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No Comments Custom Restaurant Business Signs and Food Service Signage – CRFA Show
For Our Clients – Discount Code For CRFA SHOW
Last year The Sign Depot attended the CRFA Show for the first time. The CRFA Show is targeted to those in the Canadian Restaurant and Food Service Association. It is a trade show that stops in several large Canadian cities and The Sign Depot was there to showcase our custom Restaurant Signs and Food Service signage solutions at the Toronto trade show.
It was a very well attended show and we were able to make several connections with professionals in the Restaurant and Food Service industry. Our custom signs sparked a lot of interest and many of the attendees from last year’s CRFA event could see how our artistic dimensional signs would be a good fit for their establishments.
Next month we will be returning vendors for the CRFA Show and we want to have you visit us at Booth 341 located across from the cooking stage. It was a hub of activity last year with all the Chefs demonstrating professional restaurant techniques and delicious dishes. This year the Restaurant Industry Chefs that will be taking the stage include Mark McEwan from Top Chef Canada and Anna Olson from The Food Network’s Bake and Culinary Consultant John Placko just to name a few.
To ensure our clients are able to visit our custom sign booth at the CRFA Show this year we are able to offer you a discount code for your online registration. If you are in the Restaurant and Food Service Industry head over to the CRFA Show Registration Page and enter the Source Code 106527 to receive your tickets for the price of $17.50 (advanced online purchases only).
Click The Photo Above To Register - Use Source Code 106527 To Discount Your Order
To see examples of our Restaurant and Food Service sign solutions stop by our booth or visit our Restaurant Portfolio page. To learn more about what type of signs we can make for your establishment, take a moment and read our post about The Kinds Of Signs We Make Here At The Sign Depot
Valentine’s Sign Part 2 – My Valentine
Ode To Valentine’s Signs
Last year when @TheSignDepot tweeted out Valentine’s Sign https://sign-depot.on.ca/valentines-sign/ it took quite a few by surprise when they didn’t see a custom made sign on the page. Instead they saw the American Sign Language symbol for Valentine. In keeping with this tradition this year we want to show you Paul McCartney’s song My Valentine complete with American Sign Language contributions from Natalie Portman and Johnny Depp.
Custom Wood And 3 Dimensional Sign Questions And Answers
Q & A From Conestoga College Graphic Design Students
We are always happy to welcome the Graphic Design Students from Conestoga College into our Sign Workshop. This year a group of thirty first year design students came by to learn about the sign design process. They will be creating their first sign project shortly and had a lot of great questions for Peter. Running a custom sign shop for almost 20 years, Peter has a lot of insight about sign design and how it compliments the graphic design field. Below is a list of some of the questions the design students asked along with the answers Peter provided to help them with their first custom sign project.
Q: How did you get into the sign industry
A: I worked at a sign shop in my teens. Then I went on to get a degree in Fine Arts at University Of Guelph and then decided to start The Sign Depot
Q: What type of sign work do you prefer
A: Something that is challenging, often large scale 3 dimensional signs require a bit of problem solving, so I enjoy creating signs that get me thinking about how it can be created.
Q: How do you decide how on how big a sign should be?
A: I take photos of the building and put them into my software. When I design a custom business sign I can see what it will look like on the building. Trust your eye. You know what looks best.
Q: Any recommendations for an on site sign versus a highway sign?
A: When designing a sign for a high traffic area think of the message you want to get across while traffic is going by quickly. Less is more. Make the sign memorable not messy. For on site signs such as the restaurant signs we do, it is about relaying the message of experience you will have when you visit that establishment.
Q: I noticed that you have won an award for the 3 Dimensional Sign for Beertown, can you tell us a bit about that sign?
A: We wanted the look of the retro sign but wanted give it a modern feel. We used LED lights as a stand in for marquee light bulbs, as for the mural there was a template made that was spray painted on the building followed by artistic hand painting on the sign.
Q: What if you didn’t agree with client’s sign idea? Do you let them know?
