Anaheim Signs

Christie® projectors are helping tell the story of Canada—in miniature. Little Canada is the newest attraction in Toronto and is delighting visitors with a trip across the country, including landmarks, sights, and sounds, all under one roof.

Carbon Arc Projects, which specializes in the curation of virtual and in-person experiences, selected Christie GS Series 1DLP® and Captiva projectors to illuminate landmarks throughout the attraction.

Located in the heart of downtown Toronto, Little Canada covers 45,000 square feet of indoor space across two floors and recreates popular locations and landmarks at 1:87 scale—the same size as model railways—with five destinations including Little Niagara, Little Toronto, Little Ottawa, and Petit Quebec.

Little Canada is a highly detailed miniature world brought to life by 21st century technology, which took over 180,000 hours to build, and an homage to Canada by its creators.

“We received a call in 2018 from Blink Multimedia, the content creator, about a new project that was taking shape,” says Sean Hooper, partner, Carbon Arc Projects. “And we knew this was going to be a project unlike any other we’d ever done. We were excited to work on Toronto’s biggest little attraction. “The first, big destination we worked on was Little Niagara and the Maid of the Mist, then Little Ottawa.”

Carbon Arc Projects selected Christie Captiva and DWU630-GS 1DLP laser projectors for the attraction.

“We made the recommendation for Christie projectors because we were looking for a professional short throw projector in the low to medium brightness range. Christie was one of the only vendors with a product that met these requirements, with a laser light source, that could be sourced locally,” says Hooper.

The projectors are integrated with the playback system, which is centrally controlled, and includes power schedules for the projectors as the attraction moves through a fifteen-minute loop, all while making the Little Niagara Falls look as iconic and life-like as possible—no waterworks whatsoever.

With the projectors installed, the biggest challenge for Carbon Arc Projects and Little Canada was projecting onto Niagara Falls.

“We have these beautiful projections on the Falls, and those are static. But we had to figure out how to incorporate the Maid of the Mist boat so that it wasn’t just a flood of water projected onto it,” says a spokesperson from Little Canada. “The boat has been so intricately made with fine details and little people, and we didn’t want those details washed away. We brought the problem to our projection partners to find a creative solution.”

“We timed out the boat position,” says Hooper. “The boat follows a predictable route and, from there, created a mask in the content to help the boat stand out.”

The miniature Maid of the Mist is designed to replicate the speed of the real boat, slowing down as it gets closer to the dock and gaining speed as it goes downstream.

Next up: Little Ottawa. Little Canada’s display operates on a fifteen-minute day-to-night cycle, and upon sunset thousands of tiny lights illuminate, including a simulated fireworks display and a commemorative video projection mimicking the Canada Day celebrations that take place in Ottawa each year. Carbon Arc Projects worked with Blink Multimedia to develop a projection mapping show on Little Ottawa’s Parliament Buildings.

The intricacy and details of Little Canada have been wowing guests since it opened in August.

“Little Canada is a highly detailed and immersive miniature attraction that offers spectacular scenery, enveloping soundscapes, animated features, and moving cars, trains, and boats. Guests have been wowed by the life-like experience and the incredible, bespoke lighting and projections play a special part in bringing the magic of Little Canada to life and giving our visitors the opportunity to experience parts of Canada they might not otherwise be able to,” says Little Canada’s spokesperson.

“It’s amazing to see the level of accuracy and creativity at work here” adds Kyle Killing, partner, Carbon Arc Projects. “There’s been an incredible amount of time and attention that went into the space, and you find something new in there each time you go through the exhibit. The amount of planning that went into creating this experience is tremendous.”

—Press Release

The post Little Canada Provides an Immersive Miniature Exploration appeared first on Sign Builder Illustrated, The How-To Sign Industry Magazine.

Published first here: https://www.signshop.com/lighting-electric/digital-signage/little-canada-immersive-miniature-exploration/

Since announcing its official partnership with Roland DGA back in May, Skip Barber Racing School, the premier racing and driving school in North America, has been running its new sixty-four-inch Roland DG TrueVIS VG2 series printer/cutters virtually non-stop, producing everything from custom wraps for its fleet of seventy-five racing and instructional cars to personalized decals for program graduates to signs and banners for its promotional events.

