Check out all the different things wall plaque-style custom signs are ideal for!

Employee of the month wall plaques: You can formally recognize your employees with an "Employee of the Month" wall plaque. It's an awesome way to single out one person who has really done an amazing job. These wall plaques also work to motivate other employees who would like earn the recognition in the future.

Sales goals wall plaques: When a sales team reaches or exceeds their goals, they deserve a great, big "Job well done!" for their hard work. A wall plaque is something you can hang in the office to always remind them of their success. And when goals are constantly exceeded, a wall of plaques looks impressive and motivating!

"World's Best" wall plaques: Wall plaques make great gifts for all your loved ones. You can personalize engraved wall plaques to say things like, "Wayne Klein: World's Best Husband!" Other "World's Best" ideas include daughter or son, couple (for wedding gifts), grandma or grandpa, mom or dad and even dog or cat!

Team award wall plaques: If you coach a sports team, wall plaques are a great way to keep up enthusiasm. You can give every player a unique plaque recognizing their biggest achievement or skill. Some examples include, "Most Home Runs 2011," "Fastest Sprinter," and "Best Outfielder." This is a great way to recognize everyone for what they do best.

Class award wall plaques: You can create custom wall plaques for a class similar to team award wall plaques. Especially with younger kids, class award wall plaques are the perfect way to encourage education. Try, "Best Speller in Mr. Green's Class," "Best at Book Reports," or "Always Colors Inside the Lines!"

Not in First Place Wall Plaques: Just because a team doesn't come in first place doesn't mean they shouldn't be recognized for a job well done. A second, third or even last place team should still have something to remember their season by. When they don't win a trophy, reward them instead with personalized custom signs. "Best Third Place Team," "Most Effort 2011," or "First Place at Merrimack High School" are fun ways to distinguish amazing achievements.

Business Achievements Wall Plaques: You can show off any awards or recognitions your business or organization wins. Maybe you were voted "Best Hair Salon in Pasadena" by a magazine. Go ahead and put it on a wall plaque for everyone to see! You can also make wall plaques for achievements such as, "Over 300 Cars in Sold 2010," and "Donated over $25,000 to The Humane Society, 2010." Celebrate yourselves and show off what you can do!

Company or Individual Wall Plaques: You can create a single wall plaque for your entire company and display it in the lobby OR you can customize individual ones for each employee. Either way, you can celebrate company–wide achievements, department successes or industry accomplishments with customized wall plaques.

All vinyl banners are rollup banners.

Basically all banners are vinyl. Because vinyl is strong yet thin, they are all rollup banners. So technically, any banner can be rolled up and easily transported. But if you're looking for rollup banners that roll up into themselves and are extremely easy to both set up and transport, you want retractable rollup banners.

What are retractable rollup banners?

Retractable rollup banners are a two–in–one product. They include both the banner and the stand. The banner easily rolls up into a slender base that makes transportation a breeze.

Retractable rollup banners are ideal for many reasons

Retractable roll up banners are popular for these reasons:
* Retractable rollup banners are extremely portable
* Retractable rollup banners are easy for one person to set up
* Retractable rollup banners are sturdy when set up and lightweight when rolled up
* Retractable rollup banners are compact and easy to store
* With retractable rollup banners, there's no need to worry about buying separate mounting accessories. Rollup banners come with everything!
* Retractable rollup banners stand freely on the table or floor
* Retractable rollup banners look extremely professional

How do I set up retractable rollup banners?

Retractable rollup banners couldn't be simpler to set up. Simply pull the banner out of the base– it unrolls like a window shade – and secure the stand. That's it! It's so easy for one person to set up rollup banners. And we even provide you with complete instructions, just in case.

And we have the largest selection of custom banners around!

We offer four kinds of completely customizable retractable rollup banners. The Metal Horizontal Tabletop Retractor (black) and Metal Economy Retractor (in black or silver) are two popular options. Recently, we added the Bamboo Retractor and the Mini Bamboo Retractor.

Where do people use retractable rollup banners?

Retractable rollup banners are great for many uses. Table top rollup banners are often used at tradeshows and in upscale retail stores. Rollup banners are also popular for corporate interiors, event promotion, car dealerships, malls and hotel lobbies. Our bamboo retractable roll up banners are popular for in spas and high–end beauty shops as well.

So if you're looking for easy to transport, professional rollup banners, we can give you everything you want. We'll even give you a FREE online consultation with one of our expert graphic designers who will design your banner from scratch. You can even offer real–time feedback!

Plus, you can contact us from 9am to 9pm seven days a week.

What accessories do I need for my real estate signs?

We offer FOUR main real estate sign accessories that will help you achieve your ultimate objective: Sell more houses!
* Brochure boxes
* Info tubes
* Frames, posts and stakes
* QR codes

Adding these accessories to your real estate signs increase their value by giving potential buyers more info and more access. You can provide buyers with information that will raise their interest in the property and give them easy access to YOU.

Brochure boxes are the best way to give potential buyers printed info about a home for sale or rent. Brochure boxes can be mounted to your real estate sign stake, frame or post with included hardware. We offer clear, white and black boxes that hold up to 500 flyers. Boxes are durable and waterproof.

Info tubes are another ideal way to make printed info available for potential buyers. They are weather–proof and shatter–proof and come with mountable hardware for attaching to your real estate signs.

Frames, posts and stakes are three types of display options for your real estate signs. We offer a comprehensive selection so you can display your real estate sign where and how you want! All of our displays are easy to stick firmly into the ground. We offer posts up to six feet tall and frames as inexpensive as two dollars. You won't find a wider selection anywhere else!

QR codes are small, barcode–like graphics that, when photographed with a smartphone, take users to a predetermined website right on their phone. QR codes are a cutting–edge marketing tool for real estate signs. You can use them to direct potential buyers to your company website or even a virtual tour of the house! If you already have your real estate signs printed, you can also order a custom QR code decal. And you can even easily generate a QR code on our website – FREE! You can read all about QR codes online.

Now you have everything you need to make your real estate signs effective. And remember, all real estate signs ship free AND we'll pay sales tax for you! Plus, we offer generous quantity discounts. And if you need any help, you can contact us anytime from 9am to 9pm seven days a week.

Okay real estate agents, it's GO time for real estate signs!

It's peak season again, as spring is finally here and people like to make their move in the summer months.

Fortunately for you, property sales in the US are up for the third month in a row. Sales are 5.3% higher than in January of last year!

But this market still demands that you work extra hard.

In such a tough market, buyers aren't interested in an old house with no updates but a coat of paint. They expect homes to be immaculate and updated. After all, they have the upper hand these days.

So how can you stay successful in this market?

We've worked with real estate agents for 25 years. But some of the things we know, you probably do too. For example, you should be all dressed up at open houses to reflect a feeling of success. The house should be supremely spotless and free food is always a good thing.

Essentially, you need to go above and beyond in every way possible to get ahead of the competition. But there's one thing you may not have thought of.

What is the very first thing a potential buyer sees when they pass a house for sale? Your real estate sign.

It sounds simple, but if you want to make a good first impression, you need to have stand–out custom real estate signs. And first impressions always stick.

Here are the SIX big things you can do to make your real estate sign effective:

1. Sell your main attraction. If you work for a well–known real estate company, make it obvious. Or perhaps YOU are the main attraction. You're on the PTA, the town council and you coach little league. A lot of people know you. So sell yourself! Make your name larger and include a glamour shot.

2. Make sure all your pertinent info is on your real estate sign. Since you don't have a ton of room, consider including a QR (quick response) code on your real estate sign. QR codes are small, barcode–like graphics that smartphone users can photograph to be automatically directed to a website. It's a great way to fit everything on your real estate sign – from company information to interior pictures of the house. You can learn more about QR codes here.

3. Include a picture of yourself. Not only does this introduce a feeling of friendliness, but people can actually recall a sign 300% better if it includes a photograph!

4. Use colors. A real estate sign with two or more colors improves reader retention by 78%. That means your potential buyers will spend more time looking at your real estate sign. And colors should be highly contrasting to make it easy to read.

5. A unique real estate sign size will make your sign pop. We offer two distinctive sign frame sizes as well as a complete range of frames and posts.

6. Don't overcrowd your sign. A real estate sign with excessive text just looks cluttered and potential buyers will look away. Keep it simple (QR codes can help with this).
And it's easier than you think to design a real estate sign with all these features.

We offer a FREE one–on–one online design consultation with one of our expert graphic designers. You can even give live feedback as they create your real estate sign from scratch!

Everyone here at TheSignChef is just as proud of our troops as you are! That's why we specialize in creating custom "Welcome Home" custom banners for your loved ones in the military.

For your customized "Welcome Home" banner, we offer:
* Any design, fonts and graphics you want
* Any size you desire
* A comprehensive array of installation accessories and instructions
* Two–sided banners
* ...And more!

PLUS, family members of soldiers enjoy free shipping and no sales tax!

What should I put on my vinyl banner?

You can design your vinyl banner any way you want! Some people keep it simple while others add photos of the homecoming soldier with his or her children, a quote or saying that explains their feelings, a military branch's logo, a patriotic background or a "Support the Troops" ribbon. And whatever you choose to include on your sign, the price won't go up. Most companies charge for, say, printing photographs, but we make it a point not to. So go ahead and design your banner any way you want!

