Every day as we go about our daily business we come in contact with dozens of signs. Street signs, store signs, For Sale signs, Grand opening signs and the list goes on. Some signs seek to grab your attention while others’ primary purpose is to ensure you get around safely. Regardless of any single sign’s purpose, signage serves the community as an essential element to business success, safety and daily life.
While most people do not trouble themselves with the logistics of the creation, production and installation of signs in their community, when a business is seeking a new sign package many questions surface. In order to help potential sign purchasers, let’s look into what the sign creation process entails.
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Consultation & Planning
So you have decided you want to purchase a sign, now what? In order to begin the process to acquire a new sign it is important know the end goal of the sign package. From driving foot traffic into a business, to creating ease of navigation throughout, to promoting and branding the business, knowing the end goal helps ensure that the sign package can achieve those goals.
Each type of interior and exterior sign holds its own laundry list of attributes, benefits and purposes. When it comes to exterior signage the element of illumination presents a whole realm of opportunity when it comes to getting noticed. From channel letter signs to illuminated light boxes, lit signs provide a level of visibility at night not provided by any other category of signage. On the other hand, wayfinding signs, directories, and street signs work to ensure ease of travel and help individuals get where they need to go.
As you go through the exercise of labeling the purpose of individual sign types, please keep in mind that building codes, sign codes and property owners all regulate what signage is permitted on any given property. Once you identify the type of signage needed and allowable sizes as well as restrictions, we can generally provide an estimate around the general parameters agreed upon. After approval on an estimate, we can proceed to design.
Sign Design
The process of designing begins with the consultation and quoting process. Our design team works with you to ensure we have a design that fits your budget, purpose, the location and overall your vision. After quote approval we work to finalize the design proof. From quote approval to fabrication the design is finalized and presented for approval. Sign design takes into account location, distance from viewer, color palettes, shape usage and font selection and sizes. These elements pose challenges for sign designers but seeing the look on a customer’s face when they see how their vision came to life makes the process very rewarding!
The design and production team collaborate as well to make sure the design serves both function and appearance. A bad design can look the same but cost substantially more than an efficient sign design. Combining the design and production mindset allows our team to create the best sign for your purpose and budget!
Before sign fabrication, our design team creates a detailed design for the fabricators to use when creating the sign. Many times the approved art proof itself serves this purpose but often times the fabrication team requires further to begin the fabrication process.
Permitting
While designers primary focus revolves around the aesthetics, every project needs an operations team comprised of highly experienced permit specialists, project service coordinators and project managers who review the municipal code library and establish relationships with city planners to expedite the approval process and ensure sign permits are secured in a timely fashion, providing clients with hassle-free permit acquisition.
It’s imperative to follow every protocol when it comes to permitting, and effective zoning and variance guidance ensures maximum brand visibility at every location. The design and permitting teams should work closely together to prepare artwork and complete submission packages used to ensure landlord and municipal approvals.
We typically will hold on beginning fabrication until we receive permit approval. This safeguards both our team and the customer from getting too far into the fabrication only to have the authorities request a change from the design leading to unexpected costs. This extends the time line somewhat but reduces the risk of starting over.
Fabrication
After permit approval, the sign enters the production line. Many sign solutions we make in house, but in order to ensure the best price and quality to our customers we outsource certain elements to wholesale manufacturers. When it comes to producing a sign, our team uses many different types of machinery including, but not limited to, the following:
- Digital Printers
- Laminators
- Plotters
- Shears
- Benders
- Welding Stations
- Painting
- Routers
Installation
The best design, planning, and fabrication can all go to waste if your sign is not properly installed. Ensuring all signs meet installation specifications in compliance with all local, state and ADA requirements while following all OSHA Safety Regulations for Construction is paramount!
After installation all that remains is to sit back and enjoy your custom sign!
If you are thinking about getting a new sign for your business, give Paramount Signs a call for a free consultation. We would love to help you grow your business.
Remember, “getting you noticed is Paramount”