illuminations
Special Section: Sign Lighting
outdoor signage
Manage Challenging Installations
www.signshop.com
Number 243 | september 2015
How-To
LED-ing Scorer
September 2015
S16
S1 Supplement: SBi illuminations A special look at the use of lighting components in sign cabinet, channel letter, and other illuminated applications.
S1
Sign Cabinets: Products & Projects
S6
Looking at LED BY JOHN BAYLIS
The effective use of LEDs in a channel letter sign.
S11 S14
Channel Letters: Products & Projects Follow the Script BY PETER PERSZYK
De-sign ideas with neon.
S16
Border, Accent & Area Lighting: Products & Projects
Sign Builder Illustrated (Print ISSN 895-0555, Digital ISSN 2161-4709) (USPS#0015-805) (Canada Post Cust. #7204564) (Bluechip Int’l, Po Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B2, Agreement # 41094515) is published monthly by Simmons-Boardman Publ. Corp, 55 Broad Street, 26th Floor, New York, NY 10004. Printed in the U.S.A. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY and Additional mailing offices. Pricing, Qualified individual working in the sign industry may request a free subscription. 12 issues per year. Non-qualified subscriptions Print version, Digital version, Both Print & Digital version: 1 year US/ Mexico/Canada $50.00; foreign $99.00. Agency subscriptions: 1 year US/Mexico/Canada $45.00; foreign $89.10. Single copies are $15.00 ea. Subscriptions must be paid in full in U.S. funds only. Prices are subject to change. Copyright © Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corporation 2015. All rights reserved. Contents may not be
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Sign Builder Illustrated // September 2015
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22 26
BY JEFF WOOTEN
An innovative center-hung transforms the home of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Towering Works of Art BY ASHLEY BRAY
Scaling heights on a unique wrap project.
30 36
LED-ing the League
A Footprint in Branding BY MIKE ANTONIAK
A print shop makes waves with a Webbased strategy.
Most Wanted Decals BY JEFF WOOTEN
New decals and stripes for more uniform police cars.
reproduced without permission. For reprint information contact: Arthur Sutley, Publisher (212) 620-7247 or asutley@sbpub.com. For Subscriptions & Address Changes, please call (800) 895-4389, (847) 763-9686, Fax (847) 763-9544, e-mail signbuilder@halldata.com, or write to: Sign Builder Illustrated, Simmons-Boardman Publ. Corp, PO Box 1172, Skokie, IL 60076-8172. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Sign Builder Illustrated, PO Box 1172, Skokie, IL 60076-8172. Instructional information provided in this magazine should only be performed by skilled crafts people with the proper equipment. The publisher and authors of information provided herein advise all readers to exercise care when engaging in any of the how-to activities published in the magazine. Further, the publisher and authors assume no liability for damages or injuries resulting from projects contained herein.
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Take a new path. UV-LED printers and print media by GoVivid provide your business with the next big thing.
SIGNAGE
PERSONALIZATION • GIFT
AWARDS • RECOGNITION
Agenda
How-To Columns
14 18
Reflections of a Sign
A Not-so-temporary Ruling
14 Reflections of a Sign BY PETER PERSZYK
Metal letters look great when they’re designed well.
18 A Not-so-temporary Ruling BY DAVID HICKEY
Five key takeaways from the Supreme Court’s sign code ruling.
Departments 6 UpFront
Editor Jeff Wooten previews SBi Illuminations, this month’s special section about sign lighting components.
8 Dispatches
Robotic LED displays on the high seas, a new NCCCO test facility, and grand format signage for MLB’s All-Star Game. The newest products and services from sign manufacturers.
38 SBI Marketplace
Advertisements and announcements from the sign trade.
40 Shop Talk Special Section: Sign Lighting
Ashley Bray brushes up on YESCO of Las Vegas’s painting process.
outdoor signage
Manage Challenging Installations
www.signshop.com
Number 243 | september 2015
illuminations
LED-ing Scorer
On the Cover The curved and tilted LED scoreboard in Cleveland’s Quicken Loans Arena is a technological marvel. Photo: ANC Sports. 4
September 24-25: NSSA’s New England Sign Expo 2015 will be held at the Twin River Casino Event Center in Lincoln, Rhode Island. (www.nssasign.org) September 24-27: A Celebration of Craft, a Letterheads Meeting that includes walldogging, sign painting, panel jamming, pinstriping, carving, gilding, etc., takes place at the American Sign Museum in Cincinnati, Ohio. (www.letterheads40.com)
12 Sign Show
How-To
SEPTEMBER 2015
Sign Builder Illustrated // September 2015
September 30October 1: CorpCOMM Expo 2015 (CCE), the only conference and tradeshow exclusively dedicated to technologies that specifically serve the needs of corporate professionals, will be colocated with EduCOMM Expo (ECE) at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia. (www. corpcommexpo.com)
NOVEMBER 2015 November 4-6: SGIA Expo, where leading imaging professionals will showcase their best products, methodologies, and innovative applications, is headed to the Georgia Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia. (www.sgiaexpo.org)
signshop.com
Up FRONT
by jeff wooten
September 2015, Vol. 29, No. 243 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 55 Broad Street, 26th floor New York, NY 10004 212/620-7247; fax: 212/633-1863 editorial editor
Jeff Wooten
The Spotlight on Lighting This month’s supplement covers the components of lighting.
O
n page 14, we have an article (“Reflections of a Sign”) detailing how certain types of metal letters attached to buildings can be interpreted as a sign of economic prosperity for the businesses hosting them. Venturing over to the opposite end of the spectrum however, if we surveyed the general populace and asked them for the numberone surefire harbinger of economic distress for a business, my inclination is that the answer most often given would be an illuminated, on-premise sign that was no longer working properly—if at all. It’s really hard to drive by a retail establishment, business, or office complex and take notice of their burnt out or flickering channel letters or their dim-looking, shadowy singleor double-sided sign cabinets. I’ve tried often to follow the proverb of “not judging a book by its cover,” but when passing by any of these malfunctioning illuminated signs, it’s hard not to first think that the owners aren’t making enough profit to address correcting these eyesores—or worse, just don’t care. Let’s face it: Lighting plays a big role in branding (and even rebranding) these days, and business owners recognize this. You should too. There’s a reason “retrofit” has entered the sign-making lexicon. And this is where SBi Illuminations turns on the lights in this month’s issue. This special section is devoted to covering the major components of the lighting industry (LED, neon, fluorescent, metal halide, etc.) and detailing how these impact the signs you make, as well as the ones your customers order. 6
Its first feature on page S6 (“Looking at LED”) reviews some of the issues regarding the proper usage of LEDs in channel letter illumination—color considerations, viewing angles, energy consumption, module brightness, and acrylic translucence and hot spots. Meanwhile on page S14 (“Follow the Script”), our author details how neon is still one of the “easiest ways” to make a sign and provides “de-sign” ideas for laying out neon tubes in these colorful, on-premise configurations. And interspersed between these features are product announcements, case studies, and project recaps related to the different types of lighting output in our industry, such as channel letters and sign cabinets. There’s even a section devoted to border lighting, interior accent lighting, and most interestingly, area lighting. Area lighting is a tricky subject to pin down, as it seems some sign makers may not seriously consider it as something they can offer since it doesn’t deal directly with signage. However that viewpoint would be a mistake, in my opinion. Whereas you might see just parking lots and landscapes as the main canvas, remember that you can employ your lighting installation skills toward these environments as well. Just because a sign isn’t involved in the finished product doesn’t mean you should outright dismiss this opportunity. Lighting remains a popular conversation, particularly when it comes to energy efficiency, rebates, etc. Our goal with SBi Illuminations is to help you show your customers “the light” in terms of what you can offer them.
Sign Builder Illustrated // September 2015
323 Clifton Street, Suite #7 Greenville, NC 27858 212/620-7244; fax: 212/633-1863 jwooten@sbpub.com managing editor
Ashley Bray
55 Broad Street, 26th Floor New York, NY 10004 212/620-7220; fax: 212/633-1863 abray@sbpub.com contributing writers
Butch “Superfrog” Anton, Mike Antoniak, John Baylis, David Hickey, Peter Perszyk, Mark Roberts, Lori Shridhare, Randy Wright art
Corporate Art Director Wendy Williams production
Corporate Production Director Mary Conyers circulation
Circulation Director Maureen Cooney advertising sales national sales director
Jeff Sutley 212/620-7233; fax: 212/633-1863 jeffsutley@sbpub.com west & midwest regional sales manager
Ian Littauer
212/620-7225; fax: 212/633-1863 ilittauer@sbpub.com Sign Builder Illustrated is published monthly. All rights reserved. Nothing herein may be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission of the publisher. To purchase PDF files of cover and layouts or hard copy reprints, please call Art Sutley at 212/620-7247 or e-mail asutley@sbpub.com. Circulation Dept. 800/895-4389
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Dispatches
First-of-its-kind Video Experience Hits the High Seas Brookings, South Dakota—Royal Caribbean International partnered with Daktronics, in conjunction with Robotic Arts and ABB, to implement a never-beendone-before visual experience for their new Quantum Class cruise ships— Quantum of the Seas, which made its first voyage on November 2, 2014, and Anthem of the Seas, which set off on its maiden voyage on April 22, 2015. Daktronics worked hand-in-hand with all parties involved from the initial concept through the final installation to provide RoboScreens. These robot display 8
systems contain such complexity and intricacy that they are only bested by the robots on Mars. “We were looking to develop the next big ‘wow’ feature for the Quantum Class, and after initiating concepts with ABB and Robotic Arts, it became apparent that selecting the best display solution would be a critical element,” said Christopher Vlassopulos, superintendent of SLVR and architectural lighting for Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises. Six LED video displays were mounted to robots in Two70, which is named for its
Sign Builder Illustrated // September 2015
“We were looking to develop the next big ‘wow’ feature for the Quantum Class, and... it became apparent that selecting the best display solution would be a critical element.” —Christopher Vlassopulos signshop.com
magnificent 270-degree panoramic sea views provided by vast, floor-to-ceiling glass walls that span almost three decks high at the stern of the ship. This multilevel great room seamlessly fuses entertainment and technology to create a transformative journey for guests from morning to night. The displays can be moved, turned, and rotated in coordination with custommade 3D animations and video signals. Each display features 4 millimeter line spacing and measures approximately 4 feet high-by-7 feet wide for roughly 180 square feet of display space in each club. Two70 transforms into unique entertainment spaces in the evenings with the LED video displays serving as the focal point. The movement allows for multiple abstract shows making for an amazing entertainment experience. Daktronics also provided an outdoor LED video display on the pool deck of each ship. These 10-millimeter displays measure approximately 12 feet highby-23 feet wide. They are largely used as poolside movie screens, but they can also provide passengers with important information and announcements. “[It’s] critical that LED displays withstand all the different structural, environmental, and weather-related aspects that are inherent on cruise ships, including superior brightness to maintain visibility in high ambient light conditions,” said Daktronics Sales Representative Peter Dunkle. The displays can be moved, turned, and rotated in coordination with custom-made 3D animations and video signals.
signshop.com
Hitting a Grand (Format) Slam
Cincinnati, Ohio—By way of their previous work for The Cincinnati Reds, GCI Digital Imaging won the right to produce grand format signage for this past summer's 2015 MLB All Star Game. In about a week-and-a-half, CGI produced over 20,000 square feet of mesh and over 95,000 square feet of 13-ounce banner. “We had to knock this one out of the park for MLB, and it was a grand slam for everyone involved,” said GCI President TJ Bedacht. GCI devised the plan, production, installation, and de-install for everything from pitcher’s mound covers, banners for a seventy-five-foot zip line tower, and several stadium banners. The company also provided dugout banners for an All Star Fantasy Camp, as well as thousands of square feet of signs, banners, and directional signage for a Pepsi®-sponsored block party. The demands and time management challenges allowed only a small margin for error. Even more surprising was that GCI’s bases were loaded with routine jobs, but their workflow continued without disruption.
