Photo courtesy of Johnson Plastics

Photo courtesy of Johnson Plastics

There is a well-known song complaining of signs being everywhere, blocking out the scenery and breaking minds. Whether one agrees or not, it’s safe to assume this complaint was specific to outdoor signage.

Interior signage, on the other hand, is rarely a source of complaint. It is helpful, informative, and when done well, adds to the aesthetic of an interior’s décor. Better still, it is also a profitable and logical extension for any awards business looking to increase revenue. Whether a shop’s money-making workhorse is a laser engraver, rotary engraver, screen-printing setup or some version of full-color digital printing, interior signage is an option. Further, a shop need not look any farther away than its own database of customers. (Your shop has one, right? A list of customers with their phone numbers and email addresses?) Every organization you cater to is a potential client for interior signage.

Sold? Ready to use the equipment you already own to sell more products to consumers who are already your customers? Good! Let’s get you rolling with an overview of some of the things you should know. New types of signs along with new signage materials have given a recent boost to this market, making now a great time to get involved.

The market for interior signage is becoming more diverse. Photo courtesy of Rowmark

Market Changes
Before proceeding forward on any adventure or journey, and particularly those of the business-venture variety, it is a good idea to get a lay of the land. Do your best to predict any possible challenges and then formulate a plan to manage them. We know we are talking about selling interior signage to existing clients, and hopefully, a few new ones as well. We know the equipment, since it is the same equipment already being used, but what about the materials? What about the economy? Has the market for interior signage changed at all over the last couple of years?

Jessica Heldman-Beck of Rowmark LLC in Findlay, Ohio, says, “The interior signage market is diversifying as more people have access to equipment and processes to make signs. It’s a natural extension for many businesses, including trophy and award shops.”

In addition, says Heldman-Beck, the market has become increasingly designer-friendly over the last few years. Today’s signage is rich in colors, finishes and textures, and is even dimensional.

Don D’Antonio of Innovative Plastics Inc. in Algonquin, Illinois, concurs, noting that due to all the new improvements in technology over the years, there are now more and more ways to create interior signage. “This means that any retail shops that are servicing other areas such as awards, name badges and safety identification projects now can reach out and service interior sign applications in their local areas as well.”

D’Antonio adds, “Available materials have also broadened their offerings for the interior signage markets such as a variety of stone patterns that range from speckled sands and granites to classic marbles; woodgrains that are light and airy, as well as rich in natural beauty; eye-catching optical and graphic patterns; brilliant metallics; and a wider spectrum of  colors from soft to bold or light to vivid—as well as all kinds of unique and elegant ways of displaying this signage so that they not only blend into their surroundings but add to the ambience.”

Margaret Johnson of Johnson Plastics in Minneapolis, Minnesota, has noticed some specific changes, notably stand-offs. A stand-off is a contemporary sign that necessitates two parts. The front part is usually a clear or light-colored piece of acrylic that has been reverse-engraved with an image and some text. The back plate of the sign is essentially background, a piece of colored plastic intended to accent and complement the image and text of the front, see-through acrylic piece. For example, a sign for the Rose Clinic might have an engraved image of a rose with a pink or red background.

“That is a new trend that we are seeing, and we are stocking stand-offs in different diameters,” says Johnson. She adds that stand-offs have been used by the sign shops for years, but they are now making their way into smaller signs the awards market is well suited to craft.

Photo courtesy of Direct Color Systems Keeping colorful samples like these in your shop can help your signage sell itself. Photo courtesy of Unisub

Johnson adds that besides the stand-offs, she has seen something called Edge Grippers. “Those allow for this same type of contemporary sign (stand-off) to be suspended from the ceiling. It achieves the same sort of look. Another item we have are easels, which are very nice, decorative-looking posts with a stand-off finish in the front. What you do is take your signage, drill a hole in the bottom on either side, and screw in from the front. It would attach then to a leg, and it would sit up like an easel.”

The stand-off signs Johnson mentioned complement the observation of Luis Urtaza at Acrylic Idea Factory in Phoenix, Arizona. He says that mainly, the market is looking for more second-surface items in full color, adding, “The images range from photographs to multi-colored artistic designs.”

All of that has contributed to what Blair Allen of Direct Color Systems in Rocky Hill, Connecticut, describes as a market that has become much more sophisticated in its taste and design. “This includes the use of corporate logos and various color applications from bright and vivid eye-catching colors to soft, muted tones for architectural and interior design.”

