class="tag"Posts Tagged ‘custom wood’
14 Comments Custom Pub Signs – Traditional VS Modern
Creating Custom Pub Signs
Pub signs are very unique sign projects. Traditionally they were one of a kind projects to mark a local establishment. Today some pubs are part of restaurant chains which means the signs will be duplicated. The professional sign makers here at Sign Depot take a different approach to each sign project. This gives the restauranteurs a variety of choice and the opportunity to personalize their custom pub signs.
Traditional Pub Signs
Traditional pubs signs are often 3 dimensional custom carved wood signs. They were highly visible signs to passers-by. To learn more about traditional pub signs please take a look at the slide show below.
These pubs are generally geared to distinct crowd. Many have a rich family heritage and the owners want that history to been represented in their pub’s sign. Personalization of the sign is of tremendous importance.
Modern Pub Signs
Modern pub signs can be just as customized as traditional pub signs. These signs tend to made from an assortment of materials and are built to a much larger scale. These modern day pubs are often located in larger buildings that are created that way to compete with other establishments in the restaurant industry. They often have a menu mix of traditional and modern fare.
Designing A Pub Sign
Whether choosing a Traditional or Modern Pub Sign there are several factors to consider
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How big in the building that the sign will be displayed on?
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Is the traffic near the pub vehicle or pedestrian traffic. or a bit of both?
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What will the text say?
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What kind of logo or graphics will best represent the pub?
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What is the budget for the project?
Once you are able to answer these five questions, then the design and sign permit process can begin. Customizing a sign can be just as individual as you are. Here at The Sign Depot we have quite a portfolio of both traditional and modern pub signs. Make sure to contact us regarding your restaurant signage needs.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day Everyone!
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.
The Sign Depot Makes It A Movember To Remember
If you stop by The Sign Depot this month you’ll see that things have gotten a little HAIRY!
Yes we’re busy working away as always, but the Hairy I’m referring to is the facial hair kind. You know the fuzzy stuff on the upper lip.
What Does Movember Have To Do With Custom Wood Signs?
Peter Moir the Owner/President of Sign Depot has signed on to participate in Movember Canada this year. Being that the main logo for The Sign Depot Inc. features a Moustached fellow it makes for a perfect fit! What else do moustaches and signs have in common? A custom carved sign makes an impression the way a well groomed Movember moustache does. They both get people talking and raise awaremess. Whether it is for a business or for an non-for profit, getting noticed is an important part of making a great impression.
More About Movember
For those who have not heard about Movember, it is a charitible organization formed to raise awareness about Men’s Health issues. Being part of a community of those willing to help others is something we here at The Sign Depot can get on board with! Being supportive to those is need is a great way to connect with the community you are based in. Find ways to get involved and you will know what it feels like to be part of something bigger. All it takes is a little initiative and some creative thinking.
Rick Mercer is known for his rants, but see what he has to say about Prostate Health and his involvement with the Movember community.
Want to be more involved in Movember? Join a team and follow all the fun on the facebook page
See what you can do to raise awarness about Movember and Prostate Cancer Canada. Help make this a Movember To Remember
How To Keep Custom Wood Signs In Tip Top Shape
Time for Some Spring Cleaning!
As mentioned in our newsletter http://mim.io/179ed
Once you have invested in a great looking custom wood sign you should take a few steps to keep your cedar sign looking great
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Twice a year wash and wax your sign. Use a mild dish soap and soft brissle brush ( paint brush ) to gently loosen surface dirt – follow with a though rinse with clean water. A light coat and buff with typical spray on car wax will help repell water and keep your sign looking good.
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Remove any weeds or vines that are crawling up your cedar sign posts. They may look interesting, but they can do a bit of damage to the finish
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After about 7 years (depending on sun exposure) bring it into The Sign Depot workshop for refurbishing. It will leave looking brand new.
Now that we’ve had some warmer temperatures make sure to get outside and take a look to see if you’re Curb Appeal is still APPEALING. If not try the tips above. Your custom sandblasted sign is made from rot resistant western red cedar which means with a little TLC your wood sign will last for generations. Traditional personalized signs are great heirlooms for family members and they can display signs of your rich family heritage. They have a historic quality that is unquie to all other types of residential signs. For more examples of our custom signs make sure to visit the Portforlio on The Sign Depot website.
Stay In The Loop
Want to receive monthly tips? Make sure to sign up for our newsletter The Sign Depot Signage Signal in the right side bar. You’ll learn tricks for better business branding, see the custom sign projects here evolve and stay in the loop about upcoming community events just like this one Late Nights And Blue Collar Mornings
How Our Heritage Signs Deemed Us A Museum of Signs
Museum Of Signs
… that was the quote of the day last week at our Designers’ Demo Day/Open House aka #designDAYsd from the one of guests Mr. Matt Scobel
We welcomed the Design community to stop in have a drink from Ridge Road Estates Winery and a bite to eat from Little Mushroom Catering while learning all the different ways they could incorporate signage into their clients portforlios. By reaching out to the design community we found a way to connect with artistic designers looking for unique items that they could offer their clients. By holding this open house in our workspace we were able to let them know about many sign materials and substrates that we work with along with the artistic sign finishing techniques we use.
There was a Router Table/CNC demonstration, a gold leaf guilding application and a power point presentation highlighting the scope of work we can produce.
Heritage Heirloom Signs
We were so happy that many out of town, as well as local designers were able to make the trek to visit us in January.We received many remarks about our custom signs, but it was our traditonal personalized wood signs that caught eyes of many. They appreciated the craftsmanship that goes into making heritage signs and wanted to learn more about the sandblasted sign making process. The process of creating custom wood signs was a popular topic for the majority of design demo day and we were happy to answer all the questions we could in regards to custom sandblasted cedar signs.