And speaking of designing your banner...

You might not know where to start. We can't all be as artistically inclined as our expert graphic designers! That's why you get a FREE one–on–one online session with one of our in–house graphic designers. You can give them real–time feedback as they design your custom banners from scratch. A super professional–looking banner will really welcome your soldier home!

So get ready to celebrate your soldier with a custom vinyl banner from TheSignChef. If you need any help at all, we're available from 9am to 9pm seven days a week.

We always make high quality custom banners and signs

Making signs and banners quick is important, but you wouldn't want a banner to arrive at your front door only to have it fall apart two days later. So how do we create quality signs and banners quick?

We've been doing this for 25 years!

We've been designing, building and shipping our products for 25 years, so we have experience making quality signs and banners quick. Over the years, we've learned how to maximize efficiency without sacrificing quality. And only a sign company with 25 years of experience knows how to do that.

We make banners quick – but how fast?

Once you approve the proof of your banner – meaning you are 100% happy with the design – your banner will ship in just 24–48 hours. Talk about making banners quick!

We can make banners quick and high quality because of three main reasons:
* Our builders are specially trained to build signs and banners quick. We only employ the best of the best to make your banners quick. They put 110% effort into making your signs and banners and they know how to do it efficiently.
* Recently, we remodeled our workshop so we can be more efficient in every way. Now everything has its place and the process is much smoother. Because we're extra organized, we can make your banners quick.
* We have lots of tools that help us keep track of everything from materials to shipping. All our programs were created in–house so they were made specifically to keep us working efficiently and to minimize mistakes.

So now you know how we can make your signs and banners quick without sacrificing the high quality our clients are accustomed to!

If you have any questions, we're available from 9am to 9pm seven days a week.

All vinyl custom banners are roll up banners

Basically all banners are vinyl. Because vinyl is strong yet thin, they are all roll up banners. So technically, any banner can be rolled up and easily transported. But if you want for roll up banners that roll up into themselves and are extremely easy to both set up and transport, you're looking for retractable roll up banners.
What are retractable roll up banners?

Retractable roll up banners are a two–in–one product. They come with both the banner and the stand. The banner easily rolls up into a slender base that makes transportation a breeze.

Retractable roll up banners are ideal for many reasons

Retractable roll up banners are popular for these reasons:
* Retractable roll up banners are super portable
* Retractable roll up banners are easy for one person to set up
* Retractable roll up banners are sturdy when set up and lightweight when rolled up
* Retractable roll up banners are compact and easy to store
* With retractable roll up banners, you don't need to worry about buying mounting accessories. Roll up banners include everything!
* Retractable roll up banners stand freely on the table or floor
* Retractable roll up banners look very professional

How do I set up retractable roll up banners?

Retractable roll up banners couldn't be easier to set up. Just pull the banner out of the base– it unrolls like a window shade – and secure the stand. That's all! It's super easy for one person to set up roll up banners. And we even provide you with complete instructions, just in case.

And we have the largest selection of roll up banners around!

We offer four types of completely customizable retractable roll up banners. The Metal Horizontal Tabletop Retractor (black) and Metal Economy Retractor (in black or silver) are two popular options. Recently, we added the Bamboo Retractor and the Mini Bamboo Retractor.

Where can I use retractable roll up banners?

Retractable roll up banners are great for many uses. Table top roll up banners are often used at tradeshows and in high–end retail stores. Roll up banners are also popular for corporate interiors, event promotion, car dealerships, malls and hotel lobbies. Our bamboo retractable roll up banners are popular for in spas and high–end beauty shops as well.

So if you want easy to transport, professional roll up banners, we can give you everything you want. You can even have a FREE online session with one of our in–house graphic designers who will create your banner from scratch. You can even offer real–time feedback!

Plus, you can contact us from 9am to 9pm seven days a week.

your signage, we become committed to your success! You will not remain wondering the status of your order. At TheSignChef.com we’ve created a unique online program called Dataloop, which provides you with up-to-the-moment information about your sign’s progress—whenever you want it. This allows you to phone and talk to our staff, no matter their department. From the main desk to the production floor, you’ll have quick access to any of our employees. We’ll gladly tell you exactly what phase of production your order is in, and respond accurately to your questions. When was the last time you had that kind of special customer care?

4. Informative Videos and Sign Self-Development Tools: You’ve noticed a sign you believe is dynamic, or you have an idea of what your sign should look like, but do you know what it takes to make your idea a reality? The design consultants at TheSignChef.com want you to be the best educated customer around. So, we’ve made available instructive videos and web-based tools at your disposal—anytime, night or day! Watch the videos and work with the development tools, so that you understand the best approach to maximize your signage investment. Our materials are at your fingertips!

5. Real-Time Sign Layouts: If you envision more than plain-vanilla signage, if you desire a more sophisticated, expert quality appearance, we offer Live Design to make it happen. Live Design sessions are absolutely free. Live Design lets you view your monitor as TheSignChef creates your sign’s design. At the same time, you’ll give input by phone—as your design is created! And because almost every layout finished in less than half an hour, you will not need to take time away from other commitments! In minutes, your custom sign layout—made with your vision—will be ready to go!

6. Live Support: A lot of web-based businesses set you afloat with tough-to-get-a-hold-of customer service, if you’re able to reach anyone at all. TheSignChef.com will be a pleasant surprise! Whenever you need us between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m., 7 days a week, you can access on our website and get your questions answered on our Live Support Chat feature. It’s fast and simple—and you’ll always know that we are we’re here for you. It’s great to feel supported!

7. Double Guarantee: As you stare out at the mass of online companies, how can you be certain you’ll receive the quality and professionalism you desire and must have to draw prospective customers into your company? With our Double Guarantee you’ll rest easily, knowing that each promise we have given to you will be met. First, we guarantee that your sign will be constructed PRECISELY to the specifications you have authorized—without variation! No problem! If it is not, we’ll do your sign! Second, we warranty our workmanship 100%! So that you will get outstanding signage that meets or exceeds industry best practices! No excuses! If our workmanship falls short, we’ll ensure it’s good—every time!

8. Experience: A lot of online businesses rise and fall because they cannot deliver what other, more experienced business can. They make a lot of promises and make big claims, but how can you know they’re for real? Our top Sign Chef has been successfully creating excellent/high quality signage for 25 years! Our experts know each detail of the sign business; specifically, the {newest

Here at TheSignChef, we make your signs and banners fast. Why? Because our clients need their signs and banners quickly so they can get their message out there. And we always put our customers first.

####BODY####
We always make quality custom banners and signs

Making signs and banners fast is great, but you wouldn't want a banner to arrive at your front door only to have it fall apart two days later. So how do we create quality signs and banners fast?

We've been doing this for 25 years!

We've been designing, building and shipping our products for 25 years, so we have experience making quality signs and banners fast. Over the years, we've learned how to maximize efficiency without sacrificing quality. And only a sign company with 25 years of experience knows how to do that.

We make banners fast – but how fast?

Once you approve the proof of your banner – meaning you are completely happy with the design – your banner will ship in just 24–48 hours. Talk about making banners fast!

We can make banners fast and high quality because of three major reasons:
* Our builders are specially trained to make signs and banners fast. We only employ the best of the best to make your banners fast. They put 110% effort into making your signs and banners and they know how to do it efficiently.
* We recently remodeled our workshop to make it more efficient. Now everything has its place and the building process is much smoother. Because we're extra organized, we're able to make your banners fast.
* We have lots of programs that help us keep track of everything from shipping to materials. All our programs were developed in–house so they were created specifically to keep us working efficiently and to minimize mistakes.

So now you know how we can make your signs and banners fast without sacrificing the high quality our clients are accustomed to!
If you have any questions, we're available from 9am to 9pm seven days a week.

We do almost everything in our custom signs workshop:
* Designing (we have two full time, in–house graphic designers)
* Printing
* Mounting
* Shipping

And now we can do more because we have a new baby...

A Gerber Baby, actually! But he's not quite as cute as you're imaging. Because our new "Gerber Baby" is a Gerber 200 Dimension Router. Hey, at least we don't have to put up with dirty diapers and loud crying (although we can hear it in our offices all through the day)!
Our router Lets us do all our custom cutting in–house. Most sign companies can't afford a router and have to outsource all custom cutting, which slows down the process.

What is custom cutting?

Custom cutting is how we create uniquely shaped signs as well as 3–dimensional letters and two sided engraved signs.

And because we do it in–house, your custom signs are created faster and more economically.

And that's not all that's in it for you

Our new baby can slice and dice virtually any sign material including plastic, wood, metal and composites. We've already created some custom signs with it and the reviews have been overwhelmingly positive!

So if you need a custom–cut sign, don't hire a sign company that will give the job to someone else. Let TheSignChef build your sign in our very own workshop with our specially trained builders!

Oh, and our customer service department is also in–house. In fact, they're available for you from 9am to 9pm seven days a week.

