Topping up your tool box
“A good workman never blames his tools” is a common phrase we are certainly all familiar with, but if you are to kit yourself up with the right tools for the job, then you can instead praise these products for helping you produce all kinds of signage work.
From squeegees and rollers, to rulers, knives, and scissors, sign-making tools come in all shapes and sizes, with each having a critical role to play in the successful production and installation of applications. As such, sign-makers must ensure they are working with the highest quality tools to ensure high quality results.
Investing in high quality tools means businesses can manufacture products to a higher standard
Here, SignLink speaks with some of the leading manufacturers and distributors in the sign-making tools sector to get an insight into their latest solutions and what sign-makers should be looking for when purchasing new products.
Right tools for the job
When we talk about sign-making tools, this can cover a whole plethora of kit, so it is critical for sign-makers to ensure they are using the right sort of products for the application they are creating. Specialist solutions provider PLASTGrommet has published a handy checklist for sign-makers to run through to identify the types of tools they need for certain jobs.
“In the field of sign-making, there are different types of signage according to their application,” PLASTGrommet says, adding: “We can divide them into three large groups: indoor signage – mainly used as decoration at home or with an informative, preventive or commercial aim; outdoor banners – with similar purposes; and car wrapping, mostly used for commercial or ornamental purposes.
“For all types of signage, practically the same tools are required, but depending on the type of material, the use of specific tools is recommended.”
The company continues: “For the correct application of vinyl, the right tools are necessary so as to keep the signage workshop in order and to ensure an impeccable quality of finishes. For small applications or applications on vehicles, the operation can be done in a sign shop, but most of the time the sign-maker will have to travel to the assembly site and all the tools will have to be carried over as well.
“Signage solutions must be efficient and able to be carried out in the shortest possible time. To make this possible, it is necessary to keep all things in order during work and to hold the most suitable accessories.”
Looking at vinyl work in particular, PLASTGrommet says a quality squeegee is required to apply the vinyl to a surface. The company offers three models, the first of which are daily use squeegees, suitable for pressure-sensitive applications such as screen printing, tape, film, or signs.
Squeegees and scrapers are key to vinyl application
Felt edge red squeegees can be used for a more delicate application, preventing scratches during application, while marathon squeegees allow users to apply vinyl with the security of not scratching the surfaces, having been manufactured with a microfibre edge that allows for a totally smooth application.
Then there are vinyl scrapers; PLASTGrommet says that although its shape is often similar to that of squeegees, it has a different purpose, adding: “With this tool, you can remove a previous vinyl application or remove excess material. It is also recommended to use a lift stick for the correct lifting of the vinyl.”
PLASTGrommet supplies general purpose blades for delicate surfaces such as car paint, plastics, and wooden finishes, as well as blades for uneven surfaces for removing excess material from surfaces such as fibreglass, joints, and tiles. In addition, a big plastic razor reduces fatigue in longer jobs, with its more comfortable shape providing comfort for the palm of the hand.
Away from squeegees and scrapers, PLASTGrommet says if you want perfect results when working with vinyl, you will also need to consider other tools such as specialist gloves that prevent dirt, marks on the vinyl, or static electricity. Sign-makers should also consider handle magnets to make it easier to place vinyl on metals.
Also, PLASTGrommet offers safety knives to remove remaining material quickly and safely, as well as specialist brushes to apply vinyl and popping pens to get rid of tricky bubbles on vinyl. In addition, PLASTGrommet supplies weeding tools – both ergonomic and comfortable pens – to separate the material from the surface and the tweezers, for precise finishes.
Work smarter
Next, Yellotools is a global supplier of sign-making tools and solutions, distributing tools to customers around the world from its primary facility in Germany. Michael Althoff, founder and chief executive of Yellotools, says that when purchasing tools, sign-makers should take the same approach they do when buying new equipment – it must have a good return on investment, and the sooner the better.
Yellotools offers a wide range of tools for sign-makers
“Talking to hundreds of sign-makers all around the world, their pains are pretty similar: missing margins, cheaper competitors, 12- to 15-hour days, customers that demand the impossible, and we strive to offer tools that help fight all of this,” Althoff says.
“Work smarter, not harder. The easier a job gets going, the more money you can make. It’s that simple! Within the calculation processes, we try to keep return on investment under two or three months, depending on the traffic in a sign shop.
