To DIE For...

Or To Rotary Die Cut For..

Today I will throw a little sign lingo at you. I would like to present the idea of Die Cutting. In the sign world, that means cutting a very precise shape for various sign types. We typically see the square, oval, rectangle and round shapes for signs most of the time. But thinking outside the box and incorporating a new creative sign shape can take your sign to the next level.

For Example..

We have a client that requires a wayfinding sign to direct customers to their restaurant. We could easily make a very simple square sign pointing the way. But instead, we have proposed a sign with a Pittsburgh city-scape (across the top of the sign) die-cut into the design of the sign. What could be a ho-hum sign now has added eye-catching visual interest.

A Small Replica Of The Pittsburgh Duquesne Incline

Depending upon the sign type and it's intended use, we can use a die-cut shape for a large variety of signs. We have created die-cut magnetic signs for ourselves, as well as other customers.

Die Cut Magnetic Car Sign

Go Bold Or Go Home

Yes your signs should call attention to themselves. In a world where we are on visual overload wherever we look, it is important for your signs to stand out in the crowd. Die-cutting shapes can be that differentiator that you are looking for. Why settle for ordinary when you can have die-cut cool?!

Call Vital Signs TODAY!!

The Vital Signs Team is here waiting for your call. We are happy to brainstorm a design that will be sure to get your sign noticed!

(412) 494-3308

www.vitalsignspgh.com

When Bad Things Happen To Good Signs

It Happens..

Tagged With Graffiti

Whether it is a deliberate act of vandalism or an unexpected weather event, signs get damaged. There is nothing more frustrating than discovering that your business sign has been damaged beyond recognition. More than the frustration of receiving sign damage, is the expense of replacing the damaged sign with a new one. Frequently, we see business owners who did not even give much thought to establishing their first business sign, much less a replacement sign. Purchasing signs, whether at the beginning of a business or after a sign mishap, can be a pricey proposition.

A Victim of  Spray Paint

The Good News

The good news is that most businesses will have insurance coverage of their sign(s) either through a Business Owners Policy, or from a policy which covers the building or business personal property/building contents. This coverage is typically between $5000.00 ~ $10,000, but can be increased as needed. 

Prevention Of Damage

Depending upon the type of sign that we are fabricating, there are some preventative measures that will help to avoid having to replace a sign if the sign has been vandalized.  For instance, one of our customers is a very large school district.  As we all know, the combination of kids, free time and spray paint can yield an undesired outcome of "tagged" signage. For those environments, we frequently apply an anti-graffiti coating to most of the signs we install.

Laminate Can Be Sprayed On or Applied As A Vinyl Laminate

For certain types of signage we can apply an Anti-Graffitti laminate over the top of the sign-face. It looks no different than a sign that does not have a laminate finish. An anti-graffiti laminate allows the sign owner to simply wipe off the spray paint that was sprayed on top of the sign. There is an extra charge to apply this specialty laminate over the sign-face, but the added expense is far less than having to bear the cost of a full sign replacement. In certain locations that may be prone to a large amount of vandalism, it may be prudent to add an anti-graffiti laminate where possible.

Wiping Off Spray Paint On A Sign With Anti-Graffiti Coating

Additionally, we can use tamper-proof hardware and sign covers when necessary. There is no full-proof way to ensure that a sign(s) will not be tagged or taken. Having insurance is the best way to ensure that you are able to replace a sign(s) if needed.

We Can Help!

Not sure if you need an anti-graffiti coating for your signs? We are happy to evaluate your sign location(s) and discuss available options for designing your sign(s). 

WE'RE WAITING FOR YOUR CALL!

(412) 494-3308

www.vitalsignspgh.com

Time To Get In Shape!

With A New Sign..That Is

I don't know about you but I always love a good Before & After Story. I can hardly resist looking at a before and after comparison, no matter what the subject of that make-over is. Signs are no different. It is especially fun for us as sign fabricators, to make a new sign for a customer and then see the dramatic difference it makes.

We recently had an opportunity to make a new sign for a customer. Now please understand, we would never wish to hurt a customer's feelings by insulting their existing sign. But...it's a different story when the customer recognizes the need for a new sign and comes to us for help. We enjoy seeing the transformation, especially when that sign translates into increased business for the customer.

