Sign Builder Illustrated: May 2012 Issue by Sign Builder Illustrated

How-To

www.signshop.com

may 2012

Putting on an Accent

Number 203

SIGN BU

DER ILLUS IL

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Sign Builder Illustrated S ig n Bu i l d er I l lustr ated

This digital edition is brought to you by

Border Lighting

Step Right Up

Numbe r 203

Welcome to the May 2012 issue of

Carnival Signs

I VE R SA RY

Backstory on

Backlit may 2 01 2

> Sign Cabinets > LED Adhesives

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May 2012

42 28

Shining a Light on Acrylic Signage BY LORI SHRIDHARE

One shop capitalizes on the many uses of acrylic.

34 42

Always Bet on Lighting! BY JOE BERKE

New technology brightens the signage of a couple of casinos.

A Towering Illuminated Pylon Sign BY THOMAS G. DOLAN

A sign company gets involved in lighting a landmark sign for a shopping center.

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

Sign Builder Illustrated // May 2012

Adhesives in Today’s Sign Industry BY ANDREW MORRIS

Sticking to the facts about adhesive alternatives.

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 pub lisher and authors of information provided herein advise all readers to exercise care when engaging in any of the how-to activities pub lished in the magazine. Further, the publisher and authors assume no liability for damages or injuries resulting from projects contained herein.

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Agenda

How-To Columns

MAY 2012

Photo courtesy of AgiLight (www.AgiLight.com).

Building Your Architectural Lighting Portfolio

Dispatches

20 Building Your Architectural Lighting Portfolio BY JEFF WOOTEN

Advice and applications for LED architectural lighting.

24 Winning Profits with Carnival Signs BY MARK ROBERTS

Step right up, as we take in the latest carnival ride signage.

Departments 6 UpFront

Editor Jeff Wooten checks out some reasons for installing a mindset for safety.

8 Dispatches

The latest news from around the industry.

14 Sign Show

The newest products and services from sign manufacturers.

57 SBI Marketplace

Advertisements and announcements from the sign trade. How-To

Carnival SignS

Border lighting Putting on an accent

www.signshop.com

DER ILLUS IL

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SIGN BU

Number 203

NU mb eR 20 3

may 2012

Step Right Up

I VE R SA RY

Preserving the art of letterpress.

Sign Bu i l de r i lluStr ated

On the Cover Backstory on

Backlit may 20 12

60 Shop Talk

> Sign Cabinets > LED Adhesives

Acrylic backlit signage serves the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, in this photo provided by Shabbir Moosabhoy and Impact! Signs in Hillside, Illinois. To learn more, turn to page 28.

Sign Builder Illustrated // May 2012

May 15-16: The second SGIA 2012 Business Development Conference, designed to facilitate partnerships between the graphic and sign community and brand managers at retail establishments, will take place at the Westin Downtown Hotel in Chicago, Illinois. For details, visit www.sgia.org. May 17-19: The Illinois Sign Association and the Wisconsin Sign Association will co-host a Joint Spring Conference and Table Top Trade Show at the Lake Lawn Resort in Delavan, Wisconsin. To learn more, log on to www.isa-sign.com.

JUNE 2012 June 7-9: The 2012 SEGD Conference and NEXPO (nextgeneration Expo series of events integrated throughout the main conference proceedings) will be spread across Manhattan and Brooklyn, New York. For more information and a schedule, go to thebridge.segd.org.

JULY 2012 July 26-28: The Mid South Sign Association Convention & Trade Show will take place at the Riverview Plaza Hotel in Mobile, Alabama. Details and registration are available at www.midsouthsign.org. signshop.com

by jeff wooten

May 2012, Vol. 26, No. 203

Installing a Mindset For Safety

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

Above all else, safety should be your first priority as a sign maker.

cannot remember if it was John Steinbeck or Johnny Unitas who lamented “the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry,” but a few of our readers appropriately called us out on the installation photo used on page 28 of our March 2012 issue (“Look Out for the ‘FREE BIRDS!’”). We inserted an image from our photo library that we thought would complement the “Look Out” portion of the title but failed to address this intention in the final layout. As kids today will be quick to point out: Epic fail!! We (and author Mark Roberts) don’t endorse the installation technique that was shown. OSHA wouldn’t be happy either. And we apologize! So don’t try this at home or at the work site. I want to thank everyone for voicing their concerns about this to me.You were definitely heard! Meanwhile speaking of safety and installation, Andy Studdert, CEO of NES Rentals (www.nesrentals.com), a rental provider of equipment like boom trucks, and cranes, recently addressed the International Powered Access Federation (IPAF) Summit and called on the aerial platform industry to adopt a “more stringent safety culture” similar to aviation, with walk-around and pre-use inspections and all staff members being able to know what to do in an emergency. It sounds like a smart plan to me. Although I don’t know if it’s something that should be federally required, it would seem to be something that shops using this equipment would want to, at least, internally implement. Extra

Sign Builder Illustrated // May 2012

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

safety precautions never hurt anyone! And it would probably provide a little more comfort to the person(s) up in the air as well. Safety and training involves more than inthe-air installation. Electric signage is another area. It was good to hear from USSC Electrical Consultant Randy Wright again, as he recently shared that he and two association members traveled to Chicago for the annual meeting with Underwriters Laboratories (UL) for the Sign Industry Business Panel to discuss UL 48. The committee was presented with years of data concerning the constant decline in the amount of Very Important Notices (VIN) issued, as well as the top ten reasons for a VIN and the top ten components that are found to be misused or misapplied in signs. “The goal of the panel and UL is to not have VINs issued because they define the need for better training and understanding of the general coverage program presented by UL 48,” he stated. “Association members have been afforded one credit per year to offset the involvement to resolve the reasons for VINs, but since the credit for members is such a nightmare to track, a few other resolutions were presented for consideration in the future.” For news about this, the new UL 48B replacing UL 1433 in changing message signs, and a new training workshop being prepared for the conversion to the Fifteenth addition of UL 48, check out the USSC’s spring newsletter or contact Randy at randy@ussc.org.

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, Joe Berke, thomas G. Dolan, 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

American Lighting gets

Denver, Colorado—When Fred Haas Toyota World in Houston, Texas needed a new sign last December, they turned to National Signs Ltd., of Houston, Texas, to get this job done. National Signs is a specialty signage company that handles everything from design to manufacturing and installation. But this project needed to be completed quickly, and it was imperative that the fortyfoot-tall sign be able to catch the attention of potential customers and attract traffic. With only two weeks to go until the job needed to be finished, Hussein Ali, IT manager at National Signs, took over the project. In order to achieve that wow! factor, he brought in Denver, Colorado-based American Lighting (www.americanlighting.com). The project goal was to create a sign for Fred Haas Toyota World that would be bright and well lit, despite the presence of a large amount of ambient light from the surrounding highway. Based on the long-term project needs, National Signs selected American Lighting’s Linear RGB LED Wall Washers that can be programmed to produce virtually any color and to change colors at various specific times (see photos, this page). This towering sign off of Haas' I-45 highway location needed fifty-six fixtures of various lengths to illuminate the soaring column attached to the sign. After a simple installation, the sign was illuminated with colored beams of light from the Wall Washers, all easily controlled and programmed via a DMX controller directly working with each unit. “The real challenge was selecting the right lighting 8

Sign Builder Illustrated // May 2012

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all photos courtesy of american lighting.

