

ew OSHA requirements calling for the certification of all crane operators by 2014 provide good cause for every sign company to revisit its safety practices and procedures when using trucks and cranes for sign installation or removal.

“The sign industry has a unique set of safety needs due to the urban nature of their work,” notes David Phillips, international sales and communications manager for Elliott

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Equipment (www.elliottequip.com). “Sign companies are more likely to be operating near power lines, roadways, pedestrian pathways, and obstacles in small team settings with limited supervision.”

The OSHA rule (http://1.usa.gov/ UrHHOF), which began phase-in in November 2010, stipulates that operators of cranes with a hoist or lift capacity rated 2,000 pounds or more receive OSHAapproved training and pass a written

November 2012 // Sign Builder Illustrated

35

certification exam by November 2014.

The goal is to reduce potential injuries and ensure the safety of operators and those working around this equipment.

Training is Key

TOP — When determining the right equipment to use, find out how high the sign will be installed and how far you’ll need to reach.

photos courtesy of (top) harlan laws corp.; (bottom) pacific neon company.

BOTTOM — There are some different safety considerations with service equipment when it’s used on the streets as opposed to in a private access area.

According to Mike McClure, service manager for full-service Arrow Sign Company (www.arrowsigncompany.com) in Oakland, California, proper planning is really the key to safe installations or removals that require a truck, boom, or crane. “You’ve got to know what you have to achieve, then match [the] equipment to the job and put together your plan,” he says.

“When it comes to safety, there’s no room for compromise,” adds Gary Johnson, owner of full-service Signcrafters/ GK&M (www.scoutdoor.com) in Minneapolis, Minnesota. “You need to be aware of what each installation requires and how it could affect your installers and the public in that area.”

McClure and Johnson speak from decades of experience with truck and crane installations. Arrow Sign even maintains a division specializing in crane services. Its full fleet of mobile installa-

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Sign Builder Illustrated // November 2012

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tion/removal equipment (ranging from a 50-foot boom truck to a 166-foot crane) can handle any job.

“When a customer calls, the first thing we ask is, ‘What is the weight that needs to be lifted, how high up is it going, and how far do we have to reach?” says McClure. “When we know all that, we can determine the right truck for the job.”

Different trucks call for different safety measures. “When you’re talking a thirty-five-foot bucket on a one-ton

truck, you’re working with lightweight stuff and can get by with yellow caution tape to make sure the area directly underneath is clear,” says Johnson. “But when you’re using a crane, you’re talking about a significantly larger area—the whole length of that crane— and the precautions you have to take are that much more significant.

“You’re totally responsible for everyone around you in that work area.”

Ensuring safety on large projects can

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Sign Builder Illustrated // November 2012

also require a site survey to evaluate the access, the sign to be lifted/removed, and potential obstacles (such as trees and power lines).

But site surveys aren’t always practical. “An installation crew might do two or three jobs on the typical day, so you can’t always visit a site on smaller jobs to plan ahead,” says Johnson. “Safety really falls back to training and the example you set (as an owner or crew chief).

“It has to be part of your routine.”

Local Requirements Vary Depending on location (and if the installation could disrupt traffic flow), permits or coordination with local police or municipal services may be required. “In some places, you can set up in the street and put up cones to alert traffic,” notes McClure. “But if we tried something like that in San Francisco, the police would be on the site within ten minutes, and we’d be facing a fine.”

Johnson cites standard procedures as examples for a safer working environment. “Cones should be three feet apart,” he says. “If they’re six feet apart, there’s always some driver who’ll drive through them.

“And when you’re closing off a work area with caution tape, you want to use double rolls of tape. If there’s only one, somebody will come along and think its OK to walk under it.”

Industry Initiatives According to Bill Dundas, director of technical and regulatory affairs at the International Sign Association (ISA), the insights into best practices gained through years of experience with equipment and its capabilities are foundations for every safe installation or removal. “There are basic practices, and they begin with matching the equipment to the requirements of the job,” he reiterates. “Rigging practices are extremely important, and the operator has to know the proper way to avoid contact with power lines and have outriggers properly positioned.”

