Customer Referrals And Custom Business Signs

Why Waterloo Smiles Custom Business Sign Makes Us So Enthusiastic

Last month we installed the custom business sign for Robins Goldsmithing.  During this process Waterloo Smiles was in the midst of moving in to the same building.  They spoke with Robins Goldsmithing in regards to who was creating their signs and Robins Goldsmithing gave them our name.  We often have companies let us know they were referred to us by others who said they had a great experience working with us. We here at The Sign Depot think that is the best testimonial we can receive.  We take pride in creating custom signs that exceed our clients’ expectations, and knowing they passing the word on about our work to others brings our enthusiasm about signs to a whole new level.

Putting A Smile On The Face Of A Sign

The exterior sign for Waterloo Smiles was mix of sign manufacturing techniques.  Acrylic push through letters were lit with white LEDs to stand out from the black finished sign face. This mix of materials created contrast for this eye-catching outdoor sign which was then installed on the front of the building to create an inviting entrance-way.

As you can see by the comments in post from Waterloo Smiles facebook page, we aren’t  the only ones excited about this custom business sign going up!

As you can tell the Waterloo Smiles sign put a big smile on our faces! We want to know what puts a smile on your face? What are you most proud of? Let us know! Leave a comment below, send us a tweet or post on our facebook page. We always enjoy connecting! Go ahead show us that smile again!

Custom Business Signs – Representation With Rebranding

Robins Goldsmithing Waterloo Ontario

When Robins Goldsmithing decided to open a Waterloo location they choose to rebrand with a new custom business sign.  The new modern sign was created to be bright and stylish to fit well with Uptown Waterloo.

Coming Soon Signs

They took advantage of the construction time by covering up the renovations with coming soon signs in the windows (see below).  The signs were teasers of what passers-by could expect to find in the new store once they finished the interior.  Coming soon signs help to build buzz about a brand and get people talking about what is to come.

Creating A Custom Exterior Sign

A custom exterior business sign must create a focal point for an establishment.  It is the first impression of a business and Robins Goldsmithing wanted to create a statement with their outdoor sign.  Individual letters were created and given a custom finish highlighting the letter o in both Robins and Goldsmithing.  This was achieved by painting the o’s in a bright yellow to stand out from the remaining letters that were finished in black.  These letters were pin mounted to white backer which would be attached to the building

24 Hour Advertising

Robins Goldsmithing knows that their new custom business sign will provide a 24 hour advertisment for their company and wanted to ensure it was visable at any time of the day.  The sign was halo lit with outdoor LEDs that provide a warm white glow around the business name.  LEDs are long lasting and energy efficient which makes them a great choice for business signage. Lit signs also increase the findabilty of your business which is something very important to consider when you want customers to find your new location.

As you can see the store was all set for opening in time for the busy Valentine’s season.  If you’re in Waterloo Ontario, be sure to stop in and see all they have to offer.  Want any more information about the sign techniques used in the Robins Goldsmithing sign package? Send us tweet and we’ll do our best to answer you inquiry.

LED Lights Save Lit Sign Costs For Our Customers and Create Great Christmas Shows

LED Lights Make Signs Functional And Fun

LEDs otherwise known as Light Emitting Diodes are brightening up everything, including the sign industry.  Wondering why?  There are so many advantages to LEDs. One of those advantages is longevity.  As quoted from Wikipedia’s LED lights post

Many of the LEDs made in the 1970s and 1980s are still in service today. Typical lifetimes quoted are 25,000 to 100,000 hours That is just one of the many reasons why we here at The Sign Depot choose LEDs to light signs.  They are also economical, very visable from long distances and environmentally friendly   Even some of our “retro-look” signs are powered by LEDs.  The Light Emitting Diodes help us achieve the look we want and the low cost sign maintenance that our clients are looking for with their lit signs. LED signs also give you lot of of choice.  They come in several different colours and well as ones that can be programmed to rotate colours constantly.  Giving our clients unique options for their business signs is something we choose to do.  No one wants to look like all the rest.  Finding ways to get noticed is what can give you an edge over your competition, while making sure it is affordable for your company. Take a look at one company did to attract customers with an LED Christmas Display.  It’s Gangnam Style all the way!   On their YouTube Channel they wrote

STATS: 41,000 bulbs, 2,000 light channels, 2kms of cable & 200 hours to set up. My past displays have raised more than $90k for community projects. And what does it cost in power? An extra $10/week

Reading further on their channel you will see that this display for 3 hours every night.  Chances are your LED needs won’t even come close to the amount of bulbs they used so doesn’t that make you think about savings for your energy costs?   Want more info about LED lit signs? Make sure to Contact Us

Communitech HYPERDRIVE Hits Lightspeed With the Help Of High Density Urethane – HDU

What is Hyperdrive?