Your custom signs pull double duty. Yes, they give your potential customers information – they tell them the name of your business and conveys what kind of shop or company it is. But your sign also stands as a form of brand recognition for your business. When you select a distinctive and appropriate font for your business, you create and reinforce brand recognition within your community and among your customers and clients. A common way to design a sign that creates this brand recognition is to use two typefaces and two colors.

Your business sign conveys a message that is dependent on the typestyle and colors you choose, so it's important to pick the right ones. A bright, slanted or curly font will send the message that your business is "cool" and "fun." Something with long, straight letters in a subdued tone will make it seem like your business is professional and conservative.

No matter what fonts and colors you want to use, the most important thing is that your business sign instantly recognizable. Your objectuive is to create a unique and different sign that will become the symbol for your brand.

Make Them Feel It

Every font conveys a different mood. While your potential customer may not look at the font you choose and think "wow, that font makes it seem like this restaurant will be a lot of fun," that is ultimately what they're unconsciously thinking. It's your job to choose the font that will put the message you want in their mind. The subtle influence of the style of your sign is very.

All typefaces can be put into two broad categories:
1.Friendly, warm and casual
2. Formal, serious and traditional

There are degrees of professional and playful, and some fonts can be both. The key is to choose a font that is appropriate for what you want to say. If you're creating a sign for a law office called "Goodridge and Brown," which font would be more appropriate, Curlz MT or Garamond??

Clearly, the more professional font is the second one, which projects theupscale feeling a law office would want to suggest.

Readability

What? You want to make sure your custom signs are extremely easy to read. If a potential customer cannot read your custom business sign, it's not doing its most basic job, which is conveying some sort of information. If a person can't even properly make out your sign do you really think they'll walk into your business? Of course this seems obvious, but it's easy to overlook the clarity of your sign when you're focusing on making it look nicepretty. Words that look fine up close can be difficult or even impossible to read from further away.

Don't Overdo It

Making your text curvy or curled can give your sign some great visual interest. But if it turns your text unreadable, it becomes a problem.

Tips and Tricks

There are some simple ways to ensure that the text on your custom outdoor sign will convey the feeling and message you want while remaining easily readable.

Don't take it over the top. Anything more than two fonts and two text colors per sign will look confusing and cluttered.

Make sure your primary message stands out above and beyond all other text. For example, you wouldn't have your sign say:


It's great that the day care has been around for so long. It's a good idea to put that on the sign because it demonstrates that the business is successful. But if only "Since 1985" catches the eye, no one will remember that it's Dani's Day Care that has been around so long.

Decide out what your core message is before you choose a font. If you want people to identify your day care as the most fun around, you'll want to look for a playful font.

Getting a second opinion never hurts. Ask a friend or fellow business owner what feeling they get from the style of your message. It can be difficult to get out of your own head long enough to find a fresh perspective.

Take A Page Out Of Their Book

If you look at the signs of well–known businesses, you'll see how strikingly simple and readable they are. And you will recognize the sign immediately because they have created a recognizable brand.

See how clear and readable they are?

The Best Fonts to Use

As is often the case, less is more and simpler is better. But you can still use your creativity to design a totally unique business sign – it just means that it's best to put clarity first.

Custom signs that are the easiest to read have the greatest contrast in brightness, such as black on yellow. Signs with little contrast, such as gray on black, are much harder to read from a distance.

This may seem fairly obvious, but when you design a sign up close it's easy to forget that your sign will most often be seen from a distance and in a very limited amount of time. Colors that look good up close may be almost unreadable when seen from a distance:

When you look at this from far away, the darker green may get lost in the lighter shade of green. Contrasting shade only is usually better on custom signs your customers will be looking at close–up, such as signs inside your shop.

The Power of Light:

FYI: light colors on a dark background look bigger because light colors advance and dark colors recede.

Overall, white is the most flexible background color for your outdoor sign. More colors contrast with a neutral white background than with any other color. If you're planning to choose a different background color, that's fine – but keep in mind that your choices for colors that both pop and compliment with the background will be limited.

Top Color Rankings

We'll take the guessing out of it for you. Effective color combinations have been ranked by the Outdoor Advertising Association of America.

Top four:

1. Black on yellow
2. Black on white
3. Yellow on black
4. White on black

Combos of white and purple, yellow and purple, green and white, red and white, and red and yellow are also highly rated. Alternatively, combinations such as green on red generate a disagreeable and hard to read vibrating effect.

The bottom line is that when you're choosing colors for your custom sign – with assistance from our sign experts if you choose – remember that You want to use with high contrast that are easily readable. Give your potential customers a sign they want to look at.

Easy, huh?

After a hard day's work at the custom signs shop, I was watching TV the other day when a commercial stopped me in my tracks. I was struck by Esurance's succinct tagline, "Technology when you want it, people when you don't." It's simple, straightforward and honest.

"Hey," I thought, "That describes TheSignChef perfectly!" I was excited.

The first thing I did was call up our copywriters and fire them for not thinking of it first. Just kidding!

But it's true that Esurance's brilliant tagline also represents our business model.

Technology when you want it...

We strive to offer online support, tools and programs that are both intuitive and free. These days, people don't always want to pick up the phone. A fast, easy online solution is what many of our customers are looking for in a custom signs business. To meet that demand, we offer:
* Instant online live chat
* How–to videos
* E–mail responses within the hour
* Online design tools SignMagic, LiveDesign and DesignExpress
* Letter sizing calculators
* A comprehensive library of helpful articles
* Easy online ordering
* Online pricing calculator
* Material Selection Wizard
* QR code generator
* ...And more!

And we have an in–house computer geek who is constantly developing new methods to serve our clients.

...people when you don't

But some people still like to do business the old–fashioned way. And even if you use our online tools, it's nice to know that you can get in touch with us directly if you need to. In fact, we're available by phone anytime between 9am and 9pm seven days a week. We barely sleep! Our head Sign Chef even had an additional line installed in his house so he can personally answer your calls when no one is at the office.

So thank you, Esurance, for putting into words what we could not.

Here at TheSignChef, we make banners of every kind. Clients and Customers come to us with ideas to make banners and we turn those ideas into custom vinyl banners!

We do everything!

Custom banners are the ideal signage for a variety of purposes:
* Grand openings
* Festivals and fairs
* Tradeshows and conventions
* Retail shops
* Sports arenas
* Colleges and Universities
* Announcements
* Corporate Interiors
* …And more!

Whatever you need a banner for, we can make it!

And, we make banners with customizable options galore!

You can choose from a wide range of colors, designs, fonts, finishes and display options for your customized banner. There are endless possibilities of what your banner can look like! In fact, we make banners to our clients' EXACT SPECIFICATIONS. If you receive your banner and you don't feel it matches your order, we'll redo it – at no charge!

Plus, we make banners that fit our banner displays.

And when we make banners, we're sure to give you the best customer service possible!

We'll work with you every step of the way to ensure that you're included in the process. And if you need any help at all, we're on hand 9am to 9pm seven days a week, so there's no need to call when you're busy at the office.

In addition, we ship all banners directly to your front door absolutely free. And we'll wave your sales tax.

Ready to make banners now?

Since we can outfit the Military with any outdoor signs necessary, you don't have to scour the internet every time you need another sign. We also keep all logos on file so you're able to have the same one printed again and again.

We offer specialized military outdoor signage products and services including:
* Drop shipment to all MPO addresses
* Custom logo printing
* Reflective outdoor signage materials
* Custom–cut shields for podiums and offices
* ...And more!

Not only that, but we're happy to help you determine the type of outdoor signage you need.

Outdoor signs materials that are often used for military purposes include aluminum, Dibond, Alumalite and reflective materials. We can help you figure out which is right for you along with what colors, shapes, finishes and other custom options will be most effective for your outdoor signage. After all, we have 25 years of experience in military signage.

Plus, we give you perks!

You get FREE shipping and you don't have to pay sales tax. Ordering more than one outdoor sign? Then we'll give you quantity discounts as well. And, you get a free one–on–one online session with one of our graphic designers. You can even give them real–time feedback while they design your sign from scratch!

And our custom military signs are particularly strong, just like our troops!

All of our outdoor sign materials are of the highest quality and most are extremely durable. Plus, we offer custom finishes and mounting accessories that will ensure your outdoor signs stay put and last a long time.

Plus, all of our employees have served – customers, that is!

You'll have complete access to our three–pronged customer service system. We typically respond to emails within the hour, plus we're available by live online chat or phone anytime from 9am to 9pm seven days a week!

So let The Sign Chef create your custom military sign – it's our mission to serve you well!

But what if I do mess up my vinyl letters?

On the off chance that your first application of vinyl letters and graphics doesn't go perfectly, we'll send you new vinyl at no charge, over and over, until it's been perfectly applied. And we'll pay for shipping, too. That's just our Goof–Proof Guarantee.

So let's get this show on the road!

You will need:
Your graphic
One or two inch masking tape
A tape measure
Paper towels or a rag
Your free installation kit

First, let's take a look at your graphics, which are comprised of three layers:

Step 1: Clean the area you plan to apply your graphic twice
First, use the deep cleaner that comes in your installation kit to remove any waxy build up or other dirt from the area on which you will place your graphic. Then, clean the area again using the application fluid that also comes in your installation kit.

