3 Luminous Holiday Signs

JUST LIKE THAT, the holiday season is once again upon us. The promise of gifts and greetings, the cheery reds and greens, the glow of colorful lights and decorations all help drive back the winter gloom. More importantly, the season fosters a sense of giving and collaboration. By participating in local programs and lending a hand to a friend in need, these three signshops add to the Yuletide spirit.

Winter Sightings

When a local winter wonderland invited area businesses to create holiday displays, ESCO / Stein Sign Display (Watertown, SD) decided to join in the fun. The company’s design team came up with the concept, which was realized in structure and lighting by the engineering crew. They routed 6mm Bebond ACM using their MultiCam APEX and attached US LED Point XL2 White LEDs to the backside of each sign level. They then mounted the panels to each other using Gyford 1-in. standoffs, affixed the sign to an aluminum tube structure along with power supplies, and finally placed the display on their trailer. “It was just a blast to work on something different. We got to use the same materials and skills we use every day but turn them into something totally festive,” says Morgan Johnson, director of advertising and marketing. “It was fun seeing our team’s creativity come to life — and even better knowing it would make people smile as they drove through the lights.”

Competitive Spirit

A good friend turned to Rick Ream, vice president of Media 1 Wrap This (Sanford, FL), to make him a giant decoration for his balcony with the goal of winning a neighborhood contest for the best Christmas decorations. Ream designed the decoration in CorelDRAW, then the team cut the backer and face on their MultiCam APEX 7 x 12-ft. router table, with the returns run on their SDS Automation ChannelBender SXP. They had to wrestle the giant ribbon into a small elevator to move it to the condo’s third floor and mount it to the balcony, but installation went smoothly otherwise. Ream enjoyed carrying out the project for his friend, who also ended up winning the neighborhood contest.

Gifts on Wheels

An annual project by the city of Norwalk, CA involves the use of bus wraps to help collect toys for underprivileged children in the community. Full Sail Graphics & Marketing (Huntington Beach, CA) has collaborated on the project for several years, though they most recently were awarded the job from the city via PlanetBids. The shop created the designs for two buses in Adobe Illustrator, then used their HP 570 Latex Printer to print the wraps on 3M Controltac Changeable Graphic Film with Adhesive IJ3552C and 3M Scotchcal Gloss Overlaminate 8518. A three-member team installed the vinyl at Norwalk’s transportation center in three days.

PHOTO GALLERY (8 IMAGES)