Southern California Sign Blog

SIGNS ARE YOUR MARKETING AND ADVERTISING TOOL!

Have you considered the impact that your sign has on your business?

Let's discuss what signage can do for your business, and how signs can be used to your advantage.

Introduction

Signs are one of the most efficient and effective means of communication. Signs help people find you; they reach people who are passing by your establishment; they present an image of your business. In short, signs, tell people who you are and what you are selling.
Signs are such a powerful communication medium that it is difficult to estimate the extent of their influence. Other media require the directed attention of the person receiving the message. Signs, however, can convey a message while creating a mood or feeling of atmosphere. It is not necessary for people to give full attention to your sign in order to derive meaning from its presence.

What Is a Sign?

A sign is the most direct form of visual communication available. In fact, so many people use signs without a second thought that it is easy to overlook their importance. When we cannot talk to other people directly in a given location, we tack up signs: wet paint, beware of dog, enter here, garage sales, etc. signs are the only form of mass communication directly available to everyone - they are the people's street communication system.

What Signs Can Do for Your Business

- Signs perform three major communications functions for your business; they give information and direction, provide a format for street advertising, and build your image.
- Signs Give Information About Your Business and Direct People to Your Business Location.
- Signs index the environment so people can find you. This is especially true for travelers, new members of your community, and impulse shoppers who may be on a journey to purchase a particular good or service which you sell. Americans are mobile. Each year 40 million of us travel over 1.7 trillion miles by automobile and approximately 19 per cent of us change our place of residence. A primary source of customers for your business is the large number of people who are new to your community or who may be just passing through. Your sign is the most effective way of reaching this mobile or transient group of potential customer.
- Signs can correct a poor location by substituting effective communication for poor site characteristics. If your business is located on a site which is not visible or in a building which does not correspond with the goods or services offered, your sign can overcome this disability. For example, most buildings are not built to conform to the design needs of any particular type of tenant. Without an effective sign it is often impossible to determine what type of business is being conducted in a given building. In addition, when your site is located off a busy traffic artery or in an area which is not easily accessible your sign can communicate to people who are passing on a busy street several blocks away. If you are located off a busy freeway but far from an exit, your sign becomes your main device for directing people to your business. High-rise signs are used when a business is located away from potential customers' normal pathways of travel.

Signs Are Street Advertising

Your sign provides an easily recognizable display format for the goods or services you are selling. For most businesses the street is where potential customers are. The message conveyed on the street reaches people who are close enough to make a purchase.

Street advertising also helps people develop a memory of your business name and the products and services you sell. People tend to buy from businesses they know.

Signs can build an image for your business and help you identify with the market segment you are trying to reach.

Through materials and design, a sign can appeal to a given group of potential customers. For example, some firms attempt to capture the youth market, others senior citizens, others unmarried single people and so forth. If you have a particular market segment that you wish to attract to your business, your sign can be an important means of bringing these people in.

The Advantages of Signs
On-premise signs are your most effective and efficient means of commercial communication because they are inexpensive, available, practical, easy to use, always on the job, and directly oriented to the trade area of your business.

For further information or if you have any questions, please contact The Sign Studio at (818) 843-9200 or send us an e-mail at thesignstudio@sbcglobal.net

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See the VARIOUS OUTSIDE EXTERIOR SIGNS

The clothing of a company! The signs on the outside exterior of any business create a first impression to your employees, customers and visitors. Make sure your signs say the right things about you and give the best first impression they possibly can!

The Sign Studio fabricates signs that are used for shop fascias, business signs, industrial signs and more – from complex signs for multisite locations to pavement furniture or temporary signs. The Sign Studio also supplies illuminated signs for maximum night time impact. 

DIFFERENT TYPES OF EXTERIOR SIGNS

FASCIA SIGNS

Fascias show visitors and customers who you are at first glance and give your premises an identity.  This is very important as you want to make your first impression stand out. 

ILLUMINATED SIGNS

You can brighten up your business and increase your company’s visibility with illuminated signs.

INDUSTRIAL COMMERCIAL SIGNS

Use large, eye-catching signage to draw attention to your commercial units.

DIRECTIONAL SIGNS

Easily appointed signs help to navigate people to particular locations.

POST & PANEL EXTERIOR SIGNS

The most commonly used sign systems are post & panel mounted signs which are also very cost-effective for an exterior sign that is used widely across many businesses.

PLAQUES

The Sign Studio can design and manufacture plaques to suit your needs in all styles and sizes.

SIGNICADES OR A-FRAMES

If you have any questions or need further information, please give us a call at (818) 843-9200 or visit our website at www.signstudiola.com – You can also reach us by e-mail at info@signstudiola.com. 

