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Custom Address and Cottage Signs – Happy Mother’s Day

Make it ALL ABOUT MOM

Wondering what to get Mom for Mother’s Day?  We here at Sign Depot can help with that. We know that Mother’s Day is a momentous occasion where we thank all the lovely ladies that brought us into this world! The best way to celebrate is to give her a gift that will last.   Take a few moments to listen why the need to appreciates Moms and all they do!

 

 Now that we’ve reminded you why you need to acknowledge your Mom this Mother’s Day, have you decided how you’ll show your Mother just how much she means to you? Remember she deserves something special!

How about a gift certificate for Personalized Address or Custom Cottage sign to beautify the exterior of her favorite place? 

Take a look at some examples on our RESIDENTIAL Portfolio. 

Cedar Signs Are Built To Last

All our custom carved wood signs are fabricated from western red cedar, which is known for its weather resistant properties. After the sign is sandblasted it is given specialty paint finish to seal the wood and add luster.  With a custom address or wood cottage sign your Mother’s Day gift will be appreciated for years to come.

With our  are fully customizable signs, Mom can choose

  • the size
  • the shape
  • the wording
  • the image

She knows what looks best for her home afterall. Let it reflect her personal taste and flair for fashion with a custom carved wood sign.  Finding what works best with the surroundings and incorporating it into the custom sign with images and colours creates a great look. With a cedar sign added to the outdoors it can become the finishing touch to residential and vacation properties alike.

 With all this choice, we can help you become #1 KID once more!

 

 

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Star Wars Day Signs – Our Top 10 Favorite Star Wars Signs

Star Wars Day Signs – Our Top 10 Favorite Star Wars Signs

May The Fourth Be With You

On the 4th Day of May every year Star Wars fans spend the day greeting everyone with “May The 4th Be With You”. This is conventional greeting for Star Wars Day.  There are lots of websites, fan pages, and events dedicated to this day worldwide.  We decided to commemorate STAR WARS DAY with an ode to Star Wars Signage. While searching for Star Wars signs we wanted to display ones with a lot of originality.  These signs are made from various sign materials and advertising many different things.   Here are some of the more creative Star Wars signs that we have found in our search for unique Star Wars Signs.

Top 10 Star Wars Signs For Star Wars Day

Here are our Top 10 favorite Star Wars Signs

 

Star Wars Signs - The Sign Depot

   Star Wars Signs - The Sign Depot

Star Wars Signs - The Sign Depot

 

Star Wars Signs - The Sign Depot

Star Wars Signs - The Sign Depot

Star Wars Signs - The Sign Depot

Star Wars Signs - The Sign Depot

Star Wars Signs - The Sign Depot

Star Wars Signs - The Sign Depot

Star Wars Signs - The Sign Depot

No, we didn’t make any of these signs (but we could)

Taking An Artistic Approach To Signs

As you can see we appreciate creativity and are always looking for what is next for the sign industry.  We always want to look to the future of signage and see how to keep current on sign trends.  Finding ways to incorporate artistic designs in our custom signs is something we take pride in. Our professional sign crafters take unique approaches to each project to make sure it becomes a quality sign that can stand the test of time. We are known as a traditional full service sign company. To us tradition means handcrafted signs that are aesthetically pleasing and long lasting. Here at The Sign Depot we take the time to ensure our clients get what they envisioned and we work to exceed there expectations.  When you promise phenomenal results you need to be able to deliver on such a promise.

You might even go as far to say The Force Is With Us!

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Sculptural 3 Dimensional Signs – A Fish Out Of Water

or Finding Nemo At The Sign Depot

 

Over the last few weeks we’ve been watching a new character evolve.  The beginning stages of the sign foam structure we best described as “Goldfish Cracker” shape.  That day it was decided that we were now Finding Nemo at The Sign Depot

Watching A  Sign Foam Fish Can Be Fasinating

Sculptural Signs, 3 Dimensional Signs - The Sign Depot  

To give the sign dimension, sculptural scales were created by hand using a sculpting product and then applying it to the High Density Urethane (sign foam) surface.  Then ripply fins, exaggerated eyes, Mick Jagger like-lips and bright coloured paint gave the fish the cartoon-ish look that the client was looking for.

