Spring has sprung and that means sales are going to start popping up. Not Easter sales in department stores. I am talking about yard sales and garage sales. The “one man’s trash” sales that encourage people to buy things they don’t necessarily need, but have to have because they are such a great deal. You can’t find jeans anywhere else for 50 cents! They are great too, as long as you don’t mind the 80’s faded look.

Yard sales. Moving sales. Garage sales. There are too many sales to keep track of. People spend their entire Saturday morning “yard-saleing” and with all those sales going on, how can you make sure that people make it to yours?

Try interesting, attention-grabbing yard sale signs!

For instance, you can reference not-so-polite words. Those are sure to get someone’s attention.

Yard Sale Sign

Or you can make your sign colorful, charismatic, and charming.

Yard Sale Sign

You can always appeal to the thrifty, second-hand types by calling it trash.

Trash Sale

Want the best way to attract those eyes to your yard sale? Skip the sign and make a large banner, complete with flags.

Garage Sale

However you decide to market your yard sale, be sure to spell it correctly. Yes, there really is a difference between “sale” and “sell.” If you want excellent yard sale tips, visit Garage Sale Pro.

In terms of advertising, there are not a lot of other ways that get as much attention (and as many eyes) as a car wrap. These car wraps can act as your advertising message all hours of the day and night, whether it is during rush hour or sitting in a parking lot. Just think about it. The average delivery truck makes 16 million visual impressions in a single year, according to the American Trucking Association (ATA).

Check out these company wraps to get an idea of how car graphics and decals actually look on the vehicle. At the impression rate given by the ATA, wraps such as these can be a great investment.

Arizona-Sonora Desrt Museum Car Wrap

Arizona Army National Guard

Comfort Keepers

Red Bull

Now, if you have a keen sense of humor you may enjoy this car wrap. However, I can’t imagine they would benefit anyone in any way.

Bound

Scrapbooking has always been a huge trend among Mothers and is becoming more and more mainstream. Sometimes the costs associated with this hobby can become quite expensive. Between paper, stickers, photo printing, and other accessories, there is a lot to take into consideration. For the hard-core scrapbookers who require all the latest gadgets and prime storage for their scrap rooms, the costs can really mount.

The same can be said for those guys who like to build models. To piece together a great model takes not only time and effort, but the funds as well. If you are really creative, then the creation of your own decals and graphics can become costly.

Creating your own stickers and decals is a relatively inexpensive solution if you are a model builder or a scrapbooker. There are tools for sticker creation such as the Xyron StickerMaker. This will take anything you can fit into its opening and create a sticker from it.

Creating decals can be a bit more work but the effort can definitely pay off. First you will need to locate the image you want converted into a decals. In case this image is not the right size, use an editing software such as Picnik to resize and edit if needed. After the image is ready, print it on decalsheets. These sheets are available at most of your office supply stores. Pay careful attention to the type of sheets that you purchase because some actually require you to coat your decals since ink is water-soluable. There are a few brands that do not require this extra step. Once the ink is dry, soak the decals in water and then transfer your image. Once everything has dried, add a clear coat on top of your new decal and enjoy.

Visit My Car Blog for tips on Cars, ATVs, Mobile Audio Video, Motorcycles, Repairs, and Trucks.

In the last post, I discussed how restaurants were using digital signage to bring in more customers. Digital signage opportunities are limitless and with a little creativity, can be used in ways never dreamed of. For instance, higher education is typically seen as being at the forefront of technology; however, digital signage by universities and colleges has only been adopted within the past few years. In just a few years time, higher education has found some innovative ways to communicate with their students through digital signs.

These signs are becoming more prevalent in common areas such as student recreation centers, campus centers, and eating areas. The possibilities are endless. Some signs can promote student activities, various clubs, or vendors for the day. Other signs can feature interactive campus maps that help students locate their classrooms, professor’s office, or gymnasium. Third party clients can even purchase advertising to scroll across these large screens that specifically targets higher education demographics.

Imagine an emergency causing chaos across campus. Instead of students not being informed in time, imagine these digital screens changing to a campus alert with safety instructions. Many of these digital signage companies offer integrated features such as synching the screens with a campus emergency alert system. For instance, any time a campus alert was sent via text, the message will also display on these interactive screens. Suddenly, what was once a source of information is now a potential lifesaver.

As a university or college, you are continuously trying to recruit students to your programs. These interactive screens can also act as a source of advertising. The State University of New York did just this. Information about the 64 college system is now prominently displayed on 12 kiosks along the Thruway Travel Plazas in New York.

In today’s world, connecting with this demographic is more difficult than ever, simply because you can’t pull them away from their digital tech devices. Advertisers are having a difficult time maneuvering into an online space. Spreading the message via technology seems to be a perfect fit. It offers a medium that students are familiar and comfortable with. It seems that digital television screens are more likely to catch a young person’s eye than a simple flyer tacked to a corkboard.

