From Sign & Digital Graphics：
What makes one person’s face distinguishable from another’s? It may be a tougher question than it sounds. Is it the contour of one’s chin or nose? Maybe the texture of a beard creates the distinction. How about a person’s skin tone or eye color? Is it the placement of the eyes, or the shape of the eyebrows? If you think about it, the list could become quite extensive. The fact is there are many factors that differentiate one face from another. Comparatively, the same can be said about the face of a sign and its substrate.
When looking at the surface of a sign, what is most noticeable element? The colors? The contrast? The shape? The texture? What about the cut?
The depth that a sign shop’s engraver can add, with specificity, to particular sign substrate can help to create a uniquely attractive and functional appearance. This is the potential that engravable substrates bring to the table: customization across an array of sign applications.
Jessica Heldman-Beck, marketing manager at Rowmark, agrees. “Engraving is a popular, long-standing and effective method for customizing signage,” she says.
Another factor to consider with engraved signage is the permanency and impression of the sign.
“Engraved signs are classic and timeless,” says Dan Messerschmidt, national sales manager at JDS Industries. “The look is very traditional and recognizable. Engraved signs also have a very long life span, making them a great value.”
Along with their stability comes flexibility—engraved signs can be constructed with an assortment of materials from wood to plastic to metal. This is why these substrates are excellent fits in applications in the indoor and outdoor environment.
Audience and Applications
So, where might someone find engraved substrates being used?
“ADA and wayfinding,” says Gary Harder, director at Duets Direct, pointing to a couple of popular applications, “then you have industrial badging – so think of electrical boxes—and also warning plates, desk plates, trophies and awards, and name badges. And they’re all good fits because of the ease of use of what shops are already doing in terms of how they manufacture.”
What these shops are already doing is creating engraved products for users across different industries. For example, a shop that is engraving on trophies most likely has the capability to also make plaques or ADA signage plates or even branded corporate displays.
“There’s going to be a lot of crossover between the awards and sign market,” Harder says. “It’s an easy step for them. We definitely see trophy shops looking to expand their base of customers by looking at the signage market. That’s common.”
As engraving technology has made its way from the awards industry into the signage space, companies that provide engravable substrates have widened their marketing efforts. It’s more of an all-inclusive message today.
Referring to both awards and sign shops using engravable substrates, Dave Johnson, director of operations forJohnson Plastics, says that, “Often they are the same and we don’t have to target one or the other as they often serve both audiences. Johnson Plastics advertises in most of the sign, engraving, awards, and recognition publications and attends industry trade shows that reach both audiences."
From a supplier’s perspective, JDS Industries has developed a distinctive way to serve a cross-market segment of awards and sign professionals. Recognizing the need for engravable substrates for both audiences, JDS has developed a one-stop shop for all engraving-related purchases.
“We offer our customers the opportunity to consolidate their purchases with one supplier, JDS, saving them money on freight and saving them time ordering from multiple vendors,” Messerschmidt says. “We go to great lengths to ensure that we have the products our customers need when they need them. There is no need for them to carry large volumes of product in their shop.”
A main reason engravable substrates are so versatile across audiences is because they are not limited by their composition. And this adds to their usefulness when promoting new concepts.
“Engraving provides a unique look that gives it a higher perceived value,” says Johnson. “There are literally an unlimited number of designs that a sign shop could create using plastic, wood, metals as well as accents like frames and stand-offs.”
Choosing the Substrate
Even with a seemingly unlimited number of designs available with these substrates, actually choosing the substrate for an engraved sign will hinge on some qualifying factors.
“I can tell you that when people are picking substrate material, whether it’s wood versus plastic versus metal, it’s typically driven by the look the customer wants and then also the environment the sign is going to be in,” says Harder.
Aspects such as how the sign is being used, where it is being used and the anticipated length of time the sign will be displayed will help determine which substrate is best for a project.
“A sign maker should first understand the application for the sign or project to ensure that the product meets needed technical specifications and criteria,” says Heldman-Beck. “That way, they can select the best material.”
She continues by citing that a hospital sign, for instance, would best be paired with a second or subsurface-engraved material because they are more tamper-resistant and easy to clean.
“If a sign maker is working with a zoo or park service,” Heldman-Beck continues, “they can recommend a product available in bright, easy-to-see colors and suited for outdoor applications that will withstand continued heat and sun exposure.”
Weather-related elements should always be a consideration when choosing an engravable substrate. For instance, a sign shop on the West Coast may be more concerned with sun exposure and damage year round than a sign shop in Minnesota.
Sign makers should ask themselves, “How much direct sun is it taking? UV stability is a consideration,” Harder says. “And UV stability is different than weatherability; that’s a common misconception. People think if they have one they have the other. But UV stability strictly talks about the ability of the product to withstand ultraviolet rays but weatherability talks about the elements: water, cold, heat, and those types of things.”
When considering how a sign shop should weigh each factor when determining the best substrate, Messerschmidt sums it up this way:
“Application is the first consideration,” he says. “Will the sign be placed indoors or outdoors? Will it be in a low/no traffic area or a high traffic area? They should also be thinking about the duty cycle of the sign. Will it be used for just a weekend, or will it be in use for many years? Picking the correct substrate for the conditions it will need to perform in will be the difference between a happy customer and an unhappy customer.”
