Top up your toolbox

While tools and gadgets may often be small, the difference they can make is anything but. Sign-makers can save both time and money by investing in products such as measuring tools, mats, vinyl weeders, squeegees, and more. I have spoken to a handful of experts to get the low down and find out if there are any tools still missing from the toolboxes of sign-makers.

Signgeer, which had a particularly eye-catching stand at Signlink Live last year with its superhero theme, is more than well equipped for any sign-making job. Manager Jodie Gardener says: “Signgeer are passionate about their products and strive to offer the best solutions to finishing a sign project to a high standard as cost-effectively as possible by using the perfect tool for the job.

“In partnership with the most innovative tool developer in the world, Yellotools, we constantly listen to your ideas and source or develop the tools that you need wherever possible. The list of ideas is fantastic, never ending, and always welcome.”

Gardener highlights a new addition to its everyday tools, the Easy Read Digital Tape Measure, as a tool that will “make your measuring tasks a breeze”. She explains: “It has a long-term memory which can store two measurements, the all-important automatic centreline calculation between two points for perfectly centred graphics with a large clear digital display for easy reading. It will save hours and eliminate mistakes.



“We also have money saving tools and staples such as cutting mats to prevent damage to work surfaces and help in keeping your blades sharper for longer—there is nothing more costly and dangerous than a blunt blade.”

Gardener says its VR15 vinyl weeder is another time-saving and money-making tool it sells. “In the 30 years we have been in business in the sign trade we have seen a lot of ideas for automatic vinyl weeding machines, but none of them have proven themselves, up until now that is,” says Gardener.

She continues: “We have been selling the VR15 since March 2015 and its ability to accurately and quickly weed vinyl is astounding. It is a tremendous time saver, saving up to 60 percent in time on some weed jobs. The VR15 weeder is constantly being improved and added to with the addition of a heated version this year, which will be particularly suitable for garment transfer material.”



Signgeer also stocks all of the ancillary items a sign-maker will need such as framing, tapes, fixings, cleaners, adhesives, and the Keencut range of dust-free board and vinyl trimming solutions for next day delivery.

New inventions

It is easy to think that you will see the same tools over and over again, however, this is not the case with Signgeer as it constantly adds to its tool range.

Gardener explains: “Three great new tools recently added, which are manufactured by Yellotools, are the Handheld Board and Print Trimmer which will trim overlapping vinyl and debur in one go, saving precious time. The Wrapstraight Cut, which is a simple yet very effective tool to help you cleanly and safely trim into rubber seals when wrapping. It guides your blade, prevents scratching, and gives you a perfectly neat finish in this difficult to trim area where knifeless tape is not an option.



“Thirdly, the 30 Degree Wrap Guide for your squeegee. Wrap trainers will often teach their students to keep their squeegee at a 30-degree angle to prevent creases and wrinkles in their vinyl. However, it can be extremely difficult to imagine this angle, especially for a less experienced wrapper. With the 30 Degree Wrap Guide you will be wrapping like a pro in no time.”

I discuss with Gardener the challenges smaller sign-makers can come up against in the industry and how Signgeer can lend a helping hand: “Sign companies come in all different shapes and sizes, and this can be challenging for the smaller sign companies to offer the same type of services (albeit a scaled down version) that the bigger companies can offer.

“For example, flame polishing. Not every company can warrant the investment of a £500 flame polisher or a £20,000 laser, but by listening and acting on feedback we are able to develop ideas for tools made specifically to help the sign trade. A good example of this is the mini flame polisher, which is a handheld gas burner with a variable spacer for the perfectly polished edge on any thickness acrylic. At a price of £79.95, it is an affordable solution.

“We love to hear your ideas and pride ourselves in finding solutions for those everyday problems that sign-makers encounter. There will always be a need for ‘a tool to do that’, if we have not already found it.”

Built around you

Sign Making Tools also has a wealth of knowledge to share with sign-makers about how they can save time, hassle, and wasted materials by using the right tool for the job. Director, Julia Hughes, comments: “Here at Sign Making Tools we have a great opportunity to try everything in the real environment. As sign-makers by trade we know the problems/challenges that every sign-maker or vehicle wrapper may and has experienced. Therefore, our range is built around the trade. We have found tools that were for a completely different type of job but work perfectly for us.

“The tool range is focused on types of jobs we do. For example, cleaning and prep—it is something we all do without thinking but the hidden gems we have found can make that job a little bit easier.  To the more specialised jobs like vehicle wrapping, the little tools to get the vinyl down into the panels and giving them, the wrapper, something comfortable to sit on when doing a wrap. No one likes sitting on a cold concrete floor, so we have stools that move with you.