Behind the Wheel

Another NFL First Warrendale, Pennsylvania—A new high-definition video display system, the first to bring 10mm (ODT10) SMD technology to the National Football League (NFL) market, has been installed at CenturyLink Field, home of the Seattle Seahawks and Seattle Sounders FC. Mitsubishi Electric Power Products’ Diamond Vision® Systems Division (www.diamondvision.com) installed an 84 feet wide-by-24 feet tall ODT10 Surface Mounted Device (SMD) display at the south end of the stadium and a 44 feet wide-by-50 feet tall ODX8 screen at the north end. The new ODT10 display will be the highest pixel density display in the NFL stadium market. The X8 display is the most advanced lamp-based LED product produced by Mitsubishi Electric, and it provides ultra-wide viewing angles, a high LED fill ratio and contrast (compared to other products), and the lowest power consumption yet. “The upgrade in technology reinforces our commitment to provide the best possible game day experience and amenities for our fans,” said Seahawks and Sounders FC President Peter McLoughlin.

signshop.com

photo courtesy of mitsubishi electric.

products and making sure we would be able to do a simple, quick installation,” said American Lighting Sales Manager Dan Moe. “When it came to the finished product, all of the invested parties were more than satisfied with the timeliness and ease-of-use.” By teaming-up with American Lighting, National Signs is able to offer lighting experts to the industry who are well versed in energy-efficient lighting technologies. “Without American Lighting, this project for Fred Haas Toyota World would not have been a success, and we would not likely have been able to deliver the product on time,” says Ali. May 2012 // Sign Builder Illustrated

Dispatches +

Brand Development with Foamcore Tyrone, Georgia—Have you seen any of the Farmers University TV commercials lately— the one featuring the jingle “We are Farmers…da, da, da, da, duh, don, don” and starring a brick university sign and that guy who is in everything playing the professor? Recognizing a need in the insurance market for a fresh, creative concept targeted at a new generation, Farmers Insurance introduced the “Farmers University” campaign. The campaign utilizes a multi-dimensional approach and is designed for television, print, social media, and the Web. It was a “think outside the box” approach to informing potential clients about the insurance industry and the products it offers. The campaign introduces us to Farmers University, a college campus where each classroom aims to teach us something different about the insurance industry

photo courtesy of cet color.

Atlanta, Georgia—CET Color (www. cetcolor.com) announces the sale of its one hundredth printer: an X-Press500 UV true flatbed to Valley Wide Signs & Graphics of Allentown, Pennsylvania through dealer Advantage Sign Supply. Valley Wide Signs & Graphics was in the market for a true flatbed printer, and the shop considered options and pricing on all of the printers it looked at. “The CET Color X-Press 500 stood out as the best value for our business,” said Steve Gingras, owner of Valley Wide Signs & Graphics. “The combination of speed, ease of use, and production cost were clearly superior to any other printer that we had entertained, plus it is field upgradeable. Within the first week alone, we had several comments from customers on the improvement in the quality of our work.” Available in 4-by-8 or 5-by-10 models, the X-Press 500 prints at up to 480 square feet per hour with support for white, varnish, and spot inks. It also includes a spooler for Onyx and Caldera that gives the operator the ability to change print quality without re-ripping.

photo courtesy of peachtree city foamcraft.

CET Color Hits 100 Printers

Sign Builder Illustrated // May 2012

while injecting humor and recommending Farmers Insurance products. While the concept had a great theme, the marketing team had a pre-launch challenge: How to unite Farmers Insurance with their University concept and show viewers at home that this was a college campus? If you have viewed the commercial, you may have noticed the first shot in their commercial focuses on a brick, foamcore monument sign—a simple design that clearly states “Farmers University” and gets the job done. Signs Now (www.signsnowhollandinc. com) in Holland, Michigan teamed up with wholesale monument manufacturer Peachtree City Foamcraft (www.foamcraft. info) to create these Farmers University signs. The design utilizes a simple fauxbrick background with raised in-sign panels integrated into the structure and recessed text to make the font pop. Farmers Insurance decided that the sign would be the messenger of its campaign. After the first shot of a college campus defined by the message on the monument sign, the rest of the commercial is easy to follow and viewers are able to understand the concept, and the message Farmers is trying to communicate. So be on the lookout for the Farmers University tv commercial and see for yourself how one foamcore monument sign was able to define a million dollar, multi-dimensional brand campaign. —Katie Schwartz

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Dispatches +

Big Screens in the Big Apple

photo courtesy of daktronics.

Brookings, South Dakota—Resorts World Casino New York City features a variety of lottery machines, electronic table games, and more, but one of the most eye-catching features is its LED video technology. At more than sixteen feet high and twenty-eight feet wide, a concave high-definition LED screen from Daktronics (www.daktronics. com) hangs above the lounge stage at the Bar 360 Lounge. The concave shape is unique, and the screen features 720 lines of pixels and 6 mm surface mount LED technology. It is capable of showing 144 quadrillion shades of color, and it can display multiple channels in multiple windows in picture-topicture mode. As part of the contract, Daktronics also provided twelve additional LED displays using the same 6 mm technology in a vertical configuration. Positioned in the entry of Times Square Casino, the displays measure approximately seven feet high-by-two feet wide and present colorful promotions and advertisements.

Now on Signshop.com! Be sure to enhance your Sign Builder Illustrated reading experience by checking out some of the exciting, new things we have going on at our Web site (www. signshop.com)! We have streamlined our appearance to make the site an even more reader-friendly experience. You will now find specific channels (graphics, electric/lighting, dimensional, business management, etc.) where we’ve organized and placed news releases, product announcements, features, etc., so you can quickly and easily access the content that’s most important to you. We also have a couple of recently uploaded features that are exclusive to our site. n For starters, you will find the latest USSC Report, “Let’s Be Honest,” written by Executive Director Nancy Maren. Here's a portion: Every day, the USSC is working so that you can remain in business and remain profitable. We sit on panels such as UL, NEC, IBCC, etc., and we try to get our message out to other organizations such as the APA, IALD, the Dark Sky Society, and more. We fight the fight to represent you with all of these various entities so that you don’t have to think about all of these other things. We are able and willing to do our

Sign Builder Illustrated // May 2012

part—but you need to do your part. I am being brutally honest here—you must do your part to ensure that the sign industry will remain strong and viable for many more generations. n If you would like to learn how media is keeping pace with the expanding demand for digital print services, check out Mike Antoniak’s article, “A Wide Range of Media.” Another excerpt: Looking for new ways to reap returns from your investment in large or grand format digital printing? A good place to begin might be with suppliers of digital print media. As demand for digitally printed signage and graphics has grown, so too have their offerings. Whether you seek a multi-purpose economical substrate or a specific product for a highly specialized niche, you’ll find a vendor with just the right film, vinyl, fabric, or paper to help you grow your business as they grow their own. “What’s the right media? Well that can depend on which printer you have and what you actually want to do with it,” says Mark Friedman, product marketing manager for Sihl Digital Imaging. We also encourage you to visit www. signshop.com to also explore more— such as enhanced versions of some of our print features! signshop.com

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SignSHOW ACRYLICS/PLASTICS Rowmark Introduces New Print-receptive DigiMark OSi™ In response to recent technological advancements in the small format digital printing market, Rowmark has announced the availability of DigiMark OSi™, its revolutionary, print-receptive acrylic sheet material. DigiMark OSi features Optical Surface imaging (OSi) technology, which increases its print-receptive capabilities while eliminating the need to apply bonding agents for the ink to adhere to plastic sheet materials. Engineered for direct digital printing (personal identification, signage, point-of-purchase, and advertising), the material does not require any pre-printing surface modification techniques (such as corona treating) to improve adhesion. DigiMark OSi™ can also be laser- or rotary-engraved and/or vector-cut and comes in mono- or two-ply. It is available in case quantities of a dozen in 12-by-18-inch sheets to accommodate desktop UV/UV-LED inkjet printers. www.rowmark.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 EFI’s Alternative to Latex Printers: The R3225 UV Inkjet Printer EFI™ introduces the R3225, a 3.2-meter, roll-to-roll, entry-level production UV inkjet printer that is ideal for applications such as P-O-P, banners, fleet graphics, and more. The R3225 provides eight-level variable drop grayscale heads for superior-quality images, optimized ink usage, and UV-curing inks for access to a wide range of substrates. With print speeds up to 900 square feet per hour and automated features, productivity is maximized. The R3225 produces minimal VOC levels and offers reduced energy costs; it is the alternative to latex printers for customers looking to migrate their current wide format eco-solvent and solvent printers to a more environmentally friendly solution. 800/875-7117; www.efi.com

Roland DGA Adds White Ink Options to its Best-selling Inkjet Printer/Cutters Roland DGA Corp.’s VersaStudio BN-20 desktop printer/cutter is now available in a new CMYK plus white ink configuration, while its VersaCAMM VS inkjet printer/cutters (already available in a white ink configuration) can now be purchased with two channels of white ink for even brighter, more opaque images and faster production speeds. (Note: Both Roland product lines feature integrated contour cutting capabilities and are also offered with metallic ink options.) Featured in all Roland white ink printer/cutters, White Eco-SOL MAX ink produces exceptional highlights, text, and graphics with crisp, defined edges and smooth gradations on both clear and reflective media. It also enhances the vividness of fourcolor printing when applied as an undercoat. 800/542-2307; www.rolanddga.com

Sign Builder Illustrated // May 2012

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Latex Unleashed.