Once the right substrate is selected, it is time to decide upon the design.
Design Elements
Just as someone might make his or her face more distinguishable by growing a moustache or applying makeup, sign substrates can be designed with more unique features.
For one, “There seems to be a trend towards matte finish surfaces because of reduced glare. It is easier for people to read matte finish signs and ADA signs require a non-glare finish,” Johnson says.
“You have to have a matte finish for ADA, that’s a requirement. But colors and finishes are also driven by current trends,” Harder says.
So, which trends are becoming most popular when combined with an engraved sign?
“Fun, tinted acrylics for edge lighting applications and frosted acrylics have become very popular over recent years,” says Heldman-Beck, “not only for their design versatility and color options, but for their ease of fabrication on laser equipment.”
Colors bring an interesting dynamic to a sign project, and there are many more than the basic primary colors that are taught at the elementary school level. Rowmark’s ColorHues Cast Acrylics product line alone offers a choice between 35 colors.
“We offer a cool, trendy line of tinted cast acrylics featuring a unique edge glow effect, a colorful offering of semi-transparent colors, as well as a selection of bright, bold opaque colors,” Heldman-Beck says.
Harder also explains that custom colors come into play when dealing with architects that desire something trendy or when considering “corporate marketing guidelines that dictate specific colors like IBM blue, and team colors in colleges and universities.”
Combining color selection along with different finishes can really accentuate a project beyond expectations. This can present a truly original look and feel for the completed sign.
Messerschmidt has noticed that “metallics and mirror finishes are gaining ground. Also, substrates that have patterns to them, like diamond plating and carbon fiber are becoming popular. Mixing different substrates and processes to give a classic engraving process a custom look is more and more common.”
Adding a more attractive element to an engravable substrate, such as texture or color, certainly helps the sign stand out. Taking it a step further, digital printing technology has allowed engravable substrates to thrive on the market.
“We get requests and questions all the time, ‘Can we direct print on your material?’” says Harder.
At Rowmark, a new digital printing division called GoVivid was launched that offers a one-stop solution for the UV digital printing market.
“While engraving continues to be a popular and effective method for reproducing text and designs on engravable substrates for signage, gifts, award projects and more, engravable and acrylic sheet materials are also popular print media choices for use with UV-LED digital printing projects,” says Heldman-Beck.
Direct to print technology can be used on virtually all types of substrates, “from metal and ceramic to canvas, wood and more,” explains Heldman-Beck. “Printing on any of these products can add flare to a project and transform it from good to better to best in no time.”
Johnson has also noticed a trend in more UV/LED print technology. He says, “It is becoming more popular because of the ability to add color and texture to the sign. More and more substrates will be developed for these types of printers.”
In addition to direct printing, sublimated graphics are also becoming more present in the market.
“The use of sublimation and direct printing technologies are bringing a new world of design and color to the engraved signage industry,” says Messerschmidt.
Being Unique
With engravable substrates, the method of engraving must be considered as much as the application and design. Some product offerings are specific to laser or rotary engraving techniques.
“Once the sign maker knows their customer’s need, the type of equipment used to engrave may dictate the type of substrate to be used,” says Johnson.
For example, Duets Direct offers a specific product for rotary engraved indoor signs. The company also offers a thin .020” product called Contours that can be applied to curved surfaces.
“Really our product line can be broken down into three categories: a solid color of what we call Tactiles and that’s the ADA substrate material,” explains Harder. “We have engraving material, and we also have the Contours flexible substrate.”
At Johnson Plastics, “Many of our plastics can be engraved with either method (laser or rotary),” explains Johnson. “Our catalog is organized by engraving method, indoor/outdoor use, etc., but many of our customers call us to ask for advice on which products would be best for a specific job.”
Johnson continues by stating that plastic substrates are very versatile and can be used in both indoor and outdoor environments, and “there are also certain metals like Durablack or Alumamark from Horizons ISG which can only be laser engraved.”
In addition to traditional methods, new technology and ideas are constantly being developed to cater to engraving methods and advancements.
“Many creative new signs,” begins Heldman-Beck, “also make use of multiple types of materials, such as combining mirrored acrylics and wood or combining metal and frosted or translucent acrylics into one cohesive design, which is oftentimes layered or dimensional.”
One example Heldman-Beck cites specific to metals is their ability to be used in “anything from awards, trophy projects and donor walls, to industrial projects and demanding outdoor applications. Metallic engravable plastics offer a classic, clean and contemporary look that simply stands great on its own,” she says, “or can also beautifully enhance other colorful substrates, accent elements and mounting hardware.”
There are many considerations when becoming involved in engraved signage, even before the engraving is performed. So when tackling your next engraved sign project, picture your substrate as a face. Give it some personality; make it expressive. But most of all, be sure it is unique.
“Dress up the sign to make it more visually appealing while maintaining a high level of readability,” Messerschmidt concludes.