It seems pretty obvious; recognize a dangerous intersection or pedestrian area that is lacking a traffic sign and request one. Easy as pie, right? Wrong.

People have tried and many of them have failed while achieving a whole new level of frustration for their troubles. There is far more to it than people usually expect and when you’re talking about the safety of your child or your neighborhood, most people involved lose patience rather quickly. I’m sure that you’ve all seen the rallies; a cluster of residents holding up banners along the road to remind people to slow down, or watch for children, etc. This move is usually prompted by a near miss or actual accident and though there may be media coverage, that doesn’t translate in immediate action by the city or municipality responsible for road signage. Most people are under the assumption that a death equals the desired light or stop sign or decreased speed zone and though the number of instances at a particular location does play a part in the equation, there is much more to it than that. Clearly our towns and cities and villages can’t simply pop up random traffic signs and lights at every request. If you think about that for a second, you can see that the results would be a confusing heap of warnings every few feet.

The requirements for requesting a traffic sign or speed zone change may vary slightly depending on your municipality’s protocols; however, the basics remain similar throughout North America.

1-Your first step is to evaluate the actual need and be able to factually articulate why a sign is needed.

2-There are quite often online request forms available. If not, your city hall should be able to provide them.

3-Once you have made the official request, be prepared for a long wait.

There are several steps that need to be taken prior to a new sign addition, or old sign removal. Your municipality will study the area in question, including the number of “incidents” recorded for that location. They will also have the city’s engineering department look at the request and evaluate its necessity. Your individual municipality may have additional conditions, and whether a positive or negative result, this process can take months.

There is, unfortunately, no “quick fix” when looking to get a sign approved. However, if you remain patient and keep at it, you may just get exactly what you’re after.

What do Hawaii, Alaska, Maine and Vermont all have in common besides their spectacular natural beauty?

From Hanauma Bay

Billboards. Or more precisely, their lack of them. All four states have passed legislation banning the enormous and often unsightly advertisements in an effort to keep their main natural attractions in the forefront. Hawaii in particular has been very aggressive in its push to be billboard free, including a move to ban sign trucks or vehicles whose sole purpose is advertising. The donor funded organization Outdoor Circle has been the driving force behind keeping Hawaii beautiful and pushing for strict regulations with regard to any outdoor or green space. Formed in 1912 at the grassroots level, Outdoor Circle is so passionate about their cause that as recently as July of this year they took on the famed Oscar Meyer Wienermobile. While it toured Oahu, Outdoor Circle, much to the chagrin of Oscar Meyers, argued vehemently that the giant wiener on wheels was in clear violation of the Billboard vehicle law. Coincidentally, a spokesperson for the Wienermobile has stated no further plans to return to the state.

Opposition to the ban came from the usual suspects; religious groups crying freedom of speech and big business calling foul on their inability to advertise en mass via billboards. The surprise champions for the cause were Hawaii’s local shops and businesses. Though the least likely to use the pricey form of advertising, they applauded the ban on the grounds that it leveled the playing field between them and the big box and chain companies that had the benefit of huge marketing budgets.

As the rules are amended to keep up with the times, the arguments for and against will continue with a good portion being based solely on the idea of banning anything under the fear of a loss of freedom. Despite these arguments there will undoubtedly be more states considering some type of billboard or sign ban, though a country wide move would clearly be impossible. Can you imagine Las Vegas banning billboards? I think not. But as more states do begin to consider it – Rhode Island and Oregon have both banned the construction of new billboards – one has to ask; how much is too much? Are the rules and regulations that we live by becoming far too limiting? According to groups like Outdoor Circle, they are not nearly limiting enough when it comes to protecting our ever decreasing green spaces.

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.

With this year’s election coming down to the wire, it’s no wonder that political signs are running rampant through city streets. What is a wonder though, is why so many of them are turning up missing. Sign stealing is at an all time high, and it’s happening all over the US. The reason is unknown; whether it is opposing views stealing the signs so that their competition isn’t getting their name out there, or just a bunch of immature violence-prone people finally getting their chance to run wild. Whatever it is, it is getting out of hand.

A chairman in Hawaii has noticed that they have had “about 200 yard signs and large banners defaced, destroyed, torn down or stolen from areas throughout the island.” And apparently, this has been a campaign tactic used in Hawaii for years. I don’t know whether or not this is an effective “campaign tactic,” if anything, I want to say it’s more annoying and immature than strategic business practice. Although some could argue those traits are the core of politics, so when you get down to it, these sign stealers are just following suit. Nah, I am not condoning this one bit. I think it’s juvenile and destructive. Not to mention these little yard signs cost money! In Fairbanks, someone had destroyed two custom made Barack Obama signs that cost $400 each to make. That is hefty. And the possibility of installing security cameras near the bigger signs to catch the culprits has been thrown around. It’s not just yard signs people are ruining, it’s everything, and many people are upset that it’s a breech on the first amendment. “It’s interfering with American rights – the freedom of speech,” says a Democrat that has been having his signs and banners destroyed all over the place. It is unpatriotic and un-American. Some people still have a nonchalant stance on the whole thing. Understanding that disappearing signs are a cost of doing business in any political campaign, and it just comes with the territory.

