Tools for Sign-makers
Critical to sign applications of all shapes and sizes, Rob Fletcher takes a look at some of the latest tools available to the industry and how they can help sign-makers save on costs and time
Thursday, 09 Dec 2021 18:26 GMT
Gearing up
From wide-format posters and gigantic billboards, to digital
signage structures on the high street and lettering on the side of
buildings, sign applications come in all sorts of interesting formats.
However, no matter what sort of project you are working on, you
will need some sort of specialist tools to complete the application.
This poses another challenge for sign-makers as they are tasked with
ensuring they are only working with the right, and quality, tools.
Here, we look at some of the latest tools available to the market
and find out about how these products can help sign-makers improve the
quality of the final application.
Quality is everything
One company that specialises in the supply of these tools is
Signgeer, which, originally founded in 1986, provides high quality
performance tools and equipment for newcomers to the trade and
experienced professionals.
Managing director Louise Gardener says being in a very visual,
deadline-driven industry, the professional finish on any sign, small or
large, is critical to both retaining the customer and maintaining profit
margins.
“The quality of the products that you use directly impact on the
quality of the finish that you are able to offer to your customers,”
Gardener says, adding: “For example, a higher-grade material will result
in a better finish and ultimately last longer.
“This rule of thumb also applies to the tools and consumables used to
complete the job. For example, a good quality cleaner results in a
better prepared surface for material to adhere to, while a good quality
tape or adhesive will perform to a higher standard, and good quality
fixings are less likely to fail.”
Gardener goes on to outline the dangers of not paying enough
attention to the tools that sign-makers are working with, explaining
that as well as putting the project at risk, under-investment in tools
could put members of the public in danger.
Under-investment in tools could put members of the public in danger
“Whether you are fitting signage to buildings, vehicles, windows or
other surfaces, there are so may risk factors involved that we must
mediate,” Gardener says, adding: “This could be the risk of signage
failing and coming down, which is then a health and safety hazard to the
public, or the risk of damaging the substrate that you are applying to
or removing from.
O Factoid: 98% of products supplied by Signgeer are available for next-day dispatch O
“By using only quality products, this greatly reduces these risks
and increases the end user’s satisfaction in turn. Quality products for a
quality finish, at a reasonable price is a principle we highly stand
by.”
Simple but effective
With this, Gardener draws attention to some of the latest and most
popular tools available from Signgeer. For vehicle wrapping, Gardener
singles out Wrap-U-Ezee by Yellotools as one of the most popular tools
from the past twelve months. Wrap-U-Ezee is a film tensioning ring that
helps when wrapping the protruding parts of vehicles such as exterior
mirrors or door handles.
Wrap-U-Ezee is prodcued by Yellotools and supplied by Signgeer
“This simple, but
effective tool not only provides an easier install, but also helps to
reduce the risk of overstretching in certain areas,” Gardener says,
adding: “It allows you to evenly pre-tension the film so you can wrap
without the need for a second pair of hands.”
Due to the success of Wrap-U-Ezee, Yellotools and Signgeer recently
announced the launch of Wrap-U-Ezee Flat, designed for when wrapping
the low profile protruding parts of vehicles such as the door handles
and antennas.
Another new addition to the
Signgeer portfolio is the Apex Retractable Precision Blade Safety Cutter
all-purpose knife, featuring an ergonomic handle design and triangular
body for firm grip, as well as a shielded cutter that allows you to cut
products such as knifeless tape, string and cord.
The Apex Retractable Precision Blade Safety Cutter all-purpose knife
Signgeer also recently added Trimalco to its range of substrate
cutters. Manufactured in the UK, the Trimalco range of kit has been
designed for the large-format sign and graphics markets.
Within this range, Gardener singles out the new Athena 3 as a
top-of-the-range integrated cutting system, featuring dual cutting
tracks: one for the blade and the other for the cutting wheel. The
system is capable of cutting materials up to 20mm thick such as PVC foam
board, banners, vinyl, inkjet media, fabric and textiles, film, paper,
leather, corrugated plastics, cardboard, magnetic sheet, acrylic,
aluminium composite and polystyrene.
Gardener concludes: “There are many pieces of equipment that come down
to personal preference, your trusty squeegee for example. For products
such as these, we would highly recommend trying a few different brands,
shapes and sizes to really get to grips with what is the best product
for you personally as it’s not a one size fits all project.
“If you’re looking for something for a particular job, whether it’s
if there could be an easier or quicker way around it with an extra aid
or even if you’re looking for something particular and you’re not sure
where to start, always get some advice on it first before jumping in and
guessing.”
Food for thought at FESPA
Looking elsewhere in the market and the recent FESPA Global Print
Expo in Amsterdam introduced us to a host of new products, including a
number of sign-making tools. Russian company Uzlex, along with partner
WMT Baltic, used the event to showcase its new scraper and squeegee
products to visitors.
The first of these new solutions comes in the form of its small ‘Chizzy’
scraper, which has been specially designed for removing material from a
surface. Uzlex explains that the special formulation of polymer on the
scraper is very strong, which in turn means the user will no longer have
a problem with cleaning the surface.
There are more than ten other different scrapers within this range,
as well as squeegees, squeegee protectors, rulers, rollers, cutting
tools and similar solutions.
This brings the company on to its new Uzlex White UP/Green UP
squeegee, designed for use with paint protection film, more commonly
known in the industry as PPF. Available in white or green, Uzlex bills
the product as a “professional” squeegee for use in signage projects.
Also at FESPA this year, Lion Picture Framing Supplies showcased
its aluminium sub frames for panels. These are bonded to the back of a
printed panel, thus making it more rigid and allowing it to be hung on a
wall using normal picture hooks, with the depth of the frame giving a
floating effect to the panel.
“The extruded aluminium profile is cut and joined to make a frame,
then bonded to the back of the panel with heavy duty bonding tape,” Lion
says, adding: “Join the pieces to make a frame with our moulded push-in
corners, which have a rounded shape to avoid damaging the panel if it
bends.
“Hangers are then fitted to the frame so that the panel can be hung
on normal picture hooks. Alternatively, security fixings can be used in
locations such as hotels and restaurants.”
Also new from Lion were self-adhesive panel hanging plates, which
the company describes as a “quick and economical” way to hang prints on
substrates including Chromaluxe, Dibond, and acrylic.
“These plates allow the panel to hang on almost any hook, nail or
screw,” Lion says, adding: “All plates are backed with a high-quality
polyethylene foam pad, featuring an aggressive pressure-sensitive
adhesive.”
Sign-making is an art and requires a whole host of special skills to not
only produce a piece of signage or wide-format print, but also to apply
and install it successfully. Innovative new tools, such as those
featured here, can help with these processes and ensure quality results
in signage applications of all shapes and sizes.
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