Mimaki’s new JV400LX Series of wide-format latex printers brings you boundless printing freedom.

I N N O V A T I V E Engineered with Mimaki’s Green Technology, the JV400LX Series utilizes the latest in latex ink formulation. A wider range of media choices are available now with the use of WHITE ink and lower operating temperatures. E C O N O M I C A L

The JV400LX only requires standard 110 volt electrical connections for operation. It saves you money due to lower power consumption and installation costs – great for your bottom line. Realize lower production costs with long lasting piezo print heads that output at a speedy 194 sq.ft/hr. E C O - F R I E N D L Y A better workplace environment is always a plus. With low VOC latex inks, these printers can operate anywhere. Another eco-plus are the convenient, reusable 600ml ink cartridges.

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SignSHOW P O LYC A R B O N AT E S New, Colorful LED Diffuser Sheets Soften Visual Hot Spots Bayer MaterialScience LLC has developed Makrolon® LD LED diffuser grade sheet, which provides uniform light diffusion of intense LEDs and eliminates the visual hot spots they can create on sign faces. Thanks to a high temperature resistance, LED placement can now be closer to the diffuser in shallow channel letter designs. The material has proven effective when thinned down to as little as half the original sheet thickness by thermoforming, and it offers twenty times more impact strength than acrylic. In addition to Bayer MaterialScience now offering a full lineup of Makrolon LD polycarbonate sign colors, this material also delivers superior diffusion for other light sources such as neon and fluorescent. www.sheffieldplastics.com

PRINTWEAR The Greenest Forty-four-inch Apparel Transfer System in the World! Graphics One, LLC (GO) has launched the newest member of its popular environmentally friendly line: the GO EcoMax 44 printer that uses the new upgraded formulation of the SEPIAX water-based resin ink (which uses no eco-solvent, no HAPs, and no SVHS and eliminates the need for an MSDS sheets). The printer can print on virtually any coated and uncoated substrate/medias. GO’s EcoMax 44 is also the only printer that uses the GO OT stetchable transfer film, an OEKO-TEX standard-compliant film perfect for transferring bright, colorful images and designs onto light and dark fabrics. In addition, the EcoMax 44 printer provides an optional high-performance and high-precision forty-eight-inch contour cutter, as well as specially designed RIP software from Wasatch. www.graphicsone.com

LEDs look much better in uniform. Makrolon® LD polycarbonate sheets deliver uniform light diffusion for today’s LED signage. They feature an advanced light diffusion technology that provides excellent light uniformity. LED hot spots and shadowing are eliminated in flat or formed applications. Makrolon LD is available in a range of standard sign colors and can be custom matched to industry colors. Don’t limit your design flexibility with LEDs. Makrolon LD delivers now. Call 800-254-1707 for samples or visit www.sheffieldplastics.com to locate your local, authorized distributor.

Sign Builder Illustrated // May 2012

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SignSHOW Trotec Laser Marks an Expansion with the Rayjet 300 Trotec Laser expands the Rayjet product line with the introduction of the new Rayjet 300. This midsize laser has an engraving area of 29-by-17 inches and offers up to 80 watts of laser power. The Rayjet 300 features a pre-calibrated format and USB connectivity for effortless “plug-and-ray” setup. Rayjet 300’s Commander software allows for quick and easy processing of jobs, which takes users seamlessly from layout to final output. 866-226-8505; www.rayjetlaser.com

S O F T WA R E - P R I N T/C U T/ R I P/ R O U T E / E N G R AV E / E ST I M AT I N G Aries Graphics’s LED Wizard 7: Software for Creating LED Channel Letter Layouts LED Wizard 7 will enable electrical sign shops to take control of their LED sign layouts by providing an easy-to-use, industry-standard solution. Every LED-powered job needs to start with an accurate estimate of the number of modules and power supplies required, and sign shops can provide better and faster service to their clients—responding to requests for quotes in hours instead of days—by handling the LED estimates directly. And once a design is made for an estimate, it is also made for production, since LED Wizard 7 creates realistic, full-scale drawings. The adoption of this technology across the industry fosters the development of design and production best practices and creates a system where standardized layouts can be shared between all levels of the distribution channel. The company’s new PowerFlow technology makes automatic and semi-automatic layouts fast and easy, dramatically streamlining the workflow of creating LED layouts. 800/294-7273; www.aries-graphics.com

Sign Builder Illustrated // May 2012

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VINYL/VINYL FILMS/SUPPLIES Arlon Rolls Out an Eco-friendly Removable Film and Overlaminate Arlon Graphics has launched two Polyolefin Eco-friendly products: DPF 204 and Series 3520. Arlon’s DPF 204 is a 4-mil, flexible, white eco-friendly polyolefin film with a high-tack removable adhesive. The high-tack adhesive system offers an initial repositionability to allow for an easier install. The film offers a more opaque, greener option for interior/ exterior P-O-P applications. Series 3520 is a 3.5-mil, clear gloss, eco-friendly polyolefin overlaminate film with a permanent pressure-sensitive adhesive. The adhesive provides superior clarity while maintaining an excellent bond to the printed base film. Series 3520 is recommended for use with DPF 204 for a greener film and laminated combination. Both materials are available in 54-inch-by-50-yard rolls. (800/232-7161; www.arlon.com)

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May 2012 // Sign Builder Illustrated

HOW-TO

By Jeff Wooten

Electric

Building Your Architectural Lighting portfoLio highlight on LEDs in architectural applications.

he field of architectural lighting can involve many different forms and functions. For examples, the components can work as decorative or illuminative. Usage can range from accentuating a building or canopy to providing atmosphere for an interior location. Lighting can be employed to add more visibility to an on-premise sign, or it can be used to spotlight items in a display cabinet. You can highlight wayfinding paths or make monuments or other structures stand out more. Depending on the application (wall washing, border lighting, cove lighting, etc.), neon, fluorescents, and LEDs are being picked as the components of choice. But how does one go about

selling customers on LEDs? How do you advise customers interested in this technology for their architectural lighting project? Are there any hard rules on how or where it should be utilized? The first step is understanding the many opportunities where it can be used. Dr. Densen Cao, PhD, president of The CAO Group, Inc. (www. caogroup.com) headquartered in headquartered in West Jordan, Utah, points out, “In exterior applications, you can also use LED as dynamic lighting to complement standing displays.” “You can also consider LED for landscape lighting,” adds J. Bryan Vincent, Ph.D., partner at Principal LED (www.p-led.com) in San Angelo, Texas. “And there are other architectural features you can achieve, such as color-changing

LEDs have many uses in architectural lighting applications— including making monuments stand out even more.

Sign Builder Illustrated // May 2012

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Photo courtesy of AgiLight (www.AgiLight.com).

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effects on buildings.” Ralph Cundiff Jr., vice president of full-service Pacific Neon Company in Sacramento, California, has worked on many architectural applications involving LEDs, neon, and even a combination of the two and mentions that the medium used should be assessed on a case-by-case basis. “There are applications where border tube neon and LED products overlap one another and can be interchangeable, but this isn’t always the case,” says Cundiff. “LED needs to be an appropriate complement to the surrounding architecture, as well as the other signage and lighting already in use.” If the border trim lighting on a building is going to be placed low enough that somebody can grab it, Cundiff advises LED usage. “LEDs are low-voltage, whereas neon is high-voltage and more fragile,” he explains. Next consider how LED can be used. Take interior lighting, for instance. Mood seems to be a big selling point here. “You can use LED lighting and translucent plastics to create light features that attract attention or define and/or create a certain mood in the interior space,” comments Vincent. Vincent firmly believes that one of the keys with regard to use of LED as accent lighting is to not overpower the structure or element that’s being illuminated. “Due to its small size and multiple color options, LED lighting can, in many cases, shape space or subtly bring attention to elements or features, without emphasizing the lighting itself,” he says. Vincent suggests that designing LEDs for accent applications can be