St. Clair Fitness Center, a well-established fitness center in Upper St.Clair, PA. came to us with a great, new sign design in-hand. The existing sign that the new owner inherited, while very colorful, was busy with a great deal of text/images and was an older light box that had seen better days. 

The fitness center is located in a beige brick building. Beige seems like the perfect backdrop for most any color sign, but will obviously work better for some designs, and not as well for others. 

One of the sign design concepts that can be a challenge for some businesses to grasp is incorporating the flavor of the business into the sign design. That is, clearly you want the sign to "fit" the type of business on which the sign is being placed.

BEFORE

St. Clair Fitness brought Vital Signs a sign design from their designer, Kenneth Logsdon. The design of the new sign is a great mix of modern edgy and simplicity. The red, black and silver colors are the perfect mix with the dimensional raised letters of the sign. Also, the corners of the sign feature what appear to be raised metal bolts, a nice industrial-look which complements the entire design. Though the number of services offered on both signs is similar, the new sign is clearly much easier to read without the added icons and cramped space of the "before" sign. Simplicity is important on signs, particularly when your viewers are driving by and only have a brief number of seconds to view your sign.

AFTER

The Intangible

Impressions impressions..yes, your sign gives an impression to viewers. An important aspect to branding your business, is how you introduce your business to the world, both online and at your brick and mortar location. There is an "unconscious" process that happens by people who view your business. As they drive by, if they see an old, worn sign, there is an instantaneous impression that is left with the viewer. The same can be said if the viewer sees a brand, new modern sign. For example, if you had two of the same type businesses side by side, and one business has a new, modern updated sign but the other has a worn sign in disrepair, which business would you be drawn to? Yes, the design and condition of your sign branding is extremely important.

The New Sign

AT NIGHT

In addition to the new sleek design of the St. Clair Fitness Sign, the business owner added some indirect goose-neck lighting. The sign and additional lighting has truly transformed the look of the business. The sign sends the inviting message that the fitness center offers current and popular fitness options inside.

Our thanks to St. Clair Fitness Center for choosing Vital Signs to help play a part in updating your signage! You can check out all of the many fitness offerings at St. Clair Fitness Center below:

St. Clair Fitness Center

1341 McLaughlin Run Road
Upper St. Clair, PA. 15241
(412) 257-8788
www.stclairfitness.com

Does your sign need a beauty make-over? Please call VITAL SIGNS today. The Vital Signs team is waiting for your call!

(412) 494-3308

www.VitalSignsPgh.com

Here's My Business Card, Can You Use That Picture?

The Answer Is NO!

What am I talking about? I would like to address art files and what types of files Vital Signs uses to produce signage. We can tell you that we consistently have customers who come to us for a sign(s) and want us to create the sign by using a tiny picture that has been printed on their business card. 

We get it..you are not in the business of creating art or signage as it were, so you have no clue you about the kind of art file we need to use for the process. That's okay..hopefully these guidelines will help.

First Things First

The kind of art files that we need to produce your sign(s) or graphics applications will not come from any printed item that you bring to us (Business Card, Brochure, Poster). Why? Because we need a digital file type that we are able to manipulate (increase in size, crop, etc.), when designing your sign or custom graphics application. 

The other issue we see is: Customer: Here's my design, I sketched it (or my good artist friend drew it) for my new business and this will be my new logo. As cool and creative as that is, it still creates a problem for our designers, because it is not in the correct image format. Sometimes we are able to scan a drawn image or sketch to re-create it into the type of vector image we need, but it is very dependent upon the image we receive and not all images can be made into usable file format. Not only that, it can be very time consuming and expensive to try to re-create a design. Without delving too deeply into the intricacies of art design, I will try to explain this simply.

Basically, there are two main types of image files, rastor and vector. Rastor images are more common in general, such as: jpg, gif, png and are used widely on the web. Vector graphics are common for images that will be applied to a physical product. A raster image has a specific number of pixels. When you enlarge the image file without changing the number of pixels, the image will look blurry. This happens because the math formulas stay the same rendering the same visual graphic no matter the size.

Vector Images are mathematical calculations from one point to another that form lines and shapes. If you zoom into a vector graphic it will always look the same.Vector graphics can be scaled to any size without losing quality. Vector files are the types of files we need to work with. Vital Signs accepts the following art file types: EPS, PNG, PDF and  high resolution JPEG files.

The chart I found online does a nice job of explaining art files.

When In Doubt..