The Skip Barber Racing School, which has been in operation for nearly 50 years, has trained over 350,000 people at the continent’s top circuits. Notable graduates include Formula 1 and IndyCar star Juan Pablo Montoya, Josef Newgarden, Ryan Hunter-Reay, and Jeff Gordon.

In addition to the racing school, Skip Barber operates corporate events and driving schools as well as “arrive-and-drive” race series and racing teams, all of which require vibrant, digitally printed graphics.

“We just finished our fiftieth full wrap since receiving our new inkjets, and we’ve created countless stickers and decals for our other fleet cars and support vehicles,” said Joe Monitto, Skip Barber Racing School’s Chief Revenue Officer. “Having the TrueVIS VG2 printer/cutters has made a huge difference when it comes to the quality and efficiency of our school’s graphics production. We have been able to print everything we need quickly and easily in-house instead of outsourcing, saving us a significant amount of time and money.

“The image quality is amazing, plus the super-fast setup, integrated contour cutting, and quick-drying TR2 inks have allowed us to cut our concept-to-production time in half.”

Monitto is also impressed with the VG2’s versatility and color accuracy. “Whether we’re using our inkjets to produce vehicle wraps, signage, or die-cut stickers for our students, we can expect the same vivid, detailed graphic results,” he noted. “Additionally, the wide-gamut inks and outstanding color-matching capabilities make it very easy to hit specific brand colors.”

The Skip Barber Racing School has a staff of three full-time employees dedicated to the design, production, and installation of all graphics for the fleet and support vehicles, as well as any promotional signage and materials needed. To date, the graphics team has been operating out of Skip Barber Racing’s current headquarters in Long Island, New York, however, they are in the process of relocating to a new facility at Virginia International Raceway in Alton, Virginia which will also serve as the new headquarters for the racing school and race team.

The school’s fleet is comprised of several different types of vehicles, including S197 Mustang GT cars (used for the Racing School programs), Mygale Formula 4 cars (used for the Formula Car Racing School and driven in the Formula Race Series), Honda HPD Civic Type R and Si TCA cars (driven in the SRO Motorsports TC America race series), ROUSH Performance Stage 3 Mustangs (used in the ROUSH Performance Intro to Racing program), and Toyota Supra models (used for the Racing School and as pace cars).

Monitto pointed out that the Skip Barber Racing School graphics team is busy year-round—printing and installing wraps for newly acquired cars and refreshing the graphics for existing fleet vehicles.

“Along with the school fleets, we have tractor trailers used by our equipment transport and branding development support teams that receive either full or partial wraps, depending upon our specific needs,” he noted. “In all, I’d say about 75 percent of our printer utilization involves vehicle wraps, with the remaining usage devoted to signage, banners, graduate stickers, and custom decals for special events.

“We are delighted with our partnership with Roland DGA. With their state-of-the-art printer/cutters on-site, we’re able to control the quality of our graphics and the entire production process. It’s a big win for our entire team.”

—Press Release

The post Roland DG Printer/Cutters Drive Graphics for Skip Barber Racing School appeared first on Sign Builder Illustrated, The How-To Sign Industry Magazine.

Published first here: https://www.signshop.com/graphic/digital-printing/roland-dg-drive-graphics-skip-barber/

Infuse Digital, a New York-based provider of digital display assets and advertising revenue, has announced the hire of Jake Indyk. As the company’s vice president, Indyk leads day-to-day management with a focus on identifying and structuring new opportunities, funding, and strategic partnerships.

Infuse Digital provides property owners the ability to modernize and monetize property assets by investing in the design, development, manufacturing, procurement, installation, operation and monetization of state-of-the-art digital media networks and specialty assets, integrated into new or existing assets. Additionally Infuse Digital provides out-of-home (OOH) media sales firms financing services for LED display assets.

Indyk has more than a decade of industry experience, successfully developing monetization strategies and securing license agreements with media sales firms on behalf of property owners with projected gross revenues in excess of $800 million. Before joining Infuse Digital, Indyk led a revenue strategy group as managing director and was responsible for helping clients maximize returns and secure long-term cash flows for their digital and static signage assets.

