Signage Education | Cubicle Signs and Modular Frame Vista Signs

I’m excited about our new cubicle sign. This is a sign that fits into the grooves on the edge of cubicles and utilizes a modular curved Vista sign frame. These can go into the cubicle frame either left of right sided. The faces have a clear lens over the surface that can be removed with a suction cup. The name behind the lens can by replaced when an individual moves and a new name is required. The paper inserts with names on them can be printed on a business owned color laser printer (or black and white if preferred) or we can print on photo quality paper with logos, names, office numbers, etc.

For higher end businesses, the lenses can be made with raised lettering and office numbers and the designer graphics can go behind the lens for a nice look. Braille can also be added to the lenses as needed. If you have ever worked in the corporate world with name plates held on by Velcro you know how well that doesn’t work. This is a more solid solutions and we have been able to develop a method to manufacture them at a good cost point, which is even more important.

What’s also nice about these signs is they fit within the Vista signage family, so all signage within the building can be uniform. As you can see in the picture below, there are coordinating receptionist desk top signs, wall mounted (vertically) signs, and directory signs. The curved frames can also be mounted without the toothed cubicle brackets and mounted directly to a wall as well for hard wall offices. The sizes of the signs are available in a large assortment, so they can fit nearly every budget and desired outcome. It’s really a pretty neat system and very popular.

What’s not shown is another option for a cubicle sign that can hang over the top wall of the cubicle. That gives some additional flexibility if you want the signs even higher up.

As you consider design options for offices these are a great option. Of course we can also work with very low cost options as well. Think of the thin metal frames used in a lot of schools with sliding name plates. A lot of other options are available, so contact SignCraft Solutions and we can work with you to meet your signage needs.

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Signage Education | Informational Signs and Stickers

My wife and I recently traveled to our son’s wedding and we were noticing how many signs were in the airplane. In the restroom alone my wife counted 9 different signs. Many times we don’t even take notice of how many there are around us. We become so used to them being there and providing information that we don’t think about them.

When your business, church, school, neighborhood or other location needs them and you find yourself helping to get the signs completed who do you go to? We hope it will be SignCraft Solutions. I find it interesting myself at how many different type of signs we do in a single month or even a week. Many are simple stickers that can be printed by the thousands. Others are done on aluminum or acrylic or other various forms of material. The key thing is they help communicate a message, a warning or get a message across that can be educational or important. Many times we overlook them until they are important to us. When they are, they had better be there and provide the information we need as clearly as possible, especially if it’s an emergency.

This is where a good sign company, like SignCraft Solutions, can help make recommendations or provide ideas to help you create a good sign. We pay attention to signs and work with them on a daily basis so that we can meet the needs of your intended audience. We will help determine what materials may work best, what size they may need to be, what wording can be helpful to communicate best and provide alternatives so you can make a decision that stays within your budget.

Signs are all around us, not only to help get businesses recognized, but to provide information. We can do that via small stickers or large format prints or on a number of other materials, some may even be electrically lit with neon or LEDs.

Next time you’re in an airplane or an office building, a hospital or even just driving down the street, pay attention to how many signs you see. A sign company, like SignCraft Solutions, most likely designed and built those signs. We can do them for you as well with high quality standards and great customer service. We are your solution for quality signs.

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Signage Education | Storm Damage Sign Repair

Several tornados recently touched down in the Raleigh area and caused a wide path of destruction. Our hearts and thoughts go out to those who were affected by the storms. Clean up efforts continue to go on and many are helping to remove trees and materials and recover what can be recovered. Fortunately, SignCraft Solutions and the owners and employees didn’t feel the direct impact of the storm and we avoided damage. We are aware of those friends and suppliers that did feel some of the effects. As the clean up efforts come to an end and the rebuilding starts we will be here to help repair or replace any signage that needs it.

SignCraft Solutions can repair or replace your commercial signs whether they are electrical or not. Examples of a few types of signs we can work with are channel letters, aluminum faces, aluminum cabinet signs, monument signs, individually mounted letters, acrylic faced signs and any others.

