Signs of the Times - February 2012 - (Page 66)

Sign the Vote A collection of election-related signage By Steve Aust The businessdayselections has of changed. The of a political campaign revolving around barnstorming a state – or the nation – via railroad, or delivering exhaustive oratories on the radio, have long passed (as has, sadly, the era of civilized, thoughtful debate, such as the Lincoln vs. Douglass 1858 Senatorial discussions). Today’s population is more mobile and inundated with a cacophony of urgent, competing messages. Therefore, despite the prevalence of mass communication, ironically, the most fruitful place to reach the electorate is in person, or when they’re in transit and less likely to be inundated by as many media outlets as at home. The machinery of another election cycle is gearing up. At presstime, the Iowa caucus and New Hampshire presidential primary have been held, but all remaining contests for local, state and federal primaries and general elections remain. With a vehicle wrap, electronic display or traditional banner or yard sign, opportunities abound to generate business from political candidates or interest groups with a stake in ballot issues. A Career in Stump Signage For approximately three decades, Glenn Tamblingson has fabricated political signage. He began his sign career in the mid-’70s as an apprentice to his father, who handlettered signs and showcards for Chicago’s Lettering Arts Studio, before founding Campaign Graphics Corp. (Ocala, FL) in 1982. He recently launched a new company, Canyon Creative Inc., also of Ocala. Although the diversified company sells large-format graphics, apparel and vehicle wraps, political signs represent a core competency. “We work for candidates at the local, state and nationwide levels,” Tamblingson said. “We’ve even produced several jobs for international customers, such as producing signs distributed through Poland in support of Lech Walesa’s Solidarity movement in the early ’80s.” He offers signs via both screenprinting and inkjet printing. Typically, 250 signs is the break-off point between the two technologies (smaller jobs are inkjet-printed, larger jobs screenprinted). The shop operated a Patriot and other, clamshell screenprinting presses; he formerly used a Gerber Solara printer inhouse, but now outsources to a digital-print provider that uses a Gandi 3300 inkjet printer. Common material choices include corrugated cardboard, corrugated plastic or polyethylene “bag” signs, all of which are affixed to wire ground stakes. Corrugated plastic tends to be cheaper than cardboard; bag signs are inexpensive to produce in large quantities, but setup and production make them more costly for smaller batches. Typically, he maintains a lead time of five to seven days for political signage, although large orders for Presidential campaigns may be delivered 10 to 12 days after an order. However, Tamblingson noted they once fulfilled a 20,000sign order for a prominent candidate that was placed on Friday and fulfilled by Sunday night. At presstime, Canyon Creative had just fielded inquiries from two, frontrunning Presidential campaigns for thousands of signs in anticipation of Florida’s January 31 primary. He anticipated more orders were imminent. For such large orders, he also handles logistics and distribution. Although he said political-sign production can be lucrative, Tamblingson said it can be perilous for inexperienced shops: “A lot of shops get into the market without understanding the scope and the strict turnaround requirements. They’ll lowball without understanding what they need for a fair profit margin, and will often lose money.” And, the most basic principle of election-sign work? “Always get paid up front. In fact, don’t start work until you know the check has cleared, and the funds are in the bank.” 66 SIGNS OF THE TIMES / FEBRUARY 2012 / www.signweb.com http://www.signweb.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Signs of the Times - February 2012

Signs of the Times - February 2012
Contents
ST Update
Technology Update
Software Update
Vinyl Apps
Strictly Electric
LED Update
Technology Review
Sign Museum News
New Products
Palisades Center Mall’s Retrofit
Sign Structure Safety
Picture Them Rolling
Sign the Vote
Taxing Times
The Value of Signs
See Ya Real Soon!
Industry News
Advertising Index
Editorially Speaking

Signs of the Times - February 2012