Signage is a powerful way to convey your message, advertise your business and add a touch of creativity to your workplace, but have you ever considered how those eye-catching signs come to life? Behind every storefront billboard and vinyl wrap lies a meticulous process that combines craftsmanship with creativity.
Join us on a journey behind-the-scenes at Signwrite Studios to discover the process of creating a sign from start to finish, including insights into design considerations, material selection, the production process and installation challenges!
Site Survey
Whether you have a new business requiring full signage, your signs are starting to look a bit old and forlorn and require replacement or you are looking to rebrand, a site survey is a great opportunity to meet with us, discuss ideas and have full technical details recorded.
We will use the information gathered at the site survey to offer our expert advice; once we understand why you require the signage (to advertise your business externally, to provide health and safety information internally, for signposting, etc) we can then support you with how this can best be achieved.
If a site survey is not essential, we encourage face-to-face meetings either on location or at our offices so you can still benefit from our advice and suggestions. If meeting in person is not convenient for you, a telephone conversation can help to ensure emails are correctly interpreted.
Designing
At the heart of every memorable sign is a compelling design that captures people’s attention and conveys a message. Once your concept is clear (we can either work with you directly or with your brand agency/ graphic designer to achieve this), this is when the magic begins!
Our skilled designers use specialised software to create the visual elements of the sign. Working to your brand guidelines, they let their creativity flourish, playing with your colours, fonts, logos & images to create print-ready design layouts & concepts. The aim is to make the design visually appealing and effective in conveying the intended message. We work closely with our clients during the design phase and provide you with design visual proofs ahead of production to ensure you are fully satisfied throughout the process. Your brand concepts will be translated into graphic elements and layouts until the perfect composition is achieved and your vision is brought to life!
Choosing the Right Materials
Creating great signage involves more than just design; it’s about selecting the right materials to bring that design to life. Whilst traditional signwriting generally involved hand-painting onto wooden panels or metal surfaces, modern techniques (depending on the type of sign and its intended purpose) often utilise synthetic materials ranging from vinyl and acrylic to metal products such as Diabond, an aluminium composite material.
Signage companies must consider many factors such as durability, weather resistance and aesthetic appeal when choosing the most appropriate materials for any given sign.
Each material offers its own unique properties and challenges, requiring sign makers to adapt their techniques accordingly. Wood, for example, provides a warm, rustic appeal but requires careful priming and sealing to prevent warping or decay. Vinyl offers crisp, precise graphics and is ideal for intricate designs but may struggle to adhere to certain surfaces or withstand harsh outdoor conditions.
Printing and Cutting
With the design finalised and materials chosen, it’s time to produce the sign! We print and manufacture in-house using our high-end printers, production tools & machinery to reproduce the digital design onto the chosen materials. Where required, our vinyl cutters, plotters and routers are used to precision-cut the shapes and letters, ensuring a clean and professional finish.
LED Integration
For eye-catching illuminated signs, LED fittings can be integrated into the design. Illuminated lighting is a fantastic way to give your business a little more personality and help you stand out from the crowd on a busy high street or in a block of offices. It can also bring out various elements of your design, draw attention to your logo and make sure your brand leaves a lasting impression.
Application/ Installation
Now comes the hands-on part! With the design perfected and the sign fabricated, it’s time to take the creation from the studio to its intended destination. Our skilled signage installers carefully apply and install the constructed, printed and cut elements to the chosen surface, whether it’s an office space, storefront window, a vehicle or a billboard. Attention to detail is crucial during this step to ensure a professional finish.
Installation can be a complex process, requiring careful planning and coordination to ensure everything goes smoothly but rest assured, we’ll install quickly and professionally with as little disruption as possible, leaving you with a working space you’ll love.
Quality Assurance
Your artwork goes through rigorous quality assurance checks at every step of the production process. At the design stage, we ensure all artwork is approved by the client and thorough quality checks are performed once the signage has been produced. Upon application/ installation, the signage is further scrutinised for any imperfections, with final checks ensuring that the materials have been applied correctly, there are no defects and the sign finishing is to a high standard.
Once installed, a well-crafted sign becomes more than just a piece of advertising; as well as captivating the intended audience, it can also contribute to the overall ambiance and character of a place.
We hope this blog has helped you to appreciate the journey that transforms creative ideas into tangible, attention-grabbing displays. From the initial concept to the final installation, every step of this journey requires skill, precision and a touch of artistic flair! Through careful design and a true passion for their craft, our expert production team create signs that our clients will admire for many years to come. For a further insight into our day-to-day processes, please watch our behind the scenes video!
Our friendly in-house team at Signwrite Studios are signage specialists, who will ensure your signage always fits your requirements. We can help you every step of the way, from designing, printing and manufacture to the installation of your signage wherever you may need it!
If you would like to know more, please get in touch with the team today!