A commercial insurance agent told me this week that most policies they write will cover up to $10,000 in damage for the business signage, so chances are good that the repair will be covered by insurance. If not, let us know what we can do to work with you to help ease the frustrations of trying to rebuild.

The last thing we want to do is chase the storm damage, but we know the rebuilding process must go forward and we want you to know that SignCraft Solutions will be here to help as needed. We wish you the best in your rebuilding process. We would love to work with you and bring you back up to as good, if not better than before.

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Signage Education | Identify Your Business with Monument Signs

Sometimes when I mention monument signs to customers they think I’m referring the headstone at a cemetery. That really isn’t what a business wants to portray, so please don’t confuse the two. A monument sign is actually a sign that is located at the front of the property where it will get good visibility and help direct customers or clients to the business. There are many type of monument signs and they can vary in style and cost quite a bit. Here is a rather simple and cost effective solutions for a monument sign.

This sign is made of aluminum and has an acrylic face with a digital print in vinyl on the face. This one is not lighted, but it could be made to be so.

Here is another very popular type of monument sign.

This one is actually made of a foam that is covered with a hard rubber coating over the surface. The faces are aluminum with digital print mounted on them. There will be up-lighting used to help light up this sign. These type of signs are probably more common than you think. They can be shaped to look like stone or brick and have many uses. They hold up well and are very durable.

Speaking of durable. How about stone signs? There are many types and styles of stone or brick signs. Here is one we did for an apartment complex.

The stone work actually has a 40-yr warranty. There is a hidden aluminum frame holding the sign panels on. The panels are made of a material called Extira that is v-carved. Extira is a recylced material that is excellent at resisting swelling, wood rot and termites. It holds up very well in exterior uses and is cheaper than HDU (sign foam) that’s used in a lot of sign applications.

Here’s another stone sign we did for a granite and marble company. They wanted to show a strong look to represent their business and I think this sign delivers just that.
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The panels for this sign are granite slabs with cut acrylic letters and logo. The columns are concrete block faced with marble tiles and capped with a slab cap. It’s a stunning sign and I can verify that this sign will withstand just about anything. The foundation below ground is 4′ x 13′ x 1′ and has over 180 ft of rebar in it. There is a steel beam supporting the granite slabs.

All of these signs are designed for hurricane winds and meet the criteria for their respective cities. They identify the business and have a style that represents the business. Signs can be simple or complex, but they don’t all have to be the same. We can customize the sign to meet your needs.

So, if you are starting a new business, moving to a new location or just need to identify yourself better give SignCraft Solutions a call and we can help design and produce a monument sign for you. With SignCraft Solutions you’ll get excellent quality, customer service and value. We would love to work with you.

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Signage Education | What to Look For In Channel Letters

Until I went into the sign industry I had no idea what a channel letter was, so if you’re not aware let me briefly explain. A channel letter is a lighted sign with letters almost always made of aluminum. The walls of the letter are generally about 4-5 inches deep and form a channel for the lights to be mounted in. Front lit channel letters will have an aluminum back and the front face will generally have an acrylic piece mounted to it. That’s the portion that’s illuminated. Back lit channel letters have a solid aluminum face with a clear acrylic or Lexan backing. The letters are individually mounted to the wall with long studs and standoffs that hold it off the wall so you get light dispersion. It provides a nice halo effect. These are both good options and either can look very nice if done right. Here are examples of both types of signs. The first two pictures are back lit channel letters showing the day and night displays. The third one is a front lit example.

Channel letters can either be individually mounted to the wall or mounted on a raceway, which is an aluminum box behind the letters. If the letters are individually mounted to the wall we will also need to be able to run the wiring from the letters behind the wall and connect them together. At times there can be structural reasons in the building where this may not be possible. The sign below is an example of that where we mounted the back lit letters to an aluminum pan, then mounted that to the wall. This building had a steel I-beam running the entire length of the area where the sign was to be mounted and we couldn’t run wiring behind the brick. Unique problems require unique solutions and we can do that for you.

