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Wall of Fame signs and plaques printed ACM

Wall of Fame for Coaches – Aluminum Plaques

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Wall of Fame signs and plaques printed ACM

Wall shown from each end

When Maury Ray and Keith Snyder from Community Colleges of Spokane came in to brainstorm ideas for a wall of fame they were looking for nice plaques on a budget. “We started with pricing for cast plaques, but found the price was prohibitive,” Signs for Success designer Vanessa Bogensberger said.  After brainstorming some other options for nice looking custom plaques, we decided to try printing on brushed silver ACM.  Aluminum Composite Material has the look of solid metal. It has aluminum faces with a solid plastic core that is great for printing and is extremely durable.  ACM comes in white, black, brushed silver, brushed gold, and a several other colors.  ACM is a versatile material since you can change the look of the print by simply changing the finish of the metal.

To test, we produced a sample print on brushed silver that turned out great.  “We printed black and white images of past coaches with a short paragraph of their coaching history. Brushed aluminum standoffs were used to mount these to the wall, giving a great look,” Vanessa said.  For protection against scratches and other wear and tear, we laminated each plaque with a matte protective laminate.

Then the SCC staff did the wall creation and installation in a grid pattern.   The black and white metal plaques against rich wood planked walls give the display a clean and classic look.

In addition to the brushed silver plaques, we also did eleven smaller plaques on the brushed gold ACM for coaches who have passed.  On these, we added white ink as a layer under the photo area to give the photos depth and dimension, making a great memory wall.Printed Aluminum wall plaques for wall of fame

“Overall, we came in far under budget, and the look is awesome. As they add more coaches in the future, this is an affordable option over cast plaques,” Vanessa explained.

 

If you’re looking to create a wall of fame or similar wall display on a budget, metal plaques or ACM prints could be the perfect solution!  Signs for Success is a locally owned family business in Spokane, and we strive for excellent customer service, perfect color, and quick turnaround on every project.  Our large production facility allows us to design, print and install everything in-house.  Contact us for a free quote on a Wall of Fame today!

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updated building wall signs, Brushed Aluminum building signs, call Signs for Success in Spokane

Building Signs – How to Replace Old Dimensional Letters with New Building Signs

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Dimensional letters building sign in Spokane, call Signs for Success for building signs

Building sign “before” photo

Building signs and outdoor wall signs need updating over the years due to normal wear and tear, a name change, or new management.  Signs for Success delivers creative solutions for building sign makeovers.  A large facility in Spokane recently came under new management and needed to replace old dimensional letters with a new building sign.  The design challenge was how to cover the old holes where the letters had been installed into the building fascia.

Signs for Success designer Vanessa Bogensberger came up with a unique solution by mounting the new dimensional letters to a large brushed aluminum composite sign.  Not only did this cover the unsightly holes, it added drama and a sleek, professional look to the building.

updated building wall signs, Brushed Aluminum building signs, call Signs for Success in Spokane

Brushed Aluminum building sign “after” photo

“We knew that there were many holes where the old letters were mounted to the fascia, so we determined that it would make more sense to cover the area with brushed aluminum composite panels, and mount the new dimensional letters to them,” Vanessa explained.  “Then we hung [the panels] on the fascia, covering the old holes that had been sealed.”

To get the dimensional letter onto this large sign, Signs for Success installers first laid out the six approximately 4’ x 8’ aluminum panels on the production floor.  They were then able to install the lettering and logo accurately.  There are several advantages to using aluminum composite (ACM) for outdoor signs.  It is a long term outdoor durable sign material that comes in different finishes, including this modern brushed finish.

Signs for Success is a locally owned family business in Spokane, and we strive for excellent customer service, perfect color, and quick turnaround on every project.  Our large production facility allows us to design, print and install everything in-house.  Get quality service and a quick turnaround on building signs; contact us for a free quote today! See More Dimensional Letter Signs

These lap desks are printed and laminated, double sided, then cut out, given to school kids in Africa for a great learning experience

Aluminum Composite Lap Desks Transform Education in Africa

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These lap desks are printed and laminated, double sided, then cut out, given to school kids in Africa for a great learning experience

PAL Lap desks are custom printed aluminum composite material

PAL stands for Portable Academic Lapdesk.  “PAL was born out of years of working in Malawi and Zambia and seeing the dire needs of the schools there,” PAL Non-Profit founder Jackie Wells said.  “In 2009 we developed the idea of making a lap desk that contained all the basics of education on either side of the lap desk.   This would give the students both a desk to work from and basically a visual textbook.”

It took Joel and Jackie Wells several years to develop their non-profit organization, design and copyright the lap desk, get a design patent, and try different prototypes.  During the prototype process, Jackie contacted Signs for Success to see what they could come up with.  “John was willing to think outside the box and came up with the idea of printing directly onto Aluminum Composite.   By laminating over the printing we are providing extra protection as well as UV protection,” Jackie said.Printing Direct to aluminum composite for PAL project

Aluminum Composite Material

Aluminum composite is made of two sheets of thin aluminum with a solid polyethylene core.  It is outdoor durable, heat resistant and water proof.  Lamination increases the life of the print and further protects from UV rays and normal wear and tear.

Signs for Success designer Vanessa Bogensberger helped with setup and corrections to provided art files.  Running test prints for the double sided printing took some time and tweaking to get it just right, but with approval from the customer, hundreds of these unique lap desks went to production.  Finally, in June 2014, after much preparation and determination, Joel and Jackie completed the production and distribution of 550 PALs throughout African countries Malawi and Zambia.

PAL lap desk are a hit with teachers and students alike

PAL lap desk are a hit with teachers and students alike

Lap desks Get Enthusiastic Response

The distribution to village schools included teacher training.  They’ve since heard back from several teachers about the success of the lap desks.  One teacher wrote, “By seeing the PAL some of our older learners are self-correcting things they had learned wrong.”  Another wrote, “teaching becomes simple to me because learners participate actively using these PALs.”

In a letter of endorsement from the Director of Basic Education in Malawi, Dr. Chimombo states, “The PAL gains the attention of our students with its bright and colorful presentation and gives them a global perspective.  Many of our schools have limited supplies.  If we can establish the distribution of this tool into these schools the PAL will provide them with a much needed resource.  The teacher’s manual that accompanies the PAL will provide great support to instructors.”

Joel and Jackie are in the midst of a RocketHub social media campaign that will last until April 15 to raise funds to take 600 more PALs into Africa in September 2015.

Learn more about our custom rigid signs or request a free quote.

PAL Final-LAPDESK_Clean_side2

 

 

PAL Final-LAPDESK_Clean_side1

PAL lap desk side 2