While general safety guidelines always apply, Dundas stresses the importance of taking a case-by-case approach to each job. “Every project a sign installer does is a little different,” he says. “Safety always depends on where you’re doing the installation, the buildings in the area, and what’s going on around them.” signshop.com

The ISA’s commitment to promote safety includes developing new programs to make members aware of safety issues and best practices. “We’re drawing on the knowledge of our members, based on their experiences and the different types of projects they’ve done,” says Dundas.

Results can be accessed in an online course devoted to safety (http://bit.ly/ puGobq). “It’s part of the online school we’re developing, which will be accessible anywhere/anytime,” says ISA Director of Education Matthew Rumbaugh.

“It covers everything—from identifying risks to safe operation of equipment to such basics as how to make sure a truck is properly braked.”

The ISA has also joined with the National Commission for Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO) to provide members with OSHA-approved training to meet requirements for the crane operator certification (http://bit.ly/RcBTdj). “Our program is tailored to the needs of members and to get them the training they need to then take the exam,” says Rumbaugh.

Responsible Vendors Suppliers of trucks, booms, and cranes also do their part to promote safety— some required, some on their own initiative. “A lot of cranes and boom trucks have safety features and limit switches with alarms built into the equipment,” notes McClure. “They provide us with all the information on gross weight limits and safe operation of the equipment.”

Phillips says it’s important to respond to these alarms and warning features.

“Every product is designed to have builtin features like deadman foot switches, overload protection devices, and other accessories that prevent operator error,” he says.

Darrell Wilkerson Jr., vice president of Wilkie Manufacturing (www.wilkiemfg. com), reports, “When customers pick up a new or used Wilkie, we spend as much time with them as they feel they need.”

(Note: The amount of training depends on the operator’s experience and skill level.)

Wilkerson considers an experienced operator to be the best resource for guidance on safe sign installation and removal. “There are certain variables that seem to be constantly changing, such as wind, location, power line locations, landscaping, and sign regulations,“ he says. “It takes someone with training and experience to be able to factor in all the variables and perform a safe and efficient lift.”

Phillips says many accidents can be avoided with some common sense practices: reading and adhering to operation/ safety manuals, viewing safety videos, and attending training classes. “Ultimately responsibility for safe practices rest solely on the operator, but [we] make a strong effort to train, educate, and protect our customers on the job site.”

In the end, it’s up to service vehicle operators to make safety a priority and to take advantage of all the resources put forward by sign industry leaders, vendors, and trade groups.

“Safety should always be the numberone consideration,” says Johnson. “The good journeyman or the good, experienced sign installer is going to pass along the right way you bolt signs to the wall but also stories of why guys have been hurt and what can be done to avoid those situations.”

40

Sign Builder Illustrated // November 2012

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photo courtesy of elliott equipment company.

It’s Up to You

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Monuments / By Jeff Wooten

An Education in

all PHoToS CourTeSy of riTe liTe SiGnS.

Identity Giving monument signage the “new” college try.

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W

hen it came time for schools across the country to head back into session, one sign company had to “brush up” on its brushed aluminum education to complete a buildand-install monument project.

Horry Georgetown Technical College is a two-year college located in Conway, South Carolina that has been around since the 1960s. But school officials didn’t require textbooks to figure out that they needed standout identity signage today that would not only enhance the campus but also act as a landmark for the future.

The college opted for a pair of similarly designed monument signs that would be set up at two different entrances to its facilities—signs featuring the letters “HGTC” standing on a pedestal base.

November 2012 // Sign Builder Illustrated

41

Rite Lite custom-built the faces and backs of the letters out of

1/4-inch aluminum using their CNC router.

Since there was a possibility of students wanting to climb onto these monument letters, the college knew it was going to need something super-durable. Originally the idea was to use granite.

However through subsequent meetings with General Contractor Rick Ruonala of TLR Construction Co., Inc., in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and Architect Patrick Williams of SGA Architecture in Pawleys Island, South Carolina, the school decided all-brushed aluminum would look—and work out—better.

