Vista Directory Signs – Why we love them (and you should too)!

directory signsVista directory signs are highly functional sign frames used to control traffic paths within a building or facility. When used as directional signs you spend less time giving instructions and become more productive by letting the signs do the navigation for you. Directory signage is the optimum way to allow clients, customers or patients to successfully find their destination. The real beauty of Vista directory signs however, lies in the following:

•  They appeal to everyone
•  Their design is classy yet understated
•  They are simple to maintain
•  They are durable
•  They are universal

Whether it’s the curved directory signs, as shown in the illustration, or the flat directory signage, Vista sign frames complement any interior design given their aesthetic appeal.  Vista directory signs can be used indoors or outdoors due to their anodized aluminum finish and come in three elegant colors; brushed silver, black and gold.

The panels are easy to remove making directory signage maintenance fast and simple.  Use paper, acrylic, vinyl, PVC or any number of materials to compare or contrast your existing color schemes.  If you have custom specifications for your directory or directional signs, the Vista System is the perfect solution as all frames are built to order!  Get custom directory signs for a fraction of what you’d pay elsewhere.

Vista sign frames are universal so whether you have one building, a campus environment or distributed locations you can maintain a uniform sign program for your directory signs with ease.

We strongly believe in the Vista System and so do our clients.  We’re happy to send you a free sign frame sample just for the asking.  Vista sign frames are the preferred choice of sign professional world wide.  Take the Vista challenge!

Office Signs – 4 Small Changes That Make a Big Difference

office signsWant to make your office signs come alive?  You buy a sign frame, print paper inserts and you’re done.  It’s quick and easy – and they look great.  With a few more minutes you can supercharge your office signs and make them look spectacular!

  1. Add Color – Adding color to your paper inserts will make your sign frames pop.  Add color to your text, background or both.  Office signs with color are exponentially viewed more than those without.
  2. Add a Logo – Extend the company brand and add a logo to your office sign.  It’s a nice touch to complement the rest of the content and easy to include.
  3. Add a Photo – Some companies allow co-workers the ability to customize their individual office signs and many elect to add their personal photos.  Most consider this office sign enhancement the offline version of their avatar.
  4. Add a Background – Take your sign frame to the next level by adding a background to your office sign insert.  The background may consist of a texture, picture, photo or full-color to accent the sign frame content.  Some companies use themes by departments, floors or buildings including flowers, animals, trees and even individual creative designs to make it fun and build morale.

The sign frames are easy to maintain so if you decide you want a change go do it.  Let the team become part of the process.  You’ll be glad you did!

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Office Signs – 3 Things I Wish I Knew Before Buying Them

Office SignsWhen choosing the right office signs for your business there are three things one should consider before making the purchase:

First, “How easy is it to replace my office signs?”  Unique or highly customized office sign designs are great on paper and no doubt are great to look at when installed.  Getting replacements, at best, would be formidable assuming the company is still willing and able to do them.  Most other companies would not be able to replicate your office signage, yet even if they did, would turn away the job for small quantities.  Make sure you or your architect selects office signage that can be fulfilled by more than one source downstream.

“How much does it cost to maintain an office sign?”  is typically the next question.  Assuming you need not replace the entire office sign in the event of a change, what does it cost to keep them current?  Getting inserts, lenses, divider strips and other accessories for your office signs is yet another cost consideration.  The type of insert materials used for your frames can range from pennies, for paper, to tens or hundreds of dollars for acrylic, metal or other comparable office sign materials.

And last, “How long can I wait until I get my replacement signs installed?”  If you need your office signs quickly do it in-house but if quick turnaround isn’t that important consider outsourcing it.  In any case, decide on your maintenance strategy up front.

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Office Signs – 3 Things I Wish I Knew Before Buying Them

5 Tools Everyone Who Maintains Office Signs Should Use

If Office Signs maintaining office signs is your responsibility, there are 5 simple tools that will simplify your job.