3 dimensional signs - The Sign Depot3 dimensional signs - The Sign Depot

Where will the Fuschia Fish find it’s final destination?

 

The sign is not for an aquarium, it’s an outdoor address sign.  Address and Residential signs can be made to match your own personality, sense of style and/or uniqueness.  You can decide on how subtle or stand-out you wish your residential sign to be. We can fully customize your outdoor address signs to your specification.  It is always a good idea to have a few things in place in order for you custom sign to meet your expectations.  Here are some great things to have prepared when contacting a professional sign designer

Residential Signs – Where To Start

  1. Begin with your favorite colours, pictures, pieces of art etc. all of these will help our professional sign designers create a look and feel that captures your style and taste. 
  2. Next decide on how large you wish the sign to be.  Measurements are key! 
  3. Choose the text (if any) you wish to display on your sign. 
  4. Show us where it will be displayed.  Take a picture of the area it will be installed.  That way the designer will know what other objects are around the area for your custom sign, and can incorporate elements to match. 

Whatever your desired scuptural address sign look is, these steps will help in the formation of what may be your guests first impression.  OUTSTANDING!

Scuptural 3 Dimensional Signs - The Sign Depot

 

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LED Signs – Earth Day Signage And Custom Business Signs

Alternative Sources for Lit Signs

With Neon Signs quickly becoming a thing of the past, businesses are looking for ways to make their signs stand out.  In recent years LED lit signs are becoming increasingly popular.  According to Wikipedia.org LED (short for Light-emitting diode) lights present many advantages over incandescent light sources including lower energy consumption, longer lifetime, improved robustness, smaller size, faster switching, and greater durability and reliability.  Most recently we used LEDs for THE PURPLE ROOM and THE CULINARY STUDIO. By choosing LEDs to light their custom business signs, they are adding vibrance while saving costs on electricity and reducing their environmental impact.

LED Signs - The Sign Depot

Tropicana took this one step further by using oranges to light a sign.  The description on YouTube says Tropicana France creates billboard powered entirely by oranges. Afterwards, all the oranges were collected and reused in a compost or to produce biogas

Sign Innovations

We love the idea behind this lit sign. The sign has aspects of creativity as well as innovation.  It could really serve a purpose with Green Economy movement that is being talked about a lot nowadays.  When it comes to custom lit business signs we are always looking for ways to save our clients money on electrical costs as well as ways to ensure longevity of their company sign. We want our clients to be satisfied with the look of their sign, but we are always looking for opportunities to implement green initiatives when it comes to signs. We always strive to be on top of current trends in the signs industry and incorporate new materials whenever possible. Here at The Sign Depot we are known for our creative and innovative ways to make great signs.  By being imaginative and artistic we can always build custom business signs to convey just how unique your company is, just like Tropicana did.

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3 Dimensional Sign Manufacturing In Kitchener Waterloo – WaterlooMIN Takes It All In

Where Will We Be Found Next?

 Building a buzz around Waterloo Region is something that we enjoy creating, but we’re not the only ones. WaterlooMIN re-branded and is creating a lot of sparks in the local manufacturing industry.  We were excited to be included in their re-launch event and took the opportunity to make several connections with those involved in the WaterlooMIN site.

 

Julia Rosien of WaterlooMIN came by The Sign Depot to get a behind the scenes glimpse of the sign manufacturing industry. She took the time to create a post and video about her experience. She mentioned that our OPEN DOOR policy is very rare in the manufacturing community and appreciated by their organization.  It is great to know that Waterloo Region supports what we are doing and helping other local manufactures to excel in their industry through the use of the WaterlooMIN site.

  Julia’s full post can be found on the WaterlooMIN site, as well as this video describing what we do and showing some behind the scenes of the 3 dimensional sign for The Silver Spoon located in downtown Kitchener Ontario. http://youtu.be/Tdm8sttN1hQ?hd=1

Our online pressence through the use of Social Networks was discussed at length.  That discussion evolved into how blogging and how our twitter and facebook pages are used to amplify the posts.  Julia gave us a lot of great feedback on these topics and reinforced the idea that the blog is a great tool to create a community following. 

