Do you make signs with your laser?

[Scott Shepherd]

I'm just curious how many people with lasers on this forum actually make signs with them (or signage, should I say?). There's a sign forum under the laser forum and it's normally only a handfull of people posting there, so I'm curious if most laser owners use their laser for something other than signs.

I know there could be a wide range of what people call signs, but I'm just curious.

Me? It's pretty much all I do with my laser, other than piddling around with things for fun or to learn.

Do you make signs all of the time, most of the time, every now and then, or never?

[Joe Pelonio]

Hopefully people are aware of the sign forum and will post there when discussing signs of any type including laser, when the question is about
the sign and not the laser. In other words, something like fonts, colors, or durability of materials is more appropriate under signs, while asking about the settings for depth of engraving for a sign might be best left in the laser forum. There's overlap, so I rarely move the posts.

As for me, I would say that about 25% of my laser work is signs, of that most is the typical wall mounted rowmark/IPI signs, or employee nameplates. Next in frequency is cut acrylic lettering that either goes onto walls or a sign substrate.

[Garry McKinney]

I do quite a few signs as well. Often just for cutting letters out to attach to something else.

[Vicky Orsini]

I do some signage. It's not a huge part of my customer base, but it's by far the most profitable. I don't go to the sign part of the forum, mainly because I thought it would be more along the lines of vinyl cutting, which I don't do (yet).

[Brian Robison]

I'm in the middle of a couple sign projects. One project (34 signs) is powder coated with Thermark for the letters on T6061. It's going pretty well but slow!! I have to engrave twice to burn off the powder coat and then apply Thermark and laser. Over 30 minutes per sign. They look good though.

[Larry Bratton]

I'm just curious how many people with lasers on this forum actually make signs with them (or signage, should I say?). There's a sign forum under the laser forum and it's normally only a handfull of people posting there, so I'm curious if most laser owners use their laser for something other than signs.

I know there could be a wide range of what people call signs, but I'm just curious.

Me? It's pretty much all I do with my laser, other than piddling around with things for fun or to learn.

Do you make signs all of the time, most of the time, every now and then, or never?

Scott:
Yes, I make signs and sign parts on mine. This area here is el-cheapo in some ways and lately I have two sign companies bringing me work to cut letters out of regular old Dow foam insulation board. I cut 1/2" thick, which cuts like butter. They paint with regular latex paint. Install with liquid nail. Foam board at Lowes is $10.00 a sheet. I cut the letters for Diane's Deluxe Pools in 18" high letters and /Florist Arrangements in 12" that went with it. 39 minutes -laser time and the foam board $108.00. I bet the sign shop got $500 or better for it.
I also cut acrylic letters and ADA. I do the braille on my rotary engaver then cut for the tactile lettering and pictogram in the laser.
I would say that what I do is about 50% sign related and the other just miscellaneous stuff.

[Bill Cunningham]

Sometimes there is 'nothing' more satisfying than just looking at someone and saying:
"Here's your Sign" !!

Sorry Couldn't resist

[Micheal Donnellan]

I bought a laser to help me in the sigh workshop and for other work. I do a lot of custom work for car nutters in vinyl and the laser is for more corp stuff with stand off letters and shapes you can't buy. Going buying other machines when I have the cash.
Don't do Braille stuff never been asked but would tell then to go to my biggest competitor who seem to have taken over every market there from the signs, car wrapping, paint work hell they even sell houses. They can do the stuff like that. Sign forum here I think I gave a glance over but since I belong to a larger dedicated forum I didn’t find much in it.

[Sandra Force]

About 30% of what I do could be called signage. Most of it switch labels, equip lables and that type of thing along with company custom stencils.

[Mike Null]

Like Sandra I do a lot of labels but I just finished laminated signs for a church (they liked them and re-ordered today) and a new restaurant. I also do office nameplates.

I will be doing a good number of signs for a new liquor store next month. ( I wouldn't be surprised if there weren't some bartering going on there.)

[Scott Challoner]

Since I'm still relatively new to the game, I'm still in the "All things to all people," phase of the business. My most steady work has been engraving logos on fleece jackets for a promotions company. I do look at the sign forom occasionally because I do feel there are good profits and a fair amount of work to be done. I've been having a lot of fun with the green edge acrylic and flourescent acrylics and can see a lot of potential, but it seems there is a whole new learning curve to start. Especially if you want to get into vinyl and sublimation and printing, etc. I plan on visiting some of the local sign shops soon to see what services I can offer.

[Mark Winlund]

All of my laser work is for awards. I have a vinyl cutter, but don't use it much since I retired from the sign business.

Mark

[Peter Boyford]

I do mostly signs... Actually I'm pretty new to lasers, but used a CNC router before. The laser is so much more user friendly

I have a sign shop and bought the laser solely for the purpose of making signs. Being at it (laser) for 2 weeks now, I have created some pretty nifty stuff

* coins as gift certificates
* edge lit acrylic engraving INCLUDING BASE TO HOLD LIGHT AND SIGN!
* letters and logos
* contour cut business cards

So... Signs is my thing

Best regards
Peter

[James Rambo]

I do room ID and location signs at night for the hospital I work at during the day. About 25% of my work lately.

[Keith Outten]

My work is 99% commercial signage, building signs mostly including ADA and just about any other type you can imagine. The majority of my work is a combination of CNC routing and laser engraving, the two machines compliment each other beautifully.

I have been experimenting with dye-sub inlays, I think this is an area with growth potential and provides an opportunity to add color and photographs to my sign work. Dupont has shipped me a sample piece of Arctic Ice Corian for testing. I hope to have a piece of Glacier Ice Corian as well, for testing. These are the new translucent Corian colors that will be released in 2008 and I'm sure they will be awesome materials for laser and dye-sublimation projects that are back-lighted.

I am confident that our Sign and CNC Forums will grow. Possibly the new Photo Galleries feature that vBulletin 3.7 will add to The Creek will be just the ticket to promote several of our new forums here and make them more popular. Our laser engraving forum has grown beyond my expectations, it offers a large number of people access to a vast amount of experience. I hope to see the same thing happen to the other two complimenting forums.

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