First Round Of Feedback
Although we will be following up with the designers to hear the feedback from our first Sign Depot Designers’ Demo Day we were thrilled by the compliments we received on site!
To hear what some of our Designers’ Demo Day visitors thought of what they saw here in the The Sign Depot workspace take a look at this video, where we were deemed a Museum Of Signs.
We Take The Same Approach To Custom Projects As We Do Custom Wood Signs – Fine Canadian Craftsmenship
Let It Snow
This year we had an abundance of snow and chose to take advantage of it while it was still here. The team at Sign Depot decided to hit the local toboggan hill to test out the handcrafted toboggans.
Below is a slide show of Sign Depot getting ready for the Christmas Season. Thanks to everyone who pops in to see us, or checks us out onlline! 2010 was really fantastic & CHEERS to continuing it on in 2011
As you may have noticed the MOIRS toboggans are a feature of the slideshow above. These custom wood toboggans are often inquired about when visitors pop by for one of our community events.
Proud To Be Canadian
These man made toboggans are a tribute to Canadian heritage. They are handcrafted from re-purposed materials that may look familiar to Canadian sports enthusiasts. The MOIRS toboggans are made from recycled skis. Talk about your Green Economy! Being know for our creative approach to signs and design projects, it was not a far stretch when these skis became a quite a show piece in The Sign Depot workspace. After before the final product was assembled there were lots of intricate steps elements involved including sanding to an ultra smooth surface, high gloss finishes, sturdy hardware as well as vinyl decals displaying the logo. After the toboggans were fully assembled they required a test team and we were eager to see how well they worked. The staff at The Sign Depot trekked up the city’s highest hill in the name of market research. Lets say that the test run for these wood toboggans grabbed a lot of attention, just the way our custom signs do and as you can see from the video below, fun in the sun was the theme for that Christmas Party!
Custom Wood Signs Become The 3 Dimensional Pieces To the Puzzle
Custom Wood Signs At The Sign Depot
Our upcoming project for the Air Canada Centre involves several different pieces coming together for the Lord Stanley’s Mug bar located in the building. As different as each of these materials are, putting the look together could get a bit puzzling. In order to head off such difficulties we pieced together our own puzzle.
Take a look at the tips of the custom wood sign pieces in the pic below to see what I mean. A custom wood sign routered to make a 3 dimensional maple leaf is just the beginning of the steps required for this sculptural sign. There will need to be logos and lights created to make this sign feature the beginning of a rebrand for the Lord Stanley’s Mug bar. Below are a few pics of the custom sign making process for this project. You can keep up to date with the progress of this custom 3 dimensional sign by following this blog as well as our social media links that can be found on The Sign Depot Contact Us page
After being assembled and painted our puzzle pieces came together to form this familiar shape
Well if we have leaves, why not add some trees? We also pieced together an outdoor looking wood display
How do all of these items become part of a large pub sign display? How about adding a lit sign like this?
Update
You can now see the finished project on our post 3 Dimensional Signs – NHL At The ACC. There you will see how the custom wood maple leaf sign looked before it left our Sign Depot workshop and after it was fully installed in The Air Canada Centre in Toronto Ontario. We would love to hear your thoughts on the final project. Leave a comment or post on one of our social networks.
Custom Wood Signs – Fitting Different Logos Under One Business Brand
Three Very Different Logos Get One Uniformed Look
Recently here at The Sign Depot we had the opportunity to test our branding matching skills. The UPI Energy office requested new reception area signage. It involved taking three very different logos and making them fit together as one business brand.
Custom Wood Signs
In order for these logos to “work” together in the same space the sign solution was simple. Creating custom wood signs for each of the business logos would give them a clean uniform look.
These custom crafted reception signs were resized and by using the same wood stain finish they were able to change their differences into similarities. Taking a client’s marketing dilema and finding the right sign solution is something that the sign experts here at The Sign Depot are quite acquainted with. With their professional sign making techniques and custom sign finishes they are able to acheive and exceed the expectations of our customers.
Finished Sign Project
As you can see in the pictures below, UPI Energy will have a warm welcoming reception area thanks to the use of custom wood signs. The use of artistic signs brought the three company logos together to fit under one brand. If you wood like more information on how custom wood signs and reception signs work together to make exceptional interior signs, make sure to visit The Sign Depot Contact Us page and get in touch with our sign experts. One of our professional sign designers will gladly offer you suggestions on how to upgrade your reception sign while ensuring to design a custom business sign in your budget range. Providing creative sign projects for companies is what we are known for, and we would love to have the opportunity to quote a custom artistic sign for your company that showcases everything your business has to offer.
Welcome Sign – Community Involvement At The Sign Depot’s Grand Opening
Signing In And Signing Up For Community Involvement
We invited family members, clients, friends and Mayor Carl Zehr to see what goes on inside our new sign shop located at 51 Borden Ave S. Kitchener, Ontario, formally the Doon Twines building. This historic building, now owned by Access Storage, has been re-purposed but many of its heritage features were kept intact. This makes a perfect match for our traditional wood signs.
We demonstrated a few of our custom sign making techniques such as guilding and and let them have a sneak peak of some of our upcoming sign projects.
This CNC demonstration showed how a sign design begins on the computer
Then gets cut on the router table
to become a custom 3 dimensional sign
We had a great time and it looks like our attendees did as well. More importantly we filled all the boxed for the Food Bank and it was all contributed to the local Dig In Campaign For The Food Bank Of Waterloo Region.
For additional photos of our community involvement initiatives, please visit our Facebook Fan Page at http://www.facebook.com/TheSignDepot
Custom Wood Cottage Signs At Christmas
Cottage Signs for Christmas