 

This month we’re proud to announce that The Sign Depot has been added to WaterlooMIN ‘s EXPERT BLOGGER list under the heading of Marketing Matters. There, we will be exploring blogging in the manufacturing industry and steps you can take to reach a bigger audience.  We’ll be explaining the difference between static websites and blogs.  We want to show manufactures how to build a following and create a community, and tips to get your message out through the use of Social Networks. We think connecting with our online audience is a Sign Of Things To Come!

What tools do you use to create a online pressence?

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How A Sign Started A Movement – Community Involvement

Take 5 mins and see how this one sign started a world-wide movement.

Free Hugs Has Become A Worldwide Movement

All it took was one sign.  A simple sign.  We always say less is more, and in this instance it was bang on.  Simplicity with a clear message is something we always convey to our clients, but this video shows that it can also convey a message to a community and then to the world! The FREE HUGS CAMPAIGN is all about Random Acts of Kindness which is something we know quite a bit about being situated in Kitchener Waterloo.  In this area we celebrate Random Act Of Kindness Day every November and Waterloo Region welcomed Charley Johnson of the Pay It Forward Experience in the fall of 2011 for the GimmeYourBest event.  All it takes is someone with an idea to make a change.  We hope this inspires you to sign up as a volunteer in your community.  Community involvement is something we work hard to be a part of, whether it be for the arts community, charitable organizations or nationwide campaigns such as Movember Canada.  We want to be sure to give back and make positive changes to help to better ourselves as a small business. We appreciate being a successful custom sign company and do our best to support great local events such as TEDxWaterloo.

What Ways Do You Get Involved?

We want to hear how you get involved.  Have you signed up to volunteer in your community? Do you donate to charitable causes? What ways do you give back? Let us know and we could feature your accomplishment in an upcoming post! Creating your own Random Acts Of Kindness are a Sign Of Good Things To Come!

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Sculptural Signs Tea -riffic Attention Grabbers

Sculptural Signs Tea -riffic Attention Grabbers

Sculptural Sign For The Silver Spoon

If you read last month’s post I’m A (Not So) Little Teapot you saw the #reallyBIGteapot in it’s beginning stages.   Over the last month we had several visitors come and take a look at the replica Brown Betty Teapot  being built.  Word travelled fast and by the end of the month we we fortunate enough to be featured on the WaterlooMIN site.  Today the Teapot scuplture found it’s home across from Kitchener’s City Hall at The Silver Spoon . This 3 dimensional sign is quite an attention grabber already.  By choosing to have a projected feature on their building they are noticeable from all parts of the corner intersection.  Being across from City Of Kitchener’s City Hall building, The Silver Spoon wanted to capture the attention of those passing by in this high traffic area and a scupltural sign was the key to making it all work.

Custom Business – Appearances Are Everything

 Because of the revitalization project in Kitchener’s Downtown The Silver Spoon was able to take advantage of the Facade Upgrade Grant.  This grant is to help business owners in the downtown area to refresh their entranceways, and in turn make downtown Kitchener a more inviting place to visit. To learn more about applying for such a grant make sure to read our post on Business Sign Permits, Sign Regulations And Variances.  This will give you a good idea of what you will need to have prepared when it comes to sign regulations. Always make sure to consult with a professional sign company that understands sign permit regulations.  They are the ones that are most familiar with what is required for sign permit approval.  Once The Silver Spoon had the proper approval they went full force in upgrading their establishment’s entrance-way.  They chose stand out colours and dimensional sign letters for the front of the building, but it’s  The Silver Spoon’s Teapot that is sure to become a landmark for Downtown Kitchener. 

 

Sculptural Signs - The Sign Depot

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Visibility Is KEY When It Comes To Custom Business Signs

 

Notice The Signs

If you check out President Peter’s Sign Tips in our latest newsletter you’ll know how to measure your Letter Height vs. Viewing Distance.  The first pic shows just how large the dimensional letters are in comparison to the installer’s height. 