September 2015 // Sign Builder Illustrated
9
Dispatches + Game On
Fa i r f a x , V i r g i n i a — T h e N a t i o n a l Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO) and the International Assessment Institute (IAI) have announced that NCCCO has acquired IAI’s operations relating to the testing services for CCO certification programs. Effective August 1, responsibility for CCO candidate processing, test administration, score reporting, and related services (historically provided by IAI) was assumed by a newly formed NCCCO subsidiary, NCCCO Services LLC. All IAI personnel have accepted employment in NCCCO’s new Testing Services Department headed by Marc Hone. Hone, formerly vice president of IAI, has been appointed director of Testing Services reporting to Joel Oliva, director of Operations and Program Development. “The integration of CCO candidate processing into NCCCO’s operations is designed to create a greater cohesiveness that will result in internal efficiencies and enhanced service to NCCCO’s many thousands of industry stakeholders,” said NCCCO CEO Graham Brent. According to Brent, this move also positioned NCCCO for future growth. “Within the context of NCCCO’s twentieth anniversary, this acquisition marks an exciting new chapter in the organization’s further evolution as the leading 10
industry provider of safety-related credentialing services,” he said. NCCCO’s Board of Directors paid tribute to the commitment and expertise that IAI Founder and President Dr. Anthony Mitchell had made to NCCCO over more than fifteen years of service. “Without a shadow of doubt, [Mitchell’s] contributions to the development and administration of NCCCO’s professionally developed and nationally accredited personnel certification programs have helped saved lives, reduce injuries, and generally made the construction industry a safer workplace overall,” said NCCCO President Thom Sicklesteel. “That’s a legacy that, in his retirement, he has every right to be very proud of.” NCCCO and IAI have worked together to ensure a seamless transition for both staff and stakeholders, said NCCCO’s Oliva, noting that the IAI contact information—including telephone, fax, and email—would remain unchanged for the immediate future. “We have gone to great lengths to ensure no disruption of service either to certificants or employers," he added, "All program development and maintenance will continue uninterrupted.” For the latest NCCCO news, follow twitter.com/NCCCOorg.
Sign Builder Illustrated // September 2015
top Photo: Elliott Equipment
NCCCO Acquires Testing Services Operation of IAI
Aurora, Illinois—The University of California, Riverside (UCR) Student Recreation Center is the hub of recreational, intramural, and club sports on campus. However the university needed to find a way to showcase school events, share news, stream sports games, and more in a visually appealing, hightech format, in line with the aesthetic of the brand-new, state-ofthe-art center. High-Tech Electric answered the call. The solution presented was an impressively large 7x7 28.5-foot video wall, consisting of 49 Barco 55-inch LCD displays seamlessly aligned and hung using the Peerless-AV® DS-VW755S Full Service Thin Video Wall Mount with Quick Release. Due to the changing needs of the UCR Student Recreation Center, the new wall incorporates a variety of tuners from Contemporary Research to stream sixteen channels and content from a Panasonic Blu-ray player, along with displaying large still images to share major campus news. Today the video wall serves more t h a n 2 1 , 0 0 0 s t u d e nt s at t h e University of California, Riverside on a daily basis—from entertaining to encouraging school pride, sharing news and school events, streaming sports games, and more. “This project consisted of so many industry firsts—it was exciting to make it all happen,” said James Gulke of High-Tech Electric, who led the project. For more details about this project, visit www.signshop.com.
signshop.com
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SignSHOW a da s i g n a g e /m at e r i a l s Duets Direct Sample Swatch Binder and Free Refill Samples Duets Direct™ by Gemini offers a comprehensive sample swatch binder representing its ADA and engraving sheet offerings. Featuring the company’s complete line of plastic sheet, the swatch binder contains sample swatches for every color, pattern, and finish available to customers, as well as valuable information on stock sizes and specifications, characteristics, and applications. Featuring right-sized, removable sample chips, the swatch binder allows users to easily share chips with prospects or include in proposals. Replacement chips (as well as any new updates) are available at no charge—simply contact Gemini with chips needed. The Duets Direct sample swatch binder offers an easy-to-use format with colored tabs to indicate each product line, including: DuetsTactiles™ ADA and Appliqué, Laser Indoor, Laser XT Outdoor/Indoor, Laser XT Reverse, DuetsContours™ Flexible, and Rotary Indoor. It also details Duets Direct's extensive line of accessories designed to enhance a sign project’s high-quality look and design—including decorative stand-off mounts, injection-molded frames, cast acrylic sign blanks, and plaque blanks. 800/548-3356; www.DuetsDirect.com
DIGITAL P RINTING E Q U I P MENT / S U P P LIES Epson Announces Next-generation SureColor F-Series Dye Sublimation Printers As textile imaging continues the rapid transition from analog to digital, the next-generation forty-four-inch Epson® SureColor® F6200 and sixty-four-inch Epson SureColor F7200 and F9200 leverage Epson UltraChrome® DS ink with an all-new, high-density Black ink to deliver improved ink efficiency and black density with better tonal transitions and grayscale for high-quality results in the roll-to-roll fabric production, customized promotional production, soft signage, and cut-and-sew sports apparel, fashion, and home décor markets. The flagship SureColor F9200 printer utilizes dual Epson PrecisionCore® TFP® printheads for high-speed, industrial-level roll-to-roll productivity with superior dot control and precise, repeatable performance. Each printer offers continuous productivity and less downtime with an integral and easily refillable, high-capacity bulk ink system and an improved post-platen heater for seamless media handling and faster drying times for continuous production. Equipped with a highly accurate take-up reel, the Epson SureColor F-Series allow for maximum uninterrupted production runs with minimal maintenance downtime. www.proimaging.epson.com
Mimaki USA’s TS300P Offering New Levels of Quality and Productivity for Digital Textile Printing Mimaki USA offers the TS300P-1800, a seventy-seven-inch-wide, roll-to-roll, dedicated transfer paper dye sublimation printer. Some of the printer’s new features include a high-gap printhead that ensures accurate ink droplet placement while enabling high-quality printing on thin transfer paper, as well as new Sb410 sublimation inks that offer enhanced resolvability (which improves the print production yield by ensuring more stable ink jetting). The TS300P printer delivers high productivity with print speeds of up to 1,238 square feet per hour in four-color mode, and up to 700 square feet per hour can be achieved in six-color mode. In addition to textile jobs, this printer can be used for applications requiring transfer to hard surfaces. 888/530-4021;www.mimakiusa.com
Enhanced Software Helps Customers Drive Efficiencies, Increase Control in Output Environments Ricoh’s updates to RICOH ProcessDirector and InfoPrint Manager address key pain points for print service providers looking to adapt to the new world of work, including those hoping to broaden their reach into new channels of communication (such as email and electronic presentment). InfoPrint Manager now offers added support for Linux platforms, bringing the power of the enterprise output management solution to a broader range of users. New capabilities to RICOH ProcessDirector include the ability to cut costs, change up an approach, or meet customer demands by sending all or part of a job’s documents via email; the capability to pinpoint errors and learn from past successes with the ability to archive one’s entire production history; and easy, secure access to documents by setting all or part of a job’s documents to be represented in an accessible electronic format. www.ricoh-usa.com
F ASTENERS / GR O MMETS Monarch’s MFTAPE: A Clean and Simple Way to Hang Signs Conserving time and energy when you are working on an installation is a fantastic thing, and Monarch’s MFTAPE can help you do more of it. MFTAPE is a concealed fastener system that is unique to Monarch and streamlines the signmounting process when working with difficult-to-hang products. Monarch’s MFTAPE ensures a clean and seamless final product. The system includes two pre-applied strips of 3M™ VHB™ architectural tape, which secure the MFTAPE bracket to the sign via the peel-and-stick method. From there, the sign is ready to engage with Monarch’s wall-mounted MF375 clips. With each foot of the MFTAPE rated for seven-and-a-half pounds of shear strength, this durable system is well suited to both interior and exterior applications. MFTAPE works best with non-porous substrates and is available in lengths up to twelve feet. www.MonarchMetal.com
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Sign Builder Illustrated // September 2015
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VINYL/VINYL FILMS/SUPPLIES New Colors from 3M Wrap Film Series 1080 Stop Car Enthusiasts in their Tracks The ever-expanding line of 3M™ Wrap Film Series 1080 from 3M Commercial Solutions has grown to include eight new colors, giving graphics installers a total of eighty-three options to create vehicle wraps that make an impression without saying a word. The new colors include Smoldering Red, Apple Green, Battleship Gray, and Dark Gray in a satin finish. In a gloss finish, new shades include Boat Blue, Ember Black, and Midnight Blue. Also now available is Riviera Blue in a matte finish. The high-performance film needs no printing or overlaminate, so it is ready to use right out of the box. Thanks to its ideal rigidity and air-release channels to help prevent bubbles, the film handles easily. It also has a pressureactivated adhesive to make it repositionable. Film Series 1080 is made in sixty-inch-wide rolls, so installers can easily cover vehicle sections without seams. www.3mgraphics.com/1080
RTape Expands Their VinylEfx Metallized Vinyl Product Line RTape Corp., a Nekoosa Holdings, Inc., company, introduces VinylEfx® Air specifically for the growing printable specialty media market. VinylEfx Air is a metallized vinyl with air-egress, bubble-free technology suitable for a variety of wide format graphic applications. RTape’s proprietary air-egress technology allows novice installers to easily remove air bubbles from applications such as window graphics, point-of-purchase displays, and posters, and it eliminates the need for wet applications. Its low-tack acrylic adhesive removes cleanly from surfaces without the use of chemicals. VinylEfx Air is printable using solvent, eco-solvent, latex, UV-curable, and screenprinting platforms. VinylEfx Air is available in 54-inch-by-10-yard and 54-inch-by-50-yard wide format rolls in fine brush silver, matte silver, smooth silver, and smooth gold decorative finishes. Custom roll sizes are available upon request. 800/440-1250; www.rtape.com
signshop.com
September 2015 // Sign Builder Illustrated
13
HOW-TO
By Peter Perszyk
Dimensional
Reflections of a Sign
Metal letters look great when they’re designed well.
14
T
he look of stability has been a primary design element intended to bolster the perception of most any brick-and-mortar building. Cut-stone construction, formidable size, unique fabrication, vast landscaping, etc., all add up to a business that’s doing well for itself and appears not to be going away any time soon. Another indication of stability: A set of lustrous, polished metal letters attached to the building (Photo 1)! Brass, bronze, and copper are close cousins and are often mixed up for one another. Here’s a handy helper: Bronze is mostly copper with tin added, whereas brass is copper with zinc added.
