Sign Industry News

Best Practices Standards for On-Premise Signs in the Sign World

Since its initial publication in 2003, the United States Sign Council Best Practices Standards for On-Premise Signs has clearly established the benchmark for the determination of optimum exterior sign visibility, legibility, and placement. It is, in fact, the only comprehensive set of sign industry visibility guideline standards accepted for publication and distribution by the American Planning Association in its signature sign code offering, "Street Graphics and the Law," originally published by APA in August of 2004.

In that influential planning publication, it is the USSC Best Practices Standards for On-Premise Signs, that are used to set the parameters for proper sign size, height, and placement, and which now set the criteria for planners engaged in sign code development throughout the country.

Awnings Provide Continued Growth and More Opportunities for Sign Makers

Today, although awnings still provide protection from the elements, they are used to carry a message. Typically they’ll advertise the building name and/or communicate a name brand to let visitors know what is inside the building.

The business of awnings Often viewed as a minor segment of the sign industry, the awning segment provides opportunities for the sign professional to meet a customer’s needs on many levels. Awning design and installation of yesteryear is now in need of repair and the business of retrofitting and refurbishing is looking very bright.

Know Your Tools: Finishing with Efficiency

From year to year, many companies change the products they make, or begin producing new product lines in niche areas that require new and different finishing methods. In some shops, the steps taken to finish products are done with inappropriate tools. Furthermore, many shops keep their laminators, cutters and other finishing tools too long and put off new purchases or upgrades, which negatively affects productivity and quality.

This article examines tools used in the finishing marketplace and will address opportunities for better and more efficient production for the future.

That makes architectural signage one of the more challenging assignments in the industry because success depends not only on precision craftsmanship but also on cutting edge design and carefully selected materials that will best represent the finished product.

Understanding the different needs for indoor versus outdoor signage, such as durability, lighting, regulations and installation can help your company overcome the myriad of architectural signage obstacles. Equally important, however, is communicating with your customers. The key issues with customers are timing and cost. Discussing realistic expectations every step along the way using specs, photos and illustrations saves time and money in the end.

Benefits of Advertising in a Down Economy

Businesses that continue to advertise regardless of economic times have a competitive advantage over businesses that trim their ad budgets.

So says a business-to-business (b-to-b) media study conducted by Yankelovich Partners and Harris Interactive. The study showed more than 85 percent of business executives believe advertising during a down economy is extremely important.

Let There Be Neon: Embracing the 21st Century with Its Light

One of the biggest advocates of modern neon was Rudi Stern (1937 - 2006) who popularized neon as an art form and a serious illumination source for signage.

Owner Jeff Freidman noted, "it's 36 years later from our shop's opening, and we're still doing neon the same way as when we began."
Photo by Gary Rosenbaum

He dreamed of esthetically setting the world ablaze with glowing light. "I have plans for neon pavements, neon highways, neon tunnels; neon on bridges, under water, outlining trees in parks," Rudi told Omni magazine in 1981.

The Many Colors of White LED

As white light LEDs make their way into homes and businesses, so is their shining presence progressively showing up in signage as an illuminated source for channel letters, edge lighting and in a few cases, small displays. As white LEDs increase in brightness, power and cost efficiency, they continue to fill these sign lighting niches with an increasing demand from sign designers and fabricators.

LEDs: 'Channeling' More Opportunities to Sign Makers

Many debates have circled around the choices of neon or LED lit channel letters and the battle continues even today. But, the fact that there is another choice for a lighting source for backlit channel letters, opens a whole new world of possibilities for the sign professional.