David Wommer of A.R.K. Ramos in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, agrees, “The interior signage market is becoming much more sophisticated with both the design and construction of signage but also with the materials involved. A.R.K. Ramos manufactures exclusively metal signage which include cast, fabricated and etched materials ranging from aluminum to brass bronze and stainless steel. These units are primarily used for high-end, long-term signage or other applications where durability is an issue. One of the fastest-growing products in our market is reverse channel stainless steel letters in both silver and gold finishes.”

Jennifer Foy of Unisub® Color Product Solutions in Louisville, Kentucky, has noticed that, “More people seem to be adding in Braille capabilities. Using color in a sign has a level of appeal and can help to set the tone before going into an environment.”

Anthony Harris of Gravograph in Atlanta, Georgia, adds that with recent ADA and ANSI regulation changes that include monetary penalties for noncompliance and the onset of litigation, Braille signage has become a necessity in public access locations.

“With recent economical and market changes, there is a great opportunity to expand into signage, especially ADA-compliant signage. Bringing production in-house gives you the ability to better service and control your existing customers, while increasing same customer revenue,” says Harris.

With that view of the interior-signage landscape, let’s take a good look at our own shops.

Don’t Forget Your Store!
We know what the market for interior signage looks like, but what does the interior of your business look like? Do you make good use of interior signage? It seems a logical place to start for any shop looking to join the company of interior sign makers.

“If you sell signage on any level, then yes, your shop should definitely be making their own. That’s the best way to showcase,” says Foy.

Heldman-Beck replies that creating your own interior signage not only provides the chance to show off their skills and capabilities as a sign maker, but it also allows them to do some ‘in-store’ sampling. “By that, I mean they can use several different types of signs in their shop, and if a customer comes in and says, ‘Hey, that’s a nice-looking sign,’ the shop owner now knows what that customer finds attractive and could even do a small sample for the customer. They already have a file on that customer and know what kind of material they prefer, so it really is a natural extension of what award shops and professional engravers are already doing day in and day out.”

She adds that Rowmark often hears customers ask for an easy, attractive way to display products in their showrooms. “In response, Rowmark developed product sign kits for each of our product lines. Incorporating various themes, each kit features practical uses and unique sign designs for each product. Several kits feature engraved (laser & rotary Rowmark sheet material) in sign frames or stand-offs. The sign design files are available for download at no charge.”

D’Antonio agrees that marketing and displaying your shop’s abilities is always a plus, and he says, “Like any retail product, getting your customers’ attention or helping them visualize a finished product always helps to expedite their search and close the sale.

With all the improvements in technology, there are more and more ways to create interior signage. Photo courtesy of Innovative Plastics

Materials Matter
In gaining a good look at the interior signage landscape, it is important to take a look at the materials it consists of. Many of them will be familiar and seem similar to the plastics a shop works with when making name badges and plates for awards. However, there are some materials specific to this market that every interior sign maker should know about.

Urtaza says the hottest materials in the interior signage industry are items that can be colorful and easy to work with, and that can be created in an affordable and quick manner.

To that end, Heldman-Beck declares, “Rowmark has successfully launched new engravable plastics specifically targeted to sign makers, such as our Contemporary Wood Collection and Frosted Acrylics. The Contemporary Wood Collection offers wood finishes that match current furniture trends, and the Frosted Acrylics product line has been engineered to give customers the appearance of tinted frosted glass without the hassles of working with real glass. Most recently, Rowmark has also launched a line of sign frames, desk and wall plate holders and stand-offs for interior signage. Stand-offs are becoming a popular method of installing interior signage.”

For the stand-off style of signs, Johnson says reverse-engraved acrylic is best. As for other materials, she notes that, “IPI (Innovative Plastics Inc.) has their new LaserTUFF material, and at the Las Vegas show, they introduced a newer version that takes LaserTUFF to a new level. It is called LaserTUFF Tech, and it adds a textured finish to LaserTUFF, which is probably the most durable exterior/interior, laserable/rotary engravable material that is out there. IPI also introduced for their laserable line a gold and silver laserable reverse. It has the grain of the normal metallics that you think of when thinking of gold and silver, but you reverse-engrave it. I think that is going to eliminate some of the problems with metallic material, such as fingerprints and scratches, by putting the foil on the backside.”

Laminates, according to Wommer, are fast becoming a high-end standard in this industry. “Glass is also making inroads. We are certainly more familiar with metals, and to that end, I would say that we are seeing increases in high-end finishes in metals, including swirl, polishes and combinations of metals. Cast metals are still an all-time favorite for interior letters.”

