It's A Wrap!

A Residential Wall Wrap..

If you've ever had an old house, you probably have one. An ugly, concrete block wall that is. Like many old structures, either commercial or residential, many of us inherit what some might describe as an architectural faux-pas. Surely there is/was a more attractive structural solution than sharp, grey or white porous-looking block. So what's one to do with this kind of eyesore? 

Clearly, the economical, quick-fix solutions are limited. Or are they? The easiest answer is paint. Anyone can slap a quick coat or two of paint over block. But the change is minimal and may prove to draw more attention to the texture and porous nature of the block. If that is the desired look you are going for, you have an easy solution. But what if you want to make a big change without a substantial financial investment?

BEFORE

Think Creative Wall WRAP!

So what is a "wall wrap" you ask? Basically, it is exactly what it sounds like it is. It is the covering of a large surface area with a printed material (as opposed to paint). In the sign business, we have a variety of media types to choose from in producing a wall wrap. For instance, we have various vinyl media types. Some of them are vinyls which are made with a low-tack sticky backing. This allows the media to be smoothed out over the wall space & then easily removed at some future date, leaving no media or adhesive residue behind. 

Also, we can create custom, one-of-a-kind wallpaper. The wallpaper media that we use is manufactured like other wallpaper. That is, the design on the paper is custom designed by our design team, and printed and laminated by us, but then installed (by you or a professional wallpaper installer) using wallpaper glue applied to the wallpaper and then installed onto the wall surface, like other wallpaper applications.

Also, Vital Signs offers a unique thin fabric media which can be printed on & easily applied to various surfaces. With it's (anyone can do it) peel & stick application, our fabric media is rapidly gaining in popularity. This media is particularly suited for apartment walls or other walls where nail holes are not allowed/desired.

So Show Us An Example...

Our most recent wall wrap was applied in our own personal living space. Surrounded by white concrete block walls in a downstairs laundry room, we decided to wrap some portions of the existing block. Specifically, we chose to cover a large portion of the block wall which surrounds the stairs. I specifically chose a stacked stone image for the wall design. Understanding that the existing blocks had various irregularities in their surface, we chose a design that would enhance those irregularities. Both the existing block and the chosen image, offered dimension to the image that  gives the illusion of being "real" stacked stone.

AFTER

 The Result

Well obviously, a real stacked stone application would look best. But for the significant dollars saved by utilizing a printed wall wrap instead, we think it's a winning solution! Let's face it, doing laundry is never fun or motivating. And doing laundry in a space surrounded with boring concrete block and no design aesthetic..well sadly, that speaks for itself and for my lack of enthusiasm in even entering the space as little as possible.

I now enjoy the space and do not feel dread in having to spend time in what was formerly known as "the dungeon". 

Vital Signs can fix your boring space too! Call Us today to set up your FREE design consultation with our creative design team.

(412) 494-3308

Are Your Signs Just A Pane In The Glass?

What's In A Name?

Ask any "sign person" what makes a successful business name from a sign standpoint, and you are likely to hear a variety of things. Of course we sign folk think about several important sign name points, such as:

1. How long is the name?
2. How many channel letters will the name require?
3. Will a landlord allow the type of sign you want?
4. Is it a business name that will be easy to remember, and more importantly, work easily in a sign design and on other marketing collateral?
5. Is it a name that is clear and will not cause confusion about the type of business it represents?
6. Does the name fit with the corporate image?
7. Are there specific colors that need to be used with the sign design?
8. Will the sign name and logo design lend itself to an effective sign layout?
9. Will the sign fit in the space that is available for the building in which the business resides?
10. Has an adequate budget been developed for the specifically designed sign? 

INDIANA BONES TEMPLE OF GROOM

Smile-Producing?

Aside from considering all of the above mentioned business name points, is consideration of the creative and smile-producing part of a business name.

Some business owners choose names that elicit a smile. Many of these humorous business names have the deliberate consequence of being not only funny, but memorable. I for one, love to see a fun sign that makes me smile or laugh out loud. I have certainly seen enough signs that make me cringe or cock my head to one side trying to figure out the significance of the name and message. 

Professional Sign Friends of ours recently sent us a series of funny sign pictures. Of course we have seen many of these types of signs through the years, but these were especially funny, so I will share them with you. I must send the business owners a "kudos" for their humorous visions. 

JURASSIC PORK

Successful Sign Ingredients..