Here are some other things to think about when considering channel letters. Channel letters are an investment into your business. You want them to stand out and give you visibility and you want them to last. Who you choose as your sign company does make a difference. Channel letters can now be built by automated tooling machines or they can be done by hand. Look at the differences between what you are getting for your money. The machine built way may be a little faster, but the thickness of the aluminum is generally thinner and the letter sides are most likely crimped to the back plate of the letter. Hand made letters are going to probably take a little longer to make, but they will generally be made of thicker aluminum and the joints will be welded together, not crimped. With the handmade letters you can get a better product that will hold up a longer time.

Channel letters can also be lit by either neon tubing or LED lights. Both are used today, however, I think the trend is shifting toward LED more. The LED lights are lighter, draw much less energy (meaning cheaper electric bills), last a lot longer between service calls and are easier to build and install. Neon can also be dimmer in the winter with colder weather. I had one person that told me their neon signs were even more pink in the winter time instead of white. The original LED signs were more expensive up front, but they are now the same price. In fact, many cities now require LED for new lights and you may see neon becoming less common.

If you are looking for channel letters we can work with you and ensure you get the solution you are happy with. At SignCraft Solutions we want to take care of our customers and give you the service you deserve and what we would expect if we were in your place. Give us a call. We would love to work with you.

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Signage Education | Cubicle Signs and Other Office Signs

Office signage can come in a lot of different styles. Today, a lot of mid-sized and larger companies house their employees in cubicles. We have cubicle signs that fit into the grooves of the cubicle walls or hang over the top of the cubicle wall. There are several different styles and price points. They can look very sharp or they can be very simple. Some are engraved and slide into a metal track, like the school room signs and they attach to the cubicle with Velcro. Those can be the most economical, but not necessarily the best looking.

Today, we can jazz the cubicle signs up a little. As mentioned previously, metal plates can either fit into the wall grooves of the cubicles or hang over the top. The face plates of the signs can vary from something flat to curved surfaces with pop out lenses. The lenses can have raised letters applied for the name of the individual in the office or the position. Behind the lens we can print a nice digitally produced print with the company logo, a nice design or just the person’s name and information. When someone moves out of the cubicle a new print can be produced at minimal cost. You can even print the paper yourself if the quality of the print isn’t that important to you. Matching signs can also be mounted to walls or placed on admin desks for a uniform look.

There are other types of interior office signs. We can do signs with encapsulated lettering and painted from the back to match office styles, logos and colors. We can add ADA signage to the front of the signs. We can do acrylic faces with different types of standoffs and frosted vinyl on the back. The styles and types really are only limited by your imagination and creativity.

As you think of office signage please contact us. We would love to work with you to meet your needs whether simple or complex. Give us a call or shoot us an email and we will help give you the look that matches your company style and shows your employees that they mean something to you and your customers and vendors that you are a classy business.

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Signage Education | Interior Office Signs

There are a lot of options for interior office signage. Below is a picture and a layout of a Vista style sign. The sign has a curve to it with a thin acrylic surface that can be removed with a suction cup. Under the acrylic you can place a printed image with names, logos, text or whatever you want. The acrylic can have Braille and raised text for the office numbers. The example in the picture in the bottom right has just a printed sheet behind it. The office number, person’s name and title are in raised text on the clear acrylic sheet. The raised lettering and Braille on the acrylic does add cost to the sign, but it is also ADA compliant, so depending on the look you want and the budget you have available to spend you can choose your solution with the same frame. The frames aren’t that expensive and the print behind the acrylic can be done on your own printer or we can do a nice digital print on a higher quality paper. It gives you a lot of options.

These type of signs come in many styles as well. They can be curved horizontally instead of vertically, or they can be flat. These signs can also come with standing poles so they can be used in a lobby as a directional sign. There are a lot of styles, sizes and options. They can sit on a receptionist desk or hang on cubicle walls. These are just one style of interior office signs. There are many more and I can discuss those in future blogs. If you are interested in or in need of office signs or any other type of signs, give us a call. At SignCraft Solutions we are your full service sign company or as our tag line says, we are “Your Solution for Quality Signs”.