Custom Business Signs - The Sign Depot

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 The second pic shows how your business name looks in proportion to your building and the view from the public eye.

 

Elements Of Sign Design

The key to your business being visible is creating custom business signs that reflect what your company is all about.  Choosing letter styles that suit the business name and logo are important parts of the branding process.  Always make sure to consult a professional sign designer when it comes to your company’s sign needs.  They know all about design as well as sign requirements and quite often can take care of the sign permit process for you. Sign designers take many factors into consideration when it come professional sign design.  Some elements in sign design include
  • textures and materials that compliment your company’s building
  • positive and negative space and how it works together
  • colours and graphics that bring out the best of your brand
  • size matters, as you can see from the examples above

Visibility and Findabilty Go Hand In Hand When It Comes To Signs

Once a custom business sign’s initial design has been approved, it is then in the hands of the sign production department to ensure that the sign design will work well in the space provided.  Producing a custom sign that is visible to both vehicle traffice and those walking past your business is always what we strive for here at The Sign Depot. Making it easy for your potential clients to find you is very important and standing out from your competitors gives you and edge in the marketplace.  In this instance bold lettering with a gold finish gives the Langford Canoe sign clean look with a clear message of the proud Canadian company provided by the logo of a beaver. In addition the Gold coloured letters were attached to black backers to provide an outline in order to make the letters stand out against the white siding on the building. What changes are you making to your exterior this Spring?

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Involved In Creating Community In This Creative Community

Involved In Our Community

Sign Depot has always been part of the local community, by providing donations to silent auctions, golf tournaments etc.    This has always been well received, but never quite matched how creative we can be.  Over the last year we chose some different community involvement projects which we hope provided a positive impact on the people living in this area. It’s amazing the impact one sign, or in this case one sign company can have.

It started last May with the Grand Opening of our new location.  We partnered with The Food Bank of Waterloo Region‘s newest endevour THE DIG IN CAMPAIGN.  We brought the community out to enjoy our new surroundings along with a BBQ lunch in return for their Food Bank Donations.

Some of our other new community involvement projects include

We do our best to support the community and encourage them to be creative as well.  Finding ways to be involved in our arts community, small business networks, chartiable organizations and not for profits are just some of the ways we give back. Always thinking of creative ways to be involved is something we hope many companies will implement. We are excited about some upcoming projects The Sign Depot will be supporting in the upcoming months, but we are just as excited to be a fun place to come and visit!  Just ask Darin White the winner of the Sign Depot WORD JUMBLE.

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3 Dimensional Signs For Businesses – I’m A (Not So) Little Teapot

Creating 3 Dimensional Signs

At first glance the newest structure in our shop looks oddly like the cartoonish goldfish sculptural sign, but as the days pass the form is taking shape. It is going to be a 3 dimensional sign replication of a brown betty teapot.  This scupltural sign will make a big impact as it will be a prominent projection sign in the heart of downtown Kitchener Ontario.  The Silver Spoon wanted to find an orginal way to advertise their establishment with emphasis on their tea room.   The idea of projecting an artistic sign off the building was greatly received.  This type of custom business sign will be sure to capture the attention of passers-by.  Being situated on a corner this area of prime real estate with a bold 3 dimensional sign will be easily noticed both by vehicles driving by as well as those walking in the downtown area. Finding ways to make your business store front inviting to all is another way custom business signs help to get potential clients through your door.  Finding unique ways to upgrade your entrance-way with signs  is an investment that pays for itself over and over.  Your company signage is a 24 hour advertisement for your business. You want to make sure that it is memorable and as well as tasteful.

3 Dimensional Signs - The Signs Depot

 

Three Ways 3 Dimensional Signs Help Your Business

  1. 3 dimensional signs stand out from their surroundings
  2. They encourage potential customers to come in and see what other unquie products and services you can provide
  3. Sculptural signs serve as memorable landmarks and your want your business to be remembered

Be sure to stay tuned to see how the Not So Little Teapot becomes a the focal point of a downtown establishment.

3 Dimensional Signs - The Signs Depot

  You can also participate in the discussion on twitter by using the hashtag #reallyBIGteapot  We would love to hear your thoughts.

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