A day as a sign technician: from idea to installed sign
Design production and assembly in one operation
As a sign technician you often follow a task all the way from idea to finished installed sign. It makes the trade varied: one hour you are at the computer with a layout the next you are at the printer or plotter and later you may be out at the customer installing. You must know both the creative and the handcraft side.
§It starts with a wish
A task starts with the customer having a need: a new facade sign a car that needs decorating with the company name a banner for an event. You clarify what the message is where the sign should sit how far away it should be readable and what constraints exist for colors and logo.
§Layout and approval
Then you create a layout in a digital program. Here you use your knowledge of typography colour theory and visual communication to make the sign both readable and attractive. The layout is often sent to the customer for approval before you go into production — it is cheaper to make changes on screen than on a printed sign.
§Production
When the layout is approved, you make the sign. It could be printing the design on the large-format printer, cutting text and figures from film on the plotter, or a combination. You choose material based on where the sign will be—indoors or outdoors, short or long life, heavy wear or not.
- 01Printing motif on film, banner or plate
- 02Foil cutting of letters and figures on the plotter
- 03Preparation: lamination, cutting and cleaning
- 04Installation on slab or preparation for installation
§Assembly
Finally the sign is installed or the decoration is transferred to the item. It requires care: the surface must be clean, the foil must be applied without bubbles, and a facade sign must sit straight and securely. Installing on-site at the customer's also demands that you can work safely, often at height.
It is precisely because you follow the assignment all the way that you need to think ahead. The design you create should be able to be produced and assembled. The material choices you make should hold where the sign is to be placed. It is that holistic understanding that makes a skilled sign technician.