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Signs Are Effective

Your sign is an integral part of your advertising program along with the other forms of commercial communication such as television, radio, newspapers, magazines, and billboards. There are four basic criteria used to judge the effectiveness of these advertising media: (1) coverage of the trade area, (2) repetition of a message, (3) readership of a message, and (4) cost per thousand exposures of a message. Two other criteria important for the small business owner are (5) availability and (6) ease of use. Let's see how signs measure to the above criteria.

1) Signs are oriented to your trade area. Signs do not waste your resources by requiring you to pay for wasted advertising coverage. The people who see your sign are the people who live in your trade area.

2) Signs are always on the job repeating your message to potential customers. Your on-premise sign communicates to potential customers twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, week after week, month after month, year after year. Every time people pass your business establishment they see your sign. The mere repetition of the message will help them remember your business.

3) Nearly everyone reads signs. Signs are practical to use for nearly everyone is used to looking at signs and using signs, even small children. Studies have shown that people do read and remember what is on signs. When special items are displayed, sales increase for these particular items within the store.

4) Signs are inexpensive. When compared to the cost of advertising in some other media, the on-premise sign is very inexpensive. Table 1 indicates the cost-per-thousand-exposures for various media in a given type of community. Unless your trade area encompasses an entire city or region, where you must rely upon broad based media coverage, there is no better advertising dollar value than your on-premise sign.

5) Signs are available to each and every shop owner. There is no need to schedule the use of your sign. Your sign is available to you whenever you need it and to be used however you please.

6) Signs are easy to use. No special skills or resources are needed to operate a sign once it has been installed. If it is an illuminated sign, all you need to do is flip the switches and that may not be necessary with timing equipment. Once the initial expenditures are made no special resources or professional services are needed. You need only operate and maintain your sign.

For further information or if you have any questions, please contact The Sign Studio at (818) 843-9200 or send us an e-mail at thesignstudio@sbcglobal.net

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Guess What The Most Cost Effective Signs Are Out There?  Banners!

Banners are the most popular, versatile, and cost effective type of signs among businesses today.

You've come to the right place for your custom vinyl or digital print banners. At The Sign Studio we encourage you to let our experts design your banner for the most effective utilization possible. Custom vinyl banners are among the most popular and cost effective forms of advertising for businesses today. From all weather vinyl banners to our indoor event banners, see what The Sign Studio can do for you!

The limitless size and available colors of our outdoor banners allows you to customize a large commercial banner for your business or we can design anything on your mind. If you are not sure what you want, let our expert designers show you some layouts. With emerging technologies, banners are now available in several different materials including poly, vinyl, nylon and flex-face. The ease of installation and effectiveness of vinyl banners makes advertising easy.

Give us a call at (818) 843-9200 or send us an e-mail at thesignstudio@sbcglobal.net for further information or if you have any questions.

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Your trade show display booth is the canvas for your marketing message. Get noticed with a custom trade show display from The Sign Studio.

A Few Seconds. That's all the time you have to attract potential customers to your trade show booth. Get noticed with portable tabletop displays, pop-up displays, retractable banners, motion displays and even ceiling and floor graphics. The Sign Studio's state-of-the-art digital printing capabilities can help you create a custom display that will grab attention and draw potential customers into your booth.
Portable Trade Show Displays, Pop Up Display

The Sign Studio offers what is considered to be the strongest portable display system in the industry as well as the easiest to setup and break down. Multiple configurations and unique modular design allows you to modify the size and shape of your portable display booth as your needs grow. The versatility and customization make The Sign Studio pop-up displays the perfect solution for your exhibit presentations all in lightweight and compact design.

Retractable Banner Stands
Retractable Banner Stands are the most popular banner stand in today's market and can be seen throughout most all Trade Shows. Retractable Banner Stands store the banner safely inside the base where it's protected during travel or in storage. Once on location, simply unroll the banner from the body of the unit to present an instant display that can be continually re-used.

Tabletop Display Booth
Looking for a simple way to showcase your services or products? Not interested in transporting everything but the kitchen sink to each show. Then the solution is simple; a compact and lightweight, inexpensive tabletop trade show booth from The Sign Studio! The ease of set up and break down makes our tabletop displays a cinch to handle.

If you have any further questions or need more information, please call us at (818) 843-9200 or send us an e-mail at thesignstudio@sbcglobal.net.

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Indoor Architectural Installation Methods for Wall Mount Signs

There are many ways to install an architectural signs. Here are some of the most successfully used methods along with some illustrations for you to decide what will work best for the look you are trying to obtain.

WALL MOUNT METHODS

Edgeclips are clipped onto the edges of the signs and then fastened to the
mounting surface.
Pros: Good looking, easy to change graphic.
Cons: Not very strong.