A: I believe it is my responsibility as a designer to let them know about what makes for good sign design and I would make recommendations. Let them know that a good sign is a good investment for their business. So many customers have let me know that their sales increased because of their new sign. Additionally I think all of our signs stand as a business card for Sign Depot, we always think of how it will reflect on this business.
Q: When it comes to your gold leaf signs why do you choose 23K gold leaf?
A: We are very familiar with this type of gold leaf and know the kind of shine it can bring to our custom signs.
Q: How big is your customer base?
A: We are well established here in our community, as well as nationwide and have shipped our signs in the USA market too.
Q: Have you ever made a sign that was too big for your shop?
A: No, that goes back to our problem solving and business sign solutions that we design for our clients and why we have such a big sign workshop.
Q: Have you ever been approached by a show like Restaurant Makeover?
A: Not yet, you can go ahead and set that up though! We are involved in a lot of restaurant design builds and some of the experiences we have come across would make for some great reality tv!
Advice For Young Designers
Peter also had some parting words for these aspiring graphic designers
Always strive to be the best in class. When you’re out looking for jobs you want to let people know you are the best of the best.
Custom Business Signs For Blackberry – Signs Of Good Things To Come For Waterloo Region’s RIM
Business Signs For Blackberry
The Region Of Waterloo is know as being the technology hub of Canada. In more recent years The Tannery Building in Kitchener Ontario has become quite a think tank for the tech industry. The Sign Depot was selected by several of The Tannery’s tenants to provide custom reception signs that fit their businesses as well as the re-purposed building where they now reside. A few names you may recognize are Desire2Learn, Cutegecko, VeloCity Garage, MFX Partners and Mad Hatter Tech. Beyond reception signs we have been a regular supplier of custom business signs for The Communitech Hub located in The Tannery. The Communitech Hub is a collaberative workspace for tech based businesses. The most well known tech company in Waterloo Region is Research In Motion, who is about to launch the latest Blackberry. To promote RIM’s upcoming release Communitech came to The Sign Depot to create a sign to coincide with the Blackberry launch.
Signs Of Celebration
Research In Motion is a highly visible company in this area and RIM is well known for their Community Involvement. To celebrate the upcoming launch of RIM’s latest Blackberry smartphone they are holding celebrations in three separate parts of The Region Of Waterloo. Below is the information about the upcoming community Skating Parties being hosted by Research In Motion on Wednesday January 30, 2013 in The City Of Kitchener, The City Of Waterloo and The City Of Cambridge.
- Waterloo – Public Square/City Hall 75 King St S Waterloo, ON 5:30pm – 8:30pm
- Kitchener – City Skate Rink/City Hall 200 King St W Kitchener, ON 7:00pm – 8:30pm
- Cambridge – Central Park Skating Rink 615 King Street, Cambridge, ON 5:30pm – 7:30pm
These free community skating parties also include include free hot chocolate, cookies, and music. We think this is a sign of good things to come!
Artistic Signs Of Intelligent Life
Maryse Maynard Exhibit – Signs Of Intelligent Life
The City Of Kitchener Rotunda Gallery is featuring an exhibit called Signs Of Intelligent Life. Of course with the words signs in the name it peaked some interest. The exhibit was artistic mix medium show. It displayed printing press racks as shadow boxes influenced by famous sayings and quotes. It was an artistic sign showing a visual of the how the words influenced artist Maryse Maynard. You can read more about the artist and the ideas behind Signs Of Intelligent Life on her artist statement post.
Artistic Ideas
The words in these art pieces were displayed using scrabble pieces, clay tiles and what looked like routered wood letters. Below are two pieces that show how the phrases were created with Scrabble letter tiles.
MARILYN - 'Well behaved women rarely make history'
THE TREASURE BOX - 'Finders, keepers, losers, weepers'
Out Of The Box Thinking
The use of printing press tile boxes reminded me of the TYPEFACE film we presented last year at the Princess Cinema and how the skill of Wood Type printing could have been lost if it had not been for a Museum trying to keep it alive. Through the movie you learned how new artists are choosing to use wood type printing in new pieces, and in the case of this exhibit the item that holds the wood type letters was re-purposed into an artistic piece.
