How to Test a Surface for Proper Graphic Adhesion

October 13, 2016 By Mark Hackley

Indoor Display Tech Talk…

How to Test a Surface for Proper Graphic Adhesion. Lettering on glass or acrylic is one thing but applying vinyl graphics to painted walls, especially flat, satin or eggshell finishes, is questionable. Semigloss and gloss finishes are a better bet for successful adhesion. When in doubt about quality sign or display products and application procedures, always ask a 3M rep. They are very knowledgeable and responsive when you have a question.

I am working on some interior wall designs for a Virginia client today who wants some nice acrylic graphics panels with stand offs that raise them over super graphics of some really cool color photographs that will be enlarged as backdrops under their mission statement and core beliefs that will be rendered on the overlaid panels. I would like to propose applying the base graphics of several neat wall displays directly to the painted wall surfaces at their organization’s walls of focus in addition to using PVC as an option, but since the walls have either a flat or satin sheen, I’m uncertain about the success of adhesion if applied direct.

BUT..I found out there’s a neat wall test kit available from most 3M distributors that helps test whether the sheen of the paint is glossy enough for the wall graphics to stick without any problems. You know, there’s a test for anything, and it’s always wise to do your homework and get it right the first time.

An edge I may have over some in my field is more than 35 years experience in the sign industry where I have learned about some things that others may not consider important!!

Here’s the video on just how I can test your walls to make sure they are graphic ready should you ever have a project in mind…

Reflective Signs Offer Less Expensive Options Than Electric Signs

October 10, 2016 By Mark Hackley

Reflective signs offer less expensive options than electric signs. The manager of marketing for a group of several hardware/feed supply stores in Central Virginia contacted me last month to provide options for a new wood framed ACM sign that would help lead potential customers to one of their sites.

Their store in Weyers Cave, Virginia is located off the beaten trail, so she was wondering about the cost of a reflective sign to replace the existing non-reflective one that had been there for quite some time. After seeing that the cost between reflective or non-reflective options was about a 30% difference, she ordered the new reflective sign to mark the turn off the main road.

We knew that standard DOT and traffic signs are okay to be reflective, but we weren’t all the way sure that commercial road signs could be. After checking with DOT’s office that deals with off-premise advertising, we found out that reflective graphics were legitimate as long as they didn’t resemble traffic control signs, such as traffic lights, etc.

The biggest benefit of reflective signs is their cost over internally illuminated signs. When you calculate the cost of the manufacture of the signs, the installation, the on-going maintenance, and especially the installation of a new circuit to provide power, reflective signs are quickly seen as one of the better alternatives.

Mark Hackley is the owner of Augusta Sign Company, Waynesboro, VA 540-943-9818

Using Banners as Semi-Permanent Building Signs

September 5, 2016 By Mark Hackley

Using Banners as Semi-Permanent Building Signs

When the Boys and Girls Club of Waynesboro’s Executive Director e-mailed me about a banner after receiving a referral to me from one of their board members, I assumed they needed a temporary banner like most people.

Wrong!

They were interested in using the banner as a permanent (semi-permanent) sign, or one that’s up for over six months. They got the permit, and I fabricated a nice banner, custom-fit for the area above the entrance to their newly renovated youth center. The banners produced by Augusta Sign Company are either hand painted, made with computer-cut or hand-cut vinyl graphics, or digitally printed. This one was digitally printed. I used the same 13 oz. vinyl fabric as I do for temporary banners and mounted the banner with four eye hooks that were set in lead anchors in the brick mortar joints of the building; fastened down with flexible bungee cord material. I do not think a banner of this type will perform forever, but they should get at least two years of service from it, or at least that’s what I’m expecting. Only time will tell, but for non-profits like the Boys and Girls Club, this type of sign may be just the answer.