Basically, yard signs are a way for people to get their views out to the world. Signs are a way to publicly display your personal beliefs on who you think is right for this country. And give your neighbors a pretty good idea of what kind of cul-de-sac they are living on. But nothing is wrong with that, and people should be allowed to express their opinions the way they want to. Would you steal the shirt of someone’s back because you don’t believe the graphic on the front? Would you rip apart the hat on someone’s head because you don’t believe in what the message is? I don’t think you would. Because really, that would just be silly. Now what is the difference between what I just mentioned and destroying someone’s personal yard sign or a banner that merely reflects what kind of person they are and what they believe in? I don’t think there is one. I have heard the argument that putting up yard signs is just asking for trouble. Explain to me how that makes any sense! Everyone needs to stop being so darn angry and destructive. Let’s start teaching respect; for other people and self, and maybe then people will stop thinking it is ok to ruin property that isn’t yours.

Is it just the fact that it is political that people feel the need to act like crazy animals? Because if that is the case, get over it. No one in this world is EVER going to have the exact same opinions on something as someone else, I think it’s about time that we realized that and actually celebrated diversity. Welcomed different views and voted like crazy. Wouldn’t that be the day? Whether its yard signs, political signs, “it’s a boy!” signs, or business signs, leave the signs alone, they didn’t do anything to you.

If you have stepped outside in the past few weeks, I’m sure you’ve noticed the plethora of political signs strewn about yards, sidewalks, medians… Any place a sign can fit, a sign there is. There have been many debates as to whether or not the number of political signs matter to the effectiveness of a campaign. Is less actually more? Why do people find the number of signs so offensive and fight for them to be removed and go so far as to steal or deface them?

I don’t necessarily have any problems with the number of yard signs that people want to throw up. 50 or five, doesn’t matter to me. However the argument that people will start to become numb to signs if there are too many I think has some merit. The message that is trying to be portrayed in a sign can lose its value if it’s thrown in your face day after day after day. On the flip side, if you just put up a few and they happen to be in more low traffic areas, they will not be effective at all. A lot of other factors play a role in the amount of signs you distribute, budget, for one. But what is the happy medium? Where do you stop, or better yet, do you stop?

The only signs I’ve seen around Denver are the Obama ‘08 signs. Whether there are tons of them, or they are just extremely strategically placed, I do not know. But I do know that every time I step outside Obama is fresh on my mind, with little to no competition from other signage. It could be that I’m just not looking for any other signs, but then again, who actually goes out in search of political signs? They just need to be there. And let’s be honest, I’m not seeing much of other candidates. Tsk Tsk. There are loads of people carrying signs, especially in Downtown Denver at the moment. In fact, the amount of handmade signs, banners and posters downtown is kind of overwhelming. Signs with every kind of debatable issue from election candidates to bird pornography, but candidate signs besides Obama it seems are few and far between. There have also been a surprisingly large number of Biden signs, which I honestly wasn’t expecting to see a lot of, and I’m not too sure why. “With two minutes remaining in vice-presidential nominee Joe Biden’s speech, they replaced red “Biden” signs with blue “Obama-Biden” signs, which delegates waved en masse when Obama made a surprise appearance onstage at the conclusion of Biden’s speech.” States an article from the Aspen Daily News. Also according to this article, “when delegates on the floor raise a sign at the wrong time, one of the yellow-vested sign monitors will sometimes motion them to keep it down.” Really?? If people want to raise their signs at awkward, inappropriate times, who are we to stop them? Raise those signs high, people!

I think we should start getting much more creative with political promotional products. Like the Obama action figure doll. Awesome. Start sticking dolls on bus benches, tree branches, stoops of buildings. It’s the same concept as a sign right? And much more creative. And you can stick them in much more hard to reach places. Or how about life sized cardboard cut outs of the candidates? Put them on street corners, in yards, and on sidewalks. They could even have thought bubbles with issues they stand for, or holding posters with messages or quotes on them. Now there is an idea! Not only would it produce the same effect as a political sign, but if for some reason you don’t know what the candidate looks like – bam! Now you do. And if you put up as many cardboard cutouts as you do signs, you’re not likely to forget the face, either. Not only that, but Obama ’08 signs can only be used once. Cardboard cutouts can last a lifetime.

Anyway, the fact is political yard signs can be as valuable to a campaign as the issues themselves, and if you decide to splatter the world with as many as you possibly can, I say go for it. And maybe it’s too late for this election, but next go a-round, let’s try to get more creative, folks!