DEJA BREW

A humorous business name has to strike a unique balance of being able to touch a humorous note with the viewer, without being too "cutesy" or cheesy. I remember a few years back, I was driving home during afternoon rush hour traffic when our 'wrapped' Vital Sign's van broke down right in the middle of the right lane I was driving in. First of all, I was shocked that people kept honking at me & giving me snarling dirty looks and gestures, as if I could help it. One woman on the back of a motorcycle even screamed at me to get out of the _________road! Well...since I am not strong enough to push a car out of the road by myself, I called the police dept. to at least let them know that I was blocking the lane, until I could get some help.

The policeman showed up...and looked at the van and responded: " Oh, Vital Signs ", I remember this name, I see you guys everywhere. And we get that a lot, even after having been in business for over 10 years. We still hear comments about our fun and memorable name. 

Does It Pay To Have A Humorous Business Name?

CARL'S PANE IN THE GLASS

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that I'm pretty sure that there have been no studies which address the ROI on a humorous business name. But think about it. A customer needs to have a window replaced. A couple of things happen at this point. First, they may remember a quality company that they had used in the past, or possibly they have a referral from someone. 

If not, they may have seen that funny vendor name somewhere (Carl's Pane In The Glass) and be compelled to call. Or perhaps they google or pick up a phone book (if anyone still uses phone books) to search for a company. The customer immediately spots the funny business name among a group of other ho-hum and predictable names, and chooses the funny business name. Very often, a customer will be drawn to that humorous name. Why is that?

Well, let's face it..the goal is to get people to notice your business. A business which has a humorous business name draws attention and smiles, whether that name is on an actual sign or viewed among a directory of similar business types listed somewhere. And very often, that humorous business name reflects the sense of humor of the business owner(s) who created it, and there's something inherently friendly about that.

To Be Funny Or Not To Be...That Is The Question

Ultimately, the business owner(s) is the only one who can decide whether a humorous name is right for his/her business. That decision must take into account the type of business and what types of products and/or services are sold from the business. But when feasible, using a humorous business name can yield an ROI that is nothing to laugh at!

CYCLOANALYSTS

Plan Ahead

If you are an entrepreneur contemplating a new business, or an established entrepreneur contemplating a new business name, let Vital Signs help! Take advantage of our FREE signage consultation to let our design team help brainstorm a business name that will get your business noticed and remembered!!

Call Us TODAY !

(412) 494-3308

www.vitalsignspgh.com

Mosaic Inspiration

When Kids Create

There is nothing more charming than the art pieces that kids create. If you are a parent, you are likely to have a refrigerator, wall or drawer full of your child/children's brilliant works of art spanning months or years. Also, it is typical to visit a children's classroom at any school and to see colorful pictures adorning the classroom walls and halls. But what do you do when you have a huge collection of kid-created ceramic tiles?

The Pittsburgh Public Schools came to Vital Signs with a unique banner concept in mind.

The school wanted to memorialize a mass of ceramic art tiles that their students had created. Tasked with creating a very large banner using the colorful tiles, Vital Signs had to find a solution which would work.

Banner Made With Homemade Tiles

Have Tiles..Will Combine

The creative tiles were placed side-by-side en masse in order to take a picture of them all. The problem was that even a camera with a wide lens could not capture all of the tiles which would make up the 18' x 6' banner. It was decided that our designer would take individual pictures of all of the tile sections and then piece them together with a graphics program. Bob scaled the top of a ladder several times as he moved around the huge floor space filled with tiles as he took pictures.. It was necessary to climb to the top of the ladder to gain as much height as possible in an effort to take clear images of the beautiful tiles. Bob then pieced all of the sections together to create, what turned out as a beautiful art piece.

Vital Signs Has Creative Solutions

This ultra large banner was not our usual request, but another fun project we enjoyed. The Vital Signs Design Team is available to find creative solutions for you too! The more unusual the project, the better we love it!

Call Vital Signs today for your BIG COLOR solutions!

(412) 494-3308

www.vitalsignspgh.com

It Doesn't Get Any Cooler Than This

I Love A Great Sign!

One of the job hazards (or perks) of being a "Sign Person" is that we look at signs wherever we go. And yes, we make judgements. It's the nature of the job. Unfortunately, we see a lot of terribly bad signs. But we also see some colorful and creative signs.

In a recent copy of the Sign Builder Illustrator Magazine, there was an article featuring some crazy- cool signs. The artist, Jeff Meyers is the talented creator of these signs. Jeff owns Modern Artifacts in Portland, Oregon.  As soon as I turned the page, I was mesmerized at Jeff's industrial art pieces. 

