New York in the Lobby

 

Had the notion last week to change one of the walls in our lobby and cover it with a material called Phototex.

Lobby BeforeLobby1

We started carrying this material last year, it has a tacky adhesive backing similar to paint tape. Which means it can go on painted walls and also be removed without damaging the under lying paint or wall. Also makes it really easy to install, because if you don’t get it on just right you can easily pick it up and apply it again.

Of course when we first received the material we tested out its durability. We printed a few samples for our own wall to see if the adhesion would wear off at all, we removed prints from where we first applied them to other locations, we ‘mistakenly’ applied them to see how easy they would be to fix. So far we’ve had prints up for a year that have never peeled on the edges or shown any decrease in value. We moved one print that had been in the same location for 11 months to another spot without any problems. Any wrinkles or bubbles we’ve purposefully caused were easy enough to fix, and there has been no damage to the walls or adhesive residue.

Being confident in Phototex, and wanting to make a few changes, we decided to cover one of our lobby walls with the material. I purchased a nice photograph from istockphoto.com and we applied the print in less than 2 hours. I love having the vibrant imagery over another dull gray wall, especially with winter coming, it really gives the lobby a more friendly and artistic atmosphere.
Lobby3

 

Community Events

It’s been a rainy spring and a sweltering summer, some say this year is even hotter than last year. I’m not sure if that’s true or not, there’s certainly been a lot of humidity, but I remember last year there being a lot of weeks in the nineties. Last weekend, when the temperatures were bearable for being outside longer than opening the door, I decided to try out a CO-GO bike and explored both Audubon Park and Bicentennial Park.

I was surprised to see how much was going on in the city, there are so many events that happen that I never hear about. I use the website Underground Columbus sometimes but otherwise unless I see a poster, or hear about it from a friend, I usually don’t learn about these events. In what ways would you advertise one? Out of curiosity I decided to do a google search, and community signage was listed as one of the most prevalent ways to promote.

I think that makes sense, I drive the same route from home to work twice a day. If there was a sign planted in that pathway to advertise an event a week away I would most likely see it ten times. And considering the painstakingly long rush-hour traffic, I would probably have the leisure of reading it two or three times before the car in front of me moved. I might even be able to write down all the information and send a text to a friend, though of course not while I was driving.

However, when it comes to promoting on the internet, which was another option suggested. Chances would be that I would see it only once, during a moment of boredom where I’d make less than a two-second decision on whether or not I would consider noting the information or continue to scroll down. So I wonder why people don’t use signs more often for events, it would really help me plan my weekend.

Magical Spring

Spring has a lot of magical things going for it. The sunlight starts coming back for longer portions of the day. It brings warm weather after months inside, which most people celebrate (aside from us winter folks). It makes a lot of colors we haven’t seen in a while, most importantly, green. It brings rain that washes off all the salt on our cars and makes them look three years newer.

It also really makes us notice the dust we’ve let settled in because we were too cold to brush it away or unable to crack a window to let fresh air in. I’m not normally a cleaning type of person, that’s not to say that I’m a slob. I clean enough to keep things decent, but should a see a little bit of dust I’ll still be able to sleep at night if I don’t get it.

However, not in spring, that’s how magical it is. The hardest part about cleaning around the office is that I want to start making new signs, because I love the finished clean cut it has. Its new appearance is pleasing to my eye because it’s not the same sign I’ve been staring at for months already. It’s fresh, it keeps me creative and my mind motivated. What magical things does spring do to you?

The Blue/Black, White/Gold dress

You may have heard about the recent sensation of the Blue/Black, White/Gold dress that has been circulating the internet recently. The dress image, which is shown below, has many people questioning the color. Some people see the dress as blue and black, while others see it as white and gold, and a few individuals see the dress as blue and orange or blue and brown. (The actual color of the dress is blue and black.)

The reason why the masses see it in so many different colors has to do with how our brains have evolved to see color while filtering out the illumination of light. For example, objects outside have different shades of color in noon and at sunset due to different illuminations of the light. However, we still see the same colors because our brain has learned how to filter this light.

When it comes to LED screens our brains have not had the many generations of evolution to figure out exactly which light filter to use in order to interpret the correct color of what we are seeing. So when one person sees white and gold, it is because their brain is filtering the light differently than someone who sees it as blue and black.

It’s interesting to ask friends and family what colors they see, and it goes to note the importance of using actual swatches when making purchases of colored materials and not just going by what you see on the screen.

Blue and Black Dress

Go Bucks!

Columbus is filled with anticipation today for the Buckeye game against Oregon. I am already planning my evening; I know a nap will have to be involved since the game can easily go until one in the morning, and Next Day Signs plans to be open at our regular business hours. Not only will I be staying up for the game, but so will everyone else at our store. I believe Tuesday morning will be a very interesting time for Columbus, most will be tired along with either elevation from a win or, dare I say it, sadness from a loss.

I think many places that serve coffee will see an increase in their business as we all combat a lack of sleep. If I worked in such an area I would use the opportunity to have a promotional sale, perhaps ‘4 doughnut holes with every purchase of two coffees’.  I have already heard many promotional commercials on the radio for Krogers who is selling duck for the game.

When these opportunities arise you must seize them. You might think it’s just ‘one day’ of increased traffic, but in reality every day is a chance to earn a new patron, some days just make it a lot easier! For when you need those rushed ads, please consider Next Day Signs.