Acrylic

A generic term to describe plastics. Acrylic is characterized by it's clarity and colorability.

Optically clear, rigid material, resistant to some chemicals, not solvents. More brittle than Lexan, holes should be oversized and counter sunk fasteners should not be used.

Any adhesive can be applied to this material. Mechanical fasteners are also commonly used for sheet stock.

Acrylic is available in a variety of translucent and opaque colors, as well as clear.

ADA

The Americans with Disabilities Act; wide-ranging legislation intended to make society more accessible to people with disabilities.

Americans With Disabilities Act. Bill passed in 1990 to provide equal protection and access to public accommodations to people with a variety of disabilities including visual, auditory, mobility, and other mental and physical health-related conditions. The bill requires that businesses with 15 or more employees make their facilities and equipment (including information technology) accessible to the disabled.

The Americans with Disabilities Act which gives civil rights protection to individuals with disabilities similar to those provided to individuals on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, age, and religion. It guarantees equal opportunity for individuals with disabilities in public accommodations, employment, transportation, State and local government services, and telecommunications.

Adhesive

A substance used to join or bond two materials together, by chemical or mechanical action. Generally applied as a liquid, or as a solid activated by heat or pressure. A desirable characteristic of adhesives used in conservation is reversibility.

Various descriptive adjectives are used with the term adhesive to indicate certain characteristics:

• physical (liquid adhesive, tape adhesive),
• chemical type (silicate adhesive, resin adhesive),
• materials bonded (paper adhesive), and
• conditions of use (hot-set adhesive).
  

Alumalite

Alumalite is a strong, aluminum composite panel with a high density, corrugated polyallomer (CPA) core that will not swell, wick water, corrode, rot, or delaminate due to prolonged water exposure.  The surface is .016-inch high-gloss painted aluminum. An aluminum surface is required on both sides for rigidity and to minimize warping.  Alumalite features a factory baked acrylic-painted aluminum faces for high gloss brilliance and is warranted not to crack, chip, flake or peel.

Alumalite is ideal for paints, screen print inks, and pressure sensitive vinyl which bonds securely to it. It has the same reflective surface as vinyl graphics, so the final sign is visually coordinated.  Alumalite is strong and lightweight. It’s the same weight as .040 aluminum sheet metal, tipping the scales at just 24 lbs. However, Alumalite is over 50 times stronger for a 4' x 8' sheet.  Alumalite has an average outdoor life expectancy of 10 years (when properly installed).

Banners

A graphic display or sign. Banners are usually made with applied vinyl or can be screen printed.

Banners can be rolled up and are used for indoor and outdoor purposes.

Custom vinyl banners and sign banners can be used to announce a new product, promote special events, advertise sales, rent real estate, thank your employees, generate excitement or attract and motivate customers.

The lettering for our text sign banners is rated for up to 5 years. Our vinyl sign banners include grommets to hang them as well!

Vinyl banners and banners signs are available in a variety of sizes. Common banner heights are: 2' banner, 3' banner, 4' banner. We also stock 18" banners, 6' banners and 8' banner in white only. The vinyl banner starts out on a roll and can be up to 120 long. We also make double-sided vinyl banners in 9 colors.

Common uses for banners include:

vinyl banners, sign banner, custom vinyl banner, plastic banner, cheap banners, custom sign banner, vinyl sign and banner, screen printed banners, vinyl sign, lettered banners, custom signs, sponsor banners, church banner, safety banner, inside banner, outside banner, digitally printed banner, street banner, double-sided banner, screen-printed banner, sports banner, advertising banners, anniversary banners, auto dealer banners, bank banners, printed banners, company banners. We also offer banner signs, big banner, big banners, big realtor banner, big realtor banners ,birthday banners , blank banners, blank vinyl banner, blank vinyl banners, car dealer banner, cell phone banner, cheap plastic banners, temporary banners, cheap vinyl banners, custom sign banners, custom vinyl banners, discount banners, event banners, family reunion banners, for lease banners, for lease signs, for rent banners, for rent signs, furniture banner, gas station banner, giant banners, home coming banners, homecoming banner, hotel banner, huge banners, large banners, large realtor banners, large realtor sign, large realtor signs, motel banners, parade banner, party banner, party banners, pizza banner, plastic banner, property for lease banner, property for lease sign, property for rent banner, property for rent sign, property for sale banner, property for sale sign, real estate banners, restaurant banners, school banners, special event advertising, storage banner, store banner, team banner, truck stop banner, vinyl, vinyl lettered banners, speedway banners, race track banners, billboards, billboard banners, digital banners, 4 color process banners, printed banners, political banners and campaign banners.

Bitmap Files

Bitmap files are created using pixels. Photographs and scanned images are bitmap images. Software programs such as Adobe Photoshop and Photopaint are bitmap based programs.

Bitmap images, also called raster or paint images, are made of individual dots, called pixels (picture elements), that are arranged and colored differently to form a pattern. Images are therefore resolution dependent and can only be scaled minimally without degrading the image. Because a bitmap image is created as a collection of arranged pixels, it can be difficult and time consuming to edit or modify.

A bitmap is an array of dots. If you imagine a sheet of graph paper with some squares colored in, a bitmap is a compact way of representing to the computer which squares are colored and which are not. In a bitmapped font, every character is represented as a pattern of dots in a bitmap. The dots are so small (300 or more dots-per-inch, usually) that they are indistinguishable on the printed page.

Braille

A writing system using a series of raised dots to be read with the fingers by people who are blind or whose eyesight is not sufficient for reading printed material.

Assistive technology for blind and visually impaired people that uses 6 raised dots grouped in different patterns to represent letters and numbers. People read Braille by running their fingertips across the dots. Some screen readers also output content in Braille format using a Braille display.

Grade I involves a character-by-character translation of printed material; Grade II uses special contractions (much like the phonetic parts of speech) for messages. Grade II Braille is required by the Americans with Disabilities Act on some