Sign Builder Illustrated // September 2015
The classic, elegant look of brass fittings can be found in any number of sophisticated establishments. Long lasting, the gleam of brass possesses the workability and organic look that few other materials have. Changing the ratios or adding other materials alters how these metals behave, work, or last— though not always how they look. For example, copper has a distinct color in its freshly manufactured state, as well as in the patina green it develops when exposed to the weather. (Note: Think Statue of Liberty). In a similar manner, cast bronze takes on a very dark look when left outdoors; but a weathered appearance isn’t the desirable, upscale brass look.
signshop.com
Alternative Metals You can strive for a metallic look with your letters, although this doesn’t necessarily equate to using the aforementioned metals. In the quest to reduce costs, many alternates/variants of metal letters have been introduced in the sign world: laminates, double plating, faux metals, colored coatings, alternate base metals, etc. Some can look good, depending on where the letters are installed; while others are just…ouch (Photo 2)! When the location and/or environment are going to be important factors, pick the finish for them first. Anodizing, powder coating, and urethane finishes make for a longlived product.
Anodized aluminum has a good, though finite, lifespan (i.e., the gray dust of oxidation from a 1960s-era aluminum screen door). Also note that anodized items aren’t easy to touch up after the anodizing process—in the shop or out in the field. Fortunately there are several companies out there that specialize in restoring architectural aluminum, as well as products that allow you to do this yourself. Anodizing does produce a nice gold look, as well as bronzes in the darker statuary range. There are many dye colors that are used in modern anodizing, but they tend to lean to the comical end of the spectrum. Polished and anodized letters almost approach the luster of a 1950s Buick chrome bumper.
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September 2015 // Sign Builder Illustrated
15
Decorative chrome features a nice, reflective silver look. Traditionally the application of chrome has been onto steel, so this process may not be cost-effective for some of your inhouse sign designs. However there are a few companies that specialize in providing chrome letters. If ordering, standard fonts and sizes are key to a successful translation here. You might also consider applying metallic materials to some alternate backer or substrate (Photo 3). The face of the letter will be polished and reflective, but that’s it. Stainless steel appears to be the go-to metal for outdoor shiny letters. This alloy’s ability to remain good-looking is a plus, and cleaning and polishing them in the field, if needed, is a possibility.
Reflective Qualities Too often, reflective signs just don’t look good in their environment—they can be hard to read or difficult to see at different angles. Ironically the successful look of a highly reflective sign or set of letters is not a mythical blue-gray. Instead the high-gloss reflection takes on the surrounding environment (Photo 4), so keep that in mind when designing. In the dark, polished letters tend to disappear; so in a busy environment, this could translate into a camouflaged look. And if there are flaws or ripples (especially those in large areas), then the reflection will look defective.
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16Mimaki_CJV150_H_SBI0115.indd Sign Builder Illustrated // September 2015 1
signshop.com 12/8/14 9:51 AM
When working with metal letters, don’t forget to consider the backing and type of lighting.
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Other Design Considerations If cost is an issue with your customer or you’d rather do the work in-house, painting the letters instead could be a solution. This works: (A.) when there’s a significant viewing distance, (B.) when there’s a suitable metallic color available, and (C.) when there’s a need for reverse channel illumination (Photo 5). Design a look that matches the facility. Brushed metal retains a stately look, while polished metal might prove quite gaudy. (Note: The “brush” process either originates with the metal sheet manufacturer or is added postfabrication at your shop.) Silver-tone letters on a stone background is a safe combination. So too are satin brass letters on red brick. Consider adding a backing to the letters to keep them from disappearing on a contrasting surface (Photo 6). Metallic dimensional letters will really generate a better appearance on a white or illuminated white background. Finally uplighting or backlighting letters creates a glisten on the returns that highlights the metal (Photo 7). signshop.com Allwood Signblanks - final.indd 1
September 2015 // Sign Builder Illustrated
17 4/16/13 11:32 AM
HOW-TO
By David Hickey
Regulations
A Not-so-temporary Ruling
Five key takeaways from the Supreme Court’s sign
majority opinion was so broad that it could open up every type of sign code to legal challenges. So how did communities and the sign industry react?
1. Communities were quick to respond. Within days of the ruling, some communities suggested a thirty-day moratorium on new sign permits. Others slowed down on pending sign code changes. Both moves were designed to make sure that any changes were compliant with the new Supreme Court ruling. In the coming months—especially as codes are challenged with lawsuits or the threat of lawsuits—expect more communities to explore whether their codes meet the new standards.
2. Speaking of lawsuits, expect more to come. Even before the Supreme Court ruled on Reed v. Town of Gilbert, there were a number of sign code-related lawsuits in the court system. In Los Angeles, a lower court ruling explored whether on-premise and off-premise signs could be treated differently; in his concurring opinion, Justice Samuel Alito explicitly listed several
Photo: Shutterstock.com
code ruling.
I
n June, the United States Supreme Court issued its first sign code ruling in more than two decades. While many questions remain in the wake of the decision, a few things stemming from it are immediately clear. Before we get into those insights, though, a recap of the case. Reed v. Town of Gilbert (Arizona) stemmed from a church’s use of temporary directional signs. Since the services were held in different venues each week, these signs let worshipers know the location of the meetings. The town’s sign code limited how long the signs could be displayed, as well as their size. Other types of temporary signs—including political and ideological—could be larger and displayed longer. The Court unanimously found that placing limits on temporary directional signs that were more stringent than these other types of temporary signs was a content-based regulation of speech—a violation of the First Amendment. While the Court’s ruling was unanimous, some justices differed with the majority’s written opinion and offered their own. In general, the concern among the concurring judges was that the
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Sign Builder Illustrated // September 2015
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types of sign codes that were permissible, including “rules distinguishing between on-premise and off-premise signs.” The Reed v.Town of Gilbert decision likely will be used as the basis for a number of lawsuits. Future rulings will determine how broadly the Supreme Court decision will be applied. In the immediate aftermath of the ruling, one legal publication suggested it could lead to a veritable “cottage industry” of sign code lawsuits.
3. There could be an overreaction. The Supreme Court ruled that, essentially, the same type of sign had to be treated the same way (with an understanding that there can be different treatments based on zoning). On the positive side, it could mean that more strict codes are loosened. In the Reed v. Town of Gilbert case, that would mean that the temporary directional signs are allowed to be larger and up longer.
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Sign Builder Illustrated // September 2015
But after previous court rulings on sign code issues, we’ve seen communities respond by clamping down on all signs, essentially applying the stricter standard to everyone. That could mean, in this particular case, that shorter duration and smaller signs apply to all temporary signs in Gilbert. That said, communities see the value of signs in communicating their messages to the public. And laws regarding the size and duration of political signs are sometimes written at the state level, as in the case in Arizona. In those cases, similar types of signs would have to be treated the same or state law would have to be changed.
4. ISA is at work on the issue. While the complete impact of Reed v. Town of Gilbert may not yet be clear, we do have strategies that will help communities create better sign codes based on the sign industry’s expertise, end-user participation, and the latest research involving signs. We offer resources to sign companies and communities to help navigate the complex world of sign codes. In fact, two model sign codes are available on our Web site (www.signs.org). Electronic message center night-time brightness recommendations have been adopted in whole or in part by more than 150 communities. And we’ve even trained more than 1,500 planners on sign code issues through our Planning for Sign Code Success™ events. The Supreme Court ruling in Reed v Town of Gilbert will only intensify our efforts to positively influence sign codes throughout the United States.We’ll continue working with local officials to help guide them using our expertise and perspective. We’ll use the Signage Foundation Inc.’s new research, Best Practices in Regulating Temporary Signs, and other materials, as we continue to provide education for planners and local officials. The ISA, its Affiliated Associations, and the Signage Foundation Inc., have additional events planned this year in Pennsylvania, Arizona, Texas, New Jersey, Maine, and Georgia. David Hickey is vice president, Government Affairs, at ISA. If you hear of any sign code issues, he recommends reaching him via email at david.hickey@signs.org. signshop.com
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Lighting: Sign Cabinets | Products & Projects
New Outwater Products
Condition Critical for an LED Sign Retrofit
cover photo: shutterstock/Stephen Gibson
Olympic Signs, a full-service sign shop in Lombard, Illinois, recently employed SignBOX II modules from SloanLED to retrofit a 9.5-by-84-foot single-faced rooftop identity sign for Rush Oak Park Hospital in Oak Park, Illinois. The hospital was already in the middle of a sitewide renovation, and its officials decided that now was the time to also upgrade its existing signage. The hospital had been using this roof-mounted sign cabinet since the 1970s; however it looked spotty much of the year and required too much maintenance (once or twice per year). Its fluorescent lamps were going out constantly, and the hospital would often let the sign’s illumination stay out, due to the costs generated by these maintenance calls (an annual cost of $2,065). Hospital officials also desired a sign with uniform and consistent illumination year-round—even in winter, when
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below-zero temps would cause the fluorescent lamps to lose as much as 50 percent of their light output. Olympic Signs had already changed the flex face of this sign to a digital print. So they were able to convince the hospital’s engineers and front office to do an LED retrofit rather than a new build instead. (Note: LEDs feature consistent brightness in warm or extreme cold weather.) “The sign is solid from the steel structure to the cabinet skin,” says Robert Whitehead, president of Olympic Signs. “After we had completed the new flex face, there was no reason to even consider a new sign.” The sign shop removed the existing fluorescent tubes and ballasts from the sign and cleaned the cabinet. They then placed 567 total feet of 6,500K SignBOX II LEDs inside. (Note: SignBOX II is mounted on flexible straps for easy installation and provides bright, even illumination.) “A sign of this size made using SignBOX II a no-brainer, especially because of its ladder design,” says Whitehead. SloanLED provided an LED population layout, and Olympic Signs installed the SignBOX II in sixty-three rows, laid out sixteen inches center-to-center (instead of the standard twelve inches on center). They completed the retrofit thanks to easy access from the back of the sign. SignBOX II proved to be the final piece of the sign puzzle to give the hospital an efficient, visible sign. www.sloanLED.com
Outwater’s newly introduced FOGA® Fabric Flex Framing System (pictured, below) includes a comprehensive range of clear, anodized, extruded aluminum profiles and accessories. The system is engineered for use with tensioned fabric to readily and cost effectively create custom-built, single- and double-sided LED backlit or unlit signs, banners, exhibits, pop-up displays, and light boxes of any size. Meanwhile the company’s new generation of 120-volt and 24-volt Non-Neon Flexible LED Lighting is available in seven colors. It not only enables one to install and create interior or exterior sign illumination
wherever required, but it can be utilized in any job or situation in which cost-effective “flexible” lighting might be beneficial. Finally, available in 24- and 36-watt configurations as 39-inch-long adjustable mounting fixtures that produce super-bright cool white lighting, Outwater’s LED Wall Washer Lights use standard 120V household current without the need for transformers and have an IP65 Rating (enabling their use as landscape, building facade, and display lighting). 800/631-8375; www.outwater.com
September 2015 // SBI Illuminations
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Lighting: Sign Cabinets | Products & Projects
Light Tape Offers Innovative, Creative Opportunities for Signage Lighting The Backlit Out-of-Home lighting system from Light Tape® integrates a radically distinctive and patent-protected form of electroluminescent technology with two novel printing techniques. The result injects creativity into the traditional design process, while at the same time guarantees increased audience impressions. Selective Backlighting (pictured, left) uses inverse black-out printing methods and thoughtfully placed Light Tape panels to illuminate selective messages of
