Busy Hands

The amusement park business relies on two things: tons of signage, and crowds of people- and there's the rub.People mill and stand and wait, distracted, intent or exuberant, all the time using their busy little hands. I'm not going to be talking about the real vandalism that happens, just the simple minded, innocent fidgeting of good and kind people. It is like a force of nature… they erode the signs like the waves that lap at the beach I work on. The same is true for all the signs that are exposed to the public. Restaurants and retail businesses have the problem to a greater or lesser degree, but amusement parks feel the true onslaught.

Lets make some rules…Number one: no vinyl letters within the publics grasp. Number two: the same goes for decals or digital graphics like Scotchprints. This I have found to be the minimum requirements for durability you really want that sign to last six years if possible (even though sometimes they are shot in two or three seasons). You need to think of it like baby proofing a house. As the infant grows older you are forced to protect it by putting things higher and higher up. Well, the public seems to stop at 80". It's somewhat safe up there.

So, what is crowd proof? I mean, you have to direct them to and fro, here and there, and instruct them to do everything. This means a lot of signs that are 54" from the ground (people don't look up or down very well). I will start with the type of sign in order of toughness. First the winner of most durable is the enameled steel sign.The worst they can do to it is chip glass shards off the edges, or take a glass cutter to the surface ( a rare occurrence). The next best is the reverse printed clear polycarbonate panel a very tough product that is also UV resistant and somewhat bullet proof, depending on thickness (acrylic will break, and plexiglass will shatter).This is followed by the traditional enamel screen printed signs or painted enamel sign, this is a tough but eventually shabby method that always looks great going out the door but in a number of years the public will rub the paint off the edge and scratch the face. Now for the quick fix: the last way to do it is the clear acrylic shield over the face of the sign. This can be cracked, bro! ken, scratched and moisture will form on the inside leaving a blotchy look, but a good easy way to protect an expensive sign. The shield can always be easily replaced. No glass..the public can be badly cut when they shatter it.

Say you have a client that needs a quick sign and it is on a stanchion. Take a piece of clear polycarbonate 1/4" and cut reverse vinyl for the design. Lay the vinyl on, being careful that there arn't any specks or bubbles, these will cause the lettering to look splotchy. Then with a water base polycarbonate enamel paint (Deca, or Rustoleum) roll the background color over the the lettering on the panel. This technique is really best done with screen printing, but vinyl works well if speed is important. Use a heat gun and the sign is ready in an hour or two. Oh, I nearly forgot. This is a stanchion sign, the public will pick the paint right off the back of that thing. Not a problem just add a back shield ( I prefer Sintra) and now they can't get at it… should last for years, or until management changes the rules or prices.

One final word, you will find that you best friend is citrus based solvent (3M Industrial Cleaner, or Big-O) that removes adhesive. For some reason the busy little hands love to stick skate board and surf decals on your inspired beautifully painted sign graphics.