ARCHIVE: Category Archive for: Metro Sign

Making Signs Stand Out, Blend in with Beautiful Campgrounds

From Concept to Design to Fabrication – GSEM Signage Enhances Organization’s Brand Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts (GSEM) came to Metro Sign & Awning with a challenge. GSEM’s five camps, with locations in Andover, Brewster, Plymouth, Waltham, and Pelham, NH, needed signage that would be highly visible, beautiful, and durable. The signs needed to reflect the organization’s mission as well as its brand, stand out night and day, and complement the camps’ beautiful natural settings. As a non-profit organization, the budget was non-negotiable. And then there was the timeframe: concepts for exterior signage that needed to be designed and fabricated into reality – and installed – before the upcoming camp season and a popular annual event. Challenge accepted. Sign Concept

Metro Sign and Awning graphic designers and fabricators love bringing signs to life. But would our jobs make a good movie? Well, probably not. Carefully fabricating any sign requires extensive knowledge and experience with a host of tools, techniques and materials. And painting the finished sign is another highly specialized part of the process. While we know that watching paint dry isn’t exactly the stuff that wins Oscars or Academy Awards, we had to share this video of one of our great painters at work. (Thanks, Pete!) The video offers a quick overview of our sign painting techniques and various stages, including: Pre-treat and base layer Full second and third pass Masking/border mask, stencil mask Potter cut vinyl Light first pass Full

enovating an old sign is something like a makeover. The ‘after’ appears beautiful true to the original, but sports an even better, brighter look. And when a sign renovation includes moving from fluorescent bulbs to bolder, brighter LEDs, there’s also a significant energy cost savings. One restaurant owner in Keene, NH recently discovered how a relatively simple sign renovation can make a big difference in how people view the business. Upgrading, Updating a Business Sign Long established Papagallos restaurant has legions of fans in the Keene, NH area. But people who are new to the area or who are driving through town on business might not have known what they’d find on the menu. The Papagallos family specializes in Italian and Mediterranean cuisine. But the

The Merc at Moody & Main has an urban feel thanks to its location in downtown Waltham, but rents are about 25 percent less than new buildings!

Our Top Interior Sign Posts of 2016

Interior signage is a complex animal. One part interior design, one part marketing, one part pure function… with equal parts art and creativity, budget-sensitivity, building ordinances and regulatory compliance. We field a lot of questions about interior signage – many related to ADA regulations and building codes, others about branding, longevity of materials, and ROI. Below, some of the most popular posts and tips on interior signage from 2016. If you have an interior branding, POS, wayfinding, or other signage project coming in 2017, take a look at some of these interior sign examples, or contact us directly with your questions. We’re happy to help you tame your complex interior signage “animals!” Tips and descriptions of some related Boston-area sign

Shopping center developers know they need to help tenants capture point-of-sale traffic on Black Friday – the busiest shopping day of the year. More importantly, effective signage should attract shoppers all year long. An out-of-date center with tired signage just won’t draw the traffic it needs to. But rather than a complete renovation, sometimes the most effective – and affordable – solution is to replace or upgrade the existing signage. Updated Signs Draw Attention, Increase Mall Traffic Metro Sign & Awning frequently works with developers and municipalities to modernize freestanding sign structures. We have retrofitted signs on many established properties to utilize dynamic, digital boards to display news about new tenants, promotions, and shopping center events – ultimately increasing traffic and sales. Retail

National Amusements is committed to providing the ultimate entertainment experience in theatres around the world under its four cinemas brands – and that ultimate experience includes modern, exciting signage. Metro has worked with National Amusements to rebrand inside and out. Interior Signage conveys branding for Showcase Cinema Ensuring the brand identity is consistently carried through all interior and exterior signage is important – and making sure the signage is bold, beautiful and attention-grabbing is just as critical to the theaters and property managers. During its long-standing relationship with National Amusements, Metro Sign & Awning has provided interior and exterior signage for several of its theaters in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, and Rhode Island. Last year, Metro crews worked in

All of us here at Metro Sign & Awning send a hearty “Congratulations!” to the team at Dellbrook and everyone involved in the West of Chestnut development in Quincy. We were excited and honored to be involved very early (probably before the earliest point in this time-lapse video!) interior signage evacuation map Metro design Boston While the video shows the dramatic transformation, you don’t see all the behind-the-scenes planning and design decisions that go into creating interior signage that complements a beautiful interior while serving an important (possibly life-saving) purpose for residents and visitors. More on that later. For now, here’s a glimpse at some of the preliminary sketches, hinting at how professional sign designers work to ensure interior signage meets codes, is ADA compliant, and is created and installed to be

Arches punctuate the distinctive architecture of St. Mark’s School in Southborough, MA. The 150-year old institution has a dedicated faculty, alumni, and more than 350 students, many of whom live on St. Mark’s campus. When it was time to update interior signage, it had to be carefully designed to add to, rather than distract from, the historic private school. Metro Sign & Awning had created other signs for the school, including a hand-carved donor sign. The sign was created by our in-house Design Department to echo the school’s distinctive arches and hand-crafted by our Fabrication Department. For this most recent project, the administration contacted Metro Sign & Awning’s Keene, NH location for conceptual designs for the new interior signage. Strong,

If you’ve been impressed by the design of the freestanding illuminated sign at the Center at Innovation Drive in Tewksbury or the external building sign at Marcou Jewelers in Waltham, you’re not alone. The US Sign Council recently selected both signs as winners in its 2016 USSC Sign Design Competition. In a statement recognizing the work of Metro Sign & Awning Designer Susan MacGregor, USSC Executive Director Nancy Maren said, “On behalf of USSC, I offer personal congratulations for your outstanding work, as well as your interest in advancing our efforts to encourage high standards among industry design professionals.” Award Winning Signs Always on Display The award-winning signs will be featured at Sign World International, and the USSC Awards will