Keith Monahan, a 20-year, sign-industry veteran, founded Techno Signs Corp. (Oviedo, FL) in 2000. The shop produces wide-format prints, banners and 3-D logos, among other types, but vehicle wraps have become increasingly vital to the shop’s business. He estimates wraps represent roughly half of sales, and that market segment has grown substantially over the past few years.
“The commercial real-estate market in Florida has collapsed; we’re making far fewer 4 x 8-ft. signs than we used to,” Monahan said. “As we’ve shifted our product line, vehicle wraps play a much-more vital role.
“We gather business from numerous sources – direct mail, cold-calling, pay-per-click online advertising, our Facebook page and our website, to name a few,” he said. “Even with today’s technological avenues, word of mouth and repeat business are still vital to us.”
Monahan said many of his customers arrive with little more than a logo and an order: “Design is a key, value-added part of our business. We pride ourselves on creating clean, appropriate graphic design. Too many wraps lack good design fundamentals; they offer poor readability and contrast. I love putting skulls and flames on a car, but not every job requires them.”
TechnoSigns recently produced a wrap for Phoenix Recovery, an Orlando-based, disaster-recovery company that handles restoration for fire-, water- and mold-damaged properties. To create a memorable brand, the shop’s design team used Adobe Creative Suite 5 software to develop a fiery, orange backdrop with the namesake mythical bird. TechnoSigns produced the wrap on 3M’s Controltac IJ180-10 with Comply v3 air-release technology on the shop’s Seiko I Infotech ColorPainter 64S eco-solvent, inkjet printer. To protect the wrap, the shop laminated it with 3M’s 8518 glossy topcoat on a GBC Arctic Titan pressure laminator.
To help a pediatric dentist create a family-friendly image, the shop created another Scion XB wrap with very different imagery. To give the doctor’s name and phone number prominence, TechnoSigns wrapped them around the wheel wells – no small task. Monahan said, “It’s certainly a challenge to create the right arc. Your template has to be spot-on perfect. To ensure accuracy, we create our own.”
TechnoSigns produced the Clermont wrap with materials and equipment similar to the Phoenix project.