Sign Maker Central

Here at TheSignChef, our business is always developing. We service all 50 states and we’re still growing – we’re proud to announce that we now have the capabilities to offer custom business signs to our neighbors up north.

Welcome, Canada!

We’re excited to be able to say we now do business internationally. TheSignChef was created 25 years ago as a small business serving locals in Charleston, SC. And now we’re cooking up custom signs in our kitchen all the way down here and shipping them as far north as Cape Columbia – that’s the second northernmost point in the world! Wow!

But Canada isn’t as far away as it used to be

No, our countries aren’t suddenly shifting miles a day. We’re talking about globalization. With today’s technology it’s much easier for a non-franchised business to reach people all over the world. That means that we can give our clients in Canada all the same resources we give our clients here in the US, from online design consultations to customer service 12 hours a day, seven days a week!

So even though we’re far away, we may as well be your local sign shop

We’ve spent years customizing our business so that working with us is just as easy for our clients thousands of miles away as it is for our neighbors in Charleston. We keep everyone involved in the production and shipment of their sign with emails, phone calls and even a custom program that lets you follow your sign through every step of the process. You’ll always know what’s going on right here in our kitchen, no matter where yours is.

So thank you, Canada, for welcoming us into your country. We hope to do business with you for years to come!

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Rumors continue to mount around the future launch of a line of Apple television displays. Based upon the company's recent $3.9 billion investment in display manufacturing facilties, some analysts are pointing toward the eventual arrival of Apple Internet-connected TVs.

"While Apple's commitment to the living room remains a 'hobby,' we continue to believe the company will enter the TV market with a full focus, as an all-in-one Apple television could move the needle when connected TVs proliferate," Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster wrote in a research note Feb. 3.

Even though there still remain many outlets that question the practicality and logic behind such assumptions, one can't help but think how Apple TV displays would impact the consumer and enterprise markets.

In the scope of the digital signage and digital out-of-home industries, Apple displays would immediately find their way into high-end deployments. It's easy to surmise that if such a product line ever existed it would be priced at the top end of the category. Such is typical with Apple products. But, as history has shown, if the product's quality and aesthetics are of a high enough level, people will pay.

This is why I think Apple would realize strong results in building an Internet-connected TV division. The timing is perfect for Apple to roll out stylish flat panel displays that would challenge current models on processing power and looks. The Apple creative flare would surely make a dent in the black frame dominated world of flat-panel displays.

If such a product line were ever to roll out, I would recommend that Apple spend a significant amount of its resources on the enterprise market. The digital signage and digital out-of-home media markets alone would make an Apple display business a success. Apple-branded televisions and the company's unrivaled cache would surely win the minds and pocketbooks of Fortune 500 executives.

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You’ve taken the time and resources to invest in real estate signs that will attract customers to your listings. Bottom line: you want to sell homes and commercial properties! Now, there’s a new way to make your real estate signage even more appealing to prospective customers. Have you heard of QR Codes?

QR (Quick Response) Codes are graphic images that have website addresses (URLs) embedded in them. The QR Code image is then placed on a sign or window or vehicle — really, on almost anything.

All a prospective customer has to do is snap a photo of the QR Code with their web capable smart phone. They will be taken immediately to the website embedded in the QR Code. Imagine the possibilities for your Real Estate business! They’re almost unlimited!

Have your sign designer place your QR Code in an easy-to-see location on your Real Estate yard sign, in front of one of your listings. You can have the QR Code send the prospect to any website you choose!

Let’s say you want to make sure that you’re not rushing out to show a home, only to the find that the prospective customers hate the interior. Frustrating! A waste of time for both you and the clients!

With a QR Code, you save time! Have a label on your real estate sign that reads: “For a virtual tour, use the QR Code.” When the clients take the photo of the code, they’re immediately taken to a virtual tour of the home’s interior. They decide if they like the interior enough to ask for a “live” tour. You screen out those who won’t like the home. And you save time and money!

And that’s just one example. You can put QR Codes on …

And much, much more …

Even when your office is closed, QR Codes on your window will continue to sell after hours!

Even when you’re at home, or helping other clients, your QR Codes are giving virtual tours and providing information to help generate sales.

Even when your vehicle is parked, the QR Code on your automobile’s signage is ready to help you sell your listings!

Estimates are that by 2013 at least 1 Billion people will use smart phones to access the Internet! How many of those will become your customers through your QR Code?

Don’t be left behind! Don’t let other realtors outpace you! We produce outstanding custom Real Estate signage in a multitude of materials, sizes, colors, and much more. We’ll help you stand out from the crowd.

And while some companies charge you to generate your QR Codes, we offer this technology to you, absolutely free!! You can easily generate a custom QR code right here on our site, or we’ll generate your QR Codes for you!

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Did you know that if you’re hesitant to commit to a full vehicle wrap right away we sometimes install vehicle wraps in pieces? This means that after your partial wrap or vehicle graphics are installed, you can always come back to our shop and have more vinyl and graphics added to your vehicle wrap.

Why would a person want to wrap their vehicle in installments instead of having everything wrapped at once? Well there are a number of reasons. In our blog article on the subject we discuss two recent examples of vehicle wraps that were done piece by piece.

Vehicle Graphics New Jersey

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This article will tell you:

What grade of material means and why it’s an important element of your real estate signHow the grade works to protect your sign and the difference between grade and type of materialThe three grades of material offered at TheSignChef and which one best fits your needs

It’s vital that choose the right grade of material for your particular sign. The durability and longevity of your sign is determined by the material grade you choose.

