What Spring Brings

A sunny 64 degree Sunday, followed by a damp and wet Monday encourages me to just retreat home and curl up with a new book. I wish it had been snow, as I am an avid skier, but spring is a good season too, even with all the rain it brings. It’s a chance to bring my friends out of their houses (those that chose to hibernate versus ski with me), and do more active things outside. All the grass and leaves come growing back in the most vibrant green.

It’s also the coming time of graduations, students finishing up either high school or college. The time for planning celebration parties, barbeques, and games. The time when you realize you do need a calendar for the year to keep track of everything, and maybe a few other items for your parties. If you have any interest in a graduation banner, please check our online ordering where you can receive a discount. Prices are listed on the page, no cost to take a glance.

Window Lettering: Inside or Outside?

Window Lettering: Inside or Outside?

Unless specified, all of our window lettering is made to place on the outside of the window. The reason for this is that most windows are tinted in some way to help against sun rays. If the lettering was on the inside of the window facing out it would not be as visible. If the window was not tinted, then it can still be difficult to read lettering on the inside depending on the position of the sun, or if outdoor lighting is present at night.

It’s without a doubt that outside lettering has the best visibility, yet there are still individuals cautious about. I think it’s because they don’t understand the durability of what they’re getting. The adhesion on our vinyl lettering is meant to withstand outdoor conditions (rain, snow, heat and cold) for roughly 6 years. Some people also express a worry of vandalism, thinking kids or teenagers might be able to pick it off. Should someone take off the lettering, they would need certain tools to help with gripping the lettering and quite some time to be able to remove all the lettering.

When I am equipped with both tools and chemical sprays to remove simple store hour lettering, the process takes me a half an hour to complete.

Six more weeks of Winter or Spring?

It’s hard to imagine that just last week, on Tuesday, Aaron and I were outside installing four signs at Shadow Lake Apartments. Each sign that we were installing required a post hole to be dug and it was quite a lovely day, because thankfully that was one of the rare warm January days. It was in the high fifties, and there had been a nice rain earlier to make the ground moist for digging.

I was very thankful to not have to do the install in twenty degree weather, with the ground frozen and the snow covering my level before I can read it. I’m not sure how construction crews manage it, but I have a new appreciation for them now. I love winter and the snow, but more for skiing on it than to be working outside. So while Punxsutawney Phil didn’t see his shadow, and we’re ‘expecting’ 6 more weeks of spring, I’m actually okay if it’s just a mix between the two seasons.

Progress Trail

As winter can be a somewhat slower season for us, it gives us time to clean up around the shop. Sometimes the time to muse over rearranging the furniture for a new look or trying our hand at organizing everything better. However this time it was more of a virtual cleaning. Our fileserver was closing in on its maximum capacity and we needed to free up some space. The first folder I tackled was Pictures, we like to take pictures of completed work and have kept files since the company came under new ownership in 2007.

The pictures I deleted were either duplicates, blurry or poorly taken. It was a lot of pictures to sort through, and nostalgic. Call me silly but the pictures helped me to remember some of the first signs I ever assembled. It showed a trail of progress that not only I but everyone else at the shop has made over the years. And the shop itself, seeing the improvement of quality in the signs with both our growing expertise and the new equipment in the shop. I’ll be uploading pictures to the website over the next few days, some old and some new, maybe you’ll see the improvement too.

Also, my efforts cleared up 5GB of space. We like to take pictures.

Ceasing the Weather

Today was the install of the new outdoor sign panels for Buckeye Vision & Aesthetic Center, located on West Wilson Bridge Rd, Columbus, OH. It was a bit tricky, timing it between the rain and the early nightfall. We have a scaffolding unit that we were able to build on the grass next to the existing stand, then it was a matter of placing the new signs in. The new sign is 6’x6′, it is a white polycarbonate material with a laminated hp print applied.

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Let it snow?

This sure is some warm weather we’re getting in Columbus. We’ll have a cool dip on Wednesday, and then it will be getting warm again. For Cheryl and myself, we are torn. We don’t mind the nice 60 degree weather, especially when we still have a few things to do outside.  However we are very much winter folk and we would like to see some snow this season!

Regardless of the weather or season, we’re still staying busy at the sign shop. This good weather is the perfect time to nab those last Real Estate signs and stick them into the ground before it hardens and freezes. Especially the more economic yard signs with the wire stakes. Don’t forget that we also have other types of frames and stakes for those looking for something a little different or a different size. If you have any questions please give us a call.

In the mean time, please let it snow!

Veterans Day

Next Day Signs would like to thank all veterans today for their surface. Thankfully we had a nice and sunny day on Sunday for the parades and the rain was able to hold off till today. For those looking for the great quality large embroidered American flags to hang on flag posts year round, anywhere from 3’x5′ to the extremely large 40′ x 75′, we have those available for order at the shop. Turn-around time is a few days.

Once again we would like to thank all the veterans, and wish you a safe day on the roads in this very rainy weather.

Prepared for Sandy

A reminder to everyone in Columbus, Ohio and other areas as Hurricane Sandy blows through, to take inside feather flags, banners, yard signs and possibly even outside window vinyl. While many of our signs are weather proof they are not natural-disaster-proof.

Should the power lines go down over the week, Next Day Signs should still be up and running on our back-up generator. The generators are capable of keeping a few of our computers, sign equipment, a couple lights and the phones working. From the outside it may not look as bright, but you can always double-check if we are open by calling in.

Please stay safe in this weather!

Cheryl’s Thoughts on SGIA

Author:  Cheryl –

Conferences are a mixed bag – at their best they offer great ideas for new development, an opportunity to network, and the chance to see/touch/feel products that interest you.  The other side is hours of standing, sometimes pushy sales people, and then the pressure of decisions to purchase – go small, go big, or not at all.

This last week I attended the SGIA conference, one of the largest sign conferences in the world.  We saw printers that could create banners to cover the side of a building, machinery that would need a new building to house it.  But we also saw many products and machinery suited for smaller businesses like ours that will help us to be more productive and increase the offerings to our clients that we can produce right in house.

Now it’s time for the follow-up – review the literature, check the samples, and makes some decisions about what steps forward to take our business.  Are you thinking about taking some steps forward this year with your business?  Let us help you market your new ideas or products with sign solutions.  Stop by with your ideas, notepad scratches or full designs and we’ll work with you to take it to great results in signs, banners, decals, displays, flags, or printing that will take your business to the next level.

Work and Games

Cheryl will be out of the office for half of the week, she’ll be attending the SGIA Expo. A specialty printing and imaging technology conference,  the largest of its kind in America, and it just happens to be in Las Vegas, Nevada. She assures me that she is taking the trip merely for the opportunity to see what new products we could work with, possible new machine investments for the business. Yet when she says all this with a smile, it doesn’t make it very convincing.

Card games and shows aside, I think that it is an important visit to make, and it will be our first time having someone attend such a populated event. It is always a good idea to continue to educate yourself on your field of business. There’s always a chance for new changes, new styles or improvements. But I’m making a note here to convince her before next year that she’s too valuable to send, and that I should go instead.