Knowledge Base Topics: (scroll down for each topic)
Vinyl Installation
Magnetics Care
Letter Size / Visible Distance
Design Tips
Materials Descriptions / Term Definitions

Quick Vinyl Application Tips....

Do not apply in cold weather - adhesive may stick but will lift easily.
Do not apply in extreme heat, apply in the shade - vinyl will get very soft and stretch.
Do not use alcohol to apply - it will destroy the adhesive.
Do not use ice scraper on the sticker/decal - may lift or break pieces off..
Do not touch the adhesive backing - oils from your skin will prevent sticking.
Do not point high pressure car wash nozzle at the edges of the sticker/decal for a long time - may lift or break pieces.
Do not allow harsh chemicals or petroleum products to ever contact vinyl - especially digital prints!!!!!
Car washes with mild soaps are safe.
Before application make sure there is no wax or rainx products on the surface - adhesive may stick but will lift easily.
Don't apply wax over graphics, especially if the wax contains any petroleum distillates.

Basic Vinyl Installation Instructions: GeneralInstallationInstructions.pdf

Vinyl Decal Removal:

Never scrap vinyl - damage of underlying surfaces will occur
Begin by carefully heating one corner of the marking with a blow dryer, heat lamp, hot water or heat gun until warm to the touch. Pick up and lift that area you just heated (use a razor or scrapper carefully only on glass surfaces). Slowly begin pulling back the decal, at less than a 90 degree angle. Continue applying heat to the area just before the area that is being removed.
Once you have removed the marking, check to make sure that all of the adhesive residue has been removed. Remaining residue may be removed by using Isopropyl Alcohol (rubbing alcohol) or an adhesive remover such as GooGone.

Magnetic Sign Care and Use Tips....

Help My Magnetic Sign Blew Off.......This is one of the most common complaints that we hear about magnetic signs. All of the time, this is caused by applying the sign to a dirty surface, applying a dirty sign, or applying the sign while it is cold.

Magnetic material becomes stiff and relatively inflexible when it is cold. When the sign is applied while it is cold and stiff, it does not properly grip the vehicle surface. Take a trip down the highway at high speed, and you could wind up losing your sign.

First and foremost, never apply your magnetic sign cold! It's ok to put the magnetic sign on in cold weather, but the sign itself must be warm. That means you must store your magnetic signs in a warm place during cold weather or you must take the time to warm up your magnetic signs before applying them to your vehicle. You can use your vehicles heater to warm up the signs before applying them. Start up your car and turn on the heat. After the cars starts to generate heat, place your magnet's in the car under a heat vent for about 15 to 20 minutes. Assuming your car has good heat, that should do it. Make sure the sign feels soft and flexible before applying it.

Also, the magnetic rips and tears very easily when it is cold. Always be careful when handling a cold magnetic sign.

Always apply a clean sign to a clean surface. It's a good idea to wipe off the area you will be placing the magnetic sign on with a soft damp cloth to remove any loose dirt that might be there. It's also a good idea to wipe off the back side of the sign too. If both surfaces are clean, then you should have no problems getting a good strong bond between the magnetic and the vehicle.

It's also very important to store your magnet's flat. Don't toss them in the trunk or the back of your pick up truck and pile other stuff up on top of them. Magnetic signs tend to take the form of whatever they are up against. If yours is in a folded, crumpled heap under a bunch of junk in your trunk or pick up bed, your 're going to have trouble flattening them out next time you want to use them. If they are not flat when you apply them, they will not properly grip the vehicle surface.

Follow these simple tips and you should get years of service from a set of our magnetic signs.

Apply your magnetic signs warm
Apply clean magnetic's to a clean surface
Always store magnet's flat

Basic Vinyl Installation Instructions: VehicleMagCare.pdf

Letter Height

(inches)

Distance Best Impact

(feet)

Max. Readable distance

(feet)

30'

100'

40'

150'

60'

200'

80'

350'

90'

400'

10"

100'

450'

12"

120'

525'

15"

150'

630'

18"

180'

750'

24"

240'

1000'

30"

300'

1250'

36"

360'

1500'

42"

420'

1750'

48"

480'

2000'

54"

540'

2250'

60"

600'

2500'

Design Tips for Effective Custom Signage Design:

1. Keep it visible and legible.
Often times, LESS really is MORE! In other words, by keeping your message short, your sign is easier to see and read at a glance.

2. Save the details for the sale.
Don't attempt to sell them with information on the sign - save that information until they are in your business.

3. Keep it simple.
The proper sign design is critical to its effectiveness.
Crowding the sign with too many words or lines of text makes it impossible to read from a distance. Use as few words as possible so your signage is legible. Fewer words are better, and three to five words are optimal for quick readability.

4. Grab attention.
There should be something about the sign that will reach out and command attention. Ideally, the first read should be a large pictorial graphic or your company logo, but it can also be large dominating text.

5. Your sign is your handshake.
Your sign is your handshake with the buying public, and first impressions are lasting impressions. Your sign must project the image you want the public to have of you. People will judge the inside of your business by how it looks on the outside.

6. Use new technologies.
With today's internet based technology, you no longer have to accept the limitations of what a sign company can design for you. With the design platform, "Signs In A Flash!", you have the ability to signs with more effective designs t delivering their owner's messages while also becoming more cost effective. The new online sign design "wizard" allows you to change the message on your sign as easily as you change your mind.

7. Appeal to impulse buyers.
Many owners mistakenly think of a sign as merely a device that identifies the business. What they fail to realize is that 55% of all retail sales are a result of impulse buys. People see, shop and buy. If a sign is ineffective, it can actually cost the business owner more in lost sales than the entire cost of a good sign.

8. Aesthetics and suitability.
Your sign must be attractive and appropriate for your type of business.

9. Keep it near the viewer.
Put the sign as close to your viewers as possible.

10. Make sure your sign is conspicuous.
Your message competes in a complex environment. A passerby must be able to differentiate your sign from its surrounding environment.

11. Avoid obstructions.
Make certain the sign can be viewed without obstruction from any source. Drive past your business from all directions to help determine the most visible location for your sign.

12. Use pictures or graphics.
It should have an attractive pictorial graphic or company logo that clearly grabs a viewer's attention first.

13. Make it memorable.
It should make your products or services, and your location, easy to remember.

14. Make it enticing.
Your sign should make a potential customer want to stop and see what's inside the business.

15. Consider colors carefully.
Too many colors take away from the quick readability of the sign. Again, stay simple. Make sure colors are contrasting. Yellow on white is not readable, whereas black on white is very readable. (Refer to a color chart or wheel for best contrasting colors.) If you have several colors in a graphic, stay away from multi-colored lines of text or words (they will compete with the colors in your graphic). Black text is better.

16. Consistent visual image.
Ideally, the design and the colors of your building should reinforce the design and colors of your sign (or vice versa). Color is probably the easiest and most cost-effective device for this coordination of design for business identification.

17. Avoid clutter.
"White-space" is the surface area of a sign's face that is left uncovered by either text or graphics. The proper amount of white space is just as important for quick readability as are graphics, text and colors. 30% to 40% of the sign's face area should be left as white space for optimal readability.

18. Place it to be seen.
An attractive and well-designed sign will only be effective if it is placed in a location that optimizes its visibility to passers-by. Your goal should be to make the sign unavoidable to the passing viewer. In summary... Your sign will do many things for your business, from creating the initial impression to providing the message to new and potential customers about your products and services. A sign does this through a combination of light, size, text, construction, placement and more. Keep these design tips in mind as you design an effective sign for your business.