Super Cheap Signs

Author: Matt Medel

  • Winning Yard Signs: How to Make One

    making a yard sign
    A stencil for a yard sign being placed into a printing press

    Table of Contents

    Making an effective yard sign is more tedious than one would probably think. First, you need a design or an image you want to put on a sign. Afterward, you will need to make a stencil for that image; that alone is a multi-step process. Furthermore, the stencil gets matched with a piece of corrugated plastic, so the design registers correctly with a blank sign. We’ll take some ink and transfer the image onto the corrugated plastic. Finally, you have to let the ink cure for a long-lasting, permanent finish that will stand up to any elements and conditions it may be up against. Now that you’ve done all the hard work, you’ll have a high-quality and durable plastic sign ready to start working for you.

    Making a Yard Sign Stencil

    Let’s back up and start from the beginning once you choose a design or image you want to use for your business advertisement or campaign sign, it’s time to make a transfer film. This film, in essence, is the negative image of your sign. With the film made, we take it to a dark room and transfer it to a silk screen that has already been coated with emulsion. The emulsion is a photo-sensitive material that comes in the form of a liquid. It’s extremely viscous and needs to have sensitizer added to it. This process makes the emulsion photo-sensitive. Take the mixed emulsion and add a very thin coat to the screen; wait for it to dry. The screen is now stencil-ready.

    We take the film from earlier, place it on an exposure table, and then cover it with the prepared screen. Go ahead and fire up that exposure table so it can begin to emit ultraviolet light. Some emulsion on the screen will come into contact with that UV light. As a reaction, those areas of emulsion get trapped on the screen. The film blocks out the rest of the light from touching the rest of the emulsion. For about 30 seconds, we wait for the UV light to do its thing.

    Time to rinse. Remove the screen from the exposure table for this next part. Hit the screen with water, and the unexposed emulsion should fall right out. This works best with pressurized water. Once you’ve gotten the image rinsed out, you’re left with the stencil that will be used for making the actual yard sign. Again, it needs to dry.

    Print-Ready Yard Sign Templates

    Now we’re ready for printing. From here, we put the stencil onto a printing press or printing table and firmly secure it. This will stop the screen from moving during the printing process. Now we have to register a blank sign under your stencil, then add some ink. This is usually UV ink, so it will last longer outdoors. Next, you will have a squeegee that swipes the ink through the entire image from top to bottom. If done correctly, you now have a freshly printed yard sign with wet ink. The final step is to leave your sign out to dry, or you can cure it quickly with direct exposure to sunlight.

    This is just one description of how the screen printing process can be done; however, there are multiple ways of accomplishing the same task. Here at Super Cheap Signs, we use automated presses to do the same thing and achieve a higher level of productivity. Hopefully, this helps give a better understanding of how an idea turns into something that can be showcased for all to appreciate.

  • How Effective Are Political Yard Signs, Really?

    Political yard signs on a street corner in Austin, TX.
    Political Yard Signs at Their Best!

    Table of Contents

    Are Political Yard Signs Effective?

        What if I said yes and no? Political yard signs have been around for a long time which brings people to ask how efficient they really are. Surprisingly enough, they are effective to the point where they can help a candidate by a little more than a percentage point. However, if you’re running for federal office then I wouldn’t count on it.

        A study performed by Columbia University – more specifically lead author Donald Green – told POLITCO that yard signs can add 1.7 percentage points on average. So yes, they help, but not as much as we have previously believed. According to the researchers, “It appears that signs typically have a modest effect on advertising candidates’ vote shares — an effect that is probably greater than zero but unlikely to be large enough to alter the outcome of a contest that would otherwise be decided by more than a few percentage points.”

        “We were surprised by these findings, because the conventional wisdom is that lawn signs don’t do much — they’re supposed to be a waste of money and time. Many campaign consultants think that signs ‘preach to the choir’ and not much else,” says Alex Coppock, a co-author in the study. At $3-$10 bucks a pop, it’s not hard to see why consultants would say or think this. That would also bring up more questions like; how many political yard signs can your candidate’s campaign afford? Who’s going to place and pick up your signs? It seems to bring more hassle than relief but there is a small light at the end of the tunnel.

    Why campaign signs?

        “My guess is that part of the reason that the effect is small is because any campaign tactic — signs, ads, mailers, calls, etc. — only move people around at the margin. In many ways, it would be strange if the effect were bigger. Imagine a world in which the presence or absence of lawn signs could swing an election by 10 points.” Coppock later adds. If this were the case, many consultants would have their candidates’ campaign based around that tactic, along with a sizable budget to allocate those needs. That would leave too much uncovered ground, in many aspects, and make it too easy for someone to win, simply because they had an amazing campaign sign. Not only does that seem both, unfair and unfitting of a candidate, but also ridiculous. Thankfully, that’s not the situation.