tricky. “It’s important to know the size and depths of coves, as well as the vantage point that people will be viewing the lighting, in order to make sure that the correct LED product is chosen to prevent uneven lighting or ‘hot spots,’” he states. “The intensity of the LED is important to make sure that the cove is bright enough—but not so bright that it becomes the focus of attention. “Pay attention to beam angle and spacing of the LEDs for the application.” In cove lighting, colors and color temperatures play a big role. “Softer, warmer lighting is often used in restaurants and lounges to create feelings of comfort and allows less details to be seen, similar to candlelight,” explains Vincent. “This can create a relaxed environment. “However cooler LED colors create a modern, high-tempo feel in an interior environment.” Color temperature mistakes were more common in the early 2000s, but today, most designers and lighting professionals know to specify certain K (Kelvin) temps for a given application. “The higher the K number, the more white or even blue the hues,” explains Fritz Meyne, Jr., vice president of sales for Bitro Group, Inc. (www.bitrogroup. com) in Teterboro, New Jersey. “The lower the K, the warmer the light. A warm K of 3500K is more like an incandescent house light bulb. “The higher K the sign industry likes is from 6500K to 7200K, which is a nice, bright white light. According to Meyne, the lighting industry has even more code guidelines and certifications than the sign industry, but he stresses the only testing method used by the sign industry as a direct result of the lighting industry is called L70. “This a test used to chart when any given lighting medium (LED, neon, fluorescent, etc.) loses 30 percent of its original intensity or lumens,” he says. “All lighting products lose brightness over time, thus the value of this L70 rating. “Needless to say, the longer your lumens stay high or above the 30 percent threshold, the better designed the product is typically.” Key factors to keep in mind when determining the use of LEDs here include: form factor, color efficacy, power efficacy, UV rating, light intensity, and signshop.com

cosmetics. Another consideration: IP ratings (“Ingress Protection Rating” that defines the level of protection for electronics against elements or contact). “Use a higher IP rating if the LED is being used outdoors,” advises Cao. (Note: Rating numbers starting with 6 are advised as they offer full protection against dust, while the second number relates to the amount of water protection; see www. ezscreen.com/ip_ratings.htm).

Cao advises sign makers and lighting designers to also pay attention to the LED’s LM79 and LM80 data. The LM79 measures luminous flux, luminous intensity distribution, electrical power, lighting efficacy, and color characteristics, whereas LM80 measures lumen depreciation of the LEDs and determines how the long the modules are supposed to last. “Always evaluate the project and job site before mass installation,” he says.

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May 2012 // Sign Builder Illustrated

HOW-TO

By Mark k. roBerts

Vinyl

Winning Profits with Carnival Signs

Step right up and check out some of the latest signage created for a traveling carnival.

n my way to the sign shop one recent morning, I spotted a very nice traveling carnival that had set up. I stress the word “nice” because this was not your typical traveling carnival. These people had invested big money in their rides, their concession stands—and even their signage! I was impressed from the start. Awesome fullcolor digitally printed wraps adorned every concession trailer. Their fold-up and fold-out signs were truly works of art. Great layouts, enticing “grab-ya!” graphics, and nice circus-type fonts adorned every trailer.

As I was enjoying my thematic sign excursion, one of the supervisors walked up and asked me what I was doing. “Well, sir, I’m thoroughly enjoying all the works of art in your ride signage and concession booths,” I responded. “I’ve been a sign painter for thirty-three years, and these signs are fantastic! “In fact, I’m getting a lot of great ideas to use on future projects!” I told him that some of my all-time favorite signs to produce are for theme parks, and that I’d created signage for several Six Flags® parks, Sea World®, Schlitterbahn waterpark resorts, and

(1) The carnival included a variety of bright, full-color signage, graphics, and wraps.

Sign Builder Illustrated // May 2012

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(2)

The old, sun-bleached Ferris wheel logo on the electric sign.

(3) The new, externally illuminated logo sign used on the Super Wheel ride. 26

Sign Builder Illustrated // May 2012

some smaller venues. I could see a smile come across his face, and I knew I’d hit the right chords in my audition. “Well, Mark, we’ve got some work for you, if you have the time,” he told me. Well I’ll always make time to work on fun signs, and I knew those kinds of signs would definitely be involved in this project. My first assignment was to strip two large Ferris wheel electric signs and create new digitally printed artwork for each side. The large Ferris wheel had been purchased from another show, and the new owners wanted their own logo on each of the two signs on either side. They also wanted something newer, since the signs up there were pretty sun-faded. Looking up at this rather tall structure, I began wondering if they expected me to climb up it and remove those two circular signs. Fortunately I soon spotted a couple of show mechanics climbing up the wheel. They removed both circular signs in less than twenty minutes and even loaded them into my truck for me. Back at the shop, I set up the signs on my sixteen-foot-long table and started stripping them. I was intrigued by one of the older logos. It was obviously dated—perhaps even more than twenty-five years old—but I thought the artwork and lettering looked cool. So I snapped a few photos of the artwork before I picked up my heat gun and scraper. Twenty minutes later, the old images were history. To re-create the new logo for the Ferris wheel signs, I took a digital photo of it with the largest resolution setting possible and imported it to my computer. Opening the file on the workstation, I enlarged it to a 36-inch-diameter at 150-dpi. Even though the logo was going to be up in the air, I’m a big fan of high-detail prints, so I used big files. I printed the 36-by-36-inch circular digital prints onto Oracal air-release signshop.com

(4)

vinyl and sent them through my Roland VP-540 printer/cutter. I applied the transfer tape to each decal and affixed them to the newly cleaned surface. This resulted in a completely bubble-free sign. I delivered both signs back to the carnival the next day, and they were very impressed. They then asked me if I could also make a larger version for their Super Wheel ride. Of course I could! So they proceeded to load the huge circular sign into the back of my pickup truck. This particular sign has a Lexan® sign face, which lights up at night. I selected my translucent vinyl and loaded it into my Roland VP-540. I imported the art files, changed the material profiles, and clicked “go.” I was pushing the limit on this print, but it did print and cut a fifty-two-inch circular translucent sign decal. I then dryinstalled this decal on the freshly cleaned Lexan face. Loading the big sign back into my pickup truck turned out to be a two-person job. But once it was onboard, I was off to deliver it. After completing the Ferris wheel and Super Wheel signs, we also created some magnetic signs the next day. They are now on the road to other towns and cities on their itinerary. I am currently redesigning their truck door decals, which I will mail to them somewhere along their journey across America.

(5)

Mark Roberts is a thirty-three-year sign veteran, seminar/workshop leader, and columnist for Sign Builder Illustrated. To view more of Mark’s products and projects, visit www.signprice.com and www.theintersigngroup.com.

(4)

Printing the large, translucent decal on Oracal film using a Roland VP-540 printer/cutter.

(5)

Trimming the digital print on the Ferris wheel sign.

(6) signshop.com

(6)

The new, translucent, digitally printed decal for the electric sign on the Ferris wheel. May 2012 // Sign Builder Illustrated

Acrylics / by lori shridhare ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Shining a Light on

Acrylic Signage One shop capitalizes on the many uses of acrylic.

Sign Builder Illustrated // May 2012

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

all Photos courtesy of imPact! signs.

n today’s ever-evolving sign industry, adaptability is key. Luckily lightweight and durable acrylic sheeting posseses many flexible features. With a wide and expanding range of thicknesses and widths that are available today, acrylic materials can be easily decorated with different types of lighting, paints, vinyls, and direct-to-substrate flatbed printing technologies. Even decorative finishing touches (such as shading, frosting, and color schemes) can make acrylics further adaptable to a particular décor. Meanwhile protective coatings can be added to make the medium scratch- and weather-resistant. Acrylic is highly malleable and thermoplastic, which makes it an ideal substrate when creating channel letters or working with customized shapes in backlit applications. When used as a substitute for glass, it offers up to ten times more impact resistance; it also possesses all the clarity, brilliance, and sharpness of glass—but at less than half the weight. One sign company is demonstrating the versatile uses of acrylic in sign appli-

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acrylic: It’s highly versatile