Jeff was commissioned by the World of Speed Museum in Wilsonville, Oregon, to create three pop art sculptures. These hand-crafted sculptures have a labored patina of rusty steel, bronze, hand-formed neon, programmed LED's, motorized elements, and even audio components. 

The first piece 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 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.

Spirit of America 

Fun For Kids And Grown Men 

Okay...it's really fun for everyone...just especially kids and grown men. Jeff's second commissioned piece is an interactive robot called Ignito. Ignito was designed to be educational and enjoyed by all ages. The hand-cranked display illustrates how a four-cycle 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.

Ignito

About Jeff Meyers...

Jeff Meyers is an industrial artist with a deep interest in interpreting, recreating and inventing the past. Jeff's work reflects his love of modern versions of old icons and is an interpretation of a bygone era. His work is so precise, it often cannot be discerned from the decades old, design.

A Little Bit O' Nostalgia

One visit to Jeff's website Modern Artifacts, and you are whimsically transported back in time. You can't help but smile as you look at Jeff's one-of-a-kind creations. Why is that? I think that it takes a great many of us back to the good ole days we all remember. A time when things were simpler, (we were younger) and life was good. Not many signs have that kind of impact on the viewer. If you get a chance, please take a stroll down memory lane at Jeff's site: www.modern-artifacts.com

And a big fist pump and "well done" to Jeff for creating such a creative mix of sign artistry. We love discovering outstanding sign craftsmen.

If Vital Signs can help with any of your sign needs that don't call for Jeff's amazing skill sets, please give us a call! And if they do require Jeff's skill sets, just tell him that Vital Signs sent you.

(412) 494-3308

It's All About The Color...

And The Winner Is..

MARSALA

How We Color Match

Today I would like to explain to you how we sign & print "creatives" at Vital Signs are able to match exact colors to our customer's projects. We use, what is known in the business, as the Pantone Color Matching System or PMS system.

In 1963, a very cleaver person decided to create a system that would help in identifying colors with their multiple shades, and The Pantone Color Matching System was born. The Pantone Color Matching System is a largely standardized color reproduction system. By standardizing the colors, different manufacturers in various locations can all refer to the Pantone System to make sure colors match without direct contact with one another. The Pantone Fan includes a full color spectrum of 6" x 2" thin panels which show various shades of one color per panel.

Pantone Color System

Color By Numbers

One such use is standardizing colors in the CMYK process. The CMYK process is a method of printing color by using four inks--cyan, magenta, yellow, and black. A majority of the world's printed material is produced using the CMYK process, and there is a special subset of Pantone colors that can be reproduced using CMYK. However, most of the Pantone system's 1,114 spot colors (any color generated by an ink, pure or mixed, that is printed in a single run) cannot be simulated with CMYK, but with 13 base pigments (14 including black) mixed in specified amounts. The Pantone system also allows for many special colors to be produced, such as metallics and flourescents. Pantone colors are described by their allocated number (typically referred to as, for example, "PMS 130").

What's The Significance?

The reason that this system is so important is because so many different industries (fashion; interior designers; builders; print/design; advertisers, etc.) rely on using and matching colors. Think about it. When you want to paint your house, you go to look at paint swatches. Paint swatches are very similar to a Pantone color panel. The swatches show you a color that starts from it's lightest shade at one end of the panel, to it's darkest shade at the other end. When trying to match colors and tones, the Pantone system (or similar paint color system) makes it an easy process. For instance, you have decided to use a shade that falls right in the middle of the lightest & darkest part of the swatch for your main room color. You would like to use a different color for your trim. You can choose whichever color you like & move down to the center of the swatch (at the same level of the panel you are using for your main color) & use the same tone value. Using similar tone values will help to keep the balance of the colors from clashing with each other.

Color In The Fashion Industry

At Vital Signs we have customers who have specific Pantone colors that have been used in the design of their logo, business colors and branding. It is essential that any signs or custom printing we do for our customers, use those same chosen colors. Using a Pantone Chart ensures our design team and our customer, that we will meet the exact color tone. All computer screens are calibrated differently. My screen is unlikely to exactly match my customer's screen . By choosing a Pantone color, we don't have to worry about what we see on our screens, as we know that the printed output will match the intended color(s). Some of our customers may not require an exact Pantone match, and may indicate that a color close to a certain Pantone shade will work. But when an exact match is required, Vital Signs has your color!

Our Vital Signs Design Team has your number!

Call Today for your FREE Design Consultation

(412) 494-3308