Written by Pat Neve, Jr. on January 14, 2010
One of my passions is to create great signage for my clients.
A whole new sign design, starting from scratch, is always a big challenge.
But another way that I get my kicks is to take an existing sign and transform the original idea with one of my own.
This client came to me with a very tired, worn-out sign. It was just a sad sign. A flat plywood sign that had been up for many years, it was faded and falling apart and crooked. It had lived its life and was due for retirement.
Enter Sign Man, Inc.!
The client was referred by another customer who recommended our sandblasted work. Sharon, from Southlake Towers, then went to our website and was impressed by the quality and diversity of our dimensional sign portfolio.
I met with Sharon, discussed her options and we settled on a budget.
Then the fun began!
I used a sign industry specific computer program to design a few different layouts and color choices. This is my favorite part of the job. I am privileged to use my creative abilities to offer various shapes, designs and concepts that can improve the publics' view of a business or facility. Where there was once a drab, so-so layout, I can come in and completely renovate the look and feel to reflect a more vibrant and alive scenario.
Once the final design is approved, the work begins.
This job utilized High Density Urethane (HDU); a weather resistant substrate that does not allow water or elements to penetrate to its core. HDU is the industry standard at this time.
The design is sent from the design program to our Graphtec CE2000-60 computer plotter which cuts out the letters, shapes and images from a rubber mask from Hartco, Inc. The mask is transferred to the HDU, which has been sanded and given a prime coat of paint that allows for good adhesion of the stencil. The panel then goes to the booth for sandblasting.
Many sandblasted signs that you may come across have a very small blasted depth. Other companies merely scratch the surface of the HDU. Those signs have very little character and defeat the purpose of a dimensional product.
Not our signs!
We blast down at lease a half an inch - sometimes 3/4" to give the sign a more defined look. This helps to add shadows, which enhance the quality when viewed from a distance.
After the sandblasting is complete and the mask removed, we then give the front and back of the sign 2 coats of high quality primer. This provides a permanent base coat for the final two coats of finishing paints. We are sure to use top-end gloss enamel for this step to ensure a long lasting and easy to maintain finished product.
On this sign we utilized a stippling effect in the lighter blue oval to simulate a lake surface instead of a plain, one color panel. It is a little hard to see in the picture but the effect adds an overall uniqueness to the finished sign.
The final step is installation. We always use pressure treated lumber and framing in our installations. This prevents the wood from rotting and organism damage. Also, our signs are always installed level!
Talk about a change!
The name of the facility is much more appealing and coordinated than the original. As this is a retirement community, the address is very important to the residents and visitors with restricted vision. We were sure to make the address much more legible than the former sign.
Sharon was very please with the outcome and her supervisor commended her with a job well done! |
4580
N. US Highway #1 • Melbourne, FL.
32935 