the campaign, focusing attention only where desired. This is achieved by using a base layer of Light Tape panels positioned seamlessly next to one another and a top layer of double-sided printed translucent vinyl. The front side of the graphic is printed normally while the reverse is printed in black-out ink in selective areas. Day/Night Backlighting (pictured, right) allows one creative to appear by day and a second creative in the same space to appear by night when the Light Tape is
illuminated.. This is achieved by printing a ghost image behind the first image. The Backlit Out-of-Home lighting system is possible because of Light Tape’s ultra-thin and lightweight design. It is thinner than a credit card, as light as card stock, and is ultra flexible. It is a uniform light source without diffusion and can cover any-sized surface, curves, and contours without unsightly hot spots. It offers worldwide power connectivity with AC and DC inputs. www.lighttape.com
GoVivid Announces New LED Light Box Frame Collection GoVivid, the new digital printing division of Rowmark LLC, shines a light on signage supplies for digitally printed projects with the launch of their innovative Streamline LED Light Box frame collection. GoVivid’s Streamline Light Box uses powerful LED lights to provide a bright, consistent lighting output for illuminated signage and displays. Constructed from aluminum anodized metal, these LED frames feature an innovative, magnetic locking frame system for quick, easy installation of
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printed graphics. Additionally the small track along the back of the frame makes the product easy to display, while still providing multiple mounting options. GoVivid’s new Streamline LED Light Box is available in eight different sizes in Nighthawk Black. It also offers 50,000 hours of LED life and a six-foot cord length—creating nearly endless display possibilities for the industry’s highest quality illuminated graphic panels. www.govividusa.com
SBI Illuminations // September 2015
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™ ™ Envision Flexible FS-1 isasnearly twice as transmissive*. 3M™ Envision™3M Flexible Substrate FS-1Substrate is nearly twice transmissive*. That means more efficient use of LEDs and energy. Go greener without That means more efficient use of LEDs and energy. Go greener without sacrificingAnd performance. And because LEDs require less maintenance, sacrificing performance. because LEDs require less maintenance, customers with hard-to-reach pylon signs can feet on the ground. customers with hard-to-reach pylon signs can keep their feet keep on thetheir ground. ™ ™ In short, 3M Envision Flexible Substrate FS-1 is one very In short, 3M™ Envision™ Flexible Substrate FS-1 is one very bright idea. bright idea. 3M™ Envision™ Flexible Substrate FS-1 is nearly twice as transmissive*. Bookmark KNOW IT: ThatBookmark means more efficient use3Mgraphics.com/switchon of LEDs and energy. Go greener without 3Mgraphics.com/switchon KNOW IT: Visit the website for complete product details including Product Visit the website for complete product details including Product sacrificing performance. And because LEDs require less maintenance, and Instruction Bulletins and warranty information. and Instruction Bulletins and warranty information. customers with hard-to-reach pylon signs can keep their feet on the ground. IT: Visit™3Mgraphics.com/wheretobuy VisitBUY 3Mgraphics.com/wheretobuy BUY IT: In short, 3M™ Envision Substrate FS-1 is one very bright idea. or callFlexible 1-800-328-3908
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Lighting: Sign Cabinets | Products & Projects
The True Difference Between a Fluorescent Lamp and a TriLight Max Voltarc’s TriLight Max™ T8 will last six times longer than a standard T12 fluorescent and is up to 40 percent more efficient. Highquality, tri-band phosphor yields maximum lumen output with maximum color rendering. Made with recessed double contact (RDC) end tops, they accommodate an easy change out from conventional fluorescent lamps in a timely and efficient manner. Energy-efficient and environmentally friendly, the TriLight Max fluorescent lamps use Voltarc’s Long Life™ Cup-Cathode Technology and are compatible with most magnetic and electronic sign ballasts. Unlike
your conventional fluorescent, this comes with a six-year warranty and is also available in a thermal to ensure brightness even in cold temperatures as low as -23 degrees. Designers and specifiers have specified these lamps for many national programs (such as Sunoco, BB&T, Santander, Wells Fargo, and Astoria Bank) and even some of the world’s greatest spectaculars. http://bit.ly/1KMkHZI
In-stock at West Coast Custom Designs West Coast Custom Designs, LLC offers a full line of lighting and sign animators. Stocked are one-, two-, three-, and four-circuit plug-in flashers, chasers, back-n-forth effects, as well as a simulated failing neon unit, all available for same-day shipping. A full line of old-school mechanical units and parts are also offered. Custom-built and programmed units (whether it be hardwired or easy plug-in) for any-size projects are the company’s specialty. www.wccdUSA.com
Announcing LuciteLux Illuminations Series The LuciteLux® Illuminations Series offers high-quality continuous or cell-cast acrylic options to meet a variety of indoor and outdoor lighting applications (including signs, architectural features, and light fixtures). Products from the series offer optimized, next-generation lighting performance that enables today’s design community to maximize the benefits of LED technology while following the latest aesthetic trends. Products in the LuciteLux Illuminations Series—Spectrum, Spectrum Block, and Light Guide Panel—are manufactured specifically for back-lit and edge-lit lighting applications to effectively conceal light sources and resist banding and hot spots. LuciteLux Spectrum acrylic sheet (pictured) is designed for back-lit applications that are slimmer, brighter, and more efficient (signage, corporate imaging, retail P-O-P, illuminated architectural features, etc.). It is available in a variety of bright, vibrant colors and thicknesses. LuciteLux Spectrum Block acrylic offers a European style of chunky block letter S4
design with exceptionally clean, bright light. It is high-gloss, lightweight, easy to fabricate, and compatible with white or colored LEDs. Finally developed specifically for edge-lit applications in visual communication, retail, signage, lighting, and display applications,
SBI Illuminations // September 2015
LuciteLux® LGP continuous cast acrylic is formulated with evenly dispersed illuminating particles that provide brighter, even illumination. With technology built into the acrylic sheet during manufacturing, there is no requirement for laser etching or dot matrix printing. www.lucitelux.com
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LIGHTING: LED | By John Baylis
B LEDs and Color Considerations
A
Looking at LED
The effective use of LEDs in a channel letter sign.
LED illumination is available in a variety of colors. White is the most common, but other colors may be utilized to generate the optimal illuminated letter appearance. For example, one potential configuration is to simply match the LED color with the face acrylic color. This configuration will often result in a stronger color appearance. For example, red LED modules can be matched with red face acrylic. However this layout also has some limitations. Red LED emits a color with a narrow bandwidth. If the color bandwidth of the face acrylic does not match the LED color bandwidth, then some of the colored illumination will not be transmitted—instead it will be absorbed. Nonetheless a color match between the LED and the letter face acrylic will often yield a more compelling and colorful illuminated channel letter appearance. For example, compare Photo A (a logo box with a sub-return in the center lit by red LEDs) with Photo B (the same logo box lit by white LEDs).
This article will outline some of the common issues and solutions relating to the usage of LED channel letter illumination. S6
SBI Illuminations // September 2015
all Photos: direct sign wholesale.
LED has now become the standard illumination media for channel letter signage. However the proper use of LEDs (and matching them correctly with other channel letter components) can make the difference between a mediocre letter set and an excellent one. C
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LIGHTING: LED | By John Baylis
The cost of the sign is another consideration. While a channel letter sign that has a matched LED and face color may have an improved illuminated appearance, it will also usually have a higher price. Colored LED is typically more expensive than standard white. So the potentially improved letter appearance from an LED/acrylic color match must be weighed against the higher cost. However many customers find the higher price is well worth it.
LEDs and Viewing Angle One important LED feature affects both the necessary stroke quantity and the mounting distance between modules. That feature is called the “viewing angle” (Photo C), and the specified angle varies among differing LED brands. The viewing angle tells you the distance covered by the “fan of light” produced by a module prior to losing half of its peak illumination level. The angle is simply a measure of the position where the intensity of the LED light spread reaches 50 percent of its maximum brightness. A professional-looking channel letter will have the faces lit evenly and consistently. Using an LED with an inad-
equate viewing angle (for the amount of installed LEDs) may cause a common channel letter illumination problem: a letter face area that appears brighter than the adjacent face area. This is sometimes referred to as “tiger striping,” and it detracts from the illuminated appearance of a channel letter sign. One related cause of this uneven face illumination is the number of LED strokes that have been placed within the letters. A “stroke” is simply a strand of linked LED modules mounted within a letter interior. For example, Photo D shows a channel letter return with a singlemounted LED stroke. Photo E shows a double-mounted LED stroke. If too much space is placed between the LED strokes (after the module viewing angle has been taken into account), then the illuminated letters will exhibit uneven face illumination. The main point is this: The illumination viewing angle emitted by each LED module impacts both the number of strokes necessary to clearly light a channel letter sign and also the correct mounting distance between the strokes. The letters may have uneven illumination, if too much space is placed between the strokes.
E LEDs and Energy Consumption Another consideration in LED illumination is the wattage used per module. Each module within an LED stroke requires a specific amount of wattage for operation. This watt usage difference can add up over time, especially in terms of power consumption. For example, some LED brands utilize as little as 0.24 watts per module, while others use as much as 1.5 watts. Multiply that number by the quantity of modules contained in the entire sign and you have that sign’s ongoing wattage consumption. The optimal approach is to utilize the lowest LED wattage necessary to brightly light your customer’s channel letter sign. That amount gives your customer the best of both worlds—bright illumination and lower utility bills.
LEDs and Module Brightness LED module brightness (illumination intensity) is measured in lumens. All things being equal, a higher number of lumens per module results in brighter letter illumination. LED manufacturers will typically state a brightness measurement in both
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SBI Illuminations // September 2015
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TD3
Performance Summary
Input Voltage (V DC): 12/24V Module Level Power (W/ft): 4.5W
Delivered Lumens (Lm/ft): 360 Lm/ft Viewing Angle: 155º Correlated Color Temp (K): 6500K CRI: 80 Ingress Protection: IP66 Stroke: 8” - 24” Depth: 3” - 18”
WIDE STROKE
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LIGHTING: LED | By John Baylis
lumens per module and lumens per foot. For example, one producer is currently listing a channel letter LED product that produces 130 lumens per module and 195 lumens per foot. That also means this product has 1.5 LED modules per foot (130 lumens x 1.5 = 195 lumens). An important trend taking place in the LED industry is that individual LED modules are now generating a higher number of lumens than in the past. In turn, that means fewer modules per channel letter may be used to produce the same level of face illumination. This is a significant development for several reasons. First fewer modules mounted within a channel letter sign could mean a lower energy bill for your customer. Second greater illumination levels from individual modules means a decreased risk of uneven face illumination.
Lastly this also means that smaller channel areas (such as the tip of a serif letter font) may now receive an increased level of illumination. In the past, a tight corner of a channel letter could mean dimmer illumination of that face area because the smaller mounting space restricted the placement of additional LED modules. The increased illumination output of this newer LED generation decreases the risk of that problem.
LEDs and “Hot Spots” One potential channel letter illumination issue is something commonly called a “hot spot.” A hot spot is an illuminated LED module that is physically visible through the translucent acrylic sign face. (Note: The term “hot spot” is also sometimes used for the previously mentioned issue of uneven face illumination.) LED
module visibility is an unsightly condition that detracts from the professional appearance of an illuminated letter set. The depth of the letter return may contribute to the possibility of hot spots. Hot spots are typically treated in two ways. First the interior of the letter cans may be coated with reflective white paint. The reflective surface helps to evenly distribute the LED illumination through the letter interior and decrease the “hot spot” appearance. A second method is the use of a product called diffuser film (also known as light management film.) This product is mounted to the interior of the letter face acrylic and distributes the LED illumination more evenly. John Baylis is marketing director at Direct Sign Wholesale (www.directsignwholesale.com) in Denver, Colorado.