“We see a lot of cheap copies of our tools and speaking to installers using them, most say they break easy, scratch surfaces, are imprecise as they cause a lot of re-dos and cause a lot of other unnecessary trouble along the way. And if you have a complaint, you can’t reach anyone at Amazon in China or Brazil!”
Althoff offers an example of how underinvesting in tools or opting for a cheaper copy of a higher quality product, can impact production. Yellotools supplies a liner backslitter called the ‘BodyGuardKnife’, which comes with a Teflon-coated bottom part that is polished by hand so that the flat part does not have any irritation. Althoff says cheaper competitors produce their own versions and either powder coat it or paint it black to have it mimic the Yellotools version.
Yellotools’ BodyGuardKnife comes with a Teflon-coated bottom part that is polished by hand
“Due to the fact that they don´t have any financial room to polish them before, most of their slitters don’t work properly,” Althoff says, adding: “You get stuck in the middle of a fresh print and ruin it totally, or you use it on a customer’s car, and it scratches the paint.
“So, the danger of underinvesting is the risk of causing expensive defects, re-works, waste, and trouble. You can ruin a 4m-long print or banner, or even scratch a new van, all for the sake of saving £10 or £20 on the cost of tools.”
With this in mind, what should sign-makers be looking for when buying a new tool? Althoff says the first thing to check on is the company that manufactured the product.
“Who invented it; a profit-hungry engineer or a sign guy who suffered one time too much,” he says, adding: “Can I talk to the inventor team at that company? Can they improve or change anything on the tool? Are they curious to hear what I have to say? For me, that’s super important.
O Factoid: Around 70% of Yellotools’ products are manufactured at its factory in Siegtal in western Germany O
“Then, of course, the safety of using the tool and what kind of material you have to keep in your hand on a daily basis. Is there any toxic plastic in the handle you touch every day with your sweaty fingers? Is the flexible squeegee or applicator free of cancer-causing ingredients while you ‘park’ it in your mouth while working? How does the manufacturer treat their worker, community and the environment? How transparent are they and their business model?”
Leading on from this, Althoff picks out some of the latest solutions available from Yellotools, including pre-stretcher for mirrors, doorhandles, and shark fin antennas in the form of Wrap-U-Ezee. The company also offers a foam solution for paint protection film applications, as well as a range of APE squeegees, furniture wrap tools, floor graphics rollers and a selection of vinyl roll storage.
Continuous investment
Next up, William Smith is a trade-only supplier of vinyl material and also a manufacturer of signage products for the sign and graphics industry, with a wide range of products across its portfolio. A large part of its offering is equipment for sign fabrication, which is a core part of many signage jobs.
Kyle Giles, marketing executive at William Smith, focuses on this part of the business as part of his role with the supplier. He says that as with any business, it is important to make continuous investment to ensure you can stay with the trend.
“Investing properly in sign-making tools will allow you to manufacture products to the highest of quality and as the customers expect,” Giles says, adding: “Underinvesting can impact a business from several different perspectives.
Investing properly in sign-making tools will allow you to manufacture products to the highest of quality and as the customers expect”
“For example, if you underinvest in equipment, then you are risking the chance that the quality of your product will drop. Technologies are continuously advancing and therefore you may have the ability to carry out processes more efficiently. In addition to this, you are more likely to be able to manufacture products to a higher standard.
“If you do not invest in the upkeep of equipment at some point, equipment will fail, increasing downtime. This will then have a knock-on effect on your pipeline, lead times, and ultimately service levels. After all, what is good for today will not necessarily be good for tomorrow.”
Taking this into account, what should sign-makers be looking for when investing in tools? What kind of features should they be keeping an eye out for and why? Giles explains that first and foremost, any investment in equipment should serve a benefit to the business, whether it be creating an efficiency or improving quality.
“Reputable brands are always a good indicator of the quality of a product; I think that’s a given and most people will be aware,” Giles says.
With this, Giles goes on to highlight some of the many products and solutions available from William Smith and how these can benefit a business. Within its sign fabrication department, Giles says the supplier has standard state-of-the-art equipment that is required to produce quality sign products.
These include a 6m x 4m batch oven for powder coating, 5m powder coating spray booth, 4m 100T press brake, 6m x 1.5m AXYZ tool changing CNC router, and a 4m x 2m AXYZ CNC router.
William Smith supplies sign-making tools such as a 5m powder coating spray booth and 4m 100T press brake
The core message from specialist companies in this sector is that in order to get the best results when producing signage work, you need to be working with the right and highest quality tools. Only by doing this can you create the best signage applications.
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