An example of innovative sign products at ISA in Orlando is this hologram-like sign system that features a human figure speaking to customers.
The International Sign Association trade show currently going on in Orlando is packed with sign-related stuff, of course, but IRgA managing director Ed Avis noted a few good ideas for reprographics shops, too. Below are five ideas that could lead to revenue for a reprographics firm:
1) AEC signage: One of the more interesting booths I visited that is square in the reprographics roundhouse was Marcal Sign System. This firm specializes in signage for buildings, such as directional signs, office placards, etc. There are plenty of companies that do that, so why is this one special? They are specifically interested in working with companies that already have solid AEC relationships – that’s us – and they offer their expertise at no cost. Here’s how it works: You send them a set of drawings from a building under construction, and they evaluate it and tell you precisely what signage is probably needed, based on the number and type of rooms, hallways, lobbies, etc. They give you a quote for the signage hardware for that building. Every piece they sell is designed to hold printed paper, so you add your printing cost plus mark-up on the whole thing and create a quote for the developer. If they buy it, Marcal ships you all the right hardware, you print the graphics and put the pieces together, and you (or a decorator) hangs it all. Since many signs require braille, Marcal can also do the braille for you; or you can invest in something like the 1024 (see the next item) and do the braille yourself.
2) Braille signage: Direct Color Systems is a company you probably wouldn’t normally bother with, because they focus on small format. But at ISA they exhibited the 1024 UV LED flatbed inkjet printer, which can create textured prints, including ADA-compliant braille signage. The printer creates the braille – and other textures -- with a thicker layer of the special ink; the signs come out dry and ready to hang. You can watch a demo on their website http://www.directcolorsystems.com/ada-printing/ in which the guy notes that a 6 x 8-inch ADA-compliant sign with braille costs $2.08 for the ink and takes just under 5 minutes to print. This might be a way to expand sales in your existing AEC market. (Note: They recommend using their own substrates to create the ADA signage, naturally, so if you want to pair this printer with the Marcal signs mentioned above, test them before investing.)
3) The restaurant market. This is a giant field now dominated by sign businesses, but ripe for the picking by a reprographics firm because most of the graphics are not typical signs. Menu boards, promotional graphics, window graphics, floor graphics and just about everything other than the big sign out front of the restaurant could be created by a reprographics shop with a good inkjet program just as easily as a sign shop. At the ISA show I noticed at least a dozen companies selling menu boards, some that were printed on backlit material and others that were on monitors. Of the latter group, probably the most crisp and fresh looking was from eureka!vision, which makes LED menu boards using full HD technology. Yes, this is out of your normal comfort zone, but if you’re already handling digital files for AEC clients, hanging a digital menu board won’t be a stretch. And all the rest of the signage in the restaurant is probably routine for you.
4) Greeter lady sign. One item that really caught my attention, even though it’s probably not something you would normally carry in your shop, was a sign system that kind of looks like a hologram of a lady telling customers about the store, restaurant, whatever. It’s not a hologram – it’s actually an image projected onto a human-shaped screen – but it’s very lifelike. The guts of the system are hard to explain – you can learn more at the website for Glass Slate, the company that makes the signs: http://www.glassslatedigital.com/uque.php. At the ISA show the greeter lady was being exhibited by Glantz Dynamic Solutions, a distributor, so you may want to talk to them about the sign, too: http://www.glantzdynamic.com
5) There were only a handful of exhibitors from traditional reprographics areas, but one was National Azon, a brand well known to reprographers. National Azon has taken the giant step of investing in its own printer, the 63-inch AZONColor ES4 Print System. It’s an eco-solvent inkjet printer designed for indoor and outdoor applications. I spoke with David Dodge, president of National Azon, at his booth, and he said he expects the new printer – still in beta but being exhibited at the show – to succeed because of its economical acquisition cost and operating cost. National Azon faces giant competition in this field, but they deserve kudos for making this investment and attempting to create a new product they feel fills a need.