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SBI Illuminations // September 2015
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Lighting: Channel Letters | Products & Projects
Domino’s Pizza Lights Up a New Look, Drives Down Costs Costs add up quickly when you run a business. For many franchisees, new investments directed by the corporation must be multiplied by five, ten, or however many franchise locations they own. However the franchisor can also be a valuable resource, vetting materials to make sure they deliver a positive return on investment. Such was the case with the recent overhaul of the brand image and signage for Domino’s Pizza. With about 1,100 independent franchise owners in the U.S., Domino’s set out to find signage materials that would deliver both value and performance to its franchisees.
EasyMount, LLC Channel Letter Raceway Extrusions EasyMount, LLC offers its 3-1/2-inchby-6-inch channel letter raceway extrusion that features a true twopiece system (the back weighing 0.899 pounds per foot and the front 1.437 pounds per foot, available in 16- and 24-foot lengths). This raceway extrusion is pre-fabricated and allows for dropping and locking the front piece
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In this process, Tobin Northway, manager-unit controller of domestic stores and fixed assets at Domino’s Pizza, and his team discovered 3M™ Envision™ Translucent Film Series 3730. This film is more light transmissive, so fewer LEDs are needed to get the level of brightness you want in a sign. With LED-enabling 3M Envision translucent films, the Domino’s management team found a way to bring down the cost of channel, monument, and pylon signs for franchisees by as much as $200 per sign. Plus thanks to the energy efficiency of the new signs, ongoing operational costs have been lowered as well.
to the back along with grooves for the power supply panel (either sixteeninch or twenty-four-inch that slides out of the left or right of your raceway), a lifter channel, and tabs that allow any installer to administer fasteners between the two pieces on top and bottom. Having minimal parts virtually eliminates in-shop assembly time, greatly cuts down installation time on the job site, and because of the slide-out power supply panel,
“The cool thing is, not only are we reducing the initial investment cost for our franchisees and for our stores, but we’re also reducing ongoing operational costs to power the signs,” says Northway. “So from a sustainability standpoint, this is a very impactful product for us.” Franchisees have noticed. Phil Pedigo, vice president of a thirty-three-store network of Domino’s franchises in the Memphis and Nashville areas, had installed a new sign on one of his stores just before Domino’s adopted the 3M Envision translucent films as its standard. So when Pedigo installed his first sign using the new 3M film, the difference in both the price and the sign’s appearance was noticeably clear. “The new sign just looks cleaner and crisper, and it looks really good at night,” he said. “It looks as good or better than the old signs, and it’s costing a lot less. “It’s just a no-brainer; there is a noticeable price difference and no negative impact on the quality.” Phil Rands, owner of sixteen Domino’s stores in Florida, echoed Pedigo’s praise. “The new signs are just super bright,” he said. “They totally stand out. We’re really happy with them.” With help from 3M, Domino’s Pizza is not only reinventing the look of its restaurants but also strengthening its relationships with franchisees. With all of its U.S. stores set to upgrade their signs over the next four years, Domino’s is making 3M Envision translucent films a key ingredient in helping franchisees stand out. www.3M.com
reduces servicing time because there’s no need to overtop the letters to access the power supply. www.easymountllc.com
September 2015 // SBI Illuminations
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Lighting: Channel Letters | Products & Projects
US LED: Innovative Signage Solution Offering Time & Cost Savings with Maximum Versatility
Photoluminescent EXIT Signs are Non-electrical Nationwide codes allow several types of EXIT signs: electrically activated, self-luminous, and photoluminescent. New construction typically installs electrical exit signs (nowadays usually LED), but once those electrical EXIT signs fail, building owners and property managers look for alternative technologies that allow them to save on electricity and maintenance.
For many years, self-luminous EXIT signs were the only non-electrical EXIT sign technology. Self-luminous stands for radio-luminescent; these signs are filled with radioactive tritium gas. They come with ten-, fifteen-, or twenty-year life expectancies, and at the end of S12
their rated life, the expired signs have to get returned to the manufacturer for radioactive waste recycling. Since 2001, the Codes have been allowing photoluminescent EXIT signs as an additional non-electrical and nonradioactive solution, if they carry the UL924-listing. The photoluminescent signs get charged by ambient lighting and emit their photoluminescent effect when all lights are out. Photoluminescent EXIT signs can not be used in areas where it is always dark (e.g., movie theaters, basements, etc). Yet in all areas with at least 5 foot-candles (54 lux) of ambient lighting, photoluminescent EXIT signs are the ideal solution where electricity-saving and maintenance-free signs are desired. Photoluminescent UL924-listed EXIT Signs do not carry an expiration date, so users can look forward to many years of maintenance-free use, as there are no components that could fail nor any light bulbs that could burn out. Available in a variety of materials, photoluminescent EXIT signs can be ordered in aluminum, plastic, and acrylic, as well as with a 100-foot viewing distance. These signs can also provide LEED project points. 888/737-6254; www.americanpermalight.com/photoluminescent-exit-signs.html
SBI Illuminations // September 2015
New TD1 and TD3 LED sign modules from US LED are an innovative signage solution designed not only for shallow depth but also greater flexibility. The flexibility starts at the input voltage—being able to take 12V or 24V power supplies (allowing for multiple applications and reducing inventory) and still maintain the same light levels. TD1 modules are extremely versatile and made for backlighting a large variety of channel letters, sign cabinets, and graphic displays, while TD3 modules can be used in a three-inch-depth letter or sign with eight-inch spacing or an eighteen-inch-depth cabinet with twenty-four-inch spacing. The flexibility continues when you move the modules farther from the face, increasing spacing from row to row up to twenty-four inches apart at a twelve-inch depth. This gives you the ability to create even lighting in most depths using less product, thereby keeping your project and your shop efficient and effective. At 240 lumens for TD1 and 360 lumens for the TD3 with an IP66 rating for protection from dust and moisture, they are ready for any signage challenge. Both modules come with a five-year warranty. www.usled.com
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we just changed the sign industry...
LED DRIV
ERS
LIGHTING: Neon | By Peter Perszyk
1
Follow the De-sign ideas with neon.
O
ne of the easiest ways to make a sign is with neon. The omnipresent red tube neon sign in the store window is a classic example because it is visible day and night (Photo 1). The process is especially easy if the text needed is designed in a script-type font. Fortunately this proves a natural for neon tubing. As long as you “follow the script,” you will have lots of design options for your neon lighting project. Over the years, I have used my articles to look at several of the reasons why neon
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Script
remains a top pick in the sign industry. One reason is the inherent rigidity in the glass tube. Minimum support is needed, and its shape will remain as it has been fabricated. Take a look at Photo 2. You would have to agree that these neon letters really do a great job of proving a point. So it also goes without saying that the neon is scriptable and shapeable (Photo 3). The soft, smooth flow of a neon script sign also conveys a message (like the heart found in a handwritten letter versus the cool distance of an email). Neon
SBI Illuminations // September 2015
does not need an image or dimensional backing that mimics the text nor a constraining, defining channel to be fully functional—although it is often built that way (Photo 4). Shaped neon alone plays the part of a fully functioning sign quite well even when used as text that is presented in a block style (Photo 5). Foremost in proving this point is the illumination that neon provides. Light spreads 360 degrees around the tube. And if the client desires a thin line of light, they will have it here. signshop.com
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Script neon fits nicely into different sign designs. Neon can be bent into many shapes and lettering forms, it can span out and away from the architecture, and its rigidity means it keeps its fabricated form. In the right color and background (Photo 6), light is visible at a wider angle of view than comparable internally illuminated letters. Matching corporate-mandated definitions has never been a challenge to neon script signage either (Photo 7). Do not think of the terminology “script� as a restriction. While lengths of neon tube are not limitless, they are quite amazing when there is a need for the letters or sign to span out and away from the architecture (Photo 8). The final item on the properties of neon concerns electrical connection and conductivity. There has been much debate in the electrical sign world on the methods of connecting neon. It is imsignshop.com
portant that high-voltage and safety go hand-in-hand. But what makes for an easy installation with neon is the fact that the light conducts the electricity. Are you ready to argue that the fluorescent lamp does the same? Well I counter that a sign with four
fluorescent tubes may need as many as a dozen conductors running to a central location. Comparable neon tubes throughout a sign or letter set would need only the connection to the starting electrode and the ending electrode, with interconnections as short as possible.
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Lighting: Border, Accent, & Area | Products & Projects
Unique Interactive Neon Sculptures for World of Speed Museum Three “Pop-Art” pieces created by Modern Artifacts—Portland, Oregonbased creators of industrial, threedimensional sculptures—are included in the new World of Speed museum located in Wilsonville, Oregon. These handcrafted sculptures have a labored patina of rusty steel, bronze, hand-formed neon, programmed LEDs, motorized elements, and even audio components. “We’re thrilled to have World of Speed open in our own backyard,” said Modern Artifacts Founder Jeff Meyers. (Note: Meyers founded Modern Artifacts in 2011.) “It gives us the opportunity to showcase both our one-off commissioned work and a limited-edition piece.” For World of Speed, Modern Artifacts was commissioned to build two unique pieces. The first was a tribute to Craig Breedlove’s Spirit of America land speed record holder that went 526.277 miles per hour in 1964. The 3D interactive display (pictured) features lights, neon,
the authentic sound of the car’s jet engine, and an amazing crackle tube that illustrates the effects of the car’s jet exhaust—something that kids love. The second commissioned piece, an interactive robot called Ignito, was designed to be educational and enjoyed by kids of all ages. This hand-cranked display illustrates how a four-cycle gasoline engine works: Basically it’s suck, squish, bang, and push. Kids can also press the “start” button and watch the gauges work and lights flash as Ignito talks.
Larson Electronics: 212-Watt, High-output, Explosion-proof High-bay LED Light The EPLC2-HB-212W-LED-PND explosion-proof high-bay LED light fixture from Larson Electronics provides a powerful and effective alternative to HID and incandescent high-bay lighting and offers higher efficiency and lower maintenance costs. This powerful fixture produces 26,500 lumens of high-quality light output while drawing only 212 watts, making it a highly efficient option for those seeking to cut energy costs. This LED fixture is compact in size and has no ballast, resulting in a lighter fixture that also requires less maintenance to operate. The advanced LED light assembly—in tandem with a high-efficiency, heat-dissipating design—helps this light to achieve a 60,000-hour operational life. The unit is designed to be pendant-mounted by using user-supplied rigid conduit. The light can run on voltages ranging from 100 to 277 VAC, 50/60Hz and is approved for Class 1 Division 2 and Class 2 Division 1&2 environments. It is an ideal alternative to heavier and less-durable HID fixtures. 800/369-6671; www. Larsonelectronics.com S16
SBI Illuminations // September 2015
Modern Artifacts also crafted a third item, one of their limited-edition pieces, celebrating one hundred years of racing at Bonneville. Measuring 30-by-28 inches, this tribute to the Salt Flats would be cool in any garage, man cave, restaurant, bar, or even home. “Having our artwork on display at World of Speed is a great endorsement,” said Meyers. “It proves that neon is alive and well and has a special place in the hearts of Americans.” www.Modern-Artifacts.com
Halco Lighting Technologies Announces LED Floodlight Series The LED Floodlight Series from Halco Lighting Technologies® includes long-life, energy-efficient replacements for 100W, 175W, and 400W HID fixtures. Halco LED Floodlight Series utilizes high-performance LED technology to deliver consistent color and CRI for a uniform installation and up to 81 percent energy savings. The LED Floodlight Series is constructed from durable die-cast aluminum to protect against rust, corrosion, dirt, and insects in outdoor, wet location environments. Fixtures are supplied with voltage sensing 100V-277V dimmable driver and with 0-10V dimming standard. Electrical snap-in connectors simplify wiring and installation. An optional photocell accessory controls the fixture for dusk-to-dawn operation. Proper thermal management and heat dissipation contributes to the LED Floodlights’ 50,000-hour rated life, which is more than twice the life of an HID lamp. www.halcolighting.com
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Upgrade to Exterior LED Luminaires Yields Big Improvements at Sonic Restaurants Like any business, quick-serve restaurant chains know the importance of reducing their operating costs, but only recently have they realized the money-saving potential inherent in energy efficiency. Since lighting accounts for nearly 13 percent of all the energy used in a restaurant, lighting upgrades offer a tremendous opportunity to lessen energy costs and maintenance expenses, while reducing the carbon footprint. Exterior lighting has three primary
functions—safety, security, and ambiance. With sustainability and design now complementing each other, LED luminaires for outdoor general lighting provide a win for everyone. D.L. Rogers Group of North Richland Hills, Texas is one of the largest Sonic restaurant franchisee organizations and ranked Number 30 on Multi-Unit Franchisees’ 2014 Mega 99 Rankings™ with locations in Texas, the Midwest, and the Southern East Coast. As a forward-thinking company, D.L. Rogers installed poles and metal halide area light fixtures over twenty years ago, something unique to this restaurant chain. As lighting technology improved over the years, D.L. Rogers did comparison testing between metal halide and LED. The LED luminaires won hands down with light uniformity, energy savings, and, in particular, reduction in maintenance expenses. The metal halide fixtures required changing burned-out bulbs that only lasted one to two years—compared with up to ten years with LEDs—an expensive and timeconsuming ordeal that required the rental of a bucket truck.
