Specialty Graphic Solutions Specialty Graphic SolutionsHome of the Mighty Sign Makers We make lobby signs, interior displays, wall displays, exterior signs such as building signs, monument signs, freestanding signs, post and panel signs and large format graphics including vehicle wraps, truck wraps, trailer wraps, vehicle graphics, vinyl letter. ...read more

Recently we had a potential client point out to us that they had some difficulty in contacting us. Fortunately for us they persisted, but the incident pointed out a possible weak link in our advertising strategy. We did not include a phone number in one of our online ads. Some of you might say “But it was an online ad. Couldn’t they just click on it and go from there?” Well, sure. You could also accuse us of having committed the sin of overlooking (or ignoring) the advertising demographic. But what happened was that, in creating the ad, we raised a barrier to communicating with us by leaving out an alternate way of contacting us if the viewer didn’t want to, or couldn’t follow the link. We’re not advocating “kitchen sink” advertising (where you’re throwing everything in there) but this little incident reminded us that it’s prudent to make simple concessions to alternate ways of taking action on the ad. ...read more

In June of this year, Nike’s brand turned 40. Recently, Steven Heller posted a great, brief history of the brand on Print magazine’s Imprint blog. Originally created for a fee of $35, today the Nike “swoosh” mark is touted as one of the most recognized brands in the world. Why is that? Is it because the little swoopy wing-thing is just so intrinsically cool? Or is it the company’s namesake, the winged goddess of victory? In his article, Mr. Heller displays a few images from an internal Nike publication celebrating the success of their brand. Among the images of logo development sketches and prototype shoes, we see a large quote attributed to the creative director at Nike’s graphic studio: Which brings us to the notion of “how to hammer a nail.” Think about it: Would you use a bagel to hammer the nail? Your shoe? Would you hit the nail from the side or maybe while standing on your head? What if you had an expensive, custom made titanium nail, would that make it work better? No, you find your target and hit the nail squarely on the head. Over and over until it’s driven home. There is true value in good design but the “perfect” logo is only part of the brand identity equation. Correct usage can compensate, to some degree, for even a mediocre logo, but an awesome logo isn’t going anywhere without proper and consistent usage. ...read more