The twenty-four-inch-deep, non-illuminated HGTC letters are grouped twenty feet across the pedestal. Each letter stands four-and-a-half feet tall on the forty-twoinch high pedestal base. From the top of

42

the letters to the bottom of the base, the entire monument measures eight feet tall.

The company that built and installed these signs was Rite Lite Signs (www. ritelitesigns.com), a full-service sign business located in Concord, North Carolina that has thirty employees (including designers, fabricators, and installers) and a penchant for working on custom builds.

Interestingly Rite Lite wasn’t the original sign shop hired for this project. When the job was up for bidding, they had made it to the final stage but lost out to another company by just a couple thousand dollars.

However this bidding took place when the two signs were still going to be granite. As fate would have it, the school’s

Sign Builder Illustrated // November 2012

decision to switch to brushed aluminum actually worked out in Rite Lite’s favor.

“The original sign company couldn’t figure out how to do the returns and the brushed aluminum. They were just planning to paint it,” says David Cornelius, account manager at Rite Lite Signs. “So a couple of weeks into it, they bowed out. “[School officials] got back in touch with us and asked if we could do it. Of course, we told them, ‘Yes!’” Rite Lite had worked on its fair share of monument projects over the years, but the shop hadn’t worked on any that would use brushed aluminum (especially at this size). They internally started to wonder if they hadn’t bitten off more

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trying to figure out why the other shop would give up and opt out.

“The school wanted everything to be 1/4-inch plate brushed aluminum,” says John Sullivan, vice president of operations at Rite Lite, “which we were able to do, except for the returns of the letters.

Those we made out of 1/8-inch brushed aluminum.”

Rite Lite Lead Fabricator/Structural Designer Eric Wray and Production/ Installation Manager Robert “Boomer” Frazier devised a game plan for construction of the 8-by-20-foot brushed aluminum monument, and Senior Project Manager Renae Hartsell scheduled this project for go-ahead.

Art Director Brian Goss provided the layouts, and Rite Lite custom-built the faces and backs of the letters out of 1/4inch aluminum using their CNC router.

“We also constructed an interior framework made from 3/16-inch aluminum to hold it all together and give us something to weld to,” explains Sullivan.

There are no visible fasteners on the front side of the letters. Stainless steel

countersunk screws attach the backs to the returns. The backs were made removable here in order to access letter mounting.

After assembling and welding the letters, Rite Lite Master Paint Technician Benny Culler applied several layers of clear-coat to them. “With the sign being heavy and brushed aluminum, I had to be extremely careful in handling the

product to make sure there were no defects before I applied any of it,” he says.

The pedestal base is made from 3/16inch brushed aluminum in a vertical grain direction. School officials requested that the letters be detachable from the base. “This way, they can go to the back of the letters and unbolt each letter independently and haul it away, if they

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November 2012 // Sign Builder Illustrated

43

need to do repairing or refinishing down the road,” explains Sullivan. (Note: The base features a seam between the “H-G” and “T-C” letters, so it can also be removed at this division.)

The black lettering on the pedestal base is a bit of optical illusion. Sure they may look like stud-mounted acrylic or plastic letters, but they’re not.

Instead Rite Lite Signs waterjet-cut the letter copy out of a 1/4-inch aluminum panel and attached this panel

44

to a 1/8-inch aluminum backing, which was then painted black. “It’s a relief-cut letter appearing to be dimensional and black,” says Sullivan. “It’s kind of the reverse of a 1/4-inch plate letter. That gives it a cool, unique effect.”

Each of the letters is attached to the pedestal base via stainless steel countersunk screws. Two were used for each end of the “H,” and two each for the remaining letters.

Rite Lite Lead Installer Tim Shaffer

Sign Builder Illustrated // November 2012

anchored the pedestal to the ground via two six-inch steel square tubes. The tubes were inserted in pre-drilled slots, spaced nine feet apart, and welded at their tops.