May 2012 // Sign Builder Illustrated

Stratford Fidelity used acrylic to create more corporate-looking dimensional displays to replace its flat abstract paintings. cations. Impact! Signs (www.impactsigns. com) in Hillside, Illinois is a family-run business founded by Ammar and Shabbir Moosabhoy in 1989. Specializing in architectural signage, the company offers dimensional lettering and logos, metal plaques, lighted signage, corporate lobby signage, and branding signage. For many projects, the shop works in collaboration with designers, architects, builders, and retailers. Impact! Signs often uses acrylic to create cut letters and dimensional logos. “We make backlit metal letters, halo-lit with LEDs, which typically have a Lexan® backer,” says Shabbir Moosabhoy, vice president of Impact! Signs. “We also make frosted acrylic panel signs and lighted corporate signs that typically use an acrylic backer or acrylic push-thru letters.” The company has fabricated and installed acrylic signage for clients like the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, True Religion Jeans, and West Virginia University, to name a few. In addition, Impact! Signs works on many signage 30

projects involving corporate graphics/branding—such as full-color digital prints mounted to the back of acrylic and installed with aluminum peg stand-offs. Moosabhoy chooses to work with acrylic because it is much lighter and more cost-effective than glass. “It is also easier and cheaper to ship and less likely to break or chip,” he says. (Note: He does admit that sometimes glass is the preferred choice with some customers and finds that comparing the two is akin to comparing glass with plastic.) The company has found that LEDs make an excellent complement to acrylic, especially when used in backlit letters. “We’ll also use LEDs in rails to edge-light a glass panel or an acrylic panel and also to back-light a corporate logo sign,” says Moosabhoy. Impact! Signs also turns to painted acrylics as an alternative to metal lettering. And when it comes to digital, the company has found that laminating digital prints to the back of acrylic

Sign Builder Illustrated // May 2012

creates pieces of “corporate art” for clients in the market for these kinds of displays. One such client was Stratford Fidelity based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, an executive and physician benefit solutions provider. The scope of the project was to replace abstract paintings on the office walls with corporate art that would not only add color and flair to the décor but also become a marketing tool for the client. “This is a highquality way to display corporate graphics, mission statements, and brand messaging,” says Moosabhoy. “The pieces become works of art and integral architectural elements of the office design, as opposed to simple posters stuck to the wall that look temporary.” Working with Hans Design (www. hansdesign.com) in Buffalo Grove, Illinois, Impact! Signs fabricated and installed the display, which includes fullcolor digital prints reverse-laminated to one-half-inch clear acrylic. To preserve the display’s long-term signshop.com

Tips for Shining the Best Light with Acrylics Keep some best practices in mind when working with acrylics to achieve the most effective results. Ken Davis of Davis marketing associates, inc., in montvale, new Jersey (and manufacturers’ sales representative in the northeast for acrylic manufacturer Plaskolite) provides a list of tips:

DON’T

u Keep the product in a stable

u Drill using a self-tapping screw;

environment. u use the proper adhesives when

assembling the signs. u select the appropriate product

masking needed to provide protection from scratching during your fabrication process. u Be careful of sawdust and

debris when stacking sheet. u follow all ul regulations in the

construction of the sign. u test before using in the

instead always drill elongated holes to allow for expansion and contraction. u store the product near a heat

source. u Place the sheet near chemicals

that could cause a negative reaction to the sheet. u clean your plastic materials

with harsh chemicals. u use a supplier who is

unfamiliar with the application.

appeal, the designers chose acrylic and aluminum for its durability. The prints were installed with extruded aluminum rails and anodized aluminum stand-off hardware. “As a client walks through the office, the corporate art not only decorates and gives color architecturally, but it also reinforces the brand messaging,” says Moosabhoy.

In working with acrylic, Moosabhoy has some simple, but important advice: 1. Keep the protective film on as long as possible; 2. Beware of scratches, since one tiny one can scrap an entire sign; and 3. Consider frosted acrylic for a high-end, yet cost-effective look. When working with frosted acrylic, Moosabhoy advises sign professionals to make sure that proper frosting is done on the edges of letters, so the light flows evenly. As digital printing and LED lighting continue to develop, the possibilities for acrylics will keep growing.

application to assure optimal results. u test your light source for hot

spots. u Paint the inside of your

cabinets with light-enhancing paint. u allow for expansion and

contraction of the sheet with temperature fluctuations. u Determine if an impact-

u use one manufacturer for the

entire project to maintain consistency.

Sign Builder Illustrated // May 2012

Photo courtesy of imPact! signs.

modified sheet is required for the application.

signshop.com

produced the two-ton diamond. “We didn’t want a traditional sign. We strived to make something more exciting, and Evonik Cyro’s ACRYLITE® Satinice proved to be an excellent solution,” said Scott Bringuet, manager of Sales and Design at Ace Sign Co. “The acrylic sheet’s frosted and abrasion-resistant texture mimicked the exterior and durability of a diamond. “It also had excellent light diffusing properties and high light transmission, which gave the diamond the ability to ‘glow’ with 2,000 LED lights behind it.” Antoinette Spages, product manager of Acrylic Sheet Specialties at Evonik Parsippany, New Jersey—Evonik Cyro, said she was impressed with Cyro’s (www.acrylite.net) ACRYLITE® the way that Acrylite® Satinice was Satinice acrylic sheet, formerly called used. “It is always a thrill to see our ACRYLITE® Crystal Ice, was used customers create unique and inspiring to create one of the world’s largest diamond sculptures, which measured designs with our material,” says Spages. “Satinice is such a versatile product eight feet tall. The unique sculpture that offers a variety of excellent design was designed as a sign to promote Denney Jewelers in Springfield, Illinois. possibilities for signage, point-ofpurchase store fixtures and decorative Ace Sign Co. (www.acesignco. glazing applications. com), Central Illinois’ largest sign “However this type of outdoor manufacturer, developed and

Eight-foot-tall, Two-ton

Photo courtesy of evonik cyro.

diamond sculpture

illuminated structure is definitely a first.” The ACRYLITE® acrylic sheet was obtained through ACI Plastics (www. aciplastics.net), a St. Louis, Missouri, distributor and fabricator.

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LED / By Joseph and Carol Berke ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Always Bet on

Lighting!

New technology brightens the signage for a couple of casinos.

The main identity pylon signs at the Grand Casino Mille Lacs® in Onamia, Minnesota and Grand Casino Hinckley®

in Hinckley, Minnesota were showing their ages. Both featured electronic message centers installed about eight years ago, as well as older neon and fluorescent lighting. However none of the components were operating properly. The casinos are owned and operated by the Corporate Commission of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, and they wanted to upgrade both signs with a highdefinition reader board and reduce light operating costs with LED. They also wanted to add some dynamic pieces to what had previously been static. In its Request-for-Proposal (RFP) for both casinos, the Corporate Commission asked for ways to complete this sign job.Scenic Sign Corporation responded to

“We had to take everything there, update their message center to high-definition, and replace the older neon lighting.” — Bob Gruber Jr., sales manager for Scenic Sign

Sign Builder Illustrated // May 2012

all photos courtesy of scenic sign corp.

the RFP and their ideas won them the job.

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

The Grand Casino Mille Lacs pylon sign before (large photo) and after (inset)

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May 2012 // Sign Builder Illustrated

POT OF GOLD DETAIL

BUILT UP ALUMINUM CANS INSIDE TO HOLD LED CHASER LIGHTS

WHITE COINS REPRESENT BUILT UP LED CHASER LIGHT PORTION

SIDE VIEW ALL OTHER LED LIGHTS APPLIED TO BACK OF CAN WITH NO CHASER

To ensure the pot-of-gold signage would look the same during the day as they would at night, Scenic Sign output its graphics using a three-layer system via its Mimaki digital printer. They utilized 3M™ IJ 63-20 White Translucent Scotchcal™ film for the first layer, laid 3M Scotchcal Translucent Graphic Film IJ3630-20 over it, and finished with a 3M UV Luster clear laminate. Scenic Sign (www.scenicsign.com) started work on the project last November by sending a color rendering of their sign idea via CorelDRAW to casino officials to approve. (Note: Scenic Sign is a sixtyfive-year-old, full-service sign company owned by Bob Gruber Sr. and his partner, Marc Ree. It has offices in Fargo, North Dakota and St. Cloud, Minnesota.) The first step involved taking down the existing 70-foot-tall-by-35-foot-wide signs so the pylons beneath them could be cleaned, refurbished, painted, and primed. Scenic Sign used Devthane Aliphatic Urethane Epoxy paint and Devran 201H Epoxy Primer here. The primer and paint was so thick that it had to be rolled on. They also couldn’t apply it below 32°F. “We were battling the November weather in Minnesota, but we were lucky,” says Gruber Jr., noting the constant painting took about a week and a half. Scenic Sign then removed all of the existing open-face channel letters so they could reproduce new LED face-lit ones the exact same size. “We made a grid in one-inch squares that we laid each letter or piece on,” explains Gruber, Jr. “Then we produced the same grid on the computer using Illustrator. This allowed us to trace each component with the computer and have our router cut out all the pieces. In-house Scenic Sign used its AXYZ CNC router to cut all the components 36

