Tricks of the Trade

It is not unusual to reminisce about the past. It is easy to look back to ‘the good old days’ and yearn for those simpler times, before the complexities of modern life made everything more difficult…

Such nostalgia, however, can often mask the truth. When you remove the rose-tinted glasses and actually compare our 21st century lives to days gone by, it becomes clear that ‘simpler’ does not necessarily equate to ‘easier’. Developments in technology have been increasing in efficiency and productivity year-in-year-out for a century—a process that does not look like it will be slowing down anytime soon.

With this in mind, it is time to take a look at the latest new gizmos and gadgets that will be easing the jobs of sign-makers in 2017.

Unsung heroes

Very often in this magazine we review the fastest, most powerful new sign-making tools, be they innovative wide-format printers or the latest CNC routers. Yet even these expensive, top of the range machines cannot complete the job alone. It is, in fact, the small, often overlooked products that can make or break a project, saving a sign-maker time, money and, perhaps most important of all, unnecessary stress.
 
Louise Gardener, director at Signgeer, affirms the significance of these small but mighty sign-making tools. She explains: “Signgeer specialises in quality time saving tools and gadgets to take the stress out of sign-making with equipment that can save you hours, and help to make you money at the same time as giving a more professional finish to the job.

“First impressions always count, and when a customer collects their sign order, it’s the finishing touches like corner rounding boards to remove the sharp corner, prevent delamination at the corners and enhance the look of the sign that can make your sign company stand out from the rest. A small initial one-off investment in tools such as these can help you win customers and grow your business.”


Such investments include both time-saving and troubleshooting solutions, as Louise explains: “For when the job hasn’t quite gone to plan and you need a quick fix, one option is the Opaque and Printex pen for touching up or removing paint blemishes. Equally, sign-makers can make life easier with tools such as the new Gecko Patch.



“For use on non-metal surfaces, the Gecko Patch features a micro-suction surface on the back, which enables it to stick to glass or other flat, smooth surfaces, while the front allows the use of magnets for positioning graphics before the final mounting. Perfect for non-magnetic vehicle panels, bumpers and glass, windows, and many more. When you’re done, the Gecko Patch comes off just as easily as it went on, leaving zero adhesive residue or any evidence that it was ever there.”



Space-age tech

Yet not all new tools are designed to make jobs simpler. For some, it is all about utilising the latest technology to offer customers the most innovative and interesting services. John Davies, managing director at Fastsigns UK, explains the newest service being offered at their various locations across the country.

He says: “Fastsigns has commenced offering Space View technology exclusively to its customers. This software enables surveyors to give their customers a photo realistic image showing exactly how their signage will look in situ by importing an image of the graphics onto a photograph of the chosen site. This is coupled with Spike, a real time laser measurement tool that can be attached to a phone or tablet and produces accurate measurements of height, width, area, length and target location.



“Space View offers real benefits to both the customer and surveyor, visually ensuring all parties have understood the brief and that the final product is exactly what the customer was looking for before it’s even built.”

In addition to this, Davies claims that the Spike technology that the firm combines with Space View dramatically reduces the time required to physically measure the area when initially estimating and providing a quote. Spike is distributed in the UK by Innotech and manufactured by Ike GPS.

He continues: “This is brilliant for customers as it speeds up the quotation process and reduces disruption to the workplace, whilst also searching for the best sign-maker to fulfil their needs. Spike also allows individuals to survey and quote for projects without the need to hire in specialist equipment, such as ‘cherry pickers’ to enable measurement at height, thus reducing cost as well as saving time.”

Diversifying toolkit

Of course, such complex and high-tech software will not be available or indeed beneficial for a lot of companies, especially those newer businesses that are still looking to widen their product offering. Louise Gardener brings us back down to earth with some of the latest gadgets and tools designed to facilitate new routes to market in 2017: “Prevention is always better than cure, and this is the idea with products such as the Mittman Ruler. Take the guesswork out of aligning or trimming graphics with the aid of the colour-coded guides perfect for orientation and positioning of the ruler prior to trimming. The black and white lines also give you full visual control with both dark and light graphics. Available in 560, 1220, and 1660mm lengths, you’ll be super accurate.



“In addition to this, Signgeer will shortly be introducing super starter kits to include different types of Supertools. If you are new to the industry these kits will get you flying in no time with aids such as the squeegee wrap guide. With this, you can avoid creating bubbles when wrapping by holding your squeegee in a 30-degree angle; you can quickly and simply create a cheat guide on any squeegee with the squeegee wrap guide. This is a real must in any starter kit for any sign hero.”

For any firms particularly invested in vinyl graphics, Gardener claims to have found the most revolutionary, innovative, and time saving gadget of 2016: the VR15 vinyl weeder.

She continues: “It can save you up to 70 percent off your time weeding graphics, the most tedious and time consuming job in the industry. With additional new accessories since its launch such as the useful media counter that enables the VR15 user to measure the length on a roll it’s easy to mount and demount. You can control how many cm/m are left on a roll, or use it to unwind a specific length. There are also a few more additions in the pipeline for the VR15 in 2017: this sign-making tool cannot be ignored as it can seriously reduce your labour costs.”



Offering a second opinion, Jayson Godridge from Freestyle Designs, Bath pays testament to the time-saving capabilities of this specific tool: “I was a little sceptical about how good this would be, but it has surprised me. We had a couple of large orders for around 2,000 small cut text vinyl logos and the thought of spending a day or two weeding them all out made me look into this machine.

“With this bit of kit, we had all the logos weeded out in around 30 minutes. You can lose the odd letter, but still less than you probably would if weeding that quantity by hand. We’re very pleased with it: it’s easy to use, saves lots of time and is a solid, well-built bit of kit. Although it would be even better if it could remove the centres of letters too.”

In response to customer requirements Gardener says that Signgeer will continue to develop and add to its existing sign tool range. The company will be launching its new catalogue along with hands-on demonstrations and ‘how to’ sessions at Signlink Live 2017 in Telford, from October 11th to 13th.

Robotic revenue

As we look to the future, however, it is only fitting that we end by examining some of the most state-of-the-art, futuristic technology on offer in the industry. When asked what most excited Fastsigns about the opportunities of 2017, Davies pinpointed one piece of kit in particular: “We’re using 3M Visual Attention Software (VAS) to analyse clients’ designs, to see where the consumers’ eyes are attracted to in the first instance, helping to map out a visual journey. This helps our clients ensure that the most important part of their message is positioned in the right place.”



He continues: “Customers are wanting a much more consultative approach to their signage solutions and, as such, the use of VAS is increasing dramatically. There’s plenty of scope for it to develop even further. It’s proving particularly popular for vehicle graphics as, if a vehicle is on the move, there are only a few crucial seconds where passers-by are able to absorb the message.

“Anything that enables a more consultative approach will have a strong impact on the market at the moment. We’re getting fewer calls requesting specific solutions and more people wanting expert advice to be built into their customer journey.

“Ultimately, customers are thinking smarter in terms of their own marketing, so we need technology like this to be able to complement and enhance that thinking.”
 

O Factoid: The origins of the word gadget can be traced back to the nineteenth century, with the earliest known usage in print coming from Robert Brown’s 1886 book Spunyarn and Spindrift: A Sailor Boy’s Log of a Voyage Out and Home in a China Tea-clipper.  O

In 2017 it has never been more important that we continue to look forward, recognising and rewarding progression, and avoiding the temptation to become complacent or even regress. With the many uncertainties we are facing, nobody quite knows what this year has in store for us. Yet one thing is for sure: if you find a problem or recognise a need, there will be someone only too willing to sell you a solution.



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