“Infuse Digital is focused on providing unique solutions to property owners and media sales firms in an industry that is seeing incredible growth,” said Indyk. “It’s incredibly exciting to be a part of that and finding ways to utilize digital assets that enhance real estate through revenue-generating opportunities, and I’m looking forward to introducing our offering to the market.”

As an expert in valuation and underwriting analysis, Indyk has successfully negotiated multimillion-dollar agreements with large media sales firms for some of the most iconic assets in the U.S., including Moynihan Train Hall, SoFi Stadium at Hollywood Park, (Washington) Nationals Park, and Manhattan Village.

“Jake brings an immense amount of experience to Infuse Digital,” said Dennis Hickey, president and CEO of Infuse Digital. Hickey also runs sister-company SNA Displays, a leading manufacturer in the LED display industry. “Jake’s wealth of knowledge with structuring complex deals and identifying revenue opportunities will be instrumental for Infuse Digital. We are incredibly excited to have him leading these efforts.”

About Infuse Digital

Infuse Digital, a new concept in commercial real estate enhancement, works with clients to modernize their facilities with state-of-the-art LED and LCD display assets at little to no upfront cost. Led by veterans in the digital display and out-of-home industries, Infuse Digital offers a comprehensive service, handling design, development, and procurement of digital assets as well as sponsorship and advertising sales, content management, and maintenance.

Through extensive partnerships, Infuse Digital helps its clients monetize display assets by securing transactional advertising sales and long-term sponsorship investments, ultimately offering a worry-free investment for owners, developers, and stakeholders.

—Press Release

The post Infuse Digital Announces New Vice President appeared first on Sign Builder Illustrated, The How-To Sign Industry Magazine.

Published first here: https://www.signshop.com/industry-appointments/infuse-digital-new-vice-president/

By Ashley Bray

We’ve compiled a list of things every sign shop should know when selling digital signage—whether you’re just starting out or a long-time pro. While this list is by no means exhaustive, these four factors should definitely be on your digital signage study guide.

1. Know Your USP

Your sign shop’s USP, or unique selling proposition, is the thing that makes your company better than the competition.

Do your customers know you sell digital signage? Do they know they can get their banners, channel letters, and digital displays all in one place? Being a one-stop shop for all a business’ signage needs is definitely a strong USP, and it’s one that more and more customers are looking for.

As digital signs become cheaper, an increasing number of customers will be adding them to their signage shopping lists and will take their business elsewhere if your sign shop can’t deliver them.

“I think it’s going to grow to where almost every business will have to have one. If you don’t get in it now, then you’re already behind. I mean, if you’ve been doing business and selling lighting or channel lettering and you’re not offering your customers a digital sign, then you’re just missing the boat,” says Mike Lewis, chief executive officer of Sign Store Macon in Macon, Georgia. “The customers want them, they’re going to buy them from somebody, so if you keep your customer in hand and offer them everything they want, then you’re just better off.”

Of course, adding digital signs to your list of offerings isn’t enough. You need to back up your claims. “You’ve got to make that customer think that you’re a prominent person in your area to do all of these signs, and if you are, then you have to back it up,” says Lewis. “You have to work at it. Anybody can sell one, it’s not that hard. But to sell a lot of them, you have to put some effort in.”

2. Who to Sell to First

There are plenty of businesses and markets that could benefit from digital signage, but where should you focus your sales efforts? If you’re just getting started or looking to expand your reach, the community hubs of schools and churches are great entry points into other sales opportunities.

“Schools and churches, that’s where we focus. If we sell to a school, then all the parents that go there are seeing the thing, and there will be something about us on it. If we sell to churches, you’ve just got a ton of business people going to those churches and they want to know who put the sign up for their church,” says Lewis. “If you can just sell to those two groups, it will lead to the other parts. You’ll get all the businesses you want from the churches and the schools.”

Starting with the smaller digital displays that schools and churches typically gravitate toward can also be easier, more lucrative sells. “A lot of people want to sell the real big signs, and that’s fine, we do too, but you can sell four or five of the medium to small signs and make more money than just one big one because everyone is so competitive on that large one,” says Lewis.

When pitching the signs, Lewis recommends focusing on value rather than price. “If somebody wants one, they’ve done a little research normally, so they know they’re going to be expensive,” he says. “Just tell them the benefits, and how it’s going to help them.”