Photo Credit

Digital signage has been around for quite some time, if you recall seeing scrolling message boards, plasma displays, electronic billboards, and projection screens. Digital signage is evolving, however, to include devices that can be electronically controlled via a computer, phone, or other device. “Narrowcasting” allows for constantly updated content over a variety of mediums. Think of the options that are available when you have a device that can be updated with the touch of a button to include all the latest and greatest information consumers need to know about.

Take, for instance, Top of Waikiki. This revolving restaurant sits high above the streets of Waikiki. People cannot easily walk up to the host or hostess and ask to see a menu or find out what the catch of the day is. To combat this problem, Top of Waikiki had a digital menu placed on the street below. The bottom part of the kiosk offers the night’s menu complete with photos and a touch-screen option to make reservations on the spot.

Pretty convenient for you, right? Imagine how management feels. If the unthinkable happens and the restaurant runs out of a side item, management can simply log on to their network and substitute a dish on the menu for new guests. Instead of having different inserts for the menu that showcases the catch of the day, the screen is simply updated with the touch of a few buttons. Running a special? Then simply update the screen while the special is going on and within minutes the special can be taken down.

Can you think of other great ways restaurants can use digital signs?

Understand the “ABC’s of Printing” and you’ll be able to carry on an intelligent conversation at the water cooler.

Aqueous Coating-It’s a clear water-based gloss most commonly used on postcards.

Banner-The word banner is derived from a Latin name “bandum”, a cloth used to make flags.

Color bars-Printed on the trim border of a press sheet, a color bar is a trouble-shooting reference tool when proofing the color of a project.

Decals-A picture, design, or lettering on paper or plastic, with an adhesive backing.

Embossing-Using heat and pressure, material is re-shaped to form raised lettering or design.

Four Color Processing-Otherwise known as CMYK-Cyan (a bright blue), Magenta (a vivid red-purple), Yellow, and Black.

Grand Format Printing-Digital printing process that allows you to print media with extra-large dimensions on a variety of materials such as vinyl, canvas, flag cloth, mylar, window film, paper, carpet, and synthetic fabrics.

House Sheet-Standard paper kept in stock at all times by a printer.

Internet Banners-An online advertisement typically 460×68 pixels, usually placed at the top a Web page.

Jules Cheret-A French Lithographer who was responsible for bringing artistic sentiments to advertising and printing in the late 1800s.

Key lines-Lines, which show the exact size, shape and location of photographs or other graphic elements. The materials outside these lines become trimmed.

Lithography- Plates are used to of printing using plates whose image areas attract ink and whose nonimage areas repel ink.

Monks and Manuscripts-Before the invention of the printing press, Monks would spend hours on end duplicating manuscripts.

Neon Sign-Electrified gas, contained in a tube of glass, which is bent into particular shapes.

On-Demand Printing-Digital printing that does not require a set quantity. Duplicates can be created, as the demand needs it.

Pica-Unit of measure in typesetting. One pica = 1/6 inch

Quote-Price of a job offered to a customer by the printer before job begins.

Resolution-Measurement of the sharpness and quality of an image. The higher the resolution, the better a document is for printing, however images viewed on a computer monitor do not require nearly as high of a resolution.

Screen Printing- Method of printing by using a squeegee to force ink through an assembly of mesh fabric and a stencil.

Turn-around Time-The time a printer estimates that a job will be done.

UV Coating-Ultra-violet-cured gloss applied over printed-paper, which is dried by exposure to UV radiation.

Vinyl-The world’s most versatile plastic used for decals, banners, and signs.

Web-A roll of printing paper.

Xerography-A dry photographic process in which a negative image formed by a powder on an electrically charged plate is thermally fixed as positive on a paper.

Yellow-a crucial pigment in four color processing referred to as CMYK.

Zip File-Compressing into a smaller archive, reducing file size.

Is Fido the next barking billboard?

The world of advertising has come leaps and bounds since writing on Egyptian stonewalls, printing in newspapers, and tugging airplane flags past ballparks. Advertising has gone beyond the once fantastical new trend of large format printing, and started to show up in places you’d never imagine. With the advancement of digital printing, the question begs to be asked: how far can it go? In California, you can purchase beachside trashcans with your company’s logo, and of course we’ve seen cars wrapped in colorful decals. It is the beauty of removable adhesive decals that make temporary advertising the way of the future. If there is a flat surface, you bet you can advertise on it. This includes durable street decals that withstand heavy traffic, and vinyl decals to cover the meal tray in airplanes and the bin you put your shoes in at the security line.

And it’s not just temporary adhesive that’s becoming a trend! Because digital printing is cost efficient, not quantity driven, and you can leave your mark on just about any material, we’re seeing ads on items as takeout boxes and woven material; Just recently Salvation Army printed ads on fleece blankets which wer e passed out to the homeless, and NY pizza boxes with a Cingular logo began showing up at doors.

One wonder if someday you can screen print your dog urging others to lower their insurance, cover your front door with the newest anti-diarrhea medicine, or spray paint your lawn with the golden arches in order to cash in on the valuable real estate that is our everyday life.