Mark Hackley is owner of Augusta Sign Co. in Waynesboro, VA

540-943-9818

Stucco: A Good Material for Long-Lasting Entrance Signs

September 5, 2016 By Mark Hackley

file — **Sign “Before” Renovation. Notice the dirty, moldy background that would not come clean with normal cleaners.**

Stucco: A Good Material for Long-Lasting Entrance Signs

www.augustasigncompany.com-waynesboro-crimora-va-church-signs — **Sign with All Graphics Removed…**

www.augustasigncompany.com-waynesboro-va-wall-letters-church-signage-22980-22901-22801 — **Letters being spot primed and re-sprayed white. (Anyone for alphabet soup?)**

Back in about 1991, I was just a green small-business guy. I had recently moved to the Shenandoah Valley area 3 years earlier, and this was my first full year in my new full-time business, Tree Street Signs. One of the earliest church sign projects I tackled was constructing an entrance monument for Main Street United Methodist Church. The youth pastor at the time, John Tindall, had previously used my company to letter their church van, so I guess I had done a good job and the church called me back with a bigger project. A member had passed away and left money for a nice sign, so I recommended a low-profile concrete block sign faced with stucco and metal letters.

I used one of the best masons in the area to build the sign, Danny Davis. He did a great job as he always does! After the footer was poured and the solid, masonry sign was complete, I ordered two sets of router-cut and painted aluminum letters for each side. Using a paper mounting template and a hammer drill, I carefully drilled the holes for the aluminum studs that would hold the letters to the low walls. After dry-fitting all the lettering, I cemented them all in place with clear, architectural grade silicone, the standard adhesive for these types of sign letters. The sign had a special two-part cross and flame emblem, the established Methodist brand.

www.augustasigncompany.com-waynesboro-va-logos-signs — **Making drill templates for white backers behind original cross and flame emblems to help pop off from dark background.**

Fast-forward to 2016, and I was kneeling at that sign again. The head of the church property committee sought me out to upgrade the sign after 25 years! I recommended they reverse the letters out this time around for better visibility. You see, I had learned a few things about sign design over the years, and sometimes it’s better to use light colored letters against a dark colored background when three dimensional sign letters are raised from the surface. These types of letters cast shadows during the day, and also at night from lighting, and many times the shadows can interfere with good visibility. (See this article from Holiday Signs that tells about this phenomenon.)

www.augustasigncompany.com-waynesboro-va-architectural-signage-for-churches — **“After”… The finished renovation!!**

I think I did a pretty good job in completely changing the looks of the sign without having to change the sign background or letter materials, just the paint colors and a backer for the emblem. Painting stucco is rather simple. After bleaching the old moldy stains, I used a quality latex satin paint on the stucco and automotive acrylic enamel on the metal letters. I pulled all the lettering off, repainted the background on site, repainted the letters in the shop, then re-mounted everything. When I was a kid, some of my more daring friends were frequently occupied with mischief. Waynesboro school kids must be either blessed with excellent manners or cursed with low IQ’s because anyone could have pulled those letters off over the course of 25 years, but nobody did until I came along again, this time under a new company name, Augusta Sign Company.

Mark Hackley is President of Augusta Signs in Waynebsoro, Virginia

540-943-9818

How to Make Sign Patterns Using Your Photocopier

September 5, 2016 By Mark Hackley

How to Make Sign Patterns Using Your Photocopier

Back in the old days (early 80’s), I remember using an Art-O-Graph projector to cast images and letters on the wall and then trace the images to pattern paper. I am not sure what happened to that old projector over the years, but nowadays it’s just as easy using a photocopier, at least for small to medium sized signs. For larger signs I can use the old grid layout system, where you print out a scaled drawing of the sign and overlay it with grids that you can then scale up to the surface you are painting.

In a recent case I used the copier to make a pattern for a few real estate advertising signs. The customer had some old fiberboard panels that I could use for the signs and I hand lettered them with basic information about how interested parties could reach them about a piece of commercial property.

I did the layout in CorelDraw X5. I printed the letters actual size by making sure I picked “as in document” vs “fit to page” on the printer/copier. Once the letters printed, I scotch taped them all together, used a carpenter’s pencil to blacken the back where the letter lines were, and then corner-taped the pattern to my signs, traced the lettering, and painted.

All done in very little time and effort and less expensive than having to order vinyl, weed and tape it, etc. For temporary applications it is a great solution. Plus, I don’t get many chances to hand letter signs anymore; something I still kind of enjoy. I reckon I’m just an old timer!

Mark Hackley is owner/operator of Augusta Sign Company in Waynesboro, VA

Contact: 540-943-9818

Many thanks to Holiday Signs for teaching me how to use WordPress 🙂