For some reason we seem to be working more and more with businesses in the Fashion and Apparel Industry on custom outdoor signs. If I were to guess it’s because these people are picky – in a good way. They have very high standards for design and fabrication and expect perfection of the final product. We like being held to a higher standard and producing signage that’s the best in the industry. No one in our industry wants to drive by a sign they made and not feel proud of their work.
We recently did a custom job for Brand I.D. They are an international company in the trim and accessories business and their client list is very impressive. Obviously they are designers, and as such approach their signage needs from a very specific visual perspective. Then it’s up to us to make that vision possible. This particular job was interesting because it “broke the rules” in our Industry. They wanted letters that would be no taller than 3″ flat cut from 3/4″ aluminum and mounted so each letter would stand off the building by 6″. The first broken rule? Stand off letters are to be no smaller than 5″ because each letter must support four threaded studs. The second broken rule? Stand off letters usually aren’t installed more than 3″ off the wall (at least that is the industry standard). You need to make sure whatever you are using to hold those letters off of the wall can handle the weight of the letters and stand up to the elements through time.
The reason Brand I.D. wanted the letters to stand out this far is because they planted a lovely green vine that will fill in behind the letters and create the visually stunning effect that the letters are floating in front of the vine. We accepted the challenge and went to work to create this custom fabrication.
We needed to find a supplier of 1/8″ threaded studs in lengths long enough that we could cut to 8″ pieces. We wanted to go 2″ into the wall and 6″ off the wall. Then we had to find a supplier of aluminum tubing to act as a sleeve to go over the threaded studs. Most tubes aren’t made in this small of a size. But….we found them…yep, that’s what we do.
The final and last hurdle was the wall itself. No one knew how deep the layer of rock was that is affixed on top of the concrete. We thought it wasn’t more than an inch and a half. Looks can be deceiving. It turned out to be 4″ deep. From an installation standpoint this was extraordinarily time consuming. Once we chiseled away to create a flat surface for drilling, we then had to hammer drill 38 holes through several inches of the rock and 2′ of the masonry as well.
In the end, the sign looks amazing and I smile every time I drive by. This project turned out even better than we thought it would. Now when visitors arrive to the Brand I.D. headquarters they will be greeted with the only sign of it’s kind in the world. That’s what custom signs are all about, and so are we at Focal Point Signs & Imaging. Need a custom outdoor sign? Call us at 714-204-0180