Adhesives provide an alternate mounting method. Options include liquid adhesives like contact cement or construction glue and roll adhesives like double-sided tape and mounting films.
Pros: Can be very strong, some epoxies and tapes are stronger than welding. Invisible.
Cons: May never come off.

In some circumstances studs can be attached to the backs of graphic panels. These studs
can be glued into inserts placed in the receiving surface.
Pros: Strong and invisible.
Cons: More expensive, difficult to remove.

Framing systems allow for strong, invisible mechanical fasteners to be used.
Pros: Strong, tamper-proof and invisible fasteners.
Cons: More expensive and highly visible frame.

Graphics can be mounted onto surfaces using mechanical fasteners.
Pros: Strongest attachment method, easily removable.
Cons: Visible hardware.

Frameclips are similar to Edgeclips except that the attachment is through the face of the graphic.
Pros: Good looking, strong.
Cons: Expensive.

French cleats are commonplace for mounting to flat, vertical surfaces. Cleats must be
straight and smooth and perfectly aligned.
Pros: Strong and invisible.
Cons: More expensive, graphics cannot be flush to the wall.

If you have any questions, please give us a call at The Sign Studio - (818) 843-9200 or send us an e-mail at thesignstudio@sbcglobal.net.

Make sure your Dimensional Sign Letters have a Lifetime Warranty!

Lifetime Warranty On The Sign Studio's Dimensional Letters? Absolutely!

There are some instances when the signage you buy comes with a lifetime guarantee and Gemini lettering is just what comes to mind. Gemini has become a familiar supplier to many sign fabrication concerns for this very reason! The warranty covering lettering, custom logos and shapes extends to fading, breaking, as well as defects in the manufacturing process. This represents a true cost saving that protects your investment in this portion of your sign. Whether you order individual letters for mounting directly to your building or storefront, or integrate the lettering for mounting on an exterior post and panel sign or monument, the fact remains that you are making a very smart investment choice. The material finishes are rigorously tested to withstand extreme environmental conditions and this process is continually refined. Like most signs, periodic maintenance, like dusting and washing them with mild dish soap, will keep your lettering looking great for years!

The Sign Studio is proud to supply Gemini lettering, like the metal laminates pictured above, to our customers. Other options range from molded plastic, cast and cut metals, or metal faced lettering mounted to a variety of substrates. Feel free to consult with us about your choices in lettering style, size and mounting options, as well as Gemini aluminum and bronze plaques.

If you have any further questions or need more information, please call us at (818) 843-9200 or send us an e-mail at info@signstudiola.com

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What is an LED?

An LED (Light Emitting Diode) is an electronic semi-conductor that when turned on, converts electric energy into light.

One way LEDs differ from incandescent light bulbs is LEDs have no filament to burn out meaning LEDs can last for 100,000 hours or more. They are also far more efficient, producing substantially more light per watt than incandescent bulbs. Other advantages of LEDs are:

Color: LEDs use no color filters like traditional lighting, thereby keeping costs down

-Shock resistant: LEDs are a solid state component making them difficult to damage

- On/Off time: LEDs produce light very quickly. Typically LEDs achieve full brightness in a less
than a microsecond giving them an incredible response time

-Cool light: An LED will radiate almost no heat that can damage adjacent materials. Excess energy is dissipated as heat through the base of the LED

-Size: LEDs are small in size, allowing them to be easily populated into face panels (in our industry)

- Cycling: LEDs are perfect for frequent on-off cycling, which cause traditional lighting to fail

- Low toxicity: An LED contains no mercury, thereby making them safe for the environment

In The Sign industry, one or more LEDs will make up a pixel. Typically, LEDs are red or amber for monochrome units and a combination red, green and blue for color displays.

It is also important to keep in mind differences in quality when it comes to LEDs. There are literally hundreds of LED manufacturers making a wide range of diodes, some are first-rate, others are poorly manufactured which usually result in diodes lasting only 25,000 to 50,000 hours.

In order to build a top of the line product, you need to start with top of the line components.

Make sure your display manufacturer is providing only superior LEDs. If you have any further questions or need more information, please do not hesitate to call us at (818) 843-9200 or send us an e-mail at thesignstudio@sbcglobal.net

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Sign Buyer's Checklist

Here's a quick questionnaire to help identify your signage needs and guide your SIGN STUDIO consultant in making good recommendations for your project.

Use of your sign:
Are you directing, informing, or selling?

Image you want to project:
Professional? Sophisticated? Youthful? Fun? How should it coordinate with your other graphics and advertising?

Your target customers:
Whose attention do you want to attract?

Viewing distance and time:
How far will readers be from the sign? How long will they have to read it?

Mounting your sign:
Where will the sign be displayed? How will it be attached? Will you need the approval of a landlord or local sign code authority?

For further information or questions, please give us a call at (818) 843-9200 or send us an e-mail at thesignstudio@sbcglobal.net

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