What is a material grade, anyway?

First, you chose a type of sign material for your sign – aluminum, acrylic, etc. Now it’s time choose the grade of material.

The grade of material refers to the level of color protection on your real estate sign. All of our sign materials are of excellent quality and will most often outlast the colors on your sign, despite the grade you choose.

This is because our sign materials are made to last a long time. Aluminum, for example, will last decades.  But the pigments in the vinyl graphics that are laid on your sign material will naturally fade with time, the sun and other elements. This is why we offer the extra protection of high quality grades.

So what are my options?

We offer three grades of material at TheSignChef

Each grade of material is rated for durability. You’ll choose your grade based on how long you’d like your sign to last.

Economy Grade signs are uncoated and rated to last up to three years outdoors. Economy grade is right for you if your sign is not for permanent use or if you need to frequently change the design on your sign. With economy grade, you are relying strictly on the strength of the pigments in the vinyl graphics. If you’re happy with replacing or getting rid of your real estate signs after three years, choose economy grade.

Standard Grade signs are coated in scratch resistant, clear Dura-Shield UV Protective Laminate and rated to last up to five years outdoors. Standard Grade is right for you if you want more protection against the elements and you’d like more durability.

Premium Grade signs are coated in Premium Grade 3M UV Protective Laminate and rated to last six to eight years outdoors. They have maximum protection and withstand extreme temperatures very well. Premium grade is right for you if you’re looking for a more permanent real estate sign and the highest level of durability.

If you’re still not sure what grade of material to use…

Try to look strictly at how long you want your sign to last. The other stuff doesn’t matter all that much.

…Feel free to contact us with any questions!

Our sign specialists are happy to help you determine what grade best fits your needs. We’re here to help!

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RFID and NFC, an extension of the ID tag technology, are going to transform retail. Rumors around the inclusion of NFC within the iPhone5 have grown to a fever pitch. Rightfully so. RFID, a technology that uses communication via radio waves to exchange data between a reader and an electronic tag attached to an object, has the potential to redefine relationships between our digital and physical worlds.

RFID is a critical component to the realization of "The Internet of Things." Embedded intelligence within objects is destined to create one-of-a-kind connections between people and environments. The concept video below illustrates just what RFID/NFC bring to the retail sector. A handful of potential applications described include:

• Triggering a photograph at an event, automatically sending that photo to the wearer’s Flickr

• Connecting two people on Facebook when they both step on a mat

• Automatically trigger status updates when within range of a reader

• Access to VIP restrooms at popular events for people wearing WeSC shoes, or simply entry into the event itself

Bricks-and-Mortar will never be the same.

RFID in shoes from Hampus Lemhag on Vimeo.

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Here in Charleston, outdoor signs have been in the news a lot lately.

It seems we have some problems.

Last week, a man walking his dog on the beach was fined over $3000 for letting his dog off the leash. He said he found the leash law sign “confusing.” And at the end of last year, the Charleston Economic Development Committee was prompted to begin a study of our highway and directional signs. A survey in accordance with the Charleston Area Convention and Visitors Bureau found that our outdoor signs are extremely confusing, especially for tourists (and we get a lot). What’s the deal!?

Here at TheSignChef, we’re bummed to hear this news for a few reasons.

We’re in the sign business, so we obviously know how important it is to have effective outdoor signage. It sort of bugs us when we see ineffective or confusing signage – much like it bugs a chef when he eats a bad meal.

One of the biggest problems with the outdoor signs here is that they direct people to streets, like “Meeting Street” as opposed to “Downtown.” Out-of-towners don’t know that Meeting Street is Downtown! Other highway signs are just as confusing. And we seem to have a problem with beach signage as well. Anything that can get you $3000 in tickets should be spelled out on a giant sign for everyone to see!

Plus, bad outdoor signs – especially on the highway – can be dangerous. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen someone swerve across three lanes because they just figured out their exit was only 10 feet away.

We’re also bummed because we want tourists to enjoy our city. Charleston is a top vacation spot – shouldn’t we be paying extra attention to the needs of out-of-towners?

And this problem isn’t just in Charleston; lots of other cities and towns have outdoor signage problems that really need to be fixed.

What can be done?

We’d love to be in charge of fixing all the poor outdoor signage around here! Your message is the probably the most important part of your sign. If people don’t understand the message, what’s the point? But once that’s all figured out, there’s more to consider.

Outdoor signs – especially on highways – really need to take letter size into consideration. We have an online sizing calculator that takes into account how far away you want your sign to be visible and how fast people are driving by. With those two bits of information it can tell you the optimum size for your letters! Hopefully most highway signs have proper sized letters so we can avoid accidents.

One good thing about highway signs is their contrasting colors. Because green and white contrast a great deal, they are readily visible.

Outdoor signs should also be made of a visible and durable material such as aluminum signs or ARMOUR-Wood signs. Especially signs at the beach – they need to be able to withstand salt water and wind.

So outdoor signs, especially highway signs, are much more important than you probably thought.

Next time you’re driving down the highway, pay attention to the signage. If it’s confusing or hard to see, contact your city officials. We think that a lot of accidents could be stopped with more effective outdoor signage.

And if you need an outdoor sign, don’t let your message get lost. Give us a holler and we’ll be happy to help!

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