Every day I’m Spinning

Author: Amanda

Over the past six months I’m sure you’ve noticed the guys that stand on the corner and spin arrow signs. They flip them up and down, spin them around and every once in a while hold them still so you can read what it says. Before I had actually seen them, I had been making a few arrow signs, unbeknownst to me their spinning fate. It seems the idea started back in 2002 in Ocean Beach, California, with a few friends who decided to play around with a sign.

The sign itself is coroplast, corrugated plastic, a light weight plastic material that makes it easy to flip, and the corrugated chutes make it durable enough not to break. Sizes range from an arrow width of 3′ and 4′ and a length of 5′ to 6′. While most apartment complexes use this way of advertisement to show off their apartments or rent specials, I think schools and organizations with youth are really underestimating how useful these can be for their groups. It’s a great way to advertise car washes, cookie sales, and other events, plus the kids have something fun to do. And hopefully that ‘something fun’ doesn’t include fighting over whose turn it is to flip the sign in the air.

A picture is worth 1000dpi

Author: Amanda

To some people the most confusing part about ordering a sign is the exchange of artwork, pictures or files. I think it’s the jargon, you start mentioning dpi, pixilation and eps files and even a smart person can have trouble following if they don’t know the native tongue. (Even I get confused by the designers at times, which is why I’m writing this blog, so perhaps maybe we can both learn.) Let’s start with pictures, let’s say you have a family photo you want to put on a birthday banner. The first thing we’re going to ask is if you can send us an electronic picture with at least 125dpi. DPI means Dots Per Inch and is a measure of the resolution of the picture, it lets you know if making the picture bigger will turn it into lego blocks of pixilation or keep it’s realistic looks.

To check your pictures DPI, simply look up the picture under whichever file you have it saved under. Select the image and (for those using a PC) right click to see a drop down menu of options, normally at the bottom you’ll see ‘Properties’, click on that. In Properties there should be a tab for Details and under Details it will say the size of the picture and it’s DPI. The more DPI your picture has the larger it can become without getting pixilated. We once made a 4′ x 6′ banner out of one photograph, that photo had a DPI of 240.

Now that you know how well your pictures can enlarge, let’s say you go a step further and wanted to design your own banner and then send us the artwork. The best files for us to work with are .eps, .pdf, and .jpeg. These are simply file formats, and depending on what program you’re using (Word, Adobe, Photoshop, etc.) when you go to ‘save as’ you can select which format you would like. On our website across the top black border, the last option on the right side is ‘Send Us Files’, this leads you to our YouSendIt account which you can use to send us your artwork.

If you have any further questions don’t hesitate to ask! That’s why this blog is here in the first place, as much as I would like to think it’s because of my adoring fans.

The Progress of Signs

Author: Amanda

Have you ever been to the Columbus COSI and taken a walk through the ‘Progress’ exhibit? It’s pretty spectacular to witness how society has changed over the generations. I have two favorite parts, the first part is listening to the telephone calls, as there is a set of recorded calls that you can listen to if you pick up a phone. The second part is the ‘1962’ section of Progress, the storefronts that set to display the latest technological version of the refrigerator or television.  And of course, those famous diner styled neon signs.

If you really like those old fashioned signs, both in neon, aluminum and other substrates, did you know there is a museum for them? The American Sign Museum, located in Cincinnati, OH, has a variety of old signs from the gilded to the hand-carved, from Las Vegas to the east coast. With a collection that continually grows, the museum is in stage for a remodeled expansion that will open this Spring. Certainly a unique trip to make for both kids and adults, it could also be inspiring for any new business owners to remember what it was like for places like ‘McDonald’s’ or ‘Holiday Inn’ when they first started.

To find more information on COSI’s Progress Exhibit please follow the link of: http://www.cosi.org/exhibits/progress

And for more information on the American Sign Museum, please follow the link of: http://signmuseum.org/index.asp

Trade Show To-Do-List

Author: Amanda

I didn’t receive any questions on the last blog, but I thought I would continue on and answer the question of what one needs to prepare/set-up and bring to a trade show. First, you need to double-check whether or not the area of the trade show will be providing tables or not, it varies per show and location. 6′ long is the most common size for provided trade show tables, but it is possible to buy an 8′ long table if you need the extra space. Just keep in mind which size you would prefer incase you’d like to have a fitted table skirt with your business logo or special design.

On the table you’ll need your business cards, and a card holder. You should also consider if you’d like business pens or other promotional give-away items for the show and something to place them in. I can’t suggest enough to have a bowl of candy, it’s a great way to bring people by the table and have their attention for a little bit. Behind the table you have room to put up a sign, or banner. Horizontal banners are nice but can be hard to hang up if you’re against a curtained wall instead of a real wall. There is a great variety of vertical banner stands for trade shows, you can help narrow down which would be best for you by considering how many times you may want to change out your banner, if you need to have a stand easy to ship, or if you’d like a stand to be placed on the table.

I highly suggest that if you’re getting a banner stand that you’ll want to buy a light as well that can help keep your booth well lit.  With curtained walls up between stalls it’s easy to have the light blocked out and you’ll want to make sure people can see you and your business. Give yourself a bare minimum of two weeks to have all the preparations and items put together for a show. Yes, it is, on rare occasions when the Earth, Sun and Moon all align, to get things in a shorter time span than two weeks. (More so when all you need is one sign instead of a set.) However, I highly doubt you’re in need for the extra stress, so if possible, set plans into motion a decent amount of time before then.