This brought me back to The Sign Depot workspace where Peter has an antique typeface holder displayed in his office. Every time I look there is an addition of items no longer available nowadays. Separately they look like items from days gone by, but together they look like a collection. It is almost as if these items are being re-purposed to make a brand new art piece right here in our workspace.
Looking at it now I wonder what phrase Maryse Maynard would choose for this display? Many come to mind for me, but I think the one that stands out is
Everything Old Is New Again
Five Ways To Build Business Buzz With Custom Business Signs For Your Company
Jump-starting January
Welcome to the New Year which for many means getting back to business and for others means starting plans for a new business. When putting together your business plan for the year, remember the importance signs play in building buzz and getting attention through word of mouth. Creating a custom sign is an important part of your business’s strategic marketing plan and advertising agenda.
Just A Tease
When The Charcoal Group was introducing their latest Restaurant Concept, Beertown Public House, they incorporated their custom sign creation as part of the buzz building for their brand. They built a strategy to get people talking about Beertown long before they opened the restaurant.
Choose To Be Visible
The Cakebox was already well established in the community, but they wanted to ensure that they were easily found when they moved locations. By choosing to use multiple types of signs, they were able to make sure they could capture both drive-by traffic and the attention of those walking in the area.
Find What Fits
If you have ever heard the phrase measure twice, cut once then you understand how important it is to go over the details before proceeding. Knowing what you want your sign to do for your business will help you decide on the budget you want to put towards it. Other details like proper sign permits and professional sign design are also things to consider when it comes to signs for your company’s establishment.
Take Note Of What You Notice
A business sign is a 24 hour advertisement for your business. It doesn’t take days off. What types of signs catch your attention? Those are the signs that are working. Make sure you think of the surroundings and distractions for your outdoor business signs. Findability is key for a new business and keeping on trend is important for businesses looking for a refresh.
Now that you have five ideas to start building buzz with custom signs for your business, what ways will your company be implementing signs this year?
Dimensional Signs as Props and Conversation Pieces
Bringing The Outdoors In
When we talk about 3 dimensional signs it often has to do with large outdoor signs and landmark pieces. These signs are often referred to as Roadside Attractions and are great for wayfinding signs and findability soloutions. There are other applications for 3D signs as well. They make great props for trade shows, menu displays for restaurants and they add impact to entrance ways. Here at The Sign Depot we have found a way to combine the outdoor landmark piece with the indoor impact piece.
Enter Our Dimensional Moosehead
He’s one part Melvin the Moose from the Country Bear Jamboree (minus the animatronic Disney magic) and one part Bullwinkle. Our friendly dimensional moose adds the tradition of moosehead and the fun of cartoon prop. As like the majority of our custom signs, a hand sculpted moosehead can be created to your specifications to match the style you would like have hanging inside the cottage or above the mantel of your home. The dimensional moose is sure to curate some fun as a conversational piece and add some whimsical charm to the surroundings. To find out more about our moosehead and many of the dimensional sign options that are available at The Sign Depot make sure to visit our contact page and let us know what one of a kind sign we can custom create for you!
The Choice Is All Yours
Choosing a custom dimensional sign will make your ideas life-like, memorable and be spoke of for years to come. We bring the fun of sign making to other places too. Make sure to continue the conversation online through our active Twitter, and check us out on Facebook. Need a bit of inspiration? Take a look at our Sign Depot Pinterest page, as it is sure to get the ball rolling. We would love to hear your comments as well let us know what you think in the comment section of this post.
Signs That The New Year Is Near – Emerald Green Pantone Colour Of The Year 2013
Looks Like A Green Christmas
When Pantone announced the 2013 Colour Of The Year would be Emerald it was well received. On their website, Pantone describes Emerald as a lively, radiant, lush green. It congers up visions of Emerald City from The Wizard Of Oz because of its jewel tone properties. This vivid colour will making its way on to store shelves, product lines and clothing pieces very quickly as most will want a jump on the trend while it is still fresh. Being that Red and Green are the main colours of Christmas, a green jewel tone will catch on very quickly this month.
What’s Is So Great About Green?