Just call us. The Vital Signs Design Team is ready for your call. Whether you need some design help or just need to know what type of art files we need from you, we are happy to help! We want to make sure that your sign is pixel perfect!

Call Vital Signs For All Of Your Signage Needs!

(412) 494-3308 

www.vitalsignspgh.com

New Year, New Resolutions

Business Resolutions That Is

Well here we are, already in 2017. I think I have given up on making personal resolutions each year. Most years I have satisfied myself by almost achieving some of my personal goals. But business goals are a different story. If you are operating a successful business, you know that you should have a marketing plan complete with goals and benchmarks to measure them. 

Among your arsenal of business branding tools, you should always include your business sign(s). For some that idea is a no-brainer, but you would be surprised at the businesses that we interact with, who only thought about their sign(s) as an after-thought, or minimize it's importance.

So rather than focus on our personal New Year's Resolutions, I would like to address 10 resolutions in 2017 for your business signage:

2017 Business Signage Resolutions

1. Get In Shape: It's time to take stock of all of your business signage. What shape are your signs in? Are they in dis-repair? Are parts of your lit sign burnt out or not working? Are your sign(s) representing your business at it's best vantage point?

2. Make Necessary Repairs: Fix those broken signs. Nothing looks worse (and sometimes even embarrassing) as viewing a business sign with channel letters which are burnt out or not working leaving viewers with an unintended business name. Or a sign that has seen better days and is weathered in poor condition. Remember this is the impression your business is making on your potential customers.

One burnt out letter can change the name in a negatively memorable way

3. Be More Creative: Really evaluate your sign(s) with a critical eye. Is it attractive? Does your sign look dated for 2017? Does it need a facelift? Does the sign design reflect your business in the way that you want your customers to see you? Perhaps it;s time to evaluate your entire branding image from a total marketing standpoint.

A mixture of one new sign with several dated signs 

4. Form Partnerships: Is your sign holding up it's end of the marketing partnership with you to reach the maximum number of viewers and potential customers? Is it installed in the most advantageous area of your business location?

Not the best location of vantage point for a restaurant sign

5. Improve Overall Appearance: Would a different type of sign work better for you? Perhaps adding a digital message component would increase the number of people who view your sign. Or maybe you are ready for a whole new updated and creative look with a different sign material.

A very attractive Post and Panel Sign, fresh and updated

6. Provide Value: Higher levels of visibility and signs which are creatively memorable and in good repair are valuable to the bottom-line of a business. How many viewers will notice your sign(s) because it is attractive and memorable? Can you see room for improvement with the signage you currently display?

7. Stay In Touch: Aging, broken and boring signs do not invite customers to a business, it's that simple. A bright, colorful and fun sign is memorable and acts as an invitation to potential customers. A quality sign will not only help people find you, it may be the one exterior selling factor that draws the customer to your place of business.

A well-designed, memorable and fun sign that whimsically invites patrons to come in

8. Reinvent Your Sign: It is easy to stick with status quo as far as your signage goes. You are an entrepreneur, with a million things to do..you took care of the sign a long time ago...done. Unfortunately, this is where a lot of business people live. Reinventing your business brand and signs cost money and takes time. The return on investment of updating your tired signage however, can be far greater than the time and expense extended to upgrade it. 

9. Become More Active: What type of signage do you display? Would an LED Message Center included in your sign design reach a far larger group of viewers than your current sign? Perhaps you have a sign that is only visible during the day.. Displaying a lit sign allows your signage to work for you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Have you captured every opportunity to brand your business (inside and out) with multiple signs or branding messages?

Adding an interactive LED message center is a great way to communicate with the surrounding community and neighborhood traffic

10. Invite More Business: Is your business signage extending a friendly invitation to potential customers. Think about it...an aging, faded sign sends a negative message (come see us or not, we don;t care enough to even fix our sign). Whereas, an updated colorful sign, sends a warm, fun vibe and invitation. 

Don't Procrastinate...It's Time

It's just like losing weight..we don't want to suffer through the effort, but are glad when we get to the destination. If you've take the time to create financial goals to increase your income, then you have included a marketing path to help get you there. Signs should always be a part of that plan. Vital Signs is happy to help you evaluate your signage. Our design team is always available to help brainstorm ideas to give your business maximum branding capacity.

Resolve To Call Vital Signs Today..We'll Help You Achieve Your 2017 Signage Goals!  (412) 494-3308