*If you're applying your large graphic to a vehicle, clean the area with soap and water prior to using the deep cleaner and application fluid.

*If you're applying your large graphic to a wall, such as sheet rock, do not use the deep cleaner or application fluid. Simply dry clean the area with a paper towel to remove dust.

Step 2: Tape up and measure your graphic
First, tape your graphic to the area in the approximate place you'd like it to be. The plastic side should be against the area. You do not have to be exact. Tape the top corners in place using small pieces of masking tape.

Use a tape measure to determine the center of the are just above your graphic. Place a small piece of masking tape in the center and draw a line where you've determined the exact center to be. Now find the center of your graphic and place a small piece of tape in the center at the top of your graphic, again drawing a line where you have established the exact center to be. Line them up.

Now to make sure your graphic is as level as it is centered, measure from the edge of the actual vinyl letters (not the backing) to the bottom of the area on which you're placing your large graphic. Do this on both sides. Correct the placement if necessary.

Step 3: Hinge the vinyl
Hinging the vinyl simply means placing tape along the top of it. Attach your masking tape across the top of the whole graphic (backing and all) so half of it is on the window and half of it is on the graphic. You should be able to lift up, or hinge, the graphic from the top.

It's a good idea to cut your large graphic so you can do smaller pieces at a time. Do this AFTER you have hinged your graphic so you only have to measure once.

Step 4: Apply your graphic
This is where you actually apply your graphic. Holding the bottom of the graphic, hinge it up. Place your other hand underneath where the plastic is and remove about half the plastic from the top down while you use the squeegee in your installation kit to firmly and evenly press on the graphic, starting from the center and working your way out.

Keep going until you've removed the plastic completely. Wait 30 minutes before you remove the backing.

Step 5: Remove the backing
Do this slowly, pulling down and away. If small bubbles appear, smooth them immediately with your finger. If you find that part of the graphic isn't sticking, squeegee that area again.

*If you're applying your large graphic to a wall, use the felt squeegee in your installation kit to press down the vinyl letters (once the backing is removed) onto the surface of the wall. This ensures no air is imprisoned between the letters and the textured wall.

And there you have it! That wasn't so hard, now was it?

To see our how–to video for applying large vinyl graphics, click here.

Our hard-working employees make banners that are the ideal signage for a variety of purposes:
* Grand openings
* Festivals and fairs
* Tradeshows and conventions
* Retail shops
* Sports arenas
* Colleges and Universities
* Announcements
* Corporate Interiors
* ...And more!

Whatever you want a banner for, leave it to us!

And, we make banners with customizable options galore!

You can choose from a comprehensive range of colors, designs, fonts, finishes and display options for your customized banner. There is no limit to what your banner can look like! In fact, we make banners to our clients' EXACT SPECIFICATIONS. If you receive your banner and you don't feel it matches your order, we'll redo it – free!

Plus, we make banners that go with our assortment of banner displays.

A banner display is what you use to, well, display your banner. We make banner display options for both indoor and outdoor banners. These include banner stands, tabletop displays, large–scale banner frames, and more! To find out all of your banner display options, check out our exclusive Banner Installation Guide.

And when we make banners, we're sure to give you the best customer service possible!

We'll work with you every step of the way to ensure that you're included in the process. And if you have any questions at all, we're available 9am to 9pm seven days a week, so there's no need to call when you're busy at the office.

In addition, we ship all banners right to your front door absolutely free. And we'll wave your sales tax.

Ready to make banners now?

Have you heard of QR (Quick Response) codes? Sometimes used with real estate signs, they work like so: A small, square, barcodendash;like graphic is generated online. (You can generate one easily on our site.) That graphic points to a specific URL (such as your real estate company's website). You then create a real estate sign that contains the QR code and when a potential buyer snaps a picture of the graphic with their smartphone, they are automatically brought to the specified website. Cool huh!?

What can a QR code do for my real estate sign?

Think about it: your real estate sign isn't very big. You can fit your name, number, website and maybe a picture on it ndash; not much else. If a potential buyer is somewhat interested, they have to call you for more information or write down your website and go online later at home.

But let's say you've placed a QR code in the corner of your real estate sign. That person who's only sort of interested decides they'll snap the code because, hey, it's easy! Immediately, they're brought to the website you've specified right on their phone. But it's not just a regular website. It takes them to a page with a virtual tour of the house you're selling.

So now instead of driving by without another thought, that potential buyer is in front of the house touring the interior and becoming more and more interested with every picture they see.

And more and more real estate signs have QR codes

Agents are catching on quickly. We're already fielding orders for agents who want a QR code on their real estate sign. They know that it shows buyers that they're forwardndash;thinking and on top of the game, putting customer service first and knowledgeable about the field.

Three things to know about putting a QR code on your real estate signage:
* They only work on smartphones. But guess what? 1 billion people will be using smartphones by 2013! So it's an ideal way to show customers that you're forwardndash;thinking and ahead of the game.
* Newer smartphones do not need an app to recognize QR codes. When they take a picture, they'll be automatically brought to the website. But older smartphones do need an app. There are tons of free ones available and they're all easy to use.
* It's completely free to generate a QR code on our site. Just type in the URL you want the graphic to point to, click "generate" and you're done! Just save the file on your computer and email it to us when you design you real estate sign.

So when you design your new real estate sign, consider adding a QR code. When you design your real estate sign with TheSignChef, you can generate a QR code and add it to your sign absolutely free. We don't charge extra. Plus, all real estate signs ship completely free and we offer substantial quantity discounts. Not only that, we'll pay your sales tax for you!

And here at TheSignChef, we're familiar with all things tradeshow—related. Not only have we been creating tradeshow custom banners for 25 years, but we've even attended a few ourselves! And most of the tradeshow banners we've designed have ended up in good ol' Las Vegas!

So why is Las Vegas such a popular location for tradeshows and conventions?

We think businesses and employees are would rather attend an industry tradeshow if it's somewhere fun like Vegas! In fact, I'm in the midst of persuading the boss to let me attend a sign industry tradeshow there — and you better believe I wouldn't be as excited if it took place in Cleveland, OH! But it also has to do with the huge number of hotels (and therefore conference rooms and venues), tons of flight options and a desirable climate all year round.

If you're going to Las Vegas, NV for a tradeshow...

Let us help you! We have a comprehensive range of tradeshow custom banners and display options that will take your presentation to the next level. And you don't need all the bright lights on the strip to make you stand out in a crowd! Our tradeshow banners are all fully customizable and easy to set up. We offer five options for displaying your custom banner or sign, each of which is portable, easy to set up and professional looking.

PLUS:
We will ship your tradeshow banner directly to Las Vegas. In fact, we'll send it right to your hotel...and we'll do it for free. That's right — no matter how heavy or big your tradeshow banner is, we'll pay for shipping. You just focus on designing an eye—catching presentation!

And speaking of designing...

If the ideal of personally designing a tradeshow banner that is meant to draw attention and look professional is just too intimidating, we can help with that, too! Our free program, LiveDesign, enables you to have a one—on—one online session with one of our in—house graphic designers. Our designer will design your customized tradeshow banner from scratch while you provide real—time feedback. So you're certain to have a great looking display at your Las Vegas tradeshow!

So contact us whether you need a vinyl banner for a tradeshow in Las Vegas, Cleveland, Boston, Orlando, Beijing or anywhere else!

We're thrilled to help you with anything you need. We're available by email, live online chat or phone from 9am to 9pm seven days a week. Yup, I said seven days a week!

The FOUR main categories of stands for custom banners are:
1. Simple
2. Flexi
3. Pole
4. Retractable

You should determine which kind of banner stand to use based on three things:
1. The size of your banner
2. Where you are displaying your banner
3. What the message of your banner is

Okay, now keeping those things in mind, let's determine which type of banner stand is right for you!

Simple banner stands are the type you commonly see in malls, department stores, cafes and museums. They are b;ack or chrome and look like a large picture frame on top of legs OR an A—frame. Simple banner stands are the easiest to install. Simply slide in your banner and you're done!
*For smaller banners only
*For indoor use
*Ideal for advertising sales, daily specials and exhibits
*We offer the Classic Banner Stand and the EZ Change A—Frame Stand

Flexi banner stands are flexible because you can use one panel to display your vertical banner or you can connect multiple panels to display a large—scale horizontal banner. They offer single and double sided options and are set up by connecting the aluminum pieces. Flexi stands fold up so even large banners are portable!
*For larger vertical banners and multiple—paneled horizontal banners (great if you switch out banners a lot and want options!)
*For indoor use or temporary outdoor use. Commonly seen at tradeshows and conventions, travel agencies and airports (great for large scenic banners, and playhouses (connected banners make great scenery)
*Ideal for very visual banners, travel advertisements and announcing new construction
*We offer the Flexi Banner Stand and Triple Banner Booth Display

Pole stands for custom banners are freestanding stands that are easily put together with a set of poles. Banners are affixed with grommets and clipped to the stand, slid into plastic rails, or attached with special tape. They all come apart for easy transport.
*For vertical banners and large—scale banners. Ideal if you want to switch—out banners often
*For indoor or outdoor use, depending on which you choose. A versatile selection that is great for retail shops, tradeshows, outdoor events and more
*Perfect for just about any use. Large—scale pole stands are often used for tradeshows and corporate interiors
*We offer the Wind Wise Outdoor Banner Stand, MultiMaster Stand, Sleek Exhibitor, Aries Bamboo Banner Display and Curved Cantilever Display

Retractable banner stands are put together so that your banner is rolled up in the base. To set one up you simply unroll the banner out of the base and secure it to the back pole. These banner stands are easy to transport and easy for one person to set up.
*Most retractable banner stands are for tall vertical banners, but we do offer one for small banners
*For indoor or temporary outdoor purposes. Extremely versatile and often used at tradeshows, in spas, retail shops and corporate interiors. Tabletop display available
*Ideal for just about any use. Promote sales, exhibits, new products and more
*We offer the Mini Bamboo Retractor, Bamboo Retractor, Horizontal Tabletop Retractor and Economy Retractors

So there you have it! ideally, you now have a good idea of which type of banner stand will best fit your needs. Click on the specific product pages to check out each particular stand. If you still have questions or need help of any kind, we're available from 9am to 9pm seven days a week.