“The right tools for the job could save you seconds or minutes and over time that adds up to an extra cup of tea, five more minutes with a loved one, or a kick about with the kids.”

Hughes says Sign Making Tools is always looking at new ideas, tools, and ways of working, with its biggest new range being Paint is Dead. For anyone who has not heard of it, Hughes explains: “This is an American-based wrap network, which showcases the best in vehicle wraps and shares ideas and creates tools. We are the UK distributor for their Pro Series gloves (gorgeously black and you can use your touchscreen whilst wearing them), the Pro Series squeegee, and the buffers that you can add onto your squeegee.



“These have been specifically designed for vehicle wrappers by vehicle wrappers. Tried and tested, these are amazing and to be the only UK distributor of these makes us so excited. We launched them at Signlink Live in October, and had a few people come specifically to our stand to get a pair of gloves.”

Highlighting the evolving nature of the sign industry and that tools need to keep up with this change, Hughes concludes with an idea I know many of us would like to take into our home lives too: “Tools we need now? An easy way of cleaning the workshop after a busy day. A dream I know, but when you are tired, the last thing you want to do is sweep the floor.

“Tools for the future? With technology everything can change quickly, which is brilliant if you embrace it. We need tools that will make us more efficient in a very competitive market. Everyone wants to create something new and exciting, and if the tools can help them achieve that, then brilliant.”

Take your pick

Now, looking at machinery and the type of tools that can be loaded on the machine, I spoke to Ian Guest, sales and marketing at Zund UK, a company that specialises in different cutting systems.

He tells me: “The Zund machines are modular systems, allowing for many different kinds of tools to be loaded on the machine, such as cutting, kiss-cutting, creasing, routing, and more. By working with interchangeable tools, the operator is able to quickly and easily change between different applications and materials.

“Systems such as the automatic router-bit changer (ARC) automate the process too. This system includes up to eight different router bits being stationed in a magazine next to the working area, allowing the machine to automatically switch between routing, engraving, and polishing with no operator intervention.”

Guest highlights a new launch for the company—a high-powered routing system called the RM-L, which features a 3.6kw router spindle and is compatible with the ARC. He continues: “This router system makes light work of thicker substrates such as MDF, Acrylic, Foamex, and Aluminium, which would traditionally have taken more time to process. Not only can the RM-L remove more waste material per pass, it can also route at higher feed rates than lower-powered systems, which means lowered production times with the usual high-quality Zund finish.



“We have also launched a new laser module system for the G3 series, which is designed to eliminate frayed edges on polyester fabrics, predominantly for soft signage and POS/POP applications. The LM effectively cuts and seals the edges of the fabric in one process. As polyester fabrics have become a widely-used substrate for soft signage applications, the need to finish the jobs has increased, so by cutting and sealing in one pass, the Zund LM helps make the process even quicker.”

Adhesives have previously not been able to combine flexibility with clarity and speed of cure, and this has led to costly failures when letters have been subjected to external conditions. Innova Solutions have stepped in with a solution with the launch of its clear, two-part adhesive, Nova Weld Signfix 5.

Developed with letter manufacturer Signfab, the product is said to deliver benefits in terms of increased production times, and final product performance and aesthetics. It has been designed for the manufacture of acrylic faced rimless and rim and groove letters, and bonds securely to both stainless or aluminium return and acrylic face.

After the four to five-minute fixture time, the letter is securely bonded with the flexibility required to allow for the differential expansion that occurs between the acrylic and metal return when the letter is installed. The adhesive has been through rigorous testing in lab conditions and external weather cycles for twelve months. It was subjected to extreme temperature, humidity, and moisture. It is currently being used by some of the leading letter manufacturers and is available in both 50 and 400ml cartridge sizes.

O Factoid: A squeegee is a tool that will help apply car wrapping vinyl and was first used by fitters to lay down vinyl flooring. They now come in hundreds of different shapes and levels of flexibility, but often comprise a special felt edge, which allows for smooth application and prevents damage to the vinyl. O

Combining flexibility with unrivalled bond performance and clarity, Nova Weld Signfix 5 is certainly a useful tool for any sign-makers producing built-up letters—which is always an area of the sign industry that is in demand.

Furthermore, all of the tools discussed in this feature all well worth considering if you are in the market to top up your toolbox.


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