Sign Processes
Large Format Printing & Vinyl
Vinyl Graphics
Silk Screen Printing
Screen printing first appeared in China in the 11th Century. It expanded to Western Europe in the 18th Century and was among the main printing processes of the 20th Century. While digital printing's dominance has diminished, it is still an efficient, cost-effective and high-quality methodology for signs that are printed in large quantities. There are over 40 different processes and technologies used in the production of signs and graphics.
Vinyl Graphics
Vinyl graphics have been the staple of sign production since the mid-1900s, replacing traditional hand-printed approaches.
In 1937, 3M created the first vinyl cloth containing glass beads, launching a revolution in vinyl technology that is now ubiquitous in modern life, layered on cars, window displays, billboards, and products. Vinyl also remade the sign industry starting around 1939 when the first reflective highway signs were employed. Vinyl is now employed in every aspect of the sign and large-format printing industry for signs, floors, architectural surfaces, and even to replicate murals.
Illumination
Illuminated Signs
Illuminated Signs
The original name for the International Sign Association was the National Electric Sign Association founded in 1897. The first electric illuminated sign using incandescent bulbs was built in London in 1881 and was introduced at the International Electrical Exposition in January 1882. It read EDISON in large block letters and touted the electrical achievements of this great American inventor. The illuminated sign industry rapidly expanded with new lighting technologies like neon and acrylic faces expanding the industry. Today LED’s are the dominant illumination source and are utilized in dozens of different sign types.
Etching & ADA Signs
Raster Braille Signs
Signs Engraving
Sign Engraving is among the oldest sign methodologies. Engraved signs on stone are found in archeological digs that are thousands of years old. Sign engraving has evolved over the years with more and more sophisticated chemical, laser and mechanical cutting tools. Mechanical routing is still a popular approach and can be done with a variety of materials with zinc, magnesium and aluminum being among the most popular.
Raster Braille Signs
The Americans with Disabilities Act was adopted in 1992 and was the first national guideline for signs. Previously there were only state and local standards. Raster was the first ADA sign process developed. The process was combined with routed adhesive raised letters. Raster is a particularly strong approach when utilizing different materials for fabrication. Raster also produces perfectly domed Braille.
Chemical Etched Signs
Chemical etching is a process that dates back to the Middle Ages and allows for the transfer of complex designs to a brass, bronze, copper, or stainless steel surface. The design can be often filled with paint. Chemical etching is used for a wide variety of sign applications including ADA signs, plaques and architectural elements. One of the main materials used for chemical etching is zinc, which is the best material for delicate etching for logos and intricate graphics.
Zinc Etched Signs
Zinc etching was originally developed for printing books in the 19th Century. Zinc etching is an old process for printing precise graphics efficiently and is still being employed by the sign industry for tactile letters and Braille, as well as engraved graphics.
Photopolymer Signs
Photopolymer is one of a number of processes for tactile signs including raster, thermoforming, etching and even 3D printing! Photopolymer is a synthetic compound that refers to a class of light-sensitive resins that solidify when exposed to ultraviolet light. The material is popular in signs since it is created in a single sheet rather than multiple elements. Photopolymer is predominantly manufactured for ADA compliant signs and the process must be closely matched to national, state and local code standards.
Cutting
Laser Cutting
Waterjet Cutting
Waterjet cutting was first used in the 1930s for cutting paper. Waterjet cutting started in the 1930s as an alternative to traditional cutting methods. Waterjet has the advantage of providing a clean cut without compromising the materials. Most waterjet cutters use an abrasive agent for hard materials like glass and metal. The sign industry utilized water jet cutting based on its ability to cut a wide variety of both hard and soft materials including sinter, acrylic, metal, and wood.
Laser Cutting
Laser Cutting was first used in diamond cutting in the 1960s before being employed in the Aerospace Industry. Laser cutting evolved in a number of different industries during the 1960s before finding its way into the sign industry in the 1980s. Laser cutting is used for both engraving and for cutting, with the ability to achieve precision that cannot be achieved with traditional routes. Laser cutting can be used with common raster and vector-based software, making it easily accessible for most fabricators.​
Sandblasting
Sandblasting was originally invented in 1870 to remove paint and dirt from surfaces as a cleaner alternative to pressure washers.
Sandblasting began as a technology to clean surfaces using an abrasive material (Sand being the most popular) but was soon discovered to have excellent cutting abilities, particularly for soft surfaces like wood and high-density urethane. Quickly adopted by the sign industry it became a staple technology because of its ability to create delicate forms as well as a tactile texture. While not used universally by the industry there are still many shops that specialize in the approach.
Routing
Routing is one of the first mechanical cutting tools for woodworking starting in the late 1800s. Routing is one of the original mechanical cutting methodologies starting with hand-cutting tools, followed by motorized cutters in the 1920s and digitally controlled routers in the 1970s. Gerber began building the first sign routers in the early 1980s and a variety of materials including foam, acrylic and wood were engineered for routing. Today CNC routers are among the backbone tools of the sign industry.
Sign Fabrication & Finishing
Sign Fabrication
Sign Fabrication
The first organization for sign fabricators, NESA, was established in 1944. It later became the International Sign Association or ISA. Manufacturing signs has been a professional industry for thousands of years but was mainly hand-tool and craft-based until the 1920s. Welding and precision machinery began to transform sign companies into a combination of craft and machine-based manufacturers. Later engineered materials and connectors vastly expanded the reach of fabricators and created new specialties.
Additional Areas Under Development
Metal Fabrication and Finishing
Documentation
Project Management
Installation Management