In their ongoing effort to improve parking lot security, lighting performance, and energy costs reduction, this franchisee recently retrofitted one existing restaurant and installed LED luminaires at seven new Sonic locations. The retrofit at the Mexia, Texas location included sixteen 240W Optec LED area luminaires, which replaced 400W metal halide fixtures in the parking lot. Meanwhile the seven new Sonic Restaurants include 111 240W Optec LED pole fixtures and 26 60W wall packs. These were a one-for-one replacement and an upgrade from 1000W metal halide pole fixture, and 150W and 175W metal halide wall packs. “The high-quality LED light makes everything appear brighter and safer— and that translates into a better customer experience,” said Darrell L. Rogers, chairman of D.L. Rogers Corporation. Rogers estimates that the new Optec LED luminaires should provide payback in 2.5 years and the financial savings just add-up after that. Meanwhile these Sonic locations anticipate more than a decade of virtually maintenance-free lighting operation. www.optecledlighting.com
EVERLINE Simplifies LED Driver Replacement As the industry is starting to see the need for field replacement, having the right replacement driver is critical. Drivers must be specifically selected with the precise current and power rating for optimal lighting and color performance. Universal Lighting Technologies’ EVERLINE® LED Drivers are designed for the latest generation of LED-based indoor and outdoor lighting fixtures, and they simplify driver replacement with a variety of options. EVERLINE Drivers in the distribution channel make replacement quick and convenient. EVERLINE LED Drivers feature a variety of controllable dimming options, including 0–10V Dimming, Step-Dimming, and tuning. Tunable output allows the driver output current to be factory set at lower currents to increase application coverage. EVERLINE allows for easy replacement of high-power drivers such as those used for area/street lighting, flood and wall packs, gas station canopies, and bay lighting. EVERLINE Constant Voltage LED Drivers are often used with sign appli-
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cations. Different case configurations provide application flexibility, from small, lower power 12V/20W to rugged 24V/100W IP67 ratings. EVERLINE Linear Drivers offer ease of replacement in general lighting troffers, high-bay lighting, and specialty fixtures. Finally EVERLINE Compact Drivers offer ease of replacement in downlights, track lighting, and specialty fixtures. www.unvlt.com
September 2015 // SBI Illuminations
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L E D D i s p l ay s / By J e f f Wo ot e n / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /
LED-ing the League An innovative center-hung transforms the home of the Cleveland Cavaliers. 22
Sign Builder Illustrated // September 2015
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all photos: anc sports
Those watching last summer’s NBA Finals between the Cleveland Cavaliers and eventual-champion Golden State Warriors either in the stands or at home not only witnessed a performance of the ages from Cavs star LeBron James, but when action during the best-of-seven series shifted to Cleveland’s home court, Quicken Loans Arena, they may have also seen one of the most innovative scoreboards in the country on display. uicken Loans Arena (the “Q”) boasts a seating capacity of 20,562, and before the start of the 201415 NBA season, the Cavaliers organization wanted to enhance the atmosphere and experience inside with digital signage. The Q now features more than 11,682 square feet of LED displays that include four corner boards, 360-degree fascia ribbon in the seating area, and the replacement of traditional backlit signage on the concourses with thirty-one high-resolution LED displays. The centerpiece of this makeover: A 5,550-square foot, LED display/scoreboard center-hung eighty-five feet in the air that features tilted/curved angles. ANC Sports (www.ancsports.com), a provider of integrated signage, design, and marketing solutions for sports and commercial facilities, was awarded the opportunity to design, build, and oversee the installation of this electronic signage overhaul. In fact, the Cavaliers were one of ANC Sports’s first LED signage customers back around the turn of the Millennium (when their home facility was known as Gund Arena). ANC Sports had installed their previous center-hung scoreboard, as well as other ancillary displays. “The Cavs wanted to push the industry and the LED video display design concepts to something ‘outside the box,’” says Christopher Mascatello, executive vice president, Technology Sales and Services, at ANC Sports. The Cavaliers wanted everyone attending to be able to see the scoreboard display clearly and cleanly. This meant thinking beyond the typically used first- and second-generation rectangular scoreboards. The ANC Sports team considered the highest-paying customer in the building (those with courtside seats). “When people are paying $1,000, $5,000, and $10,000 a ticket,” says Mascatello, “giving them a six-by-twelve-foot screen on the underside of a mega-scoreboard seemed counter-intuitive.” But ANC Sports wanted to make sure the viewing experience was also ideal for those in the upper levels. “Some of the previous designs utilized a big I-beam design, which meant that, for those in the upper corners of the building, the screens on the baseline would obstruct a significant portion of the sidelines,” explains Mascatello. signshop.com
ANC Sports built the structure on the ground first using an aluminum frame because of weight concerns. Then they attached it to the hoist, lifted it up to the ceiling, and put it in place.
ANC Sports had different crews working on different sides of the boards to make the most of the time they had. Each panel was labeled with an alpha-numeric code beforehand to help aid in grid placement. September 2015 // Sign Builder Illustrated
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The center-hung scoreboard sports four enormous HD video screens that are tilted and uniquely curved to provide optimal viewing angles for all fans. The two sideline screens measure 31.50 feet highby-56.69 feet wide, while the two highresolution baseline screens measure 29.92 feet high-by-33.07 feet wide. To arrive at this solution, ANC Sports designers collaborated with engineers and installers and made a couple of survey visits. Doing so, they realized the need to follow a set schedule (design, content creation, installation, etc.). This set schedule proved important as the clock was ticking: The scoreboard needed to be up and running in less than two-and-a-half months (instead of the 24
Angling the screens in gives much better viewable images to the highest paid customers on the floor. Even the coaches can refer to it for replays, as well as clock and game-in-progress information. Everything is controlled by ANC’s vSOFT™ operating system. normal five), in time for the Cavs’ first home game of the season. ANC Sports first modeled the stadium—including forty-some seating position to use as evaluation criteria—using CAD and other 3D software and then added 3D renderings of the proposed scoreboard in the designs. This led to some interesting ideas that had never been accomplished before. “The sideline screens are angled down significantly more than a traditional score-
Sign Builder Illustrated // September 2015
board—about six degrees,” says Mascatello. “By angling them in, we could also slightly raise the baseline screens above the center point a bit and cut down on the amount of screen obstruction.” Mascatello compares the “pronounced curve” concept to how they’re used in IMAX® and 70mm movie theaters. “At some point, the screen can get so big that it extends beyond the periphery of human eye, leading to wasted information,” he explains. “But these theaters have signshop.com
figured out that curving the screen allows a more visible image with the same canvas of x-number of pixels and total length as if straightened out.” However the uniform curve is an optical illusion—it’s a series of straight lines with subtle “bends” to them. “A degree-and-ahalf at each cabinet,” says Mascatello. ANC Sports had to make sure there were no gaps in the cabinets themselves. They used automated bending machines, sheet metal cutting, and CNC routers for certain pieces, knowing they could manufacture the displays and cabinets so that the angle was consistent from cabinet to cabinet (and even within the cabinet). The company also partnered with a number of groups they’d worked with before in fabrication and installation to make sure they could ensure that tolerances were met. The narrowness of the new scoreboard (the bottoms of the screens are only about four to five feet wide) allowed ANC Sports to remove a fair amount of internal structure from it—helping to meet the fastapproaching due date. “This allowed us to keep weight off the center-hung,” says Mascatello, “meaning we didn’t have to reinforce the roof, put in a new hoist, and things like that.” Speaking of the tight schedule, ANC Sports earmarked certain milestones. The first milestone involved removing the old scoreboard first (“demolition”). The second was getting the large structure built properly to tight specifications, so the cabinets would be seamless. The next milestone was populating the center-hung structure frame with the video and the LED panels. “Once the hoist was working, we could bring it up and down as we wanted,” says Mascatello. “A lot of times, this took twenty-hour shifts.” Arena officials wanted to make this new LED display a surprise, so they didn’t announce it to the public. But other events, such as concerts, were going on at times inside the arena. On those nights, installers would shroud the structure in black fabric scrim and hoist it back to the ceiling. Then when the event was over, they’d drop the scrim, lower the display, and return to populating the panels. The video screens feature sponsor advertisements, video replays, player information, crowd prompts, etc. It also features a state-of-the-art audio/visual system (advanced audio digital processsignshop.com
ing, six-line array speaker clusters, etc.) designed and installed by Parsons Audio. The new display also incorporates one iconic piece from the previous centerhung—a liquid fuel flame shooter with movable swords that drop down from each of the four corners of the scoreboard to fire up the fans and team. “They’re real flames, so this required coordination with the fire marshal for inspections,” says Mascatello, noting that since the flames shoot out from the corners away
from the screen, there are “zero issues” with the plastics and electronics being affected. The finished scoreboard debuted on the Cavaliers’ first game last October 30, earning winning reviews. So are curved screens the future? “You really build around what each facility is trying to accomplish,” says Mascatello. “But I do think the industry and the market are seeing that just a square cube or rectangular box isn’t going to work.” In other words, game on!
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G r a p h i c s / B y A s h l e y B r ay / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /
Towering Works of Art
Scaling heights on a unique wrap project. The Minneapolis Institute of Arts (MIA) celebrates its hundredth birthday this year with a number of larger-than-life pieces of art, which aim to “bring artwork out to the public in ways that are unexpected,� according to Michelle Courtright, president of Made (www.madetocreate.com), the agency behind all of the birthday surprises for the MIA. 26
Sign Builder Illustrated // September 2015
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The Minnetonka tower (above) features Frank Stella’s Tahkt-I-Sulayman Variation II. Installation on this tower was hampered by condensation. installers got around this problem by installing on a dry day and waiting to start until after the morning dew had already formed.
photos (this spread): 3m.