Meanwhile there are two concrete foundation pads and footers at the bottom of each end of the pedestal that was built by TLR Construction.

As you might expect from thick, brushed aluminum letters and a pedestal base of this size, these signs are very, very heavy. Installation required the use of Rite Lite’s cranes. “We installed the base first and then attached the letters to the base when we got to the job site,” says Sullivan.

“We then bolted down each letter.”

Rite Lite didn’t have to do much excavation. One of the signs was installed in an open space that required the use of pavers, while the other was set up in a landscaped area. “The landscapers were working around us, as we were installing that sign,” says Sullivan.

It took five weeks to build both signs, and installation covered a couple of trips back-and-forth to the shop over a week.

“We had to first set the steel and then bring back the base and then the letters,” says Sullivan.

One of the biggest challenges here was dealing with the brushed aluminum finish featured on the entire sign. “You had to completely protect every little piece every step of the way,” explains Sullivan.

When it was lying on a table, Rite Lite would add a thin layer of foam to protect it. They also had to watch the heat when welding on the 1/4-inch aluminum plate so it wouldn’t burn through and discolor it. “Handling was a major consideration, because you could easily bump something and the whole side of the sign could be marred,” says Sullivan, “so that was very touchy.”

Another big challenge was scheduling.

The school was eager to have the signs in place by the time sessions began again in the fall, and Rite Lite had already lost a bit of time here due to the other sign company dropping out. “We had two days to turn around very detailed shop drawings,” says Cornelius. “We really had to ‘turn and burn’ as far as getting it approved and everything.”

In the end, Rite Lite passed this test and managed to school everyone in the art of putting together signs of this size and scope in a crammed period of time. signshop.com

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Call Jeff Sutley at 212-620-7233 or Kim Noa at 212-620-7221.

Statement of Ownership, Management, and Circulation 1. Title of Publication: Sign Builder Illustrated 2. Publication Number: 0015-805 3. Date of Filing: September 30, 2012 4. Frequency of issue: Monthly 5. Number of issues published annually: 12 6. Annual Subscription price: $105.00 7. Mailing address of known office of publication: Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corporation, 345 Hudson Street, 12th floor, New York, NY 10014 8. Mailing address of the Headquarters of General Business offices of the publisher: Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corporation, 345 Hudson Street, 12th floor, New York, NY 10014 9. Full names and mailing address of publisher, editor, and managing editor: Publisher, Mr. Arthur Sutley; Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corporation, 345 Hudson Street, 12th Floor, New York, NY 10014; Editor, Mr. Jeff Wooten; Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corporation, 323 Clifton Street, Suite 7, Greenville, NC 27858; Managing Editor, Ms. Ashley Bray; Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corporation, 345 Hudson Street, 12th floor, New York, NY 10014 10. Owner: Mr. Arthur McGinnis, Jr., and Ms. Pat McGinnis, Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corporation, 345 Hudson Street, 12th Floor, New York, NY 10014 11. Known bondholders, mortgagees, and other security holders owning or holding one percent or more of total amount of bonds, mortgages, or other securities: None 12. Tax Status: Has Not Changed During Preceding 12 Months 13. Title of Publication: Sign Builder Illustrated 14. Issue Date for Circulation Data Below: September 1, 2012 15. Extent and nature of circulation: Average no. copies of each issue during preceding 12 months

A. Total no. of copies (net press run):

Actual no. copies of single issues published nearest to filing date

18,682

18,288

(1) Individual paid/requested mail subscriptions stated on Form 3541 (include advertisers proof and exchange copies):

13,373

12,913

(2) Copies requested by employers for distribution to employees by name or position stated on Form 3541 (include advertiser’s proof and exchange copies):

2,971

3,213

(3) Sales through dealers and carriers, street vendors, counter sales, and other non-USPS paid distribution NONE

NONE

(4) Requested copies distributed by other mail classes through the USPS NONE

NONE

C. Total paid and/or requested circulation (sum of 15b. (1), (2), (3), and (4): 16,344

16,126

B. Paid and/or requested circulation:

D. Nonrequested distribution: (1) Nonrequested copies stated on PS Form 3541

1,845

1,937

(2) Nonrequested copies distributed through the USPS by other classes of mail NONE