Banner Printing has come a long way, baby! There's a reason we don't charge a ton for printing your custom banners.

Today, banner printing is all digital.

That means that instead of using separate pieces of vinyl for each color on a banner, we can now print directly onto the banner material. We are no longer limited to few colors and unclear clipart or graphics. That may not seem like much compared to what the new kindle or iPhone can do, but what it means is a less expensive banner for you.

Banner printing could suddenly incorporate as many colors as designers wanted, along with logos, photographs and other full—color images.

So banner printing is much these days!

Banner printing used to be a labor intensive process which made banners expensive and limited the number of companies that made them. As a result, that drove the price up even more. But when digital banner printing came along, everything changed. That's why we can offer the customized, full—color vinyl banners we do today!

We do so much banner printing...

That we've had to enlarge our banner printing space! We just remodeled our office to add on a new banner printing room.

All of our banners are fully customized to your precise specifications. You can use as many colors as you want on your banner, as well as any full—color graphics, photographs and logos you want. Today, it's just as easy to print 100 colors on your banner as it is to print one!

Banner printing is also faster than it used to be

Printing custom banners is not as time consuming as it used to be. When you combine fast digital printers with our speedy yet precise builders, you end up with a high—quality banner, fast.

And, we know all there is to know about banners...

...And we want to impart our knowledge on you! We have tons of articles that will teach you how to design a banner, choose the best banner display, mount your banner and much more!

And if you need any help, we're available 9am to 9pm seven days a week.

We'll take care of all your banner printing needs!

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 abruptly shifting miles a day. We're referring to globalization. With today's technology it's easy for a non—franchised business to reach people all over the world. That means that we can offer our customers 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 around the corner.

We've spent years tailoring 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 custom signs with emails, phone calls and even a custom program that enables you to 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!

Since we can outfit the Military with any custom signs necessary, you don't have to scour the internet every time you need another sign. We also keep all logos on file so you're able to have the same one printed again and again.

We offer specialized military products and services including:
*Drop shipment to all MPO addresses
*Customized logo printing
*Reflective signage materials
*Custom—cut shields for podiums and offices
*...And more!

Not only that, but we're happy to help you determine the type of signage you need.

Sign materials that are often used for military purposes include aluminum, dibond, vinyl decals, cut vinyl and reflective materials. We can help you determine which is right for you along with what colors, shapes, finishes and other custom options will be most effective for your custom sign. After all, we have 25 years of experience in military signs.
Plus, we give you special perks!

You get FREE shipping and we'll wave your sales tax. Purchasing more than one sign? Then we'll give you quantity discounts as well. And, you get a free one—on—one online consultation with one of our graphic designers. You can even give them real—time feedback while they create your custom signs from scratch!
And our custom military signs are super strong, just like our troops!

All of our signage materials are of the highest quality and many are extremely durable. Plus, we offer custom finishes and installation accessories that will ensure your custom signs stay put and last a long time.

Plus, all of our employees have served — customers, that is!

You'll have full access to our three—pronged customer service system. We usually respond to emails within the hour, plusyou can get in touch with us by live online chat or phone anytime from 9am to 9pm seven days a week!

So let the sign chef create your custom military sign — it's our mission to serve you well!

Let me tell you a story about how using quality outdoor signs saved my garage sale. I decided to have a big garage sale one day last summer. I have so much junk I could sell! Hoping to make bundles of cash, I gathered everything in my driveway and went about making signs on my computer. I spent a good two hours trying to design an outdoor sign in my word processing program. After dealing with tons of formatting issues, I finally made a decent looking sign. I printed out a bunch of copies and drove around my area, taping the paper signs to trees, street signs, bulletin boards in coffee shops and more. There were places I'd hoped to target — like the side of the big road by my house — but there was nothing to attach my signs to.

Needless to say, my yard sale didn't go quite as I had planned. A few people showed up, sure. But only two of them said it was because they saw my signs. Other people happened to walk or drive by, were neighbors, or saw the ad I posted online. I grudgingly packed everything back up and put it in storage for another year.

I decided to try it again about two weeks ago. I lugged everything back out into the driveway, but this time I didn't make dinky paper signs on my computer. I decided to leave it up to the professionals. I figured you need to spend money to make money, so I made a rather small investment in a few professional signs.I designed my coroplast outdoor signs for free online. It was easy and only took about ten minutes. It was even kind of fun. Not only that, but the signs shipped free right to my door! I also received a discount because I ordered more than one.

My perfect signs look so professional when they arrived! I got in my car and went to put them along the side of the big road leading to my house. It was easy to put them in the ground and I was able to place them in super high traffic locations. I knew hundreds of people would see them every day! But would I actually get a good turn out this time around?

I sure did! On the day of the sale, a LOT of people came by. I even heard someone say they thought it was a store's sale because the sign looked so professional! I sold almost everything and ended up making over $500! What a great investment! The outdoor signs were cheap, durable and professional looking — and they actually made me money. I'm so glad I ordered them!

I definitely recommend spending that small amount of money on professional outdoor signage for your event because you'll make it back — and more. Imagine seeing a nice, big, professional looking sign — wouldn't you be more likely to pay attention? Clearly it's a quality event they're advertising. I'm going to have a garage sale twice a year, and I plan to order professional outdoor signs every time. I'm looking forward to making an extra grand a year!!

There are many important decisions in the process of creating outdoor signs. The grade of material you choose is important because it will determine the durability and longevity of your sign.

What is a material grade, anyway?

First, you chose a type of sign material for your sign — aluminum, acrylic, etc. Now you're ready to choose the grade of material.
The grade of material describes to the level of color protection on your outdoor signage. All of our sign materials are of outstanding quality and will most often outlast the vinyl graphics on your sign, despite the grade you choose.

This is because our sign materials are made to last much longer. For example, aluminum 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
*Economy
*Standard
*Premium

Each grade of material is rated for durability. You'll choose your grade depending on how long you'd like your outdoor signs 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 willing to replace or get rid of your outdoor signage 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 outdoor 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 isn't as important.

...Feel free to contact us with any questions!

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

One of the most important decisions you'll make when creating aluminum outdoor signs is the grade of material you choose. Why? Because it will determine the durability and longevity of your sign.

What is a material grade, anyway?

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

The grade of material describes to the level of color protection on your aluminum sign. All of our sign materials are of excellent quality and will most often outlast the vinyl graphics on your sign, despite the grade you choose.

This is because our sign materials are made to last much longer. Aluminum will last decades. But the pigments in the vinyl graphics that are laid on your sign material will naturally fade over 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
*Economy
*Standard
*Premium

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

Economy Grade outdoor signs are uncoated and rated to last up to three years. You should choose economy grade if your sign is not for permanent use or if you need to change the design on your sign often. With economy grade, you are relying only on the strength of the pigments in the vinyl graphics. If you're happy with replacing or getting rid of your aluminum signage after three years, go with 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 endure extreme temperatures very well. Premium grade is right for you if you're looking for a more permanent aluminum 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 figure out what grade best fits your needs. We're here to help!

After lots of dead-end jobs after my college graduation, I eventually found success marketing my own real estate company using professional-quality real estate signs. I never imagined that I would start my own business, but it seemed like great idea. I've had so many different kinds of jobs; waitressing, marketing, PR, paralegal and substitute teaching. Don't ever let anyone tell you that there's nothing you can do with an English degree!

But ultimately, my dream career was in real estate. I got my license and started working for a well—known company. It was fantastic! I was bringing in more money than anyone else I worked with, and I enjoyed what I was doing. After two years, I finally decided I could make more money and have more control if I worked for myself. So I did it.

I hired two people and rented a small office. I advertised and ordered real estate signs. I was ready!

For the first four months, things were slower than I expected. I knew it would be tough to get my name out there, but this was bleak. We sold only one house and had one other one that no one seemed to be interested in. Plus, I had tons of business expenses to pay that I hadn't considered. I was starting to think I had made the wrong decision.