The great thing about green is that many shades of green compliment each other. You often see designs with multiple shades of green. Some are closer to blue while others are closer to yellow but even a seafoam green (closer to the blue end of the green spectrum) looks fine with a chartreuse (a yellow-green colour).
Green is a colour that means many things to many people. For some it reminds them about eating their veggies, for others it is an environmental movement. You have so much choice when it comes to shades of green.
Sign Colour Choices
Finding the green that would work best with your custom sign can be left up to personal choice, but we here at The Sign Depot highly recommend you consult a professional when it comes to the colours used in the sign design. As explained in our earlier post all about artistic colour choices we know how pantones are used and how to find complimentary pantone colours.
This knowledge is key when it comes to creating a great look on your custom sign. If you see the need for sign refresh, talk to us and see how your signs could make your competition green with envy.
Importance Of A Good Business Sign Can Be Compared To The Importance Of A Good Cookie
C Is For Custom Creative Cookies
Here at The Sign Depot we talk quite a bit about standing out and being memorable. Finding ways to be unique can be difficult sometimes, but it well worth the effort when it comes to signs for your business.
According to ChamberOfCommerce.com’s article The Importance of Advertising Signs for a Growing Business
What you put in front of someone’s eyes is perhaps the most decisive factor in determining what they think of you and your business. In fact, consumers are more likely to purchase a product if they have seen the name before. Therefore advertising effectively, and making the product or sign memorable is crucial to the success and the growth of your business
Advertising effectively is what PJ Lowe had in mind when she first created her promotional cookies. Her story was about having memorable items to hand out at a public event. She wanted something that would stand out from all the rest. She created cookies with logos on them. Really in our terms they were mini custom signs. The cookies were so popular she started the company Nom Nom Treats. Take a look at her photo gallery and see how many brands you recognize.
When the Cutegecko Design Agency approached us about creating a sign that looked like a cookie for Nom Nom Treats we new it would be a fun project. Not only would we be making a custom sign, we would be making a custom cookie sign for a company that makes custom designed cookies. Try saying that five times fast!
Dimension was key when it came to creating the cookie. It was all about standing out from the rest! The cookie was created in layers and then given a high gloss finish to replicate icing. Working with logo designer we were able to duplicate the Nom Nom Treats logo and gave it an extra layer of dimension when it came to the text. The end result was as 3 dimensional delicious looking as the actual Nom Nom Treats themselves.
Want to know what made us even more ecstatic? The fact that we just might be the best gift ever! At least that’s what PJ thinks!
Business Sign Permits, Sign Regulations, And Variances – What You Need To Know
Where To Start With Business Signs?
If you are looking to put up outdoor business signs you chances are you will need a sign permit. A professional sign shop will be able take care of the paper work to make sure that you are following sign regulations and can make the sign permit process go smoothly.
Why You Need A Sign Permit For Your Outdoor Sign?
That’s any easy one, so you don’t get a fine! If the sign inspector realizes that you do not have a permit for your sign they can fine you and have it taken down at your cost. This is why you need to have a professional sign company prepare your sign permit. They know which drawings and documents are required for your corporate business signs.
It is also a good idea to make sure your company is in a properly zoned area. Most sign permits will go through quite easily if they are in a retail, corporate and/or industrial zoned area. If the sign permit does not fit the parameters of the sign permit, a sign variance may be required.
What Is A Sign Variance?
A sign variance is an approval for a sign that does not fit the set sign permit requirements. In other words it varies from the sign permit regulations. This process often requires approval from a sign variance committee. This is why it is very important to have your sign documents prepared by a professional sign maker that is making the business sign for your company.
Remember you are better safe than sorry when it comes to the outdoor business signs for your location(s). Always make sure that you abide the areas bylaws and get the required permits prepared by professional sign company that is familiar with sign permit regulations. Also factor in that there will time required to prepare the sign permit documents and there will be a wait for approval. Here at The Sign Depot we know the saying dotting the “I”s and crossing the “T”s applies to more than fonts. Being thorough and precise in all aspects of the sign making process is something we take pride in and how we became an Award Winning Sign Company.
