Advertising Information

How to Save Money by Making Your Own Sign


In the sign industry we commonly refer to the material that the sign is made out of as the substrate. Examples include, wood, vinyl banners, aluminum, coroplast, etc. But what many customers do not realize is that they can purchase vinyl lettering or vinyl decals and apply them directly to typical substrates themselves. Translation - saving money by buying blank substrates inexpensively at local hardware stores such as Home Depot and Lowes and avoiding the prices sign companies need to charge to apply the material. Although you do pay tax by buying locally on the substrate, you can save tax on the vinyl by ordering over the internet.

What are vinyl letters and/or vinyl decals? They are letters (or images) that come prespaced according to customer specifications as words, phrases, or sentences on pre masking tape. The lettering is self adhesive and by removing the paper backing, they can be applied directly to almost any substrate, car, boat, truck, windows, snowmobiles, jet skis, vans, store fronts, etc. Make sure the surface is extremely clean and free of dust or lint. Once the lettering or decal has been aligned, simply rub over the masking covering the vinyl and then remove it. The result will be perfectly spaced lettering or a decal designed as ordered with a professional look. Most sign companies will allow you to purchase multiple lines of vinyl lettering with the spacing between the lines defined by you. You can also usually obtain a combination of vinyl lettering and images on one decal.

Another tack you may wish to consider is to have the entire sign printed on vinyl made to fit the substrate you prepurchased (with a small bleed of additional vinyl to wrap around the sides). We must caution you that this is a bit trickier to apply than vinyl lettering, but problems can be overcome with care and some suggestions. When applying the vinyl to the substrate, remove the paper backing about two inches at a time, align, and then press or roll it on the surface. We recommend a roller for the application (roller applicator). Once the first part is properly aligned and applied, remove another two inches of the backing and proceed in this manner with the rest of the sign. Another trick is to moisten the substrate so you can move the vinyl if you accidentally align it improperly when first applied. The water prevents it from adhering permanently for a few seconds.

When you apply vinyl, it is inevitable that you will run into the "bubble" problem. Tiny bubbles of captured air will form under the vinyl. Usually these can be worked out with the roller but in some circumstances, they will remain. A blow dryer (not too hot) can be used to heat the vinyl up so that the air can be rolled out easier. Under some circumstances if the bubble is large, the vinyl can be heated and the bubble punctured with a pin (careful here - only a tiny hole is needed). Be careful not to heat the vinyl too much because it can permanently deform it.

Recently, a new product has been introduced which enables the vinyl to be adjusted if it is pressed on but incorrectly aligned. The adhesive does not seal permanently for a few hours after it is applied. The material is a bit more expensive but well worth it if you are inexperienced. Don't feel bad. I know many sign companies that are now going to the easy stick vinyl to avoid large overhead costs caused by mistakes with the old permanent seal vinyl.

Article written by: Tony Nagy
Email: info@designasign.biz
To learn more about Magnetic signs and other types of signs please visit http://designasign.blogspot.com/
to purchase Magnetic, Vinyl and just about every type of sign imaginable visit http://www.designasign.biz


MORE RESOURCES:
Google

BBC News

Why Microsoft will win Yahoo
CNNMoney.com - Jul 4, 2008
Google has acquired that kind of position in search advertising. If it were to succeed in the recently-announced deal to combine some or all of Yahoo's ...
The Case Against Google-Yahoo BusinessWeek
DoJ investigates Yahoo Google deal VNUNet.com
Microsoft, Google and Yahoo! team up for search advertising advice ... Marketing Week
San Jose Mercury News - guardian.co.uk
all 235 news articles


WA today

Public will be informed on climate plan
The Age, Australia - 8 hours ago
Climate Change Minister Penny Wong has hinted at a government advertising campaign to inform the public of measures to counter the threat of global warming. ...
Meet Penelope Ying-Yen Wong, the person responsible for our future Sydney Morning Herald
Can Wong avert carbon-fuelled train wreck? The Age
Prepare for dim, costly future The Age
all 23 news articles


Advertising in race works best if you take your time
Augusta Chronicle, GA - 3 hours ago
By Bill Kirby | Columnist Another great Atlanta Peachtree Road Race is over, and once again I have spread the news for a local cause, proudly displaying my ...


Jane Phillips Medical Center?s medication administration system ...
Bartlesville Examiner Enterprise, OK - 3 hours ago
By Special to EE Jane Phillips Medical Center recently was featured in an article published by IntelliDOT and distributed at the American Society of Health ...


Albert Lea Tribune

City played big role in advertising history
Albert Lea Tribune, MN - 15 hours ago
The advertising gimmick first used back in 1926 was to have five or six signs on posts in sequence along a rural roadway on the fence line about 100 to 200 ...


Regionals team up with the net in a marriage of convenience
guardian.co.uk, UK - 9 hours ago
Like other titles, the paper has been deprived of valuable advertising as the downturn in the property market means fewer homes are being sold. ...


If I were in Charge of Advertising
Headliners, UK - 20 hours ago
Jamila, 14 wishes she were in charge of advertising. I would make sure that the adverts promoted, were ones that advertised and informed people of issues ...


MSFT?s acquisition of Powerset is not about search
ZDNet - Jul 4, 2008
The recent $100 million acquisition of Powerset, the semantic search engine company, by Microsoft looks to be more to do with advertising than beefing up ...
Microsoft acquires semantic search firm Powerset AFP
Microsoft buys linguistic Web search firm Powerset Reuters Canada
On the rebound from Yahoo, Microsoft buys into semantic search instead iTWire
ReadWriteWeb - WebProNews
all 284 news articles


Iraqi newspapers hit by huge drop in government advertising
Menassat, Lebanon - Jul 4, 2008
The decision was a huge blow to independent Arabic-language newspapers, who depend for 40 to 70 percent of their income on government advertising. ...


City council committees to consider advertising for bids
Marion Star, OH - 21 hours ago
MARION - Advertising for bids for formula grant park projects is among items to be discussed Monday by Marion City Council committees. ...

Advertising - Google News

home | site map
© 2007