Sign Builder Illustrated // May 2012

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Innovating Solid State Lighting since 2000

Scenic Sign used a thirty-ton National Crane and two large Elliott Equipment trucks with working platforms to remove and replace the components for the Grand Casino pylon signs . and faces. The materials were .063-mil finish aluminum for the letter backs and .177-inch 2447 white acrylic for the red vinyl inset faces. (Note: the sign shop used its Arete machine to lay out and notch the channel letters.) “In the past, we would’ve made paper patterns of each component to make sure they were the same and then cut each component by hand,” says Gruber Jr. “But Illustrator and our router allowed us to dramatically reduce the number of man-hours needed to cut each component.” The company’s biggest challenge involved making the 8-foot-tall-by20-foot-long pot-of-gold on both signs shimmer, flash, and appear to sparkle. The client had previously used a cut-out aluminum face placed over an

Looking to catch some more business? 89% of our surveyed readers have contacted an advertiser after seeing their ad in Sign Builder Illustrated.*

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Sign Builder Illustrated // May 2012

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The client loves the new signs.

“They really felt that the LED pot-of-gold we did for them was about a quarter of the price of their previous electronic message board solution and actually looked better. The best part is that Grand Casino is having us help them with their future signage needs.” — Bob Gruber Jr. , Sales Manager, Scenic Sign Corp. amber-colored EMC to replicate the look of spilling coins shimmering. Lead Designer Brandon Anderson collaborated with Shop Foreman Pat Motter to provide a drawing of their idea for the sparkling pot of gold; they also emailed an animation to the client to help show them how it would work. “We spent a lot of upfront time with the client, and they were comfortable with our designs and that we could deliver the job,” says Gruber Jr. “Since we were constructing the signage to fit the existing pylons and space, we built fullsize units and tested them in our shop.” The pot-of-gold component features an eight-inch can depth. The white long LED modules for it were laid out at two modules per foot and four inches on-center. There are several “white” coins amongst the “gold” coins on this piece that are used to present the LED chaser effect. Built-up aluminum cans inside this display hold the LED chaser lights. The other non-chaser LED lights were applied to the back of the can. Meanwhile each of three Modular 60 12VDC power supplies run up to 150 white long LED modules. SloanLED ColorLINE LED tubing makes up the splash on top of the gold, and its VL-Plus LED fills out the remainder. Meanwhile the SloanLED Apollo LED line illuminated the channel letters and everything else on the signs. Each of the two signs contains about 50 feet of red, 110 feet of yellow, and 56 feet of green ColorLINE; 540 feet of Apollo Line LEDs; and about 250 feet of VL-Plus. The entire ColorLINE was pre-measured on-site and then cut down and sealed in the shop prior to install. “It was important to make sure the ColorLINE was not only cut properly but was also sealed to ensure the product functions for a long time,” says Gruber Jr. “Whenever possible, we cut and sealed the ends in our shop.” signshop.com

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Sign Builder Illustrated // May 2012

Scenic Sign attached the VL and Apollo LEDs to the back of the cans using standard mountings. They used the 24-port Programmable Logistic Controller (PLC) from Grid2Home Design that communicates with a computer to control the flasher. “Most companies would come into this using solid-state flashers to move the components, but there’s no flexibility with those type of flashers,” says Gruber Jr. “The PLC allows us to turn off the splash or make it splash differently. “The yellow and intermittent reds and greens look more like a splash.” The new 12-foot, 5-inch-by-27-foot11-inch message board is a Daktronics 16mm GP-3 unit shipped straight to both job sites from the manufacturer for installation. Scenic Sign used their thirty-ton National Crane and two eightyfive-foot-reach Elliott Equipment aerial platform trucks to help guide and weld the displays into place. “We had to re-do some of the structure inside the sign to ensure the pylons would support the new message board,” says Gruber Jr. “Once the bracing was welded into place, it was pretty simple to lift and weld the message board into place.” All the power supplies for the sign are mounted within the existing structure. There are four catwalks inside the four-story structure with ladders between them as platforms for the different levels of controllers, computers, and power supplies that control the signage. Fiber optic cables were in place from the previous signage and were used again for the new Daktronics boards. Content is controlled via software by the casinos. Since both signs feature the same design, Scenic Sign managed to work on both projects at the same time in their shop. They built the letters first then the pot-of-gold. The Daktronics board took twelve weeks to fabricate and was éthe last piece installed. The Onamia sign was finished this past January and the Hinckley one about a month later. The client loves the new signs. “They really felt that the LED pot-of-gold we did for them was about a quarter of the price of their previous electronic message board solution and actually looked better,” says Gruber Jr. “The best part is that Grand Casino is having us help them with their future signage needs.” signshop.com

Pylon Sign / By Thomas G. Dolan //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

A Towering Illuminated

Pylon Sign A sign company gets involved in lighting a landmark sign for a shopping center.

ow gracing the East Bay in the City of Dublin in Northern California is a brand-new, iconic ninety-nine-foot-tall, various-illuminated pylon sign for the Fallon Gateway Shopping Center, a recently opened complex that is

anchored by a Target retail store. This towering sign was manufactured and installed entirely by Pacific Neon Company (www.pacificneon.com) of Sacramento, California. In fact, the sign professionals even played a large role in its design process. Pacific Neon was founded in 1945 by the Lambert family, which still owns this privately held company some three generations later. The full-service shop has always used its manufacturing capabilities and knowledge of lighting to build up a “reputation for craftsmanship,

All photos courtesy of pAcific neon compAny.

artistry, and value.”

A little over ten years ago, Pacific Neon relocated to its present 65,000-square foot facility and today boasts about forty employees. “Since we’ve been around for so long and have built our reputation by taking on challenging projects, we were eager to take on this [job],” says Vice President Ralph Cundiff, Jr.

Sign Builder Illustrated // May 2012

pylon sign

continued on page 47

signshop.com

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

Since we’ve “ built our reputation on challenges, we were eager to take on this [job].

”

— ralph cundiff, jr. vice president, pacific neon

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May 2012 // Sign Builder Illustrated

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Companies in the Sign Show

1 3M Commercial Graphics . . . . . . . 13 2 Action Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

39 Outwater Plastics . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 40 Principal LED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

3 ADA Wholesale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 4 AgiLight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

41 Roland DGA Corp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 42 Sign America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

59 Arlon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

5 Alpina Manufacturing . . . . . . . . . . 57 6 Alpina Manufacturing . . . . . . . . . . 57

43 Sign Bracket Store By Hooks . . . . 18 44 Sign-Mart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

61 EFI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

7 A .R .K . Ramos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 8 ASE Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

45 Sign-Mart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 46 Signs By Tomorrow . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

63 OSRAM SYLVANIA . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

9 ATG Electronic Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 10 Bayer MaterialScience . . . . . . . . . 16

47 SloanLED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 48 Small Balls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

65 Rowmark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

11 Brinks MFG (Van Ladder) . . . . . . . 47 12 Brooklyn Hardware . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

49 Southern Stud Weld . . . . . . . . . . . 51 50 Stimpson Company Inc . . . . . . . . . 22

13 CAO Group, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 14 Chemical Concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

51 Superbright LEDS .Com . . . . . . . . . 47 52 TriVantage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C3

15 Duxbury Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 16 Elliott Equipment Corp . . . . . . . . . C2

53 Trim-lok . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 54 US LED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

17 Formetco Powered By Ad Tech . . . C4 18 Gemini, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

55 USSC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 56 Ventex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

19 Gill Studios . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 20 Gill Studios . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

57 Worldwide Sign Systems . . . . . . . 57

58 Aries Graphics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 60 Bayer MaterialScience . . . . . . . . . 16 62 Graphics One . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 64 Roland DGA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 66 Trotec Laser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

21 Graphic House . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 22 Jasper Plastics Solutions . . . . . . . 14 23 Justin Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 24 L&L Industries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 25 Lancaster Sign Company . . . . . . . 58 26 LEDtronics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 27 Lind Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 28 LMT Onsrud . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 29 Matthews Paint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 30 Metal Arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 31 Mimaki USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 32 Mimaki USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 33 National Banner Co Inc . . . . . . . . . 57 34 Norlok Technology Inc . . . . . . . . . 22 35 Orbus Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 36 Orbus Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 37 Orbus Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 38 Ornamental Post Panel . . . . . . . . . 58 44

Sign Builder Illustrated // May 2012

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The ProceSS 4

Sign Builder Illustrated // May 2012

Much of the engineering had to performed on the plant floor before it could be designed on the drawing board.