A tiny look into a big discovery

Neon. Synonymous with Vegas, Times Square, and that awful martini-shaped thing you used to declare your rebellion with in college. But since the invention of LCD lights, Neon is sometimes thought of as the ugly redheaded stepchild. But take a look into the world of Neon and you’ll hopefully walk away with more appreciation for this glowing wonder of science . . . and yes, advertising. First of all, Ne, the chemical element which creates the effect we know as “neon” is only found in small amounts in our atmosphere. So how can Neon signs be produced in such copious amounts? In the mid 1800’s, two chemists named William Ramsay and Morris W. Travers were screwing around with our earth’s elements like most of our beloved historical nerds did during that time. Ramsay was inspired to freeze a sample of our earth’s atmosphere until it became a liquid (raise your and if you had no clue that “air” could melt). When they warmed the liquid back up, they separated the gasses that boiled off and identified them as Krypton , Xenon, and our friend neon (Greek for “new”). Then, in 1898 another soon-to-be-rich nerd bottled the concentrated neon into tubes, and found that when electrified, it glowed. In 1923, the first neon banner was purchased by a Packard car showroom in Los Angeles, CA. Store owners soon began investing in the traffic-stopping, glass, pieces of art. During the repeal of the prohibition in 1933, bar owners found neon signs to be an affordable, and trendy way to lure people back into their water ing holes. Since the discovery and invention of the Neon light, scientist have been able to go beyond it’s natural glowing color, red by adding additional elements such argon, mercury and phosphor. Gosh, science is purd-y.

Ink and Pulp, our hero

One of the most dynamic and lifesaving tools in the history of health and disease prevention is the use of the printed sign. You can have buckets of Penicillin, but the only way to prevent the spread of a devastatingly contagious disease such as Small Pox, Scarlet Fever, Whooping Cough, and the dreadful Black Plague, is to quarantine the sick from the healthy.

The 14th century practice of quarantine began as an effort to protect coastal cities from infected ships arriving in Venice. The word quarantine comes from the Italian phrase “quaranta giorni”, meaning 40 days. This is the window in time in which infected ships were required to sit at anchor before landing. The “Spanish Flu” epidemic of 1918-1919 proved mortal for almost 40 million people worldwide. It was Wisconsin that proved to be the only state with lower death rates—the only state whose State Board of Health evacuated and shut down all churches, schools, saloons, and parks. On the doors of such places you would find a government issued sign, warning the public about the highly contagious disease, which was taking the country. Take a look at some of these morbidly interesting quarantine signs, and make a wish on your next shooting star that you never see one in person.

Birthdays are like opinions – everybody’s got one. It doesn’t matter if you’re six or 56, ringing in the inevitable yearly aging process with a big ol’ banner that says “Look at me! It’s my birthday!” is always the way to go. Let your neighbors know it’s your birthday – it only comes around once a year, so go all out! And that was exactly my intent.

A few months ago I had the pleasure of throwing a birthday for a very close friend turning 30. Yes, it was a big one! She said she wanted something quaint – a few balloons, a cake, a few friends. But that’s just not my style. I’m a ‘go big or go home’ kind of gal. I figured the way to start the party off right was to hang a giant birthday banner above the stoop of her apartment building. I did some research and basically found that the sky is the limit when it comes to creating your own custom banners. They come in all sorts of sizes, themes, colors… I wanted to get an abnormally large one for the entire neighborhood to see. I knew she’d love it.

My next task was deciding what I wanted it to look like - respectful and simple or delightfully tacky and loud? Of course I went with delightfully tacky and loud. I was going to design it like she was a kid again. Sparkles, glitter, tiaras, balloons – you name it, I would put it on there. This banner was going to be the king of all banners and this birthday was going to be one she never forgot!

I was a little nervous about how this was all going to work. I had to do it secretly, and I was afraid the cost and trouble was not going to be worth it. But it turns out, making banners is extremely easy and pain free. I worked with the banner place and they were so helpful – throwing out ideas, telling me what wouldn’t work and what would be amazing. The cost was very reasonable and fit into my almost non-existent birthday budget. They had it done within the week and shipped to my house so not to divulge the secret. Bright pink, glitter, tiaras, princesses, and cupcakes – the banner was perfect!

The day of her birthday I got there early and while she was in her apartment I began to hang this large, heavy banner on her building door. Let me tell you – this wasn’t easy. The hardest part of this entire process was getting the banner up by myself! I should have probably thought of that and brought reinforcements, but as it stood I was there alone, with a banner and a mini ladder trying to scotch tape this sucker onto her brick building door. I was almost there when the wind blew and one side of the banner came down, wrapped around my waist, threw my balance off and wham! I was on the floor wrapped in my own birthday banner. As if that wasn’t enough, who was suddenly standing above me? That’s right – the birthday girl. We had a good hearty laugh over my failed attempt to be coy, and ended up hanging the banner in the hallway by her apartment door. She loved it, the guests loved it, and the party went on without any trouble. In fact, she was even happy that I went against her wishes and threw a big bash instead of the quaint little gathering she had originally asked for - thank goodness for birthday banners! And let’s just say, watching her friend fall from a ladder wrapped in an oversized bright pink vinyl banner definitely made it a birthday she did not forget.