What is it that they say about first impressions?  “You never have a second chance to make a first impression”.  That’s why thoroughly planning your business signage is so crucial. We recently completed a project that could be the poster child in the sign industry on making a stunning first impression.  The President of the Company had a very clear vision of the visual impact he wanted this sign to make and the materials to be used.   You would expect nothing less from this multinational, highly successful company.  Brandi.d. designs apparel accessories and packaging for an impressive client list including the likes of Nike, Quicksilver, Guess, Under Armour and more.  So, of course, they are going to design a sign that is the perfect extension of their brand.  It was our job to make it happen. What they wanted actually broke some sign making standards, which meant we had to go on the hunt to problem solve this custom fabrication.  The concept of the exterior sign was to have the logo in brushed aluminum letters that would float 6” off the wall.  The idea being that when the newly planted vine grew it would fill in behind the signage making the letters look like they are suspended in air.  Visually stunning.  We didn’t have a lot of room to work with, which became part of the first challenge. In our industry the smallest stud mounted letters are typically no smaller than 4” to 5”.  These letters would be diminutive at 3” in height, but sturdy at nearly an inch in width. This meant we needed to be perfect in where we placed the drill holes that the studs would mount to on each letter.  Also we had to custom fabricate aluminum sleeves to hide the ugly steel threaded studs which connect the letter to the wall. Luckily there is an amazing store for tradesmen and women like us.  It is called Irvine Industrial Metal Supply.  It is a veritable mecca of metal offerings and, if you are into fabricating, is one of the most interesting places on earth…or at least Orange County. The next issue we had was drilling the 38 holes through the rock and into the masonry.  No one knew how thick the rock was that is affixed to the building.  We thought it was an inch or two deep, but it was actually four inches thick.  This turned into a much more burdensome installation because we had to first hammer out the rock and try to create as smooth a surface as possible before we even tried to drill, rather than being able to drill directly through the rock into the masonry. Lastly we had to replace the rock we hammered out into a pattern reminiscent of what it was before we took our tools to it.  In the end the client had a one of a kind custom made exterior sign that reflects what his brand is all about.  They were thrilled, and every time I drive by the building I turn to look and see how big the vine is.  Can’t wait to see the greenery fill in and witness the magic of our custom cut letters floating in mid air! [caption id="attachment_187" align="alignnone" width="300"] Highly custom cut letters stud mounted[/caption]