Heldman-Beck replies that anything that is both ADA-compliant and design-friendly qualifies as a hot material. “For years, ADA-compliant signage was viewed as being utilitarian. However, designers today are really working hard to incorporate patterns and designs that are appropriate from both a stylistic and ADA-compliant standpoint. Bright colors (with proper contrast), patterns, and unique shapes are all being used more frequently in interior signage.”

As far as patterns and colors, says Heldman-Beck, anything that invokes the feeling of nature and the outdoors is really en vogue for interior signage. Wood patterns, bamboo and organic prints like leaves and grass are very popular. Taking those patterns and combining them with “industrial-looking” products such as metallic-finishes and hardware is also popular with interior designers.

Allen answers non-glare matte materials are hot, and they are most often reverse-printed with full-color graphics.

According to D’Antonio, the hottest materials are those that are in the mode of today’s design preferences. “Today, maybe lighter colors and patterns combined with more basic looks of metallics and marbles for that natural look are popular. For clean and crisp corporate-type logos, which are preferred, lasering can’t be beat. If multiple colors are needed, there are many subsurface reverse-laserable materials available to meet those needs as well.”

If you offer high-quality signage, you can charge more. Photo courtesy of Acrylic Idea Factory When done well, interior signage adds to the aesthetic of an interior’s décor. Photo courtesy of Unisub

Most Profitable Methods
One of the earliest points made in favor of offering interior signage was that nearly all shops already have equipment that can easily make signs. However, most shops have more than one piece of capable equipment. Which is best?

“Nowadays, there is not a preferred way of creating interior signage,” says D’Antonio. “Laser and rotary engraving, vinyl lettering, screen printing, sublimation, direct and digital printing and many others (or a combination of these) can and are being used in today’s interior signage markets. Perhaps the best way to look at it is what equipment is currently in your shop and what can you do with it or what do you need to add to be more versatile? Versatility is very important for creativity and profitability.”

Nonetheless, Wommer asserts that most inexpensive signage is created using photopolymer or roto-engraving processes. He adds, “For a high-end look, metallic signs are still the go-to product.”

Heldman-Beck says the great thing about interior signage is that there are so many processes a shop can use to create it, and the odds are that shops are already using processes that work for signage.

“A shop should look at how they can combine processes to create unique and attractive signage. For instance, can sublimation and engraving be combined to create cost-effective, customized signage for a customer? How can they incorporate full-color images with ADA-compliant materials? There are any number of ways a shop can create profitable interior signage with a whole host of materials,” says Heldman-Beck.

The more unique a sign system is, says Allen, the higher the retail price and profitability. In the past, he says interior signage was most often done with rotary and/or laser engraving. Then, you started to see the use of sublimation for digital color applications.

“Now, you are seeing a lot more direct-print signs being utilized. These can be direct-printed on the top surface or printed on the back of clear material (second-surface print) and backed up with an opaque, white material like vinyl or polyester if the application is going to be cut to size with a laser,” says Allen.

Allen goes on to say that the combination of a laser engraver and a direct-print device can provide a great range of output on acrylic. “You can print second surface (bottom side) on both gloss/gloss and gloss/matte material. This can allow users to create many different products with a very simple set of raw materials. From puzzles, Christmas ornaments, awards and name badges to safety signage, ADA signage and interior signage, the options are endless.”

Harris points out that lasers are ideal for cutting acrylics, foam, plastic and wood, for subtract and profile elements. However, “They are not ideal for producing Raster Braille. Large-format rotary engravers excel when doing Braille signage,” says Harris.

“If you can create dynamic designs in full color that can be fabricated faster and with much better quality than other products that are similar, then your profits will derive from using less labor (time) to create signs, and this in turn allows you to add more production capacity,” says Urtaza. He continues, “If you can offer better quality then you can also charge more for the items you fabricate. How is most interior signage created, with a laser or rotary engraver, or some other process? Interior signage is currently being created by using both laser- and rotary-engraving technologies alongside other technologies like AcryliPrint™ which allows you to fuse vibrant, high-quality, full-color graphics to acrylic.”

The interior signage market is becoming much more sophisticated. Photo courtesy of A.R.K Ramos

Final Thoughts
The key to interior signage, says D’Antonio, is a simple and clean design oriented in familiar and proper communication with your customers. “Remember, most signage requirements are the last thought in any project so it is critical that all details are understood. Mistakes are the biggest reason for not reaching your margin expectations.”

Make sure that’s not a mistake you make.