ARCHIVE: Category Archive for: Sign Types

Secrets of Pylon Signage

It’s hard to drive or walk far in today’s built-up areas without encountering a pylon sign, sometimes called a pole sign or a roadside sign. As the name implies, this is single- or double-sided signage supported above ground level on some kind of slim vertical support. Along highways, pylon signage can tower 200 feet or even higher. In urban areas, they’re likely to top out at 30 feet or so, the better to be visible to foot traffic and to link the sign’s messaging more closely to a particular piece of real estate. The pylon sign itself usually consists of an illuminated sign cabinet supported by one or two unembellished poles, which may be square, round, or of an interesting

Interesting Developments in Signage

OK. We admit it: we love signs and signage. It’s fascinating. We can’t get enough. And we love to learn more about technology, industry developments, and basically anything that has anything to do with signs. That’s why we’re fascinated by the following stories (and we hope you are too): “Judge Rules … Signage Rules … Unconstitutional” It’s far away, but Saugutuck, MI, is the location where a county judge recently decided that restrictions on signage are unconstitutional! Basically, a couple of homeowners posted signs declaring their opinions on a very large number of matters (see accompanying photo). Neighbors objected, and the case found its way to court. The result? Now there’s a new precedent that gives property owners virtually unlimited

Lightweight Monument Signs

Monument signs have a great look: solid, substantial, historic, even permanent. Such three-dimension constructions have a long history, having been made for generations from stone, earth, and other long-lasting materials, and more recently from semi-permanent materials such as concrete, stucco, and brick. But you’d be surprised to learn how easily we can achieve that look with lightweight, low-cost materials and processes. Today, monument signs can be fabricated “to order” from man-made materials that give that permanent look while being lighter, easier, and cheaper to fabricate, transport, and install. Modern Materials; Venerable Look These modern monuments often begin with a solid core of molded expanded polystyrene or something similar, bonded onto one or more vertical PVC pipes that will later provide

Metro’s Turnkey Signage Solutions: The Middleman Doesn’t Work Here

In addition to working with individual businesses to handle their signage needs – inside and out – Metro Sign & Awning also offers Design/Build turnkey services for developers. While we’ve done our share in North America (from Canada to Puerto Rico and all over the US) we’re very excited about some of the projects we’ve completed in Boston – including Waterside Place, North Point Residential, One North of Boston and The Victor. Developers tell us they like working with Metro Sign & Awning because there’s no middleman: From initial concept design discussions to sign schedules, permitting, and all the way through to installation, Metro is capable of handling the entire signage process. West Coast Partnership Comes to Boston With hundreds

The Technology Behind Color-Changing LEDs

LEDs have become commonplace in our modern society. We see them on our smartphones. They illuminate many different indicators on our appliances and in our cars. Soon, they’ll be illuminating your home and your workplace. They work so well, in fact, that lately we’ve begun retrofitting all types of exterior and interior signage with them. Aside from their brightness, long life, and power-saving nature, one of the most exciting attributes is their ability to change color. In point of fact, however, no single LED actually does change color. What the human eye perceives as a color changing LED is actually a group of LEDs housed together, and packaged with a tiny computer that controls their operation. In the usual configuration,

Improving Retail Signage

Retail sales depend greatly on giving prospective customers a clear idea of what you’re selling, and then making it fast and easy for them to get what they want, when they want it. That’s why retail stores often live (or die) on the quality of their signage. Whether you are running a “Mom and Pop” sandwich shop or coordinating brand and local signage for a regional chain, here are some simple suggestions to help you open a new store, or improve the signage in any retail operation: Keep Your Signs Looking New In most retail situations, nothing turns off potential customers more quickly and permanently than the feeling your store is old, out of date, or dirty. Your signage serves

How Many Kinds of Signs Can You Name?

How Many Kinds of Signs Can You Name? There are more than 206 bones in the human body, each one with its own name, from cranial bones to vertebrae, and from the vomer to the clavicle. That’s more bones than types of signage, but our industry nevertheless can marshal quite a line-up of different ways to convey messages to people. How many different types of signs can you name? Below are some photos, with a link that lets you see what that type of sign is called.       Sign Type 1: This high-profile sign is the kind you’ll see outside many developments, such as shopping centers, highway service establishments, or multi-tenant commercial parks. Depending on circumstances and visual

Convert Your Existing Signs to LED Technology – Part 2

Convert Your Existing Signs to LED Technology – Part 2 Last time, we discussed some of the benefits that make LED illumination such a great option for signage, much better than the neon or fluorescent tubes currently in use in so many existing signs. This time, let’s assume you’ve been convinced to consider a switch to LEDs. Here’s what’s involved in making the changeover: Simple Conversion Process The first step is to see what you’ve got right now. Our crew comes to your location(s) and inspects your current signage. We’re interested not only in the design, but the physical sizes and shapes where illumination is required. We not only measure each linear run of lighting, but we also look at

New “Blade” Sign at Charles Playhouse

New “Blade” Sign at Charles Playhouse “Hysterically funny.” “Visually stunning.” “Wildly inventive.” Those are some of the salutatory words used to describe the Blue Man Group‘s show, Tubes/Rewired/NowMoreWow, currently in residence at Boston’s historic Charles Playhouse, 74 Warrenton Street. Since the Blue Man Group began performing at the Charles Playhouse, back in 1995, its three members have felt extremely comfortable there in the heart of Boston’s theater district. The venue, which first opened its doors in 1958 in a building that dates from 1839, easily lent itself to the group’s “multi-sensory” show, which combines elements of theater, percussion, and visual arts, in an unlikely mix with both science and vaudeville. Audiences have responded enthusiastically, making the Blue Man Group‘s show

Inside Metro Signs – Corey Fisher, Partner, V.P. Operations

With a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), Corey Fisher is a man who knows how to make things. He enjoys the challenges that come with the signage industry and takes pride in the products he helps create. Corey first started with Metro Sign and Awning about 10 years ago as a technician, a role which soon developed into an estimating position.  About a year later, an opportunity arose for Corey to join in partnership with the existing owners: Brian Chipman and Tom Dunn. “Throughout school, I was always interested in CAD design and CNC machining, which just so happens to have many applications within the signage industry today,” says Corey, “so I asked Brian and Tom

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