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Promotional Item Gifts – It’s Not Too Late For Chirstmas

Did you know that the cost per impression of promotional items is around $0.005 and has stayed the same from 2008 to 2010. It remains one of the lowest costs per impression for advertising that you can buy. There have been studies performed by ASI, a leading supplier of promotional items in relation to the most effective use of promotional items. Bags have the highest number of impressions in a month, over 1000. Caps, writing instruments, shirts and calendars are next. It may seem obvious, but women use the bags more frequently and men use shirts, caps and jackets.

Writing instruments are the most commonly used item in the US, followed by shirts, calendars and bags. The most kept items for their usefulness are calendars, writing instruments, health and safety products, and bags. Desk and office accessories also score high in several of these categories. Keeping the items in the hands of your customers is important, so these are key statistics.

The study shows that 27% in the US are more likely to do business with an advertiser after receiving a promotional item. The items that tend to foster better favor with the customers for repeat business are shirts, calendars, bags and writing instruments.

As far as promotional items owned by gender, 56% of women own writing instruments, followed by calendars and bags. For the men 42% own shirts followed by caps.

There are many facts about what people like and don’t like, but the key thing is getting your name out there and using promotional items to help identify your business. You can check out our promotional items on our website at www.SignCraftSolutions.com and look under Products and Services.

I have to mention one other thing when we talk about cost per impression. Vehicle wraps actually have the greatest impact per impression and one of the lowest costs than any other advertising you can do. If you want to get visibility for your business wrap your vehicle. If you want to get your name out to a targeted set of customer use promotional items. It’s not too late to get promotional items as gifts for employees or customers for Christmas. There are many nice items that make great gift ideas. Check out these ideas and give us a call.

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Signage Education – Sign Repair and Service

I know you have seen signs with part of the sign lit up and the rest unlit. Sometimes from a distance you have no idea what the sign is supposed to be. On occasion some unlit letters may provide an embarrassing result. Something no business wants or needs.

At SignCraft Solutions we can help maintain and repair those signs for you. Our trained staff can determine if the ballast is bad or a power supply needs to be replaced or if something else is wrong. We can then repair it for you and get it lit back the way it should be. With the use of LED signs, many of those problems have gone away or been reduced greatly. LED signs have a much longer time between repairs. This has some to do with the fact that LED lights have a life of about 100,000 illuminations, they are low voltage, so the power supplies are under less load, and therefore, stress, so they last longer. If an LED light goes out you will not lose the whole letter or string of letters, just the one LED. If you see a portion of a sign unlit the chances are it’s a neon sign.

We are a full service sign business offering a full list of signs services we can do for you. I’ve said this before, but really you are only limited by your imagination when it comes to signs. Here are some of the signage types we offer:

ADA Signage
Architectural Signage
Awnings
Banners
Business Cards
Channel Letters & Cabinet Signs
Construction & Site Signs
Large Format Digital Printing & Laminating
Engraved Signs
LED & Neon Signs
Magnetic Signs
Monument Signs
Point-Of-Purchase Signage
Promotional Items
Trade Show Displays & Exhibits
Traffic & Property Signs
Vehicle Graphics and Wraps
Yard and Real Estate Signs

So, if you need a sign repaired and lighting properly again, want to schedule on-going maintenance or if you have other signage needs please contact us and we would be glad to help you.

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Advertising Signage For the Holidays

It’s that time of year and many businesses are advertising for the holiday / end of the year push to bring in business and finish the year strong. Newspaper ads are full of gift ideas, but good signage can help bring in significant business as well. It may be in the malls and shopping centers or wherever your business is located. It can be vehicle wraps for the Christmas parades as well. It may be neighborhood signs for holiday parties or even signs for neighborhoods with Christmas light displays.

What do all of these have in common? They need a good sign company. That’s where SignCraft Solutions can help you. We can do all kinds of signs for your needs. We have requests to wrap vehicles this time of year for holiday parades. How about wrapping your vehicle as a “wrapped” gift this year? Whether your signage needs to last for a few weeks or a permanent sign we can do it for you. You’ll be hard pressed to find a sign business that can offer you better customer service. We will not only treat you like you deserve, but we will work with you and offer solutions to give you the right material for you situation. As a full service sign business we can meet all of your signage needs.

So, as you prepare for the end of the year and the holidays, contact SignCraft Solutions to help you bring in the business you want by displaying your business in a great light.

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