Signs of the Times - October 2017 - 51
that city requires a rigid framework around any non-self-supporting materials that are to be proposed for, or qualify as, a permanent sign. I learned of the ordinance while reading a sign-frame manufacturer's press release that announced its (or others') framing products were necessary in Greenville because of such requirements. I was impressed with the code's explicit definition: "Non-self-supporting materials," because the term incorporates much more meaning than, say, "fabric," "banner" or "flexible face." It's a great term, right? Non-self-supporting materials? It describes every pliable signface - fabric, flexible vinyl, paper, canvas, Moroccan tapestry wall hangings used for commercial messaging, or other lissome materials that would be permanently attached to, say, a brick wall and therefore, require a type of permanent framework to survive the elements and look respectable. I telephoned Domini Cunningham, Greenville's planner 1, zoning enforcement officer and chief handler of sign ordinances, permits, temporary sign applications, zoning complaints and sign certification letters - and asked about the framework requirement. I said, "As I read it, that ordinance applies to types of printed, flexible materials being used for signfaces, right? Like, you can't just print a flexible sign and nail it to a wall and call it permanent, right?" As planners and zoners must, Cunningham is accustomed to speaking legalese; therefore, and somewhat reticently, he said, "The PHOTOS BY LI CUEVAS city code requires a supporting framework if a signface comprises 'non-self-supporting materials' and is to qualify as a permanent sign." I asked about temporary banners, or flags and, expectedly, he said they fall under a separate rule set. The manufacturer's ad said banner frames provide a great opportunity to show clients how to take vinyl banners to another level - and I agree. A wall-mounted, easy-change frame, similar to the poster frames found in movie theaters, provides a permanent location for new posters, fabric-faced signs or other printed information. Best is that you could sell a complete package, the frames, installation and an ongoing contract for fabric printing. You can also bypass the print and fabrication process by ordering printed fabric signs - or banners or flags - online, from such enterprises as the United States Flag Store, which offers every flag possible, including advertising types; or flagandbanner.com, which, in addition, offers installation advice on its website. Classic examples include the carnival flags on Kissel Entertainment's Monkey Maze or perhaps the more regal banner set displayed on the Univ. of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's Memorial Hall. The benefit of such banners and flags is that they are easy to print and fabricate - or online order - as are the street flags or church-type banners. For example, Josh Clark, the signshop manager for the UNC-Chapel Hill campus, has a 64-in.-wide Roland VersaCam on hand, but says the college contracts outside for specialized fabric printing. "This shop has just me," Clark said, "so we sometimes need extra help from outside." SIGNSOFTHETIMES.COM 51
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