Some sections of the sign tower were constructed using opaque aluminum.

In order to be shipped from the shop to the shopping center, the Lumasite速 blade portion of the sign had to be built in three sections.

Pacific Neon used a crane to help stack the sections of the sign atop one another.

The illuminated sign.

signshop.com

pylon sign

continues from page 42

The shopping center developer retained the design and project management firm GNU Group (www.gnugroup. com) of Lafayette, California to reconceptualize the sign package for them. However the main impetus for what turned out to be this unique and towering signage was not GNU Group, the developer, Target, nor any of the other tenants. Interestingly the driving force came from the City of Dublin. Since, as Cundiff explains, Dublin had fairly rigid design criteria, one might think that it might be more an impediment than a promoter of signage of this scale, but GNU had worked with the City on other sign projects in the past. Because of this, they were already sensitive to the concerns they might have, which allowed them a head start in properly developing this unique project. The Cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s concerns were mainly on the use of similar materials throughout the shopping center, as well as creating a harmonious interrelated architectural efpylon sign

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continues on page 50

May 2012 // Sign Builder Illustrated

LED Pendant Lamps Help California Town T

orrance, California—This past November, the City of Carpinteria, California (home to the annual California Avocado Festival) completed its retrofit project of replacing all existing city-owned, high-pressure sodium (HPS) decorative streetlights with energy-efficient LED30HPS600-SIW-002-BU LEDs from LEDtronics (www.ledtronics. com). The lights are located along several blocks in the downtown area and include lights on the Amtrak rail platform and its adjoining public parking lots. According to the city’s calculations, each of the 199 HPS

Sign Builder Illustrated // May 2012

lamps (at 138 watts each) consumed 604.4 kWh annually—a total of 120,284 kWh and an energy cost of $15,035 (at $0.125 per kWh, 12 hours of operation each evening). With the switch to the brilliant and more directional 29-watt LED bulbs, the annual energy cost came down to less than $3,160—an 80 percent savings. In addition, the LED bulb life is four to five times longer than the replaced HPS bulbs, resulting in reduced maintenance costs that yield even more savings. This reduction in power usage by 96,000 kWh also translates into a decrease of its carbon footprint by an estimated 33 tons of CO2 yearly. “I think the consensus is that the new bulbs produce fewer glares, are easier on the eyes, and have a very appropriate color temperature for our needs,” said Matthew Roberts, director of the city’s Parks and Recreation Department that installed and maintains the streetlights. “It’s great to know our streetlight electrical meters are turning more slowly, saving tax dollars.” The city so far has replaced over 90 percent of its traditional streetlights with LEDs.

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pylon sign

continues from page 47

fect. In terms of signage, this meant not only the ninety-nine-foot-tall sign but also similar monument features in the four curved entry walls (two seventy feet in length and the others forty feet long). “Another interesting tidbit,” adds Cundiff, “is that this towering sign is adjacent to a stretch of highway that’s governed by the Federal Aviation Authority, so the sign needed [their] approval as well.” Pacific Neon was one of the qualified bidders for the project and won the job because the company made a convincing case they could solve the problems with this signage that appeared to have with no easy answers. The sign is a unique combination of reverse-lit and acrylic-face channel letters, opaque aluminum back sign panels, sign cabinets, and an internally illuminated LUMAsite® blade and cap elements. In some instances, halo-illuminated channel letters are superimposed over the LUMAsite. “The engineering challenges had to do with internally illuminating the blades at the same time we built the necessary structure and to balance these factors out

in an acceptable way,” remarks Cundiff. Because of the scale of the LUMAsite blade elements, this identification sign would require a mixture of fluorescent and LED lighting, depending on their suitability to the application. “The internally illuminated LUMAsite fin is about eighty feet tall, so fluorescent is a more practical light source to use for a display of that scale,” says Cundiff. “But the white ‘Fallon’ channel letters on the black sign cabinet at the top of the sign, the reverse-pan channel ‘Gateway’ letters on the LUMAsite fin, and the Target logo and channel letters all use LED.” (Note: The radius wall monument signs feature a combination of compact fluorescent and LED lighting.) For Pacific Neon, the real challenge in this project was resolving the design so that the sign could be illuminated at night in a manner that would minimize or conceal the internal structure of the LUMAsite fine element. “The display had to be high-quality, durable, and provide a reasonable cost of ownership for the developer, as well as minimize ongoing costs,” details Cundiff.

An unusual aspect of resolving this set of interrelated complexities is that the typical design/construct-process here worked somewhat in reverse. “Much of the design and engineering was done on the plant floor (from a fabrication, transportation, and installation perspective), and then transferred to the drawing board,” explains Cundiff. “We knew what we had to do, but we had to figure out how to do it first.” The ninety-nine-foot-tall sign was fabricated in nine different sections, with these sections dictated by the maximum load able to be shipped to the job site on their low-boy trailer. For example, the LUMAsite blade portion had to constructed in three separate sections. “Because of vertical and height limitations, we could only transport eleven-foot-high sections of sign out at a time,” recalls Cundiff, “so we had to section it in such a way that there would be natural splits.” Because the engineering was both complex and elaborate, Pacific Neon used a pier foundation and three different steel support sections so that the

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Sign Builder Illustrated // May 2012

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structure could go up telescopically. The foundation measured eight feet wide and twenty-eight feet deep. Pacific Neon had to excavate the foundation, set a rebar cage set for it, and pour the concrete. This was accomplished in one sixteen-hour day. “Because of soil conditions around here and the proximity of the water table to the sign’s foundation, you cannot stop once you dig a hold that deep. You have to get concrete in it before it starts caving in on you,” explains Cundiff. The rebar cage had a massive plate with anchor bolts that tied it to the aboveground structural sections of the sign. “After that, we stacked the steel support structure that all the sign elements are attached to and cantilevered off of,” says Cundiff. Pacific Neon used cranes to put the sign sections up, starting from the bottom up. They stacked the aluminum cladding and the gray aluminum cladding first, then the tenant signage. “The tenant signage and gray cladding were kind of integral to one another,” states Cundiff. “We stacked four sections of tenant signage at the bottom, then two more sections, then two more, two more, and then the Target section. “Next we put up the LUMAsite fin in sections, then the ‘Fallon’ cabinet, and the LUMAsite cap.” The installation process covered about ten days, and the signage was all in place for the opening of Target this past September. Construction is still ongoing for the other retail outlets, and their contributions to the signage will be added at a later date. The project provided Pacific Neon with a challenge to bring this sign to reality in a practical fashion with unconventional sign materials (such as LUMAsite). “Our work here will help us demonstrate to future clients our problem-solving cabilities,” says Cundiff. If you’re a sign builder who might be hestitant or daunted to take on this type of project on a similar scale, Cundiff advises not to let this fear scare you. “What you have to realize is that the challenge isn’t the scale of the project but the complexity,” he explains. “You have to deal with the complexity in a way that realizes the vision intended by the sign. “But once you engage it, that gives you confidence to build on that success—and to take you into the future and solve similar problems.” signshop.com

May 2012 // Sign Builder Illustrated

////////////////////////////////////// Fabrication / By Andrew Morris////////////////////////////////////////

Adhesives in Today’s

Photo: illustrart /shutterstock.com

Sign Industry

dvancements in the use of existing adhesives have allowed them to become an alternative to mechanical fasteners. Although sealants, anchoring adhesives, adhesive tapes, and cyanoacrylates (or “super glues”) have been in use for years, many sign builders still rely on mechanical fastenings and could benefit from the reduced costs, improved performance, and aesthetic appeal of time-tested adhesive alternatives. An understanding of adhesive applications is key to reducing costs and staying competitive in today’s market.

Sticking to facts about adhesive alternatives.

The Power of Choice

There are many considerations when selecting the proper adhesive— substrate chemistry, temperature, joint design, working time, cure time, color, surface preparation, thermal expansion, local ordinances, and safety.

