Posted by Tom Humphries on Sun, Jul 18, 2010 @ 02:43 PM
The sign in your lobby is often the first impression your business makes on a potential client. It can creatively communicate that you take pride in the aesthetics, personnel, and overall vision of the company or it can leave a client unsure of the direction and capability of your organization. A well designed and fabricated lobby sign can ensure that the first contact you have with clients, vendors or potential employees is positive.
A lobby sign is a dimensional piece of art and one of the least expensive ways to advertise your brand and display the name of your company. It conveys that your business is dynamic and progressive. An attractive, quality lobby sign can improve the perception of your product or service and differentiate you from the competition.
The options for creating this valuable communication tool are endless and are completely customizable to your organizations needs whether that is brightly colored dimensional letters, acrylic, glass, or brushed aluminum. Your directory signs are like a welcoming greeter and should be plannned and constructed with care. Let 360 Signs guarantee that your business conveys a postitive message by providing you with a well designed, well made lobby sign. We look forward to working with you!
360 Signs in Austin, Texas can help you with a wide variety of custom signage. Give us a call at 512-442-2900 or visit us at
www.360signs.com.
Posted by Tom Humphries on Fri, Jul 16, 2010 @ 10:03 PM
Apartment homes, neighborhood entrances, office parks, retirement facilities, nursing homes, doctors offices, cities, churches and schools are just some of the places you see monument signs. The importance of a monument sign cannot be underestimated, it makes your business easy to find and leaves a memorable impression on all who see it. A monument sign is part of your brand so consider a design that helps your organization make a positive first impression.
Two options for mounting letters to a monument sign are flush mounting and stud mounting with spacers.
In flush mounting the letters are installed directly onto the face of the sign. When using this method, it is important to choose dimensional letters that are substantial enough to be visible from a distance. The graphics and letters should protrude from the sign by a minimum of 1/4" to 1/2". This give the face of your sign depth and interest.
In stud mounting with sp
acers the letters are secured to hardware that is then drilled into the face of the sign. The hardware enables your letters to actually stand-off the face of the sign creating dimension. Stud mounting provides you with the option of including lighting within or behind the letters to enable visibility at night.
Whatever method you choose, 360 Signs will ensure that you have a well designed, solidly constructed monument sign that best fits the needs of your organization. 
360 Signs in Austin, Texas can help you with a wide variety of custom signage. Give us a call at 512-442-2900 or visit us at
www.360signs.com.
Posted by Tom Humphries on Wed, Feb 17, 2010 @ 12:37 PM
If you are responsible for getting the corporate logo or company name on the wall in your office lobby, you have some decisions to make regarding the fabrication and installation of your new custom sign. One of the first decisions is whether to have the logo and letters attached directly to the wall or to mount the letters on a flat panel that stands off the wall.
DIRECT MOUNT
Even with direct mount there is a decision on whether to flush mount the letters, i.e. having the backs of the letters 
touching the wall or to have them mounted on spacers that will hold them ¼" to ½" off the wall. Flush mounting can be achieved by mounting the letters with studs (metal posts that go into holes drilled into the wall) or using two-sided tape and adhesive. Spacer mounting must be done with studs and small metal spacers that go over the studs and sit between the back of the letter and the wall. The spacer ensures that each letter is the same distance from the wall.
The thickness of the letter will have an impact on the amount of shadowing that comes off the letter. Letters on spacers will have even more shadowing.
PANEL MOUNT
The entire logo can be directly mounted to a rigid panel that is mounted directly to the wall. Panels are typically mounted on metal standoffs that hold the panel approximately 1" off 
the wall. Standoffs come in many sizes, shapes and material finishes. There are also many choices for the mounting panel. If you want to be able to see the wall though the sign then acrylic is the best choice. But even here there are many options: clear, light frosted, frosted, acryglass and each of these come in thicknesses from 1/8" to 1" thick. For solid color panels, opaque acrylic panels work well, as do metal panels. Polymetal panels (aluminum face, plastic center, and aluminum back) are lightweight and very rigid so ideal for sign panels. Wood and synthetic materials such as PVC can also serve as sign panels.
The letters are mounted directly to the panel. Dimensional letters are mounted with two-sided tape and adhesive; vinyl letters are mounted directly to the panel. On-site installation time will be less with panel mount because all of the letters can be mounted prior to delivery of the sign; installation consists of drilling the holes and mounting the standoffs.
CONCLUSION
There is no right or wrong answer for how you should mount your lobby sign. Typically very large signs will look better mounted directly to the wall. My recommendation is to look at examples of business lobby signs on the web and to walk around and observe other custom lobby signs to see what really grabs you. Your lobby sign is the first impression that your clients and employees see every time they walk into your office. What kind of impression do you want to make?
360 Signs in Austin, Texas can help you with a wide variety of custom signage. Give us a call at 512-442-2900 or visit us at
www.360signs.com.