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Reduced Headaches—Signage Projects that Don’t Slow You Down

Working with developers, general contractors and business owners, we know you have a lot on your plate – and the details of your signage project are not necessarily on the top of your list. A significant benefit of Metro Sign & Awning’s lean management approach is that we are able to reduce our client’s headaches and provide them with a smooth and easy signage project process. So often, signage is the “last thing” that is planned, approved, and installed – and yet, a building cannot be branded without it. You can trust us to focus on the design and implementation of your signs, so you can focus on other aspects of your project or business. Read on to learn how

When it comes to education, signage has the power to transform not only a school building, but a student’s educational experience. Like most signage trends, signage in academic settings has seen a shift in terms of materials used, manufacturing techniques, and ideas of how school signage should function. At Metro Sign and Awning, we use the latest technology and educational trends to create functional and beautiful signs that improve the educational experience for both students and faculty. Electronic Messaging Systems (EMCs) The majority of schools today have at least one electronic messaging system in or outside their building. These are one of the most prevalent types of signage seen in the educational field today because of their incorporation of the latest technology

Awning enclosures are a great addition to any business or restaurant. Not only do awnings provide an aesthetically pleasing upgrade the outside of your storefront, they can also save your business money when it comes to businesses maintenance expenses and heating and cooling costs. Besides the advertising boost an awning or enclosure provides, investing in an awning, canopy or other type of enclosure often means gaining several operational advantages that can help you grow your business. Below we highlight some of the operational advantages of awnings, canopies and enclosures. How Awnings Enhance Safety Whatever the weather, having an awning installed outside your business can improve safety and comfort for both your customers and employees. Awnings and enclosures provide a barrier

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has many requirements for bringing current signs into compliance or when you create new ones. How can you bring your brand to ADA signage when creating new signs or bringing your current ones into compliance? While ADA signage requirements are first and foremost intended to improve safety and accessibility for customers and building visitors, many companies are pleasantly surprised at how the required signage can also support branding. We’ve helped large and small companies get a better understanding of ADA signage and to see how they can incorporate it into their interior design and include branding elements. What is ADA Signage? ADA signage is designed in accordance to the regulations of the Americans with

When signage goes above and beyond its basic “job description” and becomes an architectural element, we refer to it as functional signage, or more informally, specialty signage. Awnings, vestibules and enclosures are obvious examples, but they have some surprising benefits. For example, they can help manage heating and cooling demands, among other things. And while most developers understand how branding can be incorporated into exterior facades, when it comes to interior design we often find our team working alongside architects to bring their vision to reality by identifying specialty materials or new fabrication techniques in order to fit the sign and design into difficult spaces. Retractable screens, unique seating areas and decorative or branded panels are some other projects we’ve worked

Earlier this year, a report by the Outdoor Advertising Association of America showed that outdoor advertising not only remains tops in terms of cost-effectiveness, it continues to be one of the strongest drivers of online searches. How Outdoor Advertising Fuels Online Searches According to the report, outdoor advertising was as successful in spurring Facebook activity as were TV ads, and results were similar for driving traffic to Twitter and Instagram. If it sounds surprising at first, when considering your routine behavior it’s easy to understand the findings. While commuters are strongly encouraged to ignore their phones while on the road, thanks to mobile devices, we’re accustomed to tuning in to an increasing amount of visual stimuli all the time, even while

We’ve enjoyed working with Fitchburg State University (FSU) for several years, and we sincerely appreciate the ongoing relationship we have with university officials and staff. From a clean, easy-to-read design to ensuring the perfect color match for that famous Fitchburg green to producing signs and finishes that are as durable as can be for the many outdoor wayfinding signs, virtually every member of our team has played a part in improving campus signage. Multi-tasking Wayfinding Signage Like all signage projects, wayfinding is advertising – but more than that, it must satisfy many different criteria. In addition to being visually appealing and brand-enhancing, wayfinding signage in particular must be functional – for someone unfamiliar with the area, clear directional signage can

Last summer, the owners of Haverhill Valley Forum expressed interest in working with Metro to dedicate their arena in the memory of Paul Gilmartin. We were excited and honored for the opportunity to work on the project. The challenge was that the perfect location on the face of the building was all glass windows and the sign they wanted to have would feature illuminated channel letters. Our sales, design project management and engineering team worked in collaboration with the Forum’s electrician to create the solution to make it happen. Sign Designed to Stand Out (by blending in) The letters were mounted to a raceway that was painted to blend into the tinted windows. We then conducted a technical survey that

Whether you’re in the early planning or construction stage of a new residential or mixed-use development or starting to think about a new sign (or signs for a new location) for a local business, at some point, you have to request a quote for that signage. In order to take your sign ideas from early brainstorming sessions into installed signage reality, there’s a process called “budgetary reality.” It’s probably safe to say that requesting a quote – and getting estimates on signage projects – is nobody’s favorite part of the job. At Metro Sign & Awning, we understand that – and we also know getting your signage quote right is a very important part of our job. How to

Can you see me now? Verizon Wireless, and many of its authorized dealers, depend on Metro Sign & Awning to see that their signage represents the company well on many sites. For some time now, Metro Sign & Awning has been an Authorized sign manufacturer for Verizon Wireless. And while the company has a comprehensive, 200-plus-page book of branding standards, there’s a surprisingly large “gray area” and much needed flexibility built into the process of design review. Accurate Information is Key to Best Signage Design, Installation Because every business location is unique, regardless of how many branding guidelines there are, there must be some room for interpretation. When a Verizon authorized dealer contacts us about updating or installing new signage,