M
ade specializes in everything to do with physical and tangible branding, and over the last year, it has rolled out a number of projects to celebrate the MIA (including a dragon ice sculpture, crop art, and giant replicas of works of art). But the wraps applied to three Minnesota water towers in May might be the biggest birthday surprise of all—in size and in the amount of project management it took to get the job done. The wraps feature three different works of art: The water tower in New Hope is wrapped with Katsushika Hokusai’s Under the Wave off Kanagawa; the Minnetonka water tower displays Frank Stella’s Tahkt-I-Sulayman Variation II; and Vincent van Gogh’s Olive Trees is on the Chisago City tower. The artworks were chosen by the MIA based on the quality and resolution of the files. “They were taking photographs or using existing photographs, and they wanted to find the best way to get something that could fit this weird shape—these flat-facing water towers,”
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says Courtright. “So they really were put into a box about the dimensions and what would look best.” Made and the MIA also worked with printing company Vomela (www.vomela.com) on the prepress and printing requirements to make sure the files could scale to the size needed. “We needed to make sure they gave us the right thing or something that we could work with,” explains Dave Peterson, director of Sales and Trade Development at Vomela. With the files in hand, Vomela printed the graphics with its EFI VUTEk GS5000r printer on 2-mil, non-PVC 3M™ Envision™ Print Wrap Film 480Cv3 coupled with the 3M™ Envision™ Luster Wrap Overlaminate 8549L. The graphics were output in fiftyfour-inch-wide panels, and all of the printing took several hours to complete. (Note: Under the Wave off Kanagawa on the New Hope tower was printed twice and installed as a double image because the original file was too short to fit the tower.) Vomela continued to help on the project management side, even after the printing was finished, by helping the job move September 2015 // Sign Builder Illustrated
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Vincent van Gogh’s Olive Trees was installed on the Chisago City water tower. Part of the tower was freshly painted and only needed a light alcohol cleaning. Another fifteen-foot area was oxidized and rusted, so That’s a Wrap scrubbed to try and get the graphic to stick.
along and making sure the installers knew how to use the vinyl film products. Finding an installer who could handle this unique, high-rise project proved to be one of the biggest challenges on the job. Made was turned down by many installers because the project was too high and too dangerous. Through a bit of luck and good timing, That’s A Wrap, a sign and wrap in-
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stallation company in Nashville, Tennessee, saw a post looking for installers on the Facebook group, “The Wrap Society.” That’s A Wrap reached out to Made, agreed to do the install, and was flown out to Minnesota. Jeremiah Breitigan, owner of That’s A Wrap, opened the shop in January 2013 after spending most of his life in the sign industry—starting from weed-
Sign Builder Illustrated // September 2015
ing vinyl at the age of nine. The shop handles installations of all kinds—from ADA signs and post-and-panels to luxury car wraps and even water towers! (Note: That’s A Wrap also has a location in Las Vegas, Nevada.) Despite all of Breitigan’s experience, however, the water tower installs proved difficult for something completely out of his control—the weather.
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photos (left): made; (right) That’s A wrap.
In the end, the installers had to reheat and seal the edges of the print to get the graphic to stay.
Days of pouring rain forced Breitigan and his fellow installer Brandan Bauman to wait out the weather in their hotel room—setting them back on their schedule. When the two installers did make it to the job site, the soft ground proved problematic for their service equipment. “The towers were 135 feet to 150 feet high. We had a 180-foot Genie lift, so that we weren’t fully extended and could get to those heights comfortably,” says Breitigan. “The only problem was the weight of the lift left sink holes wherever it was parked and made it unlevel, so it locked up numerous times while we were 150 feet in the air. “Service trucks came out to try and fix how fragile the sensors were on the lift.” Even without the problem of the rainsoaked ground, the terrain around the towers was difficult to set up on. “They had to get the base of it level, which is sometimes challenging because the terrain around the water towers are all different—some were on a slope, etc,” says Courtright. “They really had to find the right angle to even get the machine to work up at those levels. It was a challenging one.” Aside from the weather, other hurdles to installation included the surfaces of the water towers themselves, which had to be prepped before installation. “The Chisago water tower was freshly painted around the logos that are fortyfive feet in length, so we were able to apply after a light alcohol cleaning,” says Breitigan. “The other fifteen feet we needed to complete the full graphic was oxidized and rusted, which we tried scrubbing to get the graphic to stick but had no luck.” Ultimately, to get the graphics to stay, That’s A Wrap reheated and sealed the edges of the print. On the New Hope tower, oxidation was a problem. “[Made] had a company come out a week earlier to wash it, but they were only able to get the dirt off and not the oxidation,” says Breitigan. “Oxidation took us a lot of scrubbing and a lot of alcohol to prep it enough to hold the graphic.” The Minnetonka tower provided a third issue—condensation. Wheras the water was low enough in the other two water towers for condensation to be a non-issue, this particular tower was half full. Installers got around this problem by installing on a dry day and waiting to start until after the morning dew had alsignshop.com
ready formed. They then dried the tower with a torch. (Note: Due to the inevitable delays in installation, That’s A Wrap had to return to Nashville to handle other jobs, and another company performed this last install.) In total, all three towers took about two weeks to finish with all the delays. Made plans to take down the graphics sometime this month. Since the wraps have been up, Made and the MIA have gotten a lot of feedback,
including 800 “likes” in the first hour the project was announced on Facebook. Many people from the community have also shared their opinions on what the wraps mean to them. “Hearing people speak about it and how they felt about it was great,” says Courtright. “It just speaks to the MIA and their ability to connect with the community. “People were really excited to support it.”
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B r a n d i n g / By M i k e A nto n i a k / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /
A Footprint in Branding A print shop makes waves with a Web-based strategy.
I
n less than three years, Mark Krenn has taken San Diego’s
“Client retention has been a big thing for us, because
Coastal Creative from theory into practice as a successful
when we can retain clients, they tend to refer others to us,”
specialist in digital large format graphics.
he says. “I do everything I can to make sure working with us
“Everything we do to promote the business is on the
is never a hassle.”
Web,” says Krenn, outlining his marketing strategy. “We
Conventional wisdom holds that before you can keep
don’t do any other type of advertising; we don’t even wrap
clients you must find them. Krenn turned that notion
our own vehicles with company name and contact info.”
around, putting his emphasis on making it as easy as
Yet the business has surged—driven by Krenn’s ability to
possible for potential clients to find his company online.
attract and serve a growing roster of corporate accounts
“If someone who needs your services can’t find you on
with multiple locations, including Marriott Hotels, Crunch
Google today, it’s as if they can’t find your front door,”
Fitness, and Holland Partners Development.
he says.
30
Sign Builder Illustrated // September 2015
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photos: (above): marriott marquis, san diego; (right) meringcarson, san diego.
Graphics in several of the company’s branding projects include banner stands, window vinyl, and die-cut wall graphics.
Inside Opportunities Just a few years ago, the entrepreneurialminded Krenn was a dissatisfied project manager with a construction company when he started considering a new career path that would allow him to be his own boss. Krenn sensed an opportunity in the way architects and designers were starting to use digitally printed wall murals and floor graphics to transform building interiors. “From what I could see, demand was strong and would only continue to grow,” he says. Krenn decided he wanted to be a prosignshop.com
vider of those services and studied the sign and graphics industry in the two years prior to launch. He consulted several shop owners and managers about services, operations, and challenges and researched production methods and the latest digital printing technology. Fully aware of how competitive this business can be, he knew he had to stand apart in a crowded field. Krenn decided the Web offered the most costeffective path to break out and reach his target customers. “I did a lot of research on search engine optimization (SEO) and looked at the
Web sites of companies, trying to figure out why some placed so high in search results and others didn’t,” he recalls. “SEO is what can get you past the gatekeeper. Done right, it’s how they will find you.” Krenn partnered with consultant and SEO specialist Joe Robison and together they built the company’s Web site (www. coastalrepro.com)—fully optimized to appeal to potential business clients. They opted for a “corporate look” with a simple yet sleek design throughout the easily navigated Web site. On every page, the emphasis is on digital print services and relevant information about them.
September 2015 // Sign Builder Illustrated
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Your Direct Source for Sign Information 3 Easy Steps
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Companies in Sign Show
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3M Commercial Graphics . . . . . . . . S3
33 Small Balls, Inc. .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
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Ability Plastics, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . 28
34 Southern Stud Weld . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
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3M Commercial Graphics . . . . . . . . 13
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AdamsTech. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
35 Stouse, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
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3M Commercial Graphics . . . . . . . S11
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Akzo Nobel Coatings, Inc.. . . . . . . . . 5
36 US LED. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . S9
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American Permalight . . . . . . . . . . S12
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Allwood SignBlanks Ltd.. . . . . . . . . 17
37 USSC (United States Sign
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Duets Direct . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
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Aries Graphics International. . . . . S10
Council) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
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EasyMount, LLC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . S11
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Brooklyn Hardware. . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
38 Vista System. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
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Epson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
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COVESTRO LLC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SC2
39 VKF Renzel USA Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . 38
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Gemini, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
9
Duxbury Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
40 Wilkie Mfg., LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C3
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GoVivid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . S2
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Echod Graphics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
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Halco Lighting Technologies. . . . . S16
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Epson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C2-1
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Larson Electronics . . . . . . . . . . . . S16
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FASTENation, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
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Light Tape. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . S2
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G2G Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . S5
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Lucite International. . . . . . . . . . . . S4
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GoVivid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
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Mimaki USA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
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Hartlauer Bits. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
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Modern Artifacts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . S16
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Hendrick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
55
Monarch Metal Fabrication. . . . . . . 12
17
J. Freeman, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
56
Nekoosa Holdings, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . 13
18
Keystone Technologies. . . . . . . . SC4
57
Optec LED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . S17
19
Master Magnetics, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . 13
58
Outwater Plastics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . S1
20
Mimaki USA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
59
Ricoh. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
21
Northeast Sign Association. . . . . . . 11
60
Rowmark. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . S2
22
Orbus Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
61
RTape Corp.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
23
Orbus Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
62
SloanLED. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . S1
24
Orbus Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
63
Universal Lighting Technologies. . S17
25
Ornamental Post, Panel & Traffic. . 38
64
US LED. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . S12
26
Outwater Plastics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
65
Voltarc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . S4
27
Principal LED. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . S13
66
West Coast Custom Designs, LLC. . S4
28
SGIA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
29
Sign America. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
30
Sign Bracket Store . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
31
Signs365. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C4
32
SloanLED. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . S7
32
Sign Builder Illustrated // September 2015
signshop.com
“You have to respond in a timely manner, especially early on when you are trying to build a relationship,” he says. “For me, one of the keys to succeeding has been never telling anyone ‘no.’” In his communications and promises, Krenn also sets realistic expectations. “I make sure clients have a clear understanding of what I can provide,” he says. “If all they want is fast and cheap, that’s not us. We’re here to provide them with a quality product they will be happy
Mark Krenn, owner of Coastal Creative Reprographics. Krenn’s research taught “keywords are important but content is really key” to good search engine placement. Visitors can click on any type of sign or services offered and get a quick education on what they need to know to choose materials or order signs and graphics.
with, with a reasonable turnaround.” The project for the Marriott Marquis entailed print and installation of nearly 2,000 square feet of graphics. It included colorful wall murals, elevator wraps, and floor graphics, all printed on his Roland VersaArt™ RE-640 sixty-four-inch, eco-solvent, roll-to-roll printer (then the company’s sole piece of hardware). The client was so pleased with the new look that they showed off pictures of it in their company newsletter. Soon
CONNECT
Versatile Investment Though the Web site suggests Coastal Creative was an established, full-line supplier of large format signs and graphics, the business actually launched in Krenn’s 400-square-foot garage. For the first six months, it slowly grew, as he and Robison refined their online marketing strategy. “Our goal was to be a primary source of information on the services we provide,” says Krenn. “We posted a lot of articles and did a lot of link building.” Then came the one call that changed everything. A representative of the Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina found Coastal Creative through a search and contacted Krenn one Saturday to inquire about graphics for a rebranding campaign. Krenn assured the Marriott that whatever they needed he could provide. He had his proverbial foot in the door.
