posted
One of our clients is a condo community. They have just asked us to redo their pool rules and tennis court rules signs (multiple lines of text). These are exterior signs to hang on a fence/gate and are about 30" x 24". I was thinking of Edge printing the copy and applying to Fiberbrite panels. What would be the "best" way to make this type of sign?
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Posts: 101 | From: Douglasville, GA | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
"Usually those signs are made of real estate metal. Why not use your plotter, and cut some vinyl?" Don't peel each line, lay all the copy at once. Hinge it! The metal is cheep enough, and so is the vinyl. Its quick.
"Ah...What was the question again?...."
...on an added note (question)...
"Since you want to use the Edge printer. I was wondering... Whats the life expectantcy of an *exterior* print. More specific, how long will the printing ink last?"
posted
Gerber claims 3-5 years for exterior use. We also frog juice our exterior Edge prints which Far From Normal claims will double the life expectancy.
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Posts: 101 | From: Douglasville, GA | Registered: Nov 1998
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I made some exactly like this, summer before last, for our municipal pool. I used 24"x30" .063 aluminum prefinished with white baked enamel. The lettering was computer cut hi-performance vinyl. To keep the kids from peeling the vinyl, I top coated them with 2-part automotive clear urethane. They still look as good as when they were put up two years ago. I originally mounted them to a chain link fence with electrical zip ties, but they seemed to get brittle and break, so I remounted them with wire hog rings, and have had no more problems.
Jerry Mathel Jerry Mathel Signs Grants Pass, Oregon signs@grantspass.com
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Posts: 916 | From: Grants Pass, OR USA | Registered: Dec 1998
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posted
richard we do a lot of this sort of thing and because of vandalism I use 5mm uv stable polycarbonate clear reverse cut the lettering an put it on the back then coat it with the background colour then attach it with a colour bond back slows the little blighters down for a while but they now have discovered that plastic burns hope this helps
------------------ Ian Wilson Signmaker Toowoomba City Council Cnr Anzac Ave & Stephen st Toowoomba Queensland Australia may all your toubles be little ones The man that never make a mistake never makes anything
Posts: 656 | From: Toowoomba Queensland Australia | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
Why not something a little more creative? It's a condo complex, so I'm sure that they have a little more to spend. How about using Corian ( the granite look alike counter top stuff ) and sandblast the text in it. We have been making historic plaques for the city out of it. It looks fantastic and it's durable.
------------------ Dennis Veenema The Sign Shop Dresden, Ont. "We Sign Everything"
posted
We do quite a few of these for apartment communities. I do not like the vinyl route because the kids keep peeling letters off. Also, weeding 700 5/8" letters is a drag.
Since I like to use serif typefaces such as Garamond in different weights for these signs, an approach that does not involve weeding that many small serifs appeals greatly to me. I have some standard rules that I screen printed on .080 Aluminum and then put a customized vinyl header on and vinyl phone number (for some reason, the kids leave the header and phone number alone). For one of a kind use, I have them Edge printed and applied to Aluminum. The print is cheap enough that it can be replaced in 3-4 years, if necessary.
The plastic zip ties that electricians use will degrade outside in the UV after a year or two. Wiring them in place is a better option if there is no wall they can be flat mounted on.
I have also sandblasted into stone. Once again, weeding that many small letters is a challenge, however weeding small letters out is easier than weeding out a background leaving small letters. Recently, we sandblasted Spa Rules into a cultured marble piece for an apartment complex, 670 5/8" letters! The marble installers (not our crew) dropped the panel and shattered it into approximately a separate piece for each letter. We had to do it again on a day and a half notice. Five months later, we finally got paid.
By the way, do not use 23K Gold leaf in an enclosed spa environment. The chlorine in the air ate the Gold off the header in a matter of weeks.
------------------ A Sign of Excellence
[This message has been edited by David Harding (edited March 19, 2000).]
Posts: 5084 | From: Carrollton, TX, USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
if kids are a problem, hang em all! cut their finger nails off. nah just kidding.
why not try using a paint mask vinyl, since its only one or two signs, and just weed and paint it with 1-shot or chromatic, right on top of the vinyl, peel it and its done. Also if anyone wants to damage a sign no matter how much you want to protect it, someone can and will damage it, no matter what...Cisco
------------------ FranCisco Vargas aka: Cisco aka:Traveling Millennium Sign Artist http://www.franciscovargas.com Fresno, CA 93703 559 252-0935
"to live life, is to love life, a sign of no life, is a sign of no love"...Cisco 12'98
Posts: 3576 | From: Fresno, Ca, the great USA | Registered: Dec 1998
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