We’ve been talking about vehicle wraps and their cost-efficiency in terms of advertising space and message. But what makes a vehicle wrap work? What gives it the four-year life expectancy?
A vehicle wrap lasts for two reasons: the preparation and application are done properly and the materials are durable. First, be sure your vehicle is ready for the application. For best results, the surface of the vehicle must be clean. It’s a good idea to use a commercial detergent and water as well as a solvent to make sure there is no oily residue on the vehicle. Many vehicle wrap manufacturers have cleaning instructions specific to their materials, so make sure your sign professional reviews them. The surface must also be dry for better adherence. Ask your professional custom sign company what other preparation you or they will do prior to application. They will most likely use a template first, to be sure all the angles are correct and that the wrap lays properly around the corners of the vehicle.
As for materials, wraps are generally made from cast vinyl films to make application around curved surfaces easier. Calendered films are also used, but they should be reserved for flat areas and for short-term graphics, because they do not stand up to stress in the material.* The films generally have built-in adhesives and can be repositioned easily. Long-lasting wraps use films that have air release channels to help eliminate bubbles. The vinyl wrap should be completed with an overlaminate that conforms easily to the vehicle’s shape and is flexible. The overlaminate gives the vehicle wrap protection from UV rays, weathering and abrasion from traveling in and around Harford County and Baltimore County.
With the proper preparation, application and materials, your vehicle wrap will be a valuable advertising investment.
If you have a truck, car or other vehicle that is dedicated to your business, you already own valuable advertising space. You have a moving billboard for Maryland signage. By adding a vehicle wrap to any of your vehicles, you can reach thousands of people every day, and the audience will be more diverse than any other advertising venue. The Outdoor Advertising Association cites that more than 95 percent of Americans are reached by media that targets vehicle drivers and passengers. This includes static billboards and signs, but also encompasses transit signage, which makes up 16 percent of the total outdoor advertising category. According to the Outdoor Advertising Association, a vehicle wrap can generate 30-70,000 impressions per day, and can boost name recognition by 15 times that of any other form of advertising. Your vehicle can serve as a sports banner, school banner, or outdoor sign that advertises your business.
Vehicle wraps are economical and long-lasting. They are among the best cost per impression available to advertisers. A full vehicle wrap has a lifespan of about four years, and can cost as little as $2,000. Because you already own the ad space, this investment is well worth the effort. Using your logo and bright graphics, you can get the attention of thousands of people on the roads every day.
Contact Blue Water Signs today to take advantage of the excellent cost per impression rate of vehicle wraps.
Digital Signage Today, a leading industry website, developed an infographic to showcase the prevalence of digital signage in everyday life. From health clubs to restaurant signage, grocery stores to movie theaters, if you really think about it, you see digital signage everywhere. Digital Signage Today cites an Arbitron study that shows “70 percent of Americans are exposed to place-based video screens every month, and 52 percent are every week.” The infographic is below, but before peeking, think about a typical day:
7 a.m.: Health club signage shows current events and weather; flat screens inside show club activities
8 a.m.: Coffee shop has a digital signage menu board
9 a.m.: Outdoor office signage shows occupant names; corporate lobby offers digital kiosk with information on business tenants
Noon: Lunch restaurant features specials on a digital signage menu board
5 p.m.: Grocery store has a digital signage specials board and promotions, as well as a digital kiosk for deli counter orders
5:30 p.m.: Gas station pricing reflected on digital signage display
7 p.m.: Movie theater signage has current movie times and ratings; purchase tickets at a digital kiosk
Digital signage was everywhere at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas- both as new technology and as exhibit signage. We’ve already talked about the forecasts for this category, and it is quite the rage for the industry. Digital signage is penetrating Maryland office signs, outdoor signs and custom business signs. Digital signage allows you to create customized signage each and every day by changing your message and tailoring it to your audience.
Companies are making it easier and easier to enter the digital signage market with custom business signs. For example, LG showed an EZSign TV designed for business owners, with the accompanying software that allows them to create their own digital signage content. According to an article in Digital Signage Today, the EZSign TV package provides 53 templates and picture-in-picture layouts that display a live TV broadcast within the signage. The content can be loaded onto a USB drive for display, requiring no additional hardware. Chosen product of the year by CRN Magazine, The EZSign TV lets users combine advertisements, information and live TV broadcasts on the same screen. The big screen LED TV provides bright, bold displays and graphics. Like most digital signage displays, it can be mounted on a wall, in a kiosk, or put on a stand for maximum in-store signage flexibility.
If you’re considering digital signage for your Maryland office signs, Blue Water Signs can give you a complete recommendation. Today’s product technology makes the signage more flexible and easier to use. Contact us for more information.
Magnetic signs come in all shapes and sizes. They are yet another portable signage example, and they are great for temporary use. Most commonly used on vehicles, magnetic signs are an ideal way to promote a timely message or event. In addition, many team and sport logos seen on cars in Harford County are magnetic signs. But don’t forget about miniature magnetic signs – calendars and schedules, contact information and quick-reference phone numbers can all be printed on a magnet small enough to hang on refrigerators or file cabinets.
Magnetic signs can be cost effective, as simple as one color graphics letting people know your name and phone number, or full color digital prints utilized to catch potential customers' attention. Made from a vinyl sheet containing magnetic compounds, the flexible material usually comes on a roll and can be cut to any size. A vinyl layer holds the printing and then is laminated on top. The magnetic thickness varies based on the use – a thicker magnet is used for vehicles because they require more staying power. A thinner magnet is used for promotional items.
When ordering magnetic signs, be sure to ask for samples and inquire about the safety of the magnet on painted metal surfaces. You don’t want your signage to take the paint off a vehicle or refrigerator when removed! But you do want to use magnetic signs to attract attention with a message that will stick! And always remember not to use magnets too close to magnetic computer hard drives, as this can damage the data stored on them.