But before I packed it in, I decided to look at everything I was doing and compare it to what the top real estate companies were doing. I found out that my biggest problem was that I only had a limited amount of money to advertise with, and therefore not only were people unaware of me, but they weren't aware of the houses I was selling.

I had gone to Kinko's for my real estate agent signs, which were thick paper signs that said "For Sale" along with my phone number and stapled to a steak I jammed into the ground. When I worked for a big company, I had nice, sturdy aluminum signs that were professionally mounted in an A—frame. They also included a lot more information. I realized that my signage looked unprofessional and didn't entice buyers at all.

So, along with printing flyers, sending out a press release and investing in a TV ad on the local station, I decided to concentrate on my real estate signs. After all, those signs are the first impression I make on a buyer and can give them the idea that I'm an amateur or a professional, successful agent.

I found an awesome company to order my real estate signs from online. The signs were fairly priced, they had tons of options and they shipped free. Plus, they offer quantity discounts — something extremely helpful when it comes to real estate signs, because you're always ordering more than one.

They also helped me figure out what to put on my custom real estate sign, which is particularly important. I learned that I should use highly contrasting colors to catch people's attention, so I chose blue on white. I included my name, phone number, website, a full color picture of myself and I easily calculated what size my letters should be for optimum viewing.

Plus, I found out that a lot of agents are now putting QR codes on their real estate signs. QR codes are like little barcode graphics that anyone with a smartphone can take a picture of and they will be automatically sent to whatever URL I want. I made my QR codes link to virtual tours. That way people will immediately be able immediately see the house and remain interested!

A few days after I began advertising, I got a bunch of calls. Suddenly, I had five houses on the market! And I got a lot of interest from buyers who said my vibrant, professional real estate signs got! And people loved the QR codes, which they said really made them feel like I put customer service first.

So ultimately, starting my own real estate business was a great idea. I recommend that successful agents do it if it feels right for them. Be sure to get your name out there and have professional looking real estate signs.

Let me tell you a little something about party planning with vinyl letters. The first party I ever had was amazing. It was my sixth birthday party, and the first one I was allowed to invite my classmates to (all previous ones had been strictly family). I begged my mom for everything I wanted for the party: balloon animals, three kinds of cake, a trampoline and more. We went crazy! Needless to say, all the kids left as happy as clams.

And so, at age six, I had cemented my reputation as the BEST party planner around.

My family and friends still come to me for all their party planning needs. And I've moved on from balloon animals and trampolines to somewhat more sophisticated party activities. I've even planned weddings.

But that doesn't mean I don't make mistakes — I certainly do.

Have you ever had a giant disco ball fall on your head? I have. I've also had 200 balloons escape pre—party and a dance floor waxed so much that no one could step foot on it without sliding into a full split.

But I've learned my lessons. In fact, I have some awesome tips and tricks. So what are they?

If you want to throw a really great party, you have to do things differently — make things a little special.

Well, you know those flimsy cardboard banners that fall down all the time and look really tacky?. My favorite thing to do is update the look of the party by giving it more fun and sophistication with vinyl graphics and letters.
It's easy to apply vinyl graphics directly to the wall and they take the place of banners. They are completely customizable, remove easily and look like they took lots of time to apply (they don't!).

I've used them so many different ways. At my best friend's wedding, I placed beautiful silver lettering above the head table that said, "Amy and John, Together Forever." They absolutely LOVED it! It looked incredible in pictures.

I also love to use vinyl letters at birthday parties for a customizable birthday message. I've done everything from, "Happy 30th Laura!" to "It's better to be over the hill than buried under it!" Of course, your b—day guy or girl needs to have a good sense of humor for that last one.

Vinyl letters are great for graduation parties, too. "Class of 2011" in school colors looks great in the background of a photo.

Use vinyl letters for baby showers, bachelorette parties and wedding showers. Show your wife or girlfriend how much you care with a special message on the wall on Valentine's Day (I helped one friend propose this way. His girlfriend was thrilled and, of course, said yes!).

I threw a St. Patrick's Day party last year and put up green vinyl letters that said things like "Top 'o The Morning to Ya!" and, "Kiss Me, I'm Irish!"

Okay, so I went a little crazy sharing all my ideas with you, but using vinyl letters and graphics is my absolute favorite way to decorate for a party. They're always a big success!

How can custom banners save your business at a trade show? Let me tell you a story...

As a small business owner, It's vital that I take every opportunity I can to promote my bakery and bakery marketing business. When I heard that a small business tradeshow was coming to my city last year, I knew it was a great opportunity for me.

I gathered all my materials, made new business cards, printed out a big paper sign, put together sales material and even made some extra—special baked goods to lure people over to my table.

As people started coming in I adjusted my suit, put on a big smile and got ready to sell my unique bakery/restaurant marketing plan.

Unfortunately, things didn't turn out the way I'd hoped they would. I sat at my sad little tradeshow booth and tapped my fingernails on the table while everyone flocked to the booths around me. I was so disappointed. I'd put so much effort into making this day a success, but it was just the opposite.

As I glanced around, it was obvious what I had done wrong. I was here to promote my professional business, but nothing about my tradeshow booth looked professional. I had a flimsy paper sign I printed out at home hanging behind me while everyone else had full—color custom banners that looked so professional and high—end. How could I expect anyone to view me as professional when nothing about my booth looked that way? What was I thinking?

I knew I wasn't going to make the same mistake at this year's tradeshow. I was going to order a big vinyl banner that would definitely get noticed.

I jumped online and found TheSignChef — they had a giant selection of products, helpful articles and free shipping. Plus, I got a free online design consultation with a graphic designer who helped me create a fantastic indoor banner for the tradeshow.

The day of the tradeshow, I easily rolled up my tradeshow banner and threw it my trunk. When I arrived, it was easy to set up and looked so great! The design was certainly eye—catching and I could see all the other vendors looking at it. It looked just as professional as theirs but you could really tell a graphic designer helped create it.

This time when the crowds entered, plenty of people flocked to my booth thanks to my custom vinyl banner. A few people even asked me where I got it! I made a ton of connections and sales and my tradeshow banner paid for itself almost instantly.

My indoor banner was so successful because it was professionally designed; the appropriate size for the venue, and it was a super smooth vinyl banner material that's especially great for indoor banners because it looks great up close.

When my middle school soccer team barely lost the state championship, I had no trophy to award them with for their efforts. Instead, I got custom engraved signs to recognize their fight.

It's fun yet challenging being a middle school soccer coach. The girls are great, but at that age they can be frustrating too. They're at that age where they don't like anything except texting and Twilight.

But really, it's a blast. Last season, my girls came really close to winning the state championship, but they lost the title in overtime. They had worked so hard but still didn't walk away with the trophy. I wanted to show them that even though they didn't win, they should be proud of themselves.

I considered giving them a pizza party or buying them necklace charms of their numbers. But I really wanted to give them something that could stand in for a trophy so they knew that hard work and effort deserve just as much praise as winning does.

I finally decided to get engraved signs we could hang in the trophy case at school. That way, the girls would have recognition for their effort. And I wanted it all to look just as good as the trophy they missed out on.

I found a sign company that makes awesome engraved signs with a special laser. I received free design assistance from their graphic design team and created a great, certified looking engraved sign for the trophy case. It said, "Lincoln Middle School Tigers — Second Place Champions 2010," and it included each girl's name and a great quote about the meaning of working hard. It was placed right next to the championship trophy from 1995.

But I wasn't sure the girls would appreciate it, or glean from it the lesson I wanted them to. I was worried they would have preferred the first season of Gossip Girl on DVD or a cool cover for their cell phones.

When I gathered the team after school to show them the sign, they fell silent. I was nervous. Suddenly, the team captain, Liz, spoke. "Wow Ms. Felty," she said, "I can't believe we get to be recognized in the trophy case with all the champions. I guess our hard work did mean something."

I nearly cried tears of joy. They really appreciated the engraved sign and learned a valuable lesson.

I loved the way that the engraved sign looked so I recommended that my brother use one for his new business. He loved the idea and purchased an engraved sign to be hung by his building's elevators pointing the way to his office.

So if you need a reward or a way to praise your team, try an engraved sign. They're beautifully crafted and professional looking. They're also great for businesses and hotel lobbies.

I went to TheSignChef.com and didn't even have to pay for.

So don't settle for second place trophies — order a first class engraved sign of your own!

Heart-warming story: Local schoolteacher saves field trip with custom signs!

I came up with the fantastic plan of a bake sale. I know, it's been done. But if it's not broke don't fix it, right!? So I went about calling parents and assigning baked goods. I spent days trying to create the perfect double chocolate chip cookie — one that the whole town would hear about, ultimately making us enough money for 100 trips to DC! Soon enough, my kitchen was covered in flour and, alas, my cookie was barely kid—worthy.

But I had more important things to deal with. The whole town would be at the school for our annual carnival weekend. I had to make sure that everyone saw our bake sale table and knew how important it was that they contribute to our field trip fund.

Luckily, we got to do a practice run the week before the carnival. The town's little league championship is always packed with people. So we set up a mini version of our bake sale and I made a paper banner explaining our fundraiser. Everyone would see us!

