Design & Price: 4-by-8-ft. sign on aluminum composite panel

In every issue, SignCraft gave a few sign makers an imaginary project. We asked them to do a sketch of the sign they might have produced, and to quote a price for the job. Most of the details were left to the designer’s imagination. The object was to see how different sign makers approach the same project. Here’s the scenario these sign makers were given:

A high-performance diesel shop has just moved into a larger building in a new industrial park. There is room on the poured concrete building between the office door and overhead door for a 4-by-8 sign on aluminum composite material. Describe how you would price and install a sign for this customer.

This appeared in the November/December 2013 issue of SignCraft. While the prices have been adjusted for inflation, they may not accurately reflect current pricing for such signage.

Design A

Design B

Design C

Michael James

Apple Signs, Ball, Louisiana

When I get a request from a potential customer for a sign that is to be installed, I typically will meet with the customer at the installation location. I want to see firsthand what I am dealing with.

I want to know the distance the sign will be viewed, how fast the traffic moves, the height the sign will be installed, any obstructions in the viewing area, such as posts or braces, and, of course, the color of the building. I can also determine if the sign will be simple or creative based upon the budget and customer’s expectations.

The first step of the design process involves choosing the proper font for the topic. Since the “diesel” theme tends to be robust, I chose bold and simple fonts. Utilizing clipart adds a little punch to the design and reinforces the theme.

Secondly, the colors need to be determined. If the building color is dark, I would use a light-colored background, or opposite if the building is light colored.

Thirdly, what direction the design will go is largely influenced by experience and personal style unless there are outside forces, such as a design submitted by the customer. Many times customers will say they saw a design on a website or elsewhere.

 

Jennifer DeVos

The Graphix Garage, Pickford, Michigan

Being that the client is in the performance diesel field, we decided to give a “hot rod” feel to their sign. We also wanted to use the ace of spades to help add to the hot rod vintage feel, then totally update the feel with a modern truck.

The sign would be constructed of ¼-in. aluminum composite panel [ACM]. We would custom paint the background and add high-performance vinyl for all lettering. The truck graphic would be a digital print. We’d install the sign, using a bracket mounted to the back and screwed into the brick with concrete mounting screws.

 

 

Michael “Scooter” Marriner

Coyote Signs, Oakland, California

I would have billed the customer for the logo design prior to creating it; I don’t start the design until I have their check. For the sign, I usually superimpose the image of their sign over a photo of their building (after choosing the color based on the building details). Since I don’t have a building photo for this project, here are two color versions, treated as a logo/sign design.

I’ve noted 3-year digital print or 9-year vinyl on the design page. This helps to reinforce the quality vs. price discussion. It also helps to distinguish me from shops that don’t offer both options, in case the customer is still price shopping for the sign production.

Rates: My shop rate is $185/hour; I’m in the San Francisco Bay Area, and cost of living is higher here than in most of the USA. (A slice of pizza can cost $6.50.) I use the Sign Contractors Pricing Guide, multiplied by 1.3 to adjust for the higher shop rate. Everything that I subcontract, such as digital printing, gets a full 100% markup, double my cost.

The prices shown below are what I’d charge the customer, and I break out all the details on the invoice. The customer knows exactly what they’re getting. That also gives me room to negotiate; the same way car salesmen do it. If the customer wants a slightly lower price, I can suggest we leave the frame unpainted, and they can see how much that will save them.

Production: I prefer aluminum composite panels for large flat signs. It’s lightweight (easy for me to install by myself from a ladder), and it arrives ready to use. The panel is factory-finished with matte black epoxy or clear coated aluminum. I prefer to use cast vinyl film for color depth and durability.

We’re not set up to spray urethane, and I no longer trust enamels for exterior work, so I’m back to using vinyl. For the top version I’d use some silver vinyl for the spade. If the client has a tight budget, then direct digital flatbed printing, instead of vinyl, saves them about $500.

I have a very small shop and sub out anything I can. The frame is a good example. It is aluminum square tubing, 1.5-in.-by-1.5-in., welded up for us by a local silkscreen manufacturer. They buy this tubing by the truckload, weld up large screens all day long, and the price for the finished frame is lower than what I’d pay just for the tubing elsewhere.

If we’re going to paint the frame, we use Rustoleum aluminum primer in a spray can and acrylic latex for the visible edge. I use LocTite H8100 epoxy to attach the panel to the frame. There’s no drilling, no visible hardware—and it only takes about 15 minutes labor. Clean/degrease with Rapid Prep, apply the epoxy and clamp up with hand clamps. The sign is ready to install 30 minutes later. The epoxy costs $25 per application—enough to do one large sign, or possibly two small signs.

Installation: For a sign like this, I typically attach a 2-by-4-in. ledger board flat against the wall, using #12 x 3-in. masonry screws for this project. The framed panel rests on the 2-by-4. It’s easier for me to get the 2-by-4 centered and level than to be playing around atop a ladder with a 4-by-8-ft. panel.

Three screws go down through the top of the frame into the edge of the 2-by-4, which means there’s no visible hardware on the face of the sign. Two fasteners go through the lower frame (into some small 2×4 blocks that I’ve mounted there) to keep it flat against the wall, and to give it a little earthquake protection.

Five screws is plenty for a sign that weighs less than 50 pounds. If it was a budget job, I’d use six anchors directly through the face of the panel, into the wall. Plastic screw caps (by ProDec), in a matched color, finish it all off.