Respond and Agree How Krenn handled that call demonstrates other aspects of his approach. First, he says, whenever someone expresses interest in services, response time can determine whether or not they become a client. In this case, he was there to take the call. In other situations, he strives to address every inquiry ASAP. signshop.com
To The World Of Signs At I N T E R N A T I O N A L
December 3, 4 & 5, 2015
Atlantic City Convention Center, Atlantic City, NJ See All The Latest Technology & Products: Roland, Mutoh, HP, Epilog, Watchfire, Peachtree, Nova Polymers, Optec and more . . . Bucket & Crane Trucks, Service Vehicles, LED’s, Digital Displays, Printers, Cutters, Lasers, ADA You name it . . . It’s All Here - - Plus Don’t Miss Our Spectacular Friday Evening Event featuring a tribute to Frankie Valli and the 4 Seasons. It’s an unforgettable evening! & current sign company members get 2 FREE tickets to the concert. Plus - Plus - Live & Silent Auctions
Registration opens Aug. 15 at www.ussc.org or call 215 785-1922 for a Free Brochure
Exhibit Hall Open: Thurs., Dec. 3 from 3 to 7 pm Fri., Dec. 4 from 10 to 5 / Sat., Dec. 5 from 10 to 4
September 2015 // Sign Builder Illustrated
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photos: (this page & opposite) crunch fitness, el cajone, ca.
representatives of other Marriotts and other businesses were calling. A follow-up project required printing and installing similar graphics for the opening of Marriott’s 4,000th hotel, located in Washington D.C.
A Home of Its Own By late 2014, Coastal Creative had a good referral network in place, and its invest-
ment in SEO was drawing more site traffic and job inquiries. To help legitimize the business with some corporate accounts, Krenn decided he had to move the business out of the garage. “I needed a real brick-and-mortar location,” he says, noting that additional space would allow him to expand the scope of Coastal Creative’s operations.
With relocation to its present 2,500-square-foot facility, Robison assumed official responsibilities as marketing director, and David Netherey joined the business as account manager. To keep pace with growing demand for a range of print services, Krenn upped production capacity with the purchase of the wide format HP Latex 360 64-inch printer, the Graphtec FC8600
Straight to Your Inbox SBI Update, Sign Builder Illustrated’s monthly e-newsletter, delivers the latest hot topics and news from around the sign industry right to your email
What’s the hot topic this month? Sign up at www.signshop.com to receive the newsletter and find out!
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Sign Builder Illustrated // September 2015
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Branding for Crunch Fitness includes die-cut wall graphics (opposite page) and direct-print to PVC.
vinyl cutter, and a cold roll laminator. Together with the Roland, the equipment line-up now allows Coastal Creative to complete most jobs in house. (Note: When a project requires directto-substrate printing on rigid material, Krenn outsources that to a service partner equipped with an EFI/VUTEk flatbed.) This can-do approach is reaching his
target customers and drawing more ambitious projects. For example, Coastal Creative provided a turnkey service when advertising agency MeringCarson wanted to convey its expertise, “We Move People,” in its San Diego office. Krenn worked with a photographer to capture the images, then everything else—design, printing, contour cutting,
and installation—was handled by the Coastal Creative staff. It’s just one among hundreds of projects completed to date. Clearly, it’s been a good two years for Krenn and company. “The biggest surprise has been how quickly we grew,” he admits. But as he’s shown, with the right focus and strategy, and a little luck, overnight success is still within reach, even in this highly competitive business.
ONE SOURCE
HUNDREDS OF DISPLAYS, SIGNS & SOLUTIONS 866.427.5717 | orbuscompany.com
Banner Stands
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September 2015 // Sign Builder Illustrated
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Ve h i c l e G r a p h i c s / B y J e f f W o o t e n / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /
Most Wanted Decals New decals and stripes for more uniform police cars.
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Sign Builder Illustrated // September 2015
decals on their cars for the past twenty years. But last year, the department’s fleet supervisor contacted Shannon-Baum about this stylistic changeover and requested a concept drawing of a prototype vehicle using this design. “We produced the drawing via Illustrator and emailed them the PDFs,” says Denise. “We received approval within a few days.” The fleet manager and public relations supervisor then presented this initial drawing to the board for approval. ShannonBaum also provided drawings and color samples and met with
all Photos: shannon-baum signs & graphics.
L
ast fall, the Baltimore City Police Department made plans to add sixty-three new Chevrolet Caprices to its patrol line-up. They also took this opportunity to change the stripes and decals they had been using on their existing vehicles to match the styles that were being employed on their Foxtrot helicopters. To do this, they turned to the sign company that has long been serving their design and graphics needs for nearly sixtyfive years, Shannon Baum Signs & Graphics. “The new design for their police cars was a bit of a challenge because the layout of the new stripes was diagonal, whereas the existing stripes they had been employing were straight,” says Denise Baum, vice-president of Shannon-Baum Signs. Shannon-Baum Signs & Graphics (www.shannonbaum.com) is a family-owned, full-service sign shop in Eldersburg, Maryland that is celebrating its sixty-fifth year in business. (Note: See sidebar on opposite page.) Denise’s grandfather first started work with the police department back in 1954. “They didn’t have wraps back then,” explains Denise. “Instead they used vehicle lettering. They had to cut the reflective by hand.” Today the stripes and decals are cut by Shannon-Baum from 3M reflective material and a paper pattern via the company’s array of four Roland plotters. The Baltimore Police Department had been using the same
signshop.com
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Baltimore city officials to make sure they had all of the right components to fabricate a quality look for the decals. “The City of Baltimore allowed us to make a few modifications during the design phase and were open to suggestions and recommendations,” says Denise. “A few minor changes were made once we applied a paper mock-up to the prototype vehicle to make sure the designs correctly matched.” Eventually the purchase order was issued to supply all the materials required to mark thirty-three black cars and thirty white 2015 Chevrolet Caprice police patrol vehicles with stripes and decals. “The design is the same for both the black cars and the white cars,” says Denise. “The only difference is the unit numbers. They’re black on the white vehicles and blue with a yellow outline on the black vehicles.” Shannon-Baum released the first prototype vehicle for approval, and within two weeks, minor changes were made and a final approved layout was signed. The City of Baltimore provided the color samples for the decals and stripes. With these in hand, Shannon-Baum printed the decals and stripes via its Roland SOLJET onto 3M 680CR-10 reflective with 3M 8519 lustre overlaminate. They used 15 rolls of 48-inch-by50-yard material. Marking police vehicles is a little different than lettering personal or commercial vehicles, because graphics applied to emergency vehicles are required to be reflective. “However since the stripes and decals on the Foxtrot helicopters were painted, the colors we printed on the reflective material are slightly different,” says Denise, “but are as close as possible.” The Baltimore City Police Department picked up the first set of decals and stripes and installed them onto their new set of vehicles. (Note: Shannon-Baum only installed the prototype vehicles decals and stripes, in order to help them with the final design.) “Since the vehicles did not arrive all at once, we were able to spread out the shipment of decals to twelve sets every two weeks,” says Denise. signshop.com
Shannon-Baum: Sixty-fifth Anniversary Shannon-Baum Signs & Graphics, Inc. (www.shannonbaum.com) has been providing quality signs and graphics since 1950 and is the largest manufacturer of traffic signs in the State of Maryland and offers design, fabrication, and installation to a wide range of clients in the Maryland/ Delaware/DC/Virginia/West Virginia areas. They also offer 3M vehicle wraps and auto tinting, reflective graphics for police and fire departments, LED message centers, 3D lettering, custom signs, and event displays. Custom projects are now the norm at Shannon-Baum with the additions of CNC routers, sandblasting, welding equipment, a paint booth, screen printing, and digital printing services.
The company is a resource for finding solutions and providing guidance to help conquer customers’ daily signage challenges. For three generations, the owners and staff have been committed to the sign industry.
September 2015 // Sign Builder Illustrated
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Sign Builder Illustrated // September 2015
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A world leader in way-finding signage • Curved or Flat • Small or Large • Let us do it your way-finding!
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Brooklyn Hardware uses Panelclip® to hang their exterior signage. Panelclip® keeps the sign securely on the wall without face nailing.
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Market Place
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“
SHOP TALK
B y A s h l e y B r ay
YESCO of Las Vegas, Nevada
One Shop’s Painting Process
Y
ESCO’s Las Vegas location embodies the big and bold culture of the city it’s located in by handling large and unique jobs. These jobs require a lot of materials, and this is especially evident in the amount of paint the shop uses—twenty to twenty-five gallons of automotive-grade paint a week. YESCO boasts four spray booths on one side of the building and four more on the other to prevent an interruption in work. “You have to have a constant flow,” says Tom Day (pictured, below), supervisor of the Paint/ Fiberglass Department of YESCO in Las Vegas. “If you were just to have one spray booth, you’d spray it, wait, spray it again, etc.” YESCO has been spraying Sherwin-Williams automotive-grade paint for the last seven years because of its ease of use and longevity. The shop switched to Sherwin-Williams when the industry as a whole started demanding satin finishes over gloss. Day says satin finish is very sprayer-sensitive. “Generally I’ll have two of the same guys work together in pairs because they spray real similar,
and the product always comes out the same way,” he explains. “When you’re doing bigger projects, you need to team-spray stuff. “You have to have guys who spray similar, or it won’t come out the same.” Because of the amount of paint the shop sprays, YESCO has a mixing bay in-house. With the mixing bay, Day is able to input the color code into the system, and it will pull up the color that can be created across all Sherwin-Williams’ lines and finishes. Even OEM colors and competitor color codes can be matched. Of course, color matching isn’t always as easy as inputting a code, especially when a customer isn’t sure of the color they want. Even matching an existing color that’s been on a sign for a few years can be difficult if the color has aged and faded, as the new paint won’t match. This is where spray outs come in handy. “Generally with the sign industry, a customer will say, ‘I want this color,’ and then we’ll do a color spray out for them,” says Day. “It makes it a lot easier when you’re dealing with a customer that isn’t sure of the color they want.”
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Sign Builder Illustrated // September 2015
Camilla Sjodin/Sjodin Photography
Spraying twenty-five gallons of paint a week requires a unique set up.
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The Wilkie Model 58XRB Is designed from the start with your needs in mind. • Power level power rotate basket with easy front entry to access the work in front of you. • Jib winch which stores behind the basket when not in use. • Storable mainline winch for quick conversion from service truck to capable hydraulic crane. • All hydraulic extension for ease of maintenance and smooth extension. • Sliding face rest. • Joystick controls in basket. • Available in two load ratings standard rating # max load at 23’ or 1995# in Wilkie’s reduced rating at 23’ • Full 360 degree working rating. • Optional: 110 volt outlet in basket, Welding leads in basket, Air outlet in basket, Pressure washer in basket. • Custom truck rigging This Model mounts on a non CDL truck with carrying capacity to spare. Order your turnkey work ready Rig today, Wilkie has you covered.
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Wilkie Model 58XRB
Wilkie Mfg., L.L.C. 2640 NW 2nd street Oklahoma City, OK 73107 (405)235-0920 Phone (405)236-3324 Fax www.wilkiemfg.com
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