Signmaking Advice on CNC Cutting, AI in Design and More

ABOVE PHOTO: GABE GRIFFIN, CLEAR SIGN & DESIGN

“The brain is wider than the sky.” — Emily Dickinson

FABRICATION Better Cutters

1 Online specifications for speeds, tools and various settings have made CNC cutting much faster with minimal cleanup for Bruce Fish, Signal Sign Co. (Livingston, NJ). Down south, It’s A Good Sign (Dallas) has pivoted to using a table saw for straight cuts to free up their CNC for more complicated work, says managing partner Gayle Goodman Lynch. Out west, Michael Snow of Innovative Sign Systems (Vista, CA) suggests having the focus point in the middle of the substrate rather than the top while laser-cutting acrylic, which allows for a cleaner cut.

INSTALLATION Sweet Smell of Success

2 The best adhesive remover out there is actually an “air freshener” of the Citrus Magic non-aerosol spray variety, says Matthew Taylor, Galaxy Sign Co. (Seattle). It works on every type of adhesive and residue they have tried it on, and it can be used in place of harsh solvents or where other citrus cleaners might not work due to strong scents.

TECHNOLOGY Artificial Intelligence

3 Fastsigns of Harrisburg (Harrisburg, PA) has recently started using Vectorizer.AI to convert customer raster graphics to vector, which has eliminated a lot of “recreation” work in the design department. “It’s surprisingly good at text, and quite affordable,” says project manager Lauren Cassel, “and we still charge the same vectorization fees as we did before!” Just 20 minutes west, Kurt Stoner of Stoner Graphix (Hummelstown, PA) recommends using AI to help brainstorm design ideas, as well as enhancing and refining images that need to be resized for large-format printing.

MARKETING Enlisting Help

4 Creative Signs (Topeka, KS) provides samples and past projects for customers to share with their colleagues for decisions, then tries to individualize the new project to make it stand out, says owner Derrick Weinbrecht. From the same book, The Mad Signtist (Myrtle Beach, SC) has recently implemented the Real Estate Ambassador Program where agents are given $250 worth of signage. In return, the agents help spread the word about the signshop in their real estate-exclusive social media groups, according to owner Kelly Bookheimer.

MANAGEMENT Bold Lofty Words

5 Work with your team to craft five to 10 company values — beliefs worth hiring and firing people for — then print them big and post them where staff cannot miss them, advised Tony Hsieh, the late founder of Zappos, adding that those values should be valued until they shape daily behavior.

PHOTO: ISTOCKPHOTO

PRODUCTIVITY Take Boring Breaks

6 Next time you’re on a break, try something radical: Do absolutely nothing. No scrolling. No podcasts. No email. Just … stare at the wall. Rian Doris of the Flow Research Collective calls these “boring breaks” — short stretches where you deliberately cut off stimulation. Doris points to the science of dopamine: A stimulating break depletes the same neurochemical your brain needs to focus and create. Cut the stimulation, and your brain starts doing something remarkable — wandering into ideas and connections it can’t reach when it’s busy being entertained. Fair warning: Your brain will scream for a scroll the first few times you do this. That’s normal. But like any skill, it gets easier — and more rewarding — with practice. Start in your next checkout line, traffic jam or down time. Pocket your phone and welcome the boredom.