3. Local Regulations

An important part of the digital sign sale is making sure that the sign is allowed in the first place. Digital signs, especially outdoor displays, are typically governed by many more restrictions than other types of signage, so it’s crucial to know the local regulations.

“There’s a lot of rules in every town about these digital signs, and you need to understand them,” says Lewis. “There’s no point, if you ask me, to design you a nice sign and then I can’t get a permit for it—then I’ve wasted my time and yours. So we do a lot of work as far as finding out what the regulations are and keeping up with them so that our sales people don’t waste their time selling digital signs in places that don’t even allow them.”

4. Resolution & Pixel Pitch

When it comes to selling digital signs, many sign shops partner with digital sign manufacturers, which can help with the more technical aspects and questions that may come up in a sale or on an install. But that doesn’t mean your shop shouldn’t be savvy about the basic lingo and terms surrounding digital signage. This is especially important as customers become increasingly educated on aspects of digital signs and are asking for the specifics of things like resolution and pixel pitch.

“The average person we sell to is a little more educated on digital signage than they were certainly ten years ago,” says Justin Holland, co-founder and vice president of Sales and Marketing for Complete Signs in Dothan, Alabama. “So now, the trend has been more requests for, ‘Hey, I don’t want to be able to see the dots, I want something where it looks like a TV.’ They’re trying to say they want better resolution or tighter pitch, but they just don’t know how to say it.”

This is where your sign shop comes in, and it also returns to our first point of backing up your USP—use the correct lingo and teach the customer what it means, and you’ll look like a pro in no time.

The post 4 Things Your Sign Company Should Know When Selling Digital Signage appeared first on Sign Builder Illustrated, The How-To Sign Industry Magazine.

Published first here: https://www.signshop.com/lighting-electric/digital-signage/4-things-your-sign-company-should-know-when-selling-digital-signage/

Nazdar (Shawnee, KS) has appointed Shawn Butson as narrow web technical sales representative for the Northeast region.

Based in Philadelphia, he is responsible for providing technical support and increasing sales of Nazdar’s narrow web products. He will be involved in product training and seminars while working alongside Nazdar customers in a troubleshooting capacity.

Butson has more than 20 years of sales and technical support experience and has a background in flexographic printing and the packaging industry. He also has in-depth knowledge of roll stock and sheet stock used in roll-fed and flatbed printing, as well as experience working in the industrial waxes, coatings and adhesives sectors.

For more information, visit nazdar.com.

The post Nazdar Hires Shawn Butson as Northeast Sales Rep appeared first on Signs of the Times.

Published first here: https://signsofthetimes.com/nazdar-hires-shawn-butson-as-northeast-sales-rep/

In September 1921, the Akron Law School welcomed its first class of thirty part-time evening students to a modest three-story building that it shared with other tenants. Over the succeeding one hundred years, the school—now The University of Akron School of Law—evolved into a highly regarded institution that has provided talented leaders for law firms, businesses, courts and communities in Akron, the state of Ohio, and across the country.

So, when it came time to celebrate its centennial, the law school wanted to get the word out.

One effective way it came up with was eye-catching window graphics on both sides of the well-traveled corner where the law school stands. The two installations combined cover 782 square feet.

The graphics were designed in-house by the University’s Communications and Marketing Department.

The department’s vendor, large-format printer JW Color, recommended Briteline 80/20 Window Perf film for the side of the building where the film needed to be see-through from the inside.

For the other side, where the graphics would be installed on the first and second levels rotunda windows and the inside view wasn’t a concern, JW Color recommended Briteline 80/20 Window Perf.

“We chose GlassApeel for the rotunda windows due to its excellent optical clarity and the ability to reverse print and install from the inside to avoid renting a lift if we installed on the outside of the window,” said JW Color’s president, Craig Johnson. “We used the Briteline 80/20 Window perf on the other windows for its excellent printability and clean removal when it’s time to take the graphics down.”

All the graphics were printed on a swissQprint Impala 3 UV printer. Johnson and his team completed the installation in a single day.

“The window graphics have been a wonderful addition to our year-long centennial campaign,” said Akron Law dean, Christopher J. (C.J.) Peters. “The windows are attention-getting and really take advantage of our corner location that hundreds of vehicles pass by each day.”