You’ve just invested in a vinyl banner that looks fabulous. How are you going to hang it? Or, you have an awesome big screen LED panel inside your lobby that’s full of company messages, but it’s sitting on a metal file cabinet at waist level. If you want effective signage, remember that hanging the sign is as important as the sign itself. Signage accessories are numerous throughout Harford County and most are quite functional. Your signage professional should ask during the design process how you want to hang the sign, and then make recommendations for the best design.
For example, vinyl banners can be made with pockets on any side that allow them to be mounted on unobtrusive poles or stands. Clips, roping and brackets are also among the alternatives. If the mounting device will be seen, you’ll need to consider whether or not you want it to blend or contrast with the sign. Choose sturdy mounts – there’s nothing worse than a sign flapping in a brisk Harford County wind or hanging on an angle because of faulty or weak mounting brackets. Even a poster deserves a secure strip of double-sided sticky tape that won’t fall down.
For digital signage, choose stands or brackets that are made specifically for the monitor. These are tested for strength and are designed to hold the weight of the monitor safely. Signs should be at or above eye level. Adjustable stands or brackets are ideal.
Make your sign brackets or mounts part of your design plan. They can enhance your sign and your company’s image.
Mostly everyone loves chocolate, but what does chocolate not like? Sunlight and temperatures above 80 degrees! Strong, glaring, and warming sunlight in the front of any store can make it too warm or uncomfortable inside. The strategic positioning of a sign may help solve the the comfort issue -- and keep those store-front chocolates from melting! -- as well as get your name in front of your customers.
Case in point: At this Wockenfuss store (see photo), in the winter months, the sun is low enough that sunlight comes through the window very strong late in the afternoon. It melts the chocolate in the cases, and no one wants to buy melted chocolate.
The solution: position a banner strategically to not only show everyone you are in a new location, but keep the sun off the cases.
Working with a true sign professional who places a priority on your business success can help you market your business, and sometimes solve problems that may not even seem sign-related.
Often, the choice of a sign can have more of an impact than just showing your name or selling a product. When designed right, it can work to help solve a problem or issue with your office or retail space.
How comfortable do you feel when you are in the office at night by yourself and people can look in through the window? What about the office window that is on a busy street? In these cases, the use of a window treatment can not only be used to sell your product, but also can be used to make the space more safe and comfortable. "Window Perf" can be used to make a terrific splash on your customers and can reduce the visibility into the office space. Window Perf is a vinyl product that has a series of uniform holes punched into the material. This material allows people in the office to look out, while those outside only see the printed message. Window Perf can also be used on vehicle windows to make use of more surface on your vehicle, but still allow you to see through the window safely.
Whether an office or a car, put your message where people can see it -- and solve a sometimes troublesome issue at the same time.
When you think of signage, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? While most people would say banners, big screens or channel lettering, they are missing an important signage niche: promotional products. T-shirts, hats, mugs, decals and more are portable forms of signage. These items can effectively communicate a company’s message and become part of its image. Just as your branding should include a uniform look on your stationery, brochures and website, your promotional products should also reflect your brand. These products are mini billboards that will find audiences at Harford County and Baltimore County sporting events, schools, businesses and neighborhoods. They will say, “we care,” to the people who own them and the people who see them.
Take the opportunity to research your options for product quality. The promotional pieces not only offer a friendly view of your company, they also make a statement. They can be fashionable, trendy or conservative, but above all, they should be high quality and durable. The printing quality should also be outstanding. Your promotional products will communicate the company image by their design and quality, as well as their message.
Blue Water Signs can work with you to set up a “Company Store” for your business that will allow the departments within your company to order promotional items directly on-line. This is extremely convenient for sales departments that have outside sales teams that can order embroidered shirts, hats and other items and have them shipped directly to the sales team member’s homes.
Have you ever seen those nice bright and colorful letters and logos that are attached to the front of a company's store or office front? Did you know that Gemini Products offer a green solution for these letters? Gemini started making formed dimensional letters in 1964. The letters are not made as most plastics are by utilizing oil as a component but use a renewable material called Cellulose Acetate Butyrate (CAB). This material is based on fibers from tree and cotton plants which makes it a renewable source of materials. The material is very stable and has UV stabilizers added to the product to assure that they weather well in the sun and maintain their bright professional look throughout their life. Gemini also backs these products with a lifetime warranty and will replace the letters if they do not meet your expectations. Blue Water Signs offers this "green" solution for dimensional signage to our clients through an exclusive arrangement with Gemini Products. For many companies, this is a great, low-cost alternative to lighted channel lettering.
To view the full line of Gemini products click here. You may also watch this video on how the formed letters are manufactured (opens in a new page).
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We’ve been talking about vehicle wraps and their cost-efficiency in terms of advertising space and message. But what makes a vehicle wrap work? What gives it the four-year life expectancy?
As for materials, wraps are generally made from cast vinyl films to make application around curved surfaces easier. Calendered films are also used, but they should be reserved for flat areas and for short-term graphics, because they do not stand up to stress in the material.* The films generally have built-in adhesives and can be repositioned easily. Long-lasting wraps use films that have air release channels to help eliminate bubbles. The vinyl wrap should be completed with an overlaminate that conforms easily to the vehicle’s shape and is flexible. The overlaminate gives the vehicle wrap protection from UV rays, weathering and abrasion from traveling in and around Harford County and Baltimore County.
Often, the choice of a sign can have more of an impact than just showing your name or selling a product. When designed right, it can work to help solve a problem or issue with your office or retail space. 
When you think of signage, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? While most people would say 
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