But no one did. My sad little paper banner kept falling down, getting trampled on and ripped by the wind. No one saw it and we barely made enough for a bus ticket to DC. Parents later told me they didn't even know we were there. I had to do something, and fast.

I remembered that while we had a flimsy paper banner, the baseball field at the tournament had a big, full color vinyl banner hanging on the fence. Everyone sees nice custom signs like these— how could you not? They look so professional. I decided to order a full color banner stating our cause for the carnival. But I had no idea where to start.

I quickly found a sign company that offers any size full color custom vinyl banners AND the all the accessories I could possibly need to mount it. I worked with a graphic designer online to create the perfect vinyl banner. The graphic designer helped me figure out which colors would be most striking and how large the letters need to be for people all the way at the top of the Ferris wheel to see them. And I didn't even have to pay for the design service. I was so excited!

My custom vinyl banner arrived in plenty time. When I got down to the school on the morning of the carnival, I used the mounting accessories I'd ordered to easily hang it high on the fence behind our table. When my students arrived and saw the banner, they got really excited. We were all optimistic and had completely forgotten what happened at the little league championship. We were ready to go!

As soon as the crowds arrived, tons of people came to our table. Everyone loved our food — even my cookies!

When the two—day event finally ended, I counted up the money we had made. Woo Hoo! We had made enough money to pay for our field trip — and more! Because they saw our custom banner, people come over to contribute money without even buying anything. And after the carnival, I just rolled it up and stored it away until next time.

So, I absolutely recommend custom vinyl banners to promote your fundraiser, but I know people who've used them for a lot of other reasons too. One friend advertises with one in front of her shop and another banner I've seen celebrates our little league World Series championship. They're such a great way to promote businesses and organizations and praise people in a cost effective manner.

If you want to order a custom, full color vinyl banner, I recommend TheSignChef.com. Customer service was great, their design assistance was free, and so was shipping. I didn't even pay sales tax. See you in DC!

Why are custom signs around the house a good gift idea? Let me tell you a story...

January is an evil month. The New Year comes charging in with three family birthdays, and consequently three people to shop for. All just after I emptied my bank account for Christmas. What's the worst part? Everyone on my list is virtually impossible to shop for. And I just used up my best ideas at Christmas!

First is my dad's birthday. He's a big foodie — he loves good wine, cheese and French food. So he already has every kitchen gadget in the history of the world. A few days later comes Mom's birthday. She loves two things: her big black lab, Scout, and giving dinner parties. She has so many tablecloths, wine glasses and matching dishes that she can't even keep track. And finally, two weeks later, is my husband's birthday. He's your typical "guy's guy," unfortunately. There are only so many video games and baseball hats you can buy somebody!

But last month, I stumbled across an idea for my husband that I was pretty excited about. My friend, Ted, just had a bar put in his basement, and it looked GREAT. I would love to put one in for my husband, but there's no way I could afford it. However, Ted also had a couple of really cool custom signs hanging behind his bar. One of them said, "Ted's bar, Last call: Never." I thought it was awesome! He said he ordered it himself online, so I went to the same website and designed a great one for the hubby! I couldn't wait to give it to him — I decided to hang it up above our little bar area, with a bow on it. Brilliant!

But I still had Mom and Dad to shop for. Dad returns virtually every gift he's ever gotten because he says, "There's nothing left I need." Then he'll buy you dinner with the money he gets back. It's an ongoing competition in my family to buy him something he actually holds on to.

With Mom, it's just the opposite. She'll gush over gifts she doesn't like — which is most of them — just to overcompensate. Then they disappear forever. They go in a deep dark hole somewhere in the back of her overstuffed closet.

Then, I had an epiphany. Why not get another custom sign — for Dad!? I can design it so it says anything I want, so it doesn't have to be the same as the one I gave the hubs. I came up with two ideas for Dad: "Bob's Vineyard: Tastings Daily" and "Bob's Wine Cellar: Time for a Toast." I went with the first one. I crossed my fingers and hoped he would like it!

All of a sudden, it turned into a double epiphany (my first)! Would Mom like a personalized custom sign for her cocktail room as well? She's super picky about the house, but I can design one that looks classy and matches her décor. I was able to do so with Dad's. I thought about all the dinner parties she has and came up with two ideas for her as well, "Carol's Table: All Are Welcome" and "Bistro Du Scout," after her beloved lab. I decided it was a good idea to include Scout, so I went with that one.

As I ordered these two signs — free shipping and no sales tax, plus a discount for buying more than one! — I realized that I had bought the same present for ALL THREE PEOPLE! Is it possible that my mom, dad AND husband would all be happy with a personalized bar sign? I thought I'd hit the jackpot!

Turns out...I did! Hubby, of course, was so excited to see his name above our bar. His dream come true! I was a little bit nervous as Dad went to open his, but he smiled right away. He stood up, went to get a hammer and nail, and hung it up right away. When family came over that night, he bragged about it to everyone. I won the contest this year for sure!

A few days later, as Mom was opening her personalized bar sign, I was shaking with nervousness. She's so particular. When she saw it she studied it, smiled big, and gave me a simple and sincere "Thank you so much," and went to go hang it next to Dad's.

Triple score! Turns out, a personalized bar sign is a customizable gift that pretty much everyone will love! All three of them said it was their favorite present, and they are each so different!

Surprisingly, as a custom signs company dependent on other businesses, we've been thriving throughout the economic slump, but now that things are starting to pick up, we're flourishing more than ever before. In fact, we're on target to beat our sales record in 2011!

So we've had to make some changes in order to grow production at the necessary rate

Good changes, of course! We just completed a major expansion of our workshop and offices. Some previously unorganized space has been converted into four separate rooms that will keep our business running smoothly as we continue to grow:
*The printing room enables us to keep all of our printers together, making the process more streamlined for our production team.
*The graphic design room is a new office exclusively for our — you guessed it — in—house graphic designers so they have extra room to be creative.
*The router room houses our brand—new state—of—the—art router that enables us to do all custom contour cutting in—house (most signage companies outsource this technique, which means their custom cut signs take longer to make and cost more )
*The cutting room means there is more space for our production team on the main workshop floor

It sounds like a lot of changes, and it is. We're lucky that we can give our employees extra office space and more production room. And since we invest in improving our business, our clients know that we're striving to be the best custom signs company out there.

After all, we are doing this so that we can ultimately give our customers an even better product

By expanding, we can serve you better. Our customer service manager now has a larger office, our production team has more to build the best custom signs possible and our graphic designers have a big new office where they can work undisturbed. Our customers benefit because a happy employees make for a successful business!

And a successful business provides personalized service

No matter how much we grow, we'll always be committed to personalized service. Although we serve some well—known franchises, we don't have a giant office in New York City with hundreds of offices and no clue who, exactly, our clients are. No, we are in Charleston, SC, where we started 25 years ago. And our number one focus is on our customers, not our profits.

And we look forward to serving our customers better, for many many years!

You probably feel like you don't have control over anything. But there is something you can control: There's no need to worry about your custom signs — that all important first impression — getting ruined. If you order your custom outdoor business sign from TheSignChef, you'll rest easy knowing your custom sign won't show any signs of deterioration regardless of the snow, ice and high winds thrashing it daily.

Because at TheSignChef, we use a six—pronged attack when we battle blizzards:

1. We coat custom signs with a premium finish that guards against the elements

2. Our sign specialists work with you to determine the proper sign materials for your city's particular weather conditions

3. All our materials are of the best quality, including our waterproof sign materials

4. Exclusive comprehensive installation videos and instruction guides ensure that your sign is expertly installed, making it strong and sturdy

5. We specially train our workers to build only durable, expertly crafted signs

6. We inspect your sign multiple times throughout the process, including immediately before it's shipped, to ensure that it's been built to the highest standards in the industry


Take that, snowstorms!

So while you're struggling to shovel snow, keep warm and drive carefully, your custom signs aren't struggling at all.
And our signs can handle more than just snow

We ship to all 50 states (plus Canada), so we know there's more than just snow to cope with. Our signs are prepared and ready to do battle with salt water, bright sun, extreme heat, torrential rain, high winds and more.

So if you're ready to safeguard your business with a custom sign that can handle it all, please contact with us. Email us anytime or contact us by phone or online chat between 9am and 9pm seven days a week.

Some things are more important than others when you create custom signs. The grade of material you choose is vital because it determines the durability and longevity of your sign.

What is a material grade, anyway?

First, you chose a type of sign material for your sign — aluminum, acrylic, etc. Now you're ready to choose the grade of material.
The grade of material describes to the level of color protection on your custom signage. All of our sign materials are of outstanding 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 much longer. For example, aluminum 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
*Economy
*Standard
*Premium

Each grade of material is rated for durability. You'll choose your grade based on how long you'd like your custom signs to last.
Economy Grade signs are uncoated and rated to last up to three years outdoors. You should choose economy grade if your sign is not for permanent use or if you need to change the design on your sign often. With economy grade, you are relying only on the strength of the pigments in the vinyl graphics. If you're willing to replace or get rid of your custom sign after three years, go with 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 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 custom 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 isn't as important.
...Feel free to contact us with any questions!

Our sign specialists are pleased to help you figure out what grade best fits your needs. We're here to help!