Well according to George Lucas’s 1977 movie STAR WARS  Hyperdrive propulsion systems were vital starship components that allowed starships to enter hyperspace to traverse the vast distances of space at faster-than-lightspeed. 

There is one issue, as you can see, without a properly functioning hyperdrive motivator the hyperdrive can break down.

Enter Communitech Hyperdrive

As listed on their website Communitech helps technology companies start, grow and succeed.  Earlier this week Communitech launched Communitech HYPERDRIVE.  This is truly the motivator requirement that many startup companies need.  This functioning motivator helps new tech business owners gain access to industry investors and mentors.  They find ways to make their companies grow quickly, or more appropriately send them into lightspeed.

 

Launch Party

Because of our long standing relationship with Communitech, Peter from Sign Depot was invited to the HYPERDRIVE launch.  When asked about the event he has this to say

“The room had lots of energy with a young and vibrant crowd.  The introduction of each selected company showed the diversity and unique business opportunities supported by HYPERDRIVE.  The idea and mission of  HYPERDRIVE is exactly what will continue to fuel a strong, continuum of start up companies, which in turn will be good for the economy.”

 Sounds impressive indeed.  Finding a way to impress the occupants of the already buzzing Communitch Hub was Sign Depot’s task.  Their sign needed to be futuristic and edgy, while maintaining a professional look.  The sign was constructed by CNC routering letters made from HDU (High Density Urethane) and creating a halo light effect with LED lights.

Being included in Communitech’s post was the nod of approval we were happy to receive.

 To find more info about the next round of  Communitech HYPERDRIVE applications, keep watch of the HYPERDRIVE blog.  In the meantime we will the first round of recipients the best on their upcoming endevours.  We’d also like to recognize that today July 13th is Harrison Ford’s birthday.  Without Han Solo, we would never know what a hyperdrive was for.

 

Green Economy and The Sign Depot Workspace

 

How Do You Define Green Economy?

That was the question that Sustainable Waterloo Region asked via twitter

best practices for both your company & your surroundings #GreenEconomy

As you can see my answer my answer earned me a spot at their forum.

The forum was held at CIGI.  As many of you know The Centre For International Governance Innovation is a prestigious “Think Tank” located here in Waterloo Region.  The Sign Depot has worked with CIGI on several signage projects over the years, and I was looking forward to see their completed building.  Being invited by Sustainable Waterloo Region made me think more in depth about how The Sign Depot functions and what green initiatives we have in place.

Keeping It green

When Sustainable Waterloo Region’s Mike Morrice spoke about how many local business, including Quarry Integrated Communications set goals as a company and were able to get others companies such as Mercedes Corporation (another company we work closely with) on board,I began to jot down ideas about how Sign Depot as a company is working to be earth-friendly.

Location is everything

First off we are located in a re-purposed building.  Our building situated at Charles St. and Borden Ave. in Kitchener was originally home to the Doon Twines Rope Company.   The initial move it took some adjusting to the building and its quirks, but we feel the brick and morter showroom fits in quite nicely with the look of our sandblasted wood signs.

Making It last a lifetime

Our sandblasted custom signs are made from western red cedar, known for its rot resistance.  Signs made from cedar require little maintenance other than the occasional fresh coat of paint every 7-10 years.  The longevity of wood signs make it a great choice for those who try to keep items out of the landfill.

Let there be light

In recent years there has been a real change in the way signs are lit.  In our more recent projects, Beertown and The Rustic Lofts LED lights were featured as a replacement for marquee sign bulbs.  This is not the only use for LEDs when it comes to sign lighting.  We have used them in several projects.  The Frugal Decorator and The Purple Room are a couple examples of how halo lighting can be achieved through the use of LEDs

Keep in house, hospitable

Inside our work-space there are many things we strive to achieve while still keeping this business sign company on track.  It wasn’t until the temperature hit 32 degrees Celsius that our air conditioning was turned on.  Utilities are often not thought of when talking about Green Economy issues, as was brought up at the forum.  Finding ways to create your products while still thinking of the environment are often brought up in staff discussions.

Some other ways we have chose to green up the company are

• reuse of our sandblast grit
• recycling of substrates deemed no longer useable
• shredding paper to use as packing supplies
• using materials for other projects altogether

Craig Haney asked the attendees to “Think about your circle of influence” and use it to bring environmental issues to the forefront.  I hope this post has done that.

Now I am turning the question towards you, the reader of this post.  What green initiatives have you implemented as an individual and/or as a business?

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.

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.