—Press Release

The post Eye-catching Window Graphics Enhance Akron Law School Centennial appeared first on Sign Builder Illustrated, The How-To Sign Industry Magazine.

Published first here: https://www.signshop.com/graphic/vinyl-graphics/window-graphics-akron-school-of-law-centennial/

NUtec UV-Curable Inks with Ruby R20-HYB

Applicable for both indoor and outdoor signage.

NUtec Digital Ink (Cape Town, South Africa) is expanding its range of UV-curable inks with Ruby R20-HYB, a general-purpose, fast-curing, hybrid ink designed for rigid or roll-to-roll applications and optimized for LED curing, a method considerably less energy-intensive than traditional lamp curing. This product thus fulfills an increasing demand for more environmentally sensitive solutions, and is applicable for both indoor and outdoor signage. The formulation is designed for compatibility across a broad range of printer models using Ricoh MH5420/5440 Gen 5, Ricoh MH5220 Gen 5s and Kyocera KJ4A printheads.

NUtec Digital Ink

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WARDJet M-Series

AAG Tailored Cutting Solutions.

High-speed, high-acceleration large-format cutting system for large and multiple-sheet production. Uses CNC control system powered by AAG MOVE and allows for multiple head configurations on a single gantry. Rack-and-pinion drive allows cutting up to 1,400 ipm.

wardjet.com

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Roland DGA VersaSTUDIO BN-20A

Uses MAX 2 inks in standard CMYK configuration and VersaWorks 6 software.

New desktop printer/cutter offers VersaSTUDIO BN-20’s features at a lower price. Suitable for a wide range of applications including signs, posters, decals, labels, customized apparel and more. Uses MAX 2 inks in standard CMYK configuration and VersaWorks 6 software.

Roland DGA

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Sihl 3317 Creative Textured Paper

Compatible with aqueous and latex printers.

Artistic paper compatible with aqueous and latex printers produces images for museum and gallery art reproductions, fine art, signature art and more on an acid-free, soft matte surface with no optical brighteners. Quality color reproduction and soft transitions on instant-dry, water- and age-resistant, 100%-cotton material.

Sihl

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EFI Fiery XF 7.3

Software supports more than 180 new printer drivers, bringing the number of supported models to more than 1,200.

Together with the EFI Fiery proServer digital front end, the software now supports more than 180 new printer drivers, bringing the number of supported models to more than 1,200. Able to mix and match cutting equipment with print-and-cut machines. Fiery Prep-it software delivers true-shape nesting and integration with Fiery XF can support more than 1,300 cutters.

EFI

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Versa-Stik Principal LED

Compatible with several Principal LED modules.

Designed for customization. Parts include metal extrusions, molded end-cap for retrofits, T-brackets and L-brackets. Compatible with several Principal LED modules.

Principal LED

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Zünd PreCut Center

Available in two versions.

Software available in two versions, Basic and Pro. Prepares fully nested cut files for applications involving unprinted materials in a few steps. Significantly reduces workload in file preparation, generates optimal material yield and eliminates potential for error.

Zünd

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Mimaki UJF-3042 MkII E

Capable of industrial printing items up to 6 in. thick.

UV-LED flatbed inkjet printer compatible with various ink types and allows printing on acrylic, resins, glass, metal and leather. Maximum printing area 11.8 in. wide and 16.5 in. long. Capable of industrial printing items up to 6 in. thick such as nameplates, indoor molded signs and more.

Mimaki USA

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The post Catch the December Products appeared first on Signs of the Times.

Published first here: https://signsofthetimes.com/catch-the-december-products/

Xaar’s Ultra High Viscosity Technology is providing manufacturers with an array of new and practical production possibilities, offering the chance to print without limits and drive creativity. The growing role and capability of inkjet printheads is presented in Xaar’s latest White Paper, “Pushing the boundaries of inkjet technology with high viscosity printing.” It looks at the historical background to the limitation of inkjet technology’s use and highlights how the latest printhead innovations are enabling a much wider range of fluid viscosities to be printed at around 100 centipoises (cP) at jetting temperature, equating to approximately 1000cP at ambient temperature.