        We can say that lawn campaign signage definitely won’t change any time soon, merely because there is still such a high demand for political yard signs. Also, we need to take into consideration the psychological effect that lawn signs can have on the opposing candidates. Seeing enough of your competition’s signs scattered amongst the community, that your trying to up-keep, can really deter a candidate’s enthusiasm and possibly shy them away from the idea of running completely. Plus, some supporters are going to feel comfort in having the person they support on the signs in their front yard. Either way, Political yard signs are a staple in campaigning and are going to remain so until a new, revolutionary tactic comes about. Until then, Super Cheap Signs will be here to answer the call.

  • Keep It In the Community: Local Marketing

    In our incredibly shrinking world, “local” sounds almost anachronistic. When we can have BFFs across the country or across the globe up close and personal at the stroke of a screen, when couples have transcontinental relationships, when our food is shipped fresh and bright to grocery store shelves from another country, does GPS makes sense anywhere except in a vehicle?

    Surprisingly, yes. The Go Local movement is gaining ground. From farmer’s markets to Yelp reviews, Google Maps to hyper-local ezines, people are hungry to learn more about their immediate neighborhood. Until we can drink virtual latté, this trend will likely continue.

    What does Go Local marketing mean for signage?

    • Sign up for the local angle. Consider affixing “Buy Local” decals to your products or packaging to remind customers you’re a local business, and that by buying your products, their dollars remain in the community to boost the local economy. Your in-store banners and external marketing products such as sandwich boards and spinner signs should all carry the “Buy Local” theme.
    • Socialize locally. Social media is global, but that doesn’t mean your business can’t play up the local focus. On your Facebook page, for instance (yes, your business definitely needs to have one), you can reward new and existing customers who “Like” your page — which also tells other site visitors that they prefer to shop locally. The thank-you for a “Like” can be anything from a one-time discount to a small gift with their next purchase — a simple way to acknowledge support and let them know you appreciate their business. Be sure to include an image of your “Buy Local” signage on your Facebook real estate.
    • Support the community. Does the high school football team need signage for their stadium? Could your town’s SeniorCenter use some help hanging holiday banners, balloons or lights? Every community offers numerous opportunities to make a difference — and the positive PR for your business is a nice side benefit.

    Who knows, with all this local emphasis, you might just find a new best buddy across town, rather than across the world.

  • Foam on the Range: Foamboard signs

    Everybody from kids to grandparents loves foam. Think Nerf balls, foam baseballs, paddleballs, mattress toppers, yoga mats…the list goes on. So if you’re foaming at the mouth trying to come up with creative ways to say the same thing differently with your advertising, think foam, foam on the range: foamboard signs, that is!

    Foam is where the art is. Foamboard is a backing material widely used in framing art: a superior quality, versatile foam sheet sandwiched between PVC plastic to give you reliable results every time.

    Foamboard is fabulous for advertising everything from your store’s holiday sale to a new product display. You can write on foamboard with Super Cheap Signs’ permanent markers, creating a personalized message for your special audience. You can even use foamboard for spinner signs, adding to its adaptability. While they’re ideal for indoor use, foamboard signs are relatively durable in outdoor weather, too, holding up for awhile even in the rain before beginning to dissolve. (This can also be a fun experience for employees with a quirky sense of humor.)

    When you use our foamboard for indoor advertising, however, the main caveat is to prevent people from wanting to play with it the way they do with packing peanuts. Maybe you’ll want to keep some play foam around to distract your more artistic customers. A game of Nerf baseball, anyone? Super Cheap Signs got you covered.

  • The Grandfather of Creative Genius

    In Marketing Magic/Part 1, author Debbie Millman discussed how to become a brand genius. Now she deconstructs the creative process itself as she recounts the wisdom of iconic graphic designer Milton Glaser, famous for the I♥NY logo and the poster of Bob Dylan in profile, his hair a psychedelic swirl.

    Celebrated as the greatest living graphic designer, Glaser offers a wealth of insight that can help business owners create compelling signage. Take this story of how he became an artist:

    “When I was a very little boy, a cousin came to my house with a paper bag. He asked me if I wanted to see a bird. I thought he had a bird in the bag. He stuck his hand in the bag, and I realized he had drawn a bird on the side of a bag with a pencil. I was astonished! I perceived this as being miraculous. At that moment, I decided that was what I was going to do with my life. Create miracles.”

    While a sign doesn’t have to be fine art, there’s no telling where tomorrow’s critically acclaimed work will originate. You might think you’re simply designing a banner for your business — but if the combination of design, colors and verbiage strikes a chord, in the cyber age anything is possible. Thanks to YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and many other social sites, unknowns become global sensations literally overnight.

    Or maybe it’s a banner flag: the hybrid that makes a bold statement for your business, and is made to endure for seasons to come. At 11.5 feet tall and 2.5 feet wide, banner flags are hard to miss. And with our full-color UV-protected dyes and free design, proofing and logo re-creation, all you need to add is the creative genius.

    So go ahead: create a miracle and let that banner wave all over cyberland, drawing customers to your door and kudos for your artistic brilliance. We’ll just remain quietly in the background.