Sign Builder Illustrated // May 2012

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Channel Letter projects can benefit from the use of adhesives. A working knowledge of industrystandard substrates and their respective properties is beneficial. Adhesives can be divided into the designation “structural” or “non-structural.” A structural adhesive is simply a material with sufficient strength to bear a considerable load. They can be further divided into groups such as acrylics, anaerobics, contact adhesives, cyanoacrylates, epoxies, hot melts, emulsion adhesives, rubber cements, urethanes, solvent adhesives, and sealants (in addition to less common types). When choosing an adhesive, don’t forget to consider joint design, as design principles for an adhesive bond often differ from those used in mechanical bonds. Adhesive joints are designed to maximize surface area and to minimize exposure to peel and cleavage stresses. Also certain acrylic adhesives have great resistance to high temperatures. If a powder-coated finish is desired, the

component or assembly with a solid or gelatinous material. This process offers many potential benefits (heat dissipation, UV resistance, shock absorption, protection from moisture, enhanced light transmittance, chemical resistance, ease of use, ease of repair, etc.). Silicone is the best material for potting and encapsulating LEDs because of its non-reactivity, low glass transition temperature, and the availability of optically clear and non-yellowing formulations. Some formulations of silicone are considered corrosive and can degrade the LED over time, so one must be careful to select the proper silicone product. Silicones are available in a wide range of durometers (hardness)—from gels to roughly the hardness of a pencil eraser. With silicone gels, potted components are still accessible should repairs become necessary. These gels are easily repaired and some formulations are self-healing. Most silicone potting compounds come

Adhesive Applications

Silicone can be used to encapsulate LEDs. 54

fabricator must be careful to select an adhesive that can withstand the temperatures associated with this process. Acrylic adhesives are available with variable working times from two minutes to forty-five minutes. A longer working time is most useful when working with larger pieces. It is important to note that, unlike epoxies, the speed at which an acrylic adhesive cures does not have a significant impact on the final strength of the bond.

LEDs. LED

technology is becoming increasingly important, and potting and encapsulation are probably the best solutions for the protection of LED components. Potting is the process of engulfing a

Sign Builder Illustrated // May 2012

in two-part systems consisting of a base and catalyst. Others are available in integrated cartridge dispensing systems that consist of an adhesive cartridge, a manual or pneumatic dispense gun, and a static mixer or “mixing tip.” In these systems, the material is mixed as it is dispensed for fast production and ease of use.

Channel Letters.

Conventional techniques of channel letter fabrication consist of cutting the raw materials (usually aluminum) into the desired shapes and assembling the letters using screws, rivets, or welding. These mechanical fastening techniques present some key disadvantages. Welding, for instance, is a costly, timeconsuming process requiring specialsignshop.com

Photo (toP) courtesy of chemical concePts; Photo (left) courtesy of sloanled.

Adhesives are currently being offered and used in a number of applications in the sign industry.

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 Sign Builder Illustrated

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

Note A common mistake when using adhesives is to push the two substrates together with too much force. This can squeeze out the glue from between the surfaces and result in an inadequate bondline thickness. To prevent this, some manufacturers have created products with tiny micro beads of glass mixed into the material, which ensure an adequate bondline and function as ball bearings to aid in the repositioning of parts. concentrated on small areas), resulting in greater overall strength. In addition, the associated equipment is less expensive, which equals cost savings in time and labor. This process also allows for the use of thinner sheets of aluminum, reducing costs in materials. Bearing these challenges in mind, the installation of channel lettering can be accomplished with adhesives. First the surface mount fasteners are bonded to the back of the letters; these provide a female nut and replace stud welding or drilling. Then threaded rods of the desired length are attached to the studs. A thread-locking material can be used for added strength.

Holes are then drilled into the wall and filled with an epoxy or anchoring adhesive. (Note: Though 100 percent silicones are often employed or recommended for this application, a true structural adhesive should be selected for best results.) Finally the sign is pushed into the drill holes (either flush-mounted or a standoff for consistent spacing from the wall). For internal applications with lighter loads, double-sided acrylic foam tapes are used. Foam is excellent for dissimilar substrates, as it allows for differences in thermal expansion in the joint. Andrew Morris is Inside Sales at Chemical Concepts (www.chemical-concepts.com) in Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania.

ble in Availa nient e v con ges! cartrid

• No odor odo or • Non-corrosive Non-corro osiv osiv ve • Non-yellowing N nNo n ye yellow owin win ing • Refractive Reffrrac Refr Re acti tive ve index ind dex ex simulates simu si simu m la late tte es glass gllas g ss • 2 Part Partt Silicone Sillic icon ne Adhesive Adh Ad dhe hesi sive e • Optically Clear Clea earr

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ized training and extensive post-production cleanup. It also can result in burned or distorted substrates. Plus screws and rivets often require additional design of joints and raw materials for tongues or flanges, as well as the need for pre-drilling or filling in screw heads. Structural adhesives provide an alternative to mechanical fastening, but there are some challenges to keep in mind. For example, the time required until a load bearing strength is achieved is longer. With welding, full strength is achieved almost instantly. Though methyl methacrylate or “acrylic” adhesives can cure rather quickly, the handling time or time required until a bonded piece can be moved without separating is usually around ten minutes. To compensate, special acrylic-based, hot-melt adhesives are employed as a “clamp-down” device to hold the pieces in place as the structural adhesive cures. This system has many advantages. It requires no specialized training and very little surface preparation. The result is aesthetically pleasing with no damage to the substrate, and stress is evenly distributed across the bond line (instead of

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May 2012 // Sign Builder Illustrated

“

SHOP TALK

b y M i k e A n to n i A k

Posterized: Hatch Show Print

Preserving the

Art of Letterpress

You won’t find computers here. The shop uses hand-carved wooden blocks to assemble each individual print, which then runs through a press.

all photos courtesy of hatch show print.

Considered disposable in their time, these posters have found a new audience.

henever you make your pilgrimage to Music City, USA, be sure to allow some extra time to explore Hatch Show Print (www.hatchshowprint.com), a Nashville, Tennessee institution now esteemed the world over in this digital age as a practitioner and proponent of the art of letterpress printing. Just around the corner from the Ryman Auditorium (birthplace of the Grand Ole Opry), much of Hatch’s own enduring legacy is rooted in American country music. Step inside and its rich history shouts from walls emblazoned with posters and signs once used to promote entertainers, products, events, and venues. Further back, one can glimpse letterpress production on aging presses. Shelves stacked floor to ceiling with hand-carved wooden blocks of graphics, photo plates, and type make every job produced here a uniquely Hatch print. “This is still a working print shop,” says Manager Jim Sherraden. “Here the printer is the designer and the designer is the printer.” Pushing 133 years in business, Hatch Show Print may be the oldest surviving letterpress sign shop still in operation in the United States. You won’t find Macs and Illustrator here; every sign and design is hand-assembled from an archive of graphics and text, then run through the press one sheet at a time. (Note: The number of passes is dependent on the colors required.) Now owned by the Country Music Hall of Fame, this shop hosts an estimated 20,000 visitors each year. Sherraden, his staff of ten, and as many as five interns in any season politely tolerate intrusions from tourists. Many inquire about buying the hand-carved blocks, but they ultimately must settle for a souvenir re-strike of thirty Hatch classic posters that are available for purchase. The enduring appeal of those posters only begins to suggest the contributions this shop has made to Southern popular culture over the last century.

To read more, visit www.signshop.com 60

Sign Builder Illustrated // May 2012

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速

My clients demand outstanding service with an immediate turnaround time. That is why I buy my EMCs from Formetco. I can always count on a fantastic looking sign with the industrys best customer support.

The U.S. Space and Rocket Center is Alabamas #1 attraction and the premier location in our market. We had to have the absolute best and Formetco has far exceeded those expectations. Our clients love it!

Mike Klosterman Klosterman Signs Cincinnati, OH

Tom Ray Look Outdoor Advertising Huntsville, AL

BETTER LOOKING LED SIGNS SELL AND FORMETCO PROVIDES THE BEST LOOKING LED SIGNS • 25% MORE LEDS • LED SIGNS IN STOCK IN ATLANTA, GA • USA TECHNOLOGY • EASY TO USE SOFTWARE • WE SELL THROUGH SIGN COMPANIES • BEST IN INDUSTRY CUSTOMER SUPPORT

1-(800)-FORMETCO | WWW.ADTECHINTL.COM 2963 PLEASANT HILL ROAD | DULUTH, GA 30096