This capability is increasing the relevance and practicability of inkjet technology across a variety of new printing, coating, advanced and additive manufacturing applications. It is rapidly becoming the manufacturing technology for Additive Manufacturing and 3D printing, as well as for personalization, coating and other innovative print and manufacturing processes.

Mike Seal, Xaar’s head of Advanced Applications, Technologies and Fluids, said; “Ultra High Viscosity Technology offers a wide range of new 3D and Additive Manufacturing possibilities which are really as wide as the customer can think of.

“We’re giving people a new tool to create better products and with Ultra High Viscosity transforming 3D printing by enabling extra material properties that aren’t possible with other inkjet printheads.”

Xaar sees its Ultra High Viscosity Technology as providing an opportunity for manufacturers to transition to inkjet, giving a digital advantage of small batch turnaround and mass customization, opening up a number of new client sectors without the need for wasteful and cost-inefficient minimum order quantities.

“With inkjet technology the only difference between your final prototype and your product, is just the number you produce,” added Seal.

The dedicated Advanced Applications Team at Xaar works with all its customers to explore new applications and technologies, and their 5-step process helps manufacturers find solutions for a wide range of industries and applications.

“From enabling 3D printing on a truly industrial scale, to the mass customization of 3D printed parts, we are excited to show customers how Xaar’s Ultra High Viscosity Technology can take them from an initial conversation through to full commercialization,” concluded Seal.

Xaar’s White Paper can be downloaded at Xaar’s website and a video demonstrating how Xaar’s Ultra High Viscosity Technology is transforming 3D printing can be seen here.

—Press Release

The post Xaar Unleashes Inkjet 3D and Additive Manufacturing Possibilities appeared first on Sign Builder Illustrated, The How-To Sign Industry Magazine.

Published first here: https://www.signshop.com/dimensional/equipment-materials-a-software/xaar-inkjet-3d-additive-manufacturing/

NUtec Digital Ink (Cape Town, South Africa) is expanding its range of UV-curable inks with Ruby R20-HYB, a general-purpose, fast-curing, hybrid ink designed for rigid or roll-to-roll applications and optimized for LED curing, a method considerably less energy-intensive than traditional lamp curing. This product thus fulfills an increasing demand for more environmentally sensitive solutions, and is applicable for both indoor and outdoor signage. The formulation is designed for compatibility across a broad range of printer models using Ricoh MH5420/5440 Gen 5, Ricoh MH5220 Gen 5s and Kyocera KJ4A printheads.

NUtec Digital Ink

The post NUtec UV-Curable Inks with Ruby R20-HYB appeared first on Signs of the Times.

Published first here: https://signsofthetimes.com/nutec-uv-curable-inks-with-ruby-r20-hyb/

LightFair Connect, the virtual, on-demand library of conference sessions from LightFair 2021, will launch on Wednesday, December 8, 2021 offering 27 sessions—with 32 available CEU credits—to continue the return of industry-wide education across lighting categories leading up to LightFair 2022. The next LightFair event is June 19-23 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

“LightFair Connect is a great way for the lighting community to stay engaged until we meet again in Las Vegas next June,” said Show Director Dan Darby. “Our educational sessions—a number of which sold out—were well-received by attendees at the 2021 conference. LightFair Connect offers an opportunity for those unable to attend in-person to stay up-to-date on industry-wide innovations.”

The 27 LightFair Connect sessions recorded during the 2021 LightFair Conference are comprised of a variety of 60-minute and 90-minute courses across the six tracks—Application & Evidence-Based Design, Art + Inspiration, Design Tools + Techniques, Experiencing Light, Professional Development + Practice, and Technology.

All on-demand education will launch on December 8 and be available, for a reduced fee, for a limited time.

LightFair Connect pricing runs $25 per 60-minute session and $35 per 90-minute session. All 2021 LightFair Conference in-person attendees with three- or five-day packages will have free access to all session recordings, and those who purchased ala carte conference sessions will have access to the on-demand versions of those same courses.

LightFair Connect registration and CEU accreditation information will be available on Wednesday, December 8.

—Press Release

The post LightFair Connect On-Demand Library Set to Launch December 8 appeared first on Sign Builder Illustrated, The How-To Sign Industry Magazine.

Published first here: https://www.signshop.com/lighting-electric/lighting-fixtures/lightfair-connect-on-demand-library-dec-8/