Nowadays, big custom signs companies throw promises around like they're baseballs. Of course, some of them are probably sincere. But it's easy to break a promise.

That's why not only do we offer promises that we've kept for 25 years, but we back them up with guarantees.

What are your promises?

We promise that we'll give you the best customs signs possible. We promise to never stop working hard for you. We promise to give you the best in customer service. And if you ask any of our clients over the 25 years, they'll tell you that we've kept all these promises, and more.
But the word of the day is Guarantee.

We guarantee more than any other sign company. In fact, all of our clients get our premium triple guarantee:

1. We guarantee our workmanship will meet or exceed industry standards. If it doesn't look perfect to you, we'll do it over and over until it does. We have an awesome team of guys in our workshop and they take pride in what they do. They strive to make each sign as beautiful and flawless as the next.
2. We guarantee that your finished sign will match your exact specifications. If you feel that it's somehow not exactly what you ordered, we'll correct it. We want you to love your custom sign!
3. Our "Baker's Dozen Guarantee" says that our custom signs are guaranteed to be without material defects for a full 13 months. Sometimes, material defects don't appear until they've been "under stress" outdoors for a while. If any defects appear in the first 13 months, we'll replace your sign for free!
PLUS, we place a special BONUS "Goof—Proof Guarantee" on our custom vinyl graphics:
4. You'll be able to easily apply them yourself and achieve a professional look (we offer instructional videos and printable directions). If it doesn't go well the first time we'll send you replacement letters — and the shipping fee is on us, too!

We can offer these guarantees because we accomplish each of these things 100% of the time. We know that every customer end up with a well—made sign that matches their exact specifications and holds up immaculately for at least 13 months, or is replaced free of charge. All of our customers over 25 years sure have!

So if you're interested in receiving the best sign we can make — guaranteed — we'd love to help you. And if you have any questions, we're always on hand, 9am to 9pm seven days a week.

Your custom signs are useless if they're not SEEN. After all, the whole reason you're ordering custom signage is so you can get a specific message across to a lot of people at one time. That's why how and where you display your sign should never be an afterthought.

We can help you display your sign anywhere you want.

Do need a sign that sits on the lawn? Or do you plan to put it on the wall, hang it from the ceiling or stand it indoors? Is it going in an office building, a school, a restaurant or a shop? Do you want it outside or inside?

All of these things are important to consider when it comes time to mount or install your sign. Ideally, you've used our Material Selection Wizard or a sign specialist to pick the sign material that best fits your needs. If so, you've probably considered mounting options and have an idea of where you plan to display your customized sign. Now it's time to figure out how to install your sign.

We have tons of display and installation accessories for you to choose from

We offer polished standoffs for mounting acrylic, retractable banner signs, hanging sign posts, snap—up trade show booths, real estate frames, screw caps, banner rope and much more. We have everything you need to display your signage wherever you want...

...And make it look professional

We make it extremely easy to inexpensively self—install your custom signs for a superior professional appearance. We're with you from start to finish! While most sign companies ship your sign and you never hear from them again, we offer follow—up assistance. Watch our how—to installation or vinyl graphic application videos, print out our installation directions or simply call our sign specialists for help.

So while mounting, hanging or installing your custom signage is the last step in the process, it's a very important one. Make sure you carefully consider your options and take the time to determine the correct mounting accessories. You can check out our product pages for a full list.

As always, you can get in touch with us any time between 9am and 9pm seven days a week.

Why shouldn't you give your orders for custom signs to another, less experienced company? Well... You wouldn't ask a surgeon with little or no experience to give you a heart transplant...right? That's because when someone has experience, it shows that they've been successful. But even a surgeon with 50 years of experience isn't an expert if he hasn't studied different operations, practiced new methods and created innovative procedures.

Where am I going with this?

Well, here at TheSignChef, we definitely have experience. With 25 years in the industry, we've made tens of thousands of custom signs. But we are also experts.

What makes us experts?

We've done a lot to gain the high level of expertise that we have when it comes to making custom signs. A few come to mind:
*We constantly keep ourselves up to date on the sign industry by reading trade magazines, writing informative articles and researching new equipment
*We're continuously not only current, but on the cutting edge of sign making methods
*We have systematically identified the best way to run a sign company both online and in the office
*We've created several customer service tools in—house that enable clients to build their custom signage like never before — we've even sold our programs to other sign companies!
*We attend conferences and classes about the sign industry and the world of online business so that we can continue in our success
*...And more!

PLUS...

Throughout our 25 years in the industry, we've seen it all. We have addressed virtually every question you could ask and we've solved practically every problem you could come across. And not only do we know all the products like the back of our hands, but we've seen custom signs materials evolve over time, so we really know what makes a material high quality.

Just ask our Head Sign Chef anything about the industry and he'll go on for hours (really) about the nuts and bolts of it.

So what's the most important thing we've learned in 25 years?

The most important thing that all our experience has taught us is that the customer always comes first. You've helped us become the experts we are today, and we thank you!

As always, if you have any questions — even questions you think we haven't heard (good luck) — you can get in touch with us through online chat, email or by phone from 9am to 9pm seven days a week. We can't wait to share our expertise with you!

This article will tell you:
1. What grade of material means and why it's an important element of your real estate signs
2. How the grade protects your sign and the difference between grade and type of material
3. The three grades of material offered at TheSignChef and which one you're your needs best

It's vital you that pick 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 describes to the level of color protection on your real estate sign. All of our sign materials are of outstanding quality and will most often outlast the colors on your sign, despite the grade you choose.

This is because our real estate signs' materials are made to last much longer. Aluminum, for example, will last decades. But the pigments in the vinyl graphics that are laid on your sign material will naturally fade over 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
*Economy
*Standard
*Premium

Each grade of material is rated for durability. You'll pick 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. You should choose economy grade if your sign is not for permanent use or if you need to change the design on your sign often. With economy grade, you are relying only on the strength of the pigments in the vinyl graphics. If you're happy with replacing or getting rid of your real estate sign after three years, go with 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 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 endure extreme temperatures very well. Premium grade is right for you if you're looking for a more permanent real estate sign and the maximum level of durability.

If you're still not sure what grade of material to use...

Consider only 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 figure out what grade best fits your needs. We're here to help!

There are a few sign types} that work well as door signs.
Our favorite is acrylic signs. They have a unique look when inside a house that is fun and playful. They are the only sign available in a clear panel, which is an extremely popular look. Acrylic signs are also durable, waterproof and fairly inexpensive.
PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride) is another good choice. These signs are made for indoor use. They are lightweight, durable, waterproof and very inexpensive. Mounting PVC signs is extremely easy and you can do so using screws or even double sided tape. Plus, their smooth satin finish eliminates both glare and reflections.
For other options, go to TheSignChef.com. And when you're ready to build your sign, our graphic designers will assist you — at no charge. And, as always, your sign ships free as well.

After you read this article, you will understand:
*The simple secret to extending the life of your custom signs by years
*What happens to custom sign that is neglected and how to avoid those problems
*How to clean your custom sign and how often to do so to ensure that it looks brand—new for many years to come

Your custom sign is something you put a lot of time and energy into — not to mention money. obviously, you'd like your sign to last for years to come, right?

The number one way to make your custom sign last is by cleaning it regularly.

So how often is "regularly?" You don't have to spend hours scrubbing your sign every day. But, like cars, signs get dirty just sitting around. Think about it. Your custom sign is bombarded daily with things like dirt, harsh winds, rain, mud, even bird poop! A regular monthly cleaning will do wonders to return your sign to the bright, polished beacon it should be.

Repeatedly cleaning your sign is the key to making it last years longer. If you neglect to clean your custom sign from time to time, dirt and grime will build up...
...And buildup makes it almost impossible to clean your sign without using something so strong that it will destroy your sign.

Picture your car sitting by the side of the road for a year — or even six months. What would it look like? It would be splashed with mud, covered in bird poop and caked with dirt and grime. Now, if your custom signs looked like that do you think anyone would pay attention to it? Maybe, but probably not in the way you were hoping for.

So what should you use to clean your custom sign?

Slightly soapy water is all you need to make sure your sign looks bright and shiny. Don't use anything stronger, as it could easily erode the sign materials. Simply wipe your sign softly, making sure not to miss the small crevices and corners. And be sure to use a very soft cotton towel, instead of paper towels, which can be too rough.

Do you have custom vinyl lettering or graphics on your doors or windows? For vinyl graphics, Windex is safe to use. Just be gentle. And don't use it on decals — Windex is for vinyl graphics only.

That's all it takes!

So protect your investment by cleaning it regularly. Your sign is supposed to make you money, but you'll just end up spending more to replace it if you neglect it for too long. Just fifteen minutes once a month will guarantee that your sign is bright, appealing and attractive.

...So remember: A clean sign lasts longer!

make you smile} each time a customer walks through your doors! You’ll have a product that increases your income, not your expenses!

10. More Ways To Order: What’s your preference? E-mail, chat, online, phone? TheSignChef.com gives you multiple ways to place your order. That means convenience for you! And as your new sign will be delivered right to your address, you will not waste time and money driving simply to get your order. Your {signage