NONE

(3) Nonrequested copies distributed outside the mail

242

NONE

E. Total nonrequested distribution (Sum of 15d (1), (2), and (3)):

2,087

1,937

F. Total distribution (sum of 15c and e):

18,431

18,063

251

225

H. Total (sum of 15f and g):

18,682

18,288

I. Percent paid and/or requested circulation (c/g x 100):

88.67%

89.28%

G. Copies not distributed

16. Publication of Statement of Ownership Will be printed in the November, 2012 issue of this publication.

17. I certify that the statements made by me above are correct and complete.

Maureen Cooney, Circulation Director, September 30, 2012

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November 2012 // Sign Builder Illustrated

45

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“

SHOP TALK

B y A s h l e y B r Ay

Pushing the Envelope: PVS In-Store Graphics

Wes Shinn:

Innovative Solutions

T

ake the work that no one else is doing or thinking of and you have the type of projects that PVS In-Store Graphics (www. pvsinstore.com) specializes in. PVS consistently offers solutions that are outside-the-box, beyond boundaries, and pushing the production envelope. “We have a highly cross-trained staff who can work in any department or on any task— from simple assembly through complex installation,” says Wes Shinn, co-owner of PVS. Started in 1991, the Portland, Oregon company is rooted in the humble beginnings of a vinyl shop. Today the full-service sign company has over twenty-five employees working in a 40,000-square foot facility, which houses the latest digital equipment. “We always try to stay at the forefront of the newest industry innovations, materials, and equipment,” says Shinn. “By making investments in the best tools we can find, we are able to provide our clientele with the most innovative solutions.”

Over the years, the shop has completed projects and special promotions for some of the biggest brands and companies in the world. “We are

At PVS, there are no limits to what can be created.

48

committed to the success of our clients, even if the timelines or scope of the projects are [sometimes] ridiculously short or complex,” says Shinn.

“Our projects can come from a fully developed or rendered concept to a napkin sketch.”

Aside from creating unique displays and solutions, PVS is also passionate about sustainability.

“From a substrate and process standpoint, we consult with our clients about suitable alternatives that have a more sustainable process. We also work with many manufacturers to test and vet products that are claimed to be green,” says Shinn.

PVS has also implemented green initiatives in its own shop, including minimizing power usage, purchasing 100 percent renewable energy, and recycling. “We have an intensive in-house recycling program with one of our material suppliers, Laird Plastics,” says Shinn. “With them, we recycle thousands of pounds of plastic a year.”

But what truly sets PVS apart may be the attitude of its employees. “Our staff is not just here to do their job,” says Shinn. “They are here because we have fun making our finished projects.”

PVS has redefined the daily grind as an energizing effort to find creative solutions for clients.

Sign Builder Illustrated // November 2012

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Come for the Convention Stay for the FUN!!

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• A Dozen Casinos including the All NEW Revel • Nightly Entertainment • Gourmet Dining by Celebrity Chefs • Discount Shopping • Stroll the Boardwalk PLUS • More Seminar Sessions • Hundreds of Products & Services • FREE Seminars in Exhibit Hall • The Exclusive USSC BullPen • Lots More FUN including a Thursday Night Craft Beer Bash & Exhibit Hall Events & Prizes

It’s Not Just a Convention . . . It’s An Attitude!

Exhibit Hall Open: Thurs., Nov. 29 - 3 to 7 pm Fri., Nov. 30 - 10 am to 5 pm / Sat., Dec. 1 - 10 am to 4 pm Atlantic City Convention Center, Atlantic City, NJ To register go to www.ussc.org

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By Sign Professionals For Sign Professionals UNITED STATES SIGN COUNCIL 211 Radcliffe Street, Bristol, PA 19007 / 215 785-1922 / FAX 215 788-8395 / ussc@ussc.org Sign World International is a Registered Trademark of the United States Sign Council, Inc.