• Desktop Publishing Software (DTP)
• Camera
• Printer
• Paper
• Creativity

DTP software is the cornerstone for creating simple, yet elegant office signs.  MS-Word is the most ubiquitous yet there is Illustrator, In Design, Photoshop and numerous others.  Enhance your office sign inserts with employee photos or perhaps photo background images.  Given the size of the image required and the quality of the smart phones available your camera will provide the necessary photos to complement your office signage.

Output your printed inserts to any desktop or all-in-one printer.  Quality office signs can be created quickly and easily using simple office printers.  Choose from simple white bond 20lb, 92 bright, paper to glossy 53lb photo paper for your office sign inserts.  Parchment or textured specialty paper is another great option for office signage adding a touch of class to your interior design.

Although not a tool per se, creativity will help to make your office signs come to life.  The great part about it is the fact that you can create aesthetically pleasing, designer-quality office signs by simply typing in your text and using specialty paper to print your signs.  This particular example requires little to no creativity but the more comfortable you become with the options available to you the better your office signage will become over time.

Get your free sign frame sample and see for yourself!  As always, we welcome your thoughts and comments.

Flat or Curved Office Signs – 3 No-Fuss Ways to Figure it Out

Office SignsWhat are the primary drivers when choosing between flat and curved office signs?  Although there are many factors to consider when choosing which type of office signage to select, here are three that tend to surface to the top.

First, do you have a uniform sign program in place?  If so, stay with the existing office sign format for consistency.  Looking at mix-and-match office signs does not contribute to an aesthetically pleasing environment.  So if you have curved, stay with it.

Then there’s price.  If you don’t have office signs that you need to match then save the money.  Both the curved and flat office signage are durable, vandal-resistant and easy to maintain so find the size of the office sign you want and go with the least expensive one.

Another factor to consider when purchasing office signs is mounting.  All office sign frames can be mounted to glass with double-sided tape so there’s really no decision here.  Mounting office signs to a wall can be done with the same double-sided tape or with wall anchors and screws however, acrylic or masonite-backed sign frames may not always effectively support the latter.  Floating sign frames must be mounted with wall anchors and screws so choosing floating office sign frames for solid wood doors would not be pragmatic. Pay close attention to your mounting surfaces and the options available for mounting before purchasing your office signage.

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4 Things Learned in Kindergarten That’ll Help with Your Office Signs

office signsSo how can kindergarten help you with your office signs?  My daughter happens to be in kindergarten so I can say first-hand what I’m now – re-learning.

First, less is better!  A cluttered drawing is less desirable than an uncluttered one and the same holds true for office signs.  When in doubt with how to lay out the copy for your office sign go with the KISS principle (like the attached sign image).

Second, make it readable.  Use sans serif fonts for your office sign inserts so people can see them without having to squint.  The room signs in my child’s classroom are simple and bold which doesn’t get lost on adults especially as we get older.

Add color!  The more colorful room signs stand out from the others and the same holds true when it comes to your office signs.  Whereas coloring a room sign involves bright colored crayons in kindergarten, adding color to your office sign may include a photo background, an employee photo image or simply a colored background.

Last but not least – have FUN!  I look around and can’t find one room sign that doesn’t make me smile and so it should be when it comes to creating your office signs.  The simple desktop tools and technology make it easy to do and the creativity that goes along with it makes it fun and exciting.

If you’re interested in seeing for yourself we offer free sign frame samples just for the asking.We always welcome comments on our posts so please share them with us.

Office Signs – 4 Things to Consider Before You Buy

Purchasing officeOffice Signs | Vista System signs for a small business or large complex can be intimidating given the various options available today on the market.  In compiling our customer feedback, here’s what they’ve considered important when purchasing office signage for their businesses.

Common Look & Feel – Office signs are an investment like anything else.  Then you decide you need directory signs or perhaps desk signs.  Making sure you select a company that has a comprehensive line of sign frames provides the opportunity to maintain that consistency.

Durability – Office signs should be a one-time purchase unless you are growing and need to add more.  Ensure the sign frames you choose are durable enough to hold up over time.

Recognized Manufacturer – Choose office sign products from manufacturers that will be around year after year.  Office signage solutions from respected companies means they stand behind their products and will be there to support your business growth.  This is especially critical for larger companies who have invested in office signs, directory signs and desk signs as part of a corporate uniform sign program.

Maintainability – This is by far the most important consideration when purchasing office sign products.  Unique or eclectic sign frames might look great on an architect’s rendering but become extremely problematic when it comes to updating or finding additional ones – not to mention the prohibitive cost.  Think thoroughly through the maintenance side of the equation before purchasing your office signage.

For more information about the WFFP31U sign frame included in this post and others like it check out our flat office signs or download our online catalog.  For questions please give us a call!

Using Flag Signs as Restroom Signs

flag signs

Restroom signs are just one of the many applications that projecting, or flag signs are used.  Flag signs are a perfect fit for hospitals, office buildings, universities, churches and numerous other locations.  The projecting nature of these bathroom signs makes identification easy in corridors or hallways especially when time is of the essence.  Because they come in a variety of sizes, you can tailor your bathroom signs to the surrounding area.  This particular sign is a vertically curved flag sign similar to the WBSB9 frame yet there are flat restroom signs such as the FSF1U as well as horizontal curved frames depending on your preference.

Paper inserts are typically used for ease of maintenance and cost effectiveness however, the entire line of curved and flat flag signs accommodate acrylic, PVC, vinyl and numerous other materials.  This flexibility allows you to blend or contrast your bathroom signs with your existing sign program.

Color choices include brushed silver, bronze or gold with metal or plastic end cap accessories.  They serve both interior and exterior applications and mount to any flat surface.  The brackets for the flag signs come pre-drilled to simplify installation.  They are typically mounted with wall anchors and screws and can be done with common hand tools.  Because of their modularity, flag signs can be used for other wayfinding applications allowing you to maintain consistency of your sign program throughout your building or campus. It’s a simple, cost-effective and pragmatic signing solution for all restroom and wayfinding needs.

Office Signs that Float?

Need office signs with a little dimension? These office signs are crafted with small brackets attached to the back of the sign frames which make them stand off or “float” approximately one-quarter inch from the wall.

Common applications include room signs, door signs, directional and wayfinding in universities, office buildings, churches and numerous other locations.  The entire suite of  flat sign frames is made from anodized aluminum and comes in three classic finishes. For more information we invite you to check out our video.

These particular office signs are mainly used for indoor use but support a variety of outdoor applications.  Because this is a modular sign system custom sizes, other than those listed in the catalog, are available.  The flat system supports ADA and numerous other office sign materials including paper, acrylic, PVC and vinyl.

Maintenance is fast and simple.  Replacing your office sign inserts is easily accomplished with the use of a Vista key or suction cup.  In the event the insert material is not flexible, simply disconnect one of the special cover extrusions mechanically fastened to the frame.

If you would like more information on these specific sign frames or if you simply have questions we’d be glad to assist.  We also welcome your comments so please let us know what we can do to make your signage work more effectively.

Directory Signs and How to Master Them!

Directory signs that have no errors, are cost effective and can be updated in minutes?  Yes!  Create designer-quality inserts for your directory signs in the comfort of your own office saving time and money.  Drive consistency in your sign program with wayfinding signage that you control especially when the information on your directory signs changes frequently.

The Vista System line of wayfinding signage is made from anodized aluminum and comes in three sleek finishes. For a closer look, check out the following video.

Directory signs can also be used in various capacities including directional signs or wayfinding signs.  They’re highly effective in allowing customers or clients to navigate through your building or campus environment.  Directional signs help control traffic paths which allows you to be more efficient by having to spend less time providing instructions on how to get them to their specific location.

More importantly, directory signs typically change quite frequently.  Having the ability to create inserts on-site has many advantages.  First, it’s fast.  You don’t have to wait days or weeks for the local sign company to respond.  In addition, you don’t have to worry about fonts, font sizes or colors to go wrong when you control the templates.  Even if you’re not a computer whiz but can do the basics in Word, printing on specialty paper from the local office superstore will make your directory sign inserts look like they came from a graphics designer.

Need to see for yourself?  Fill out the form and we’ll send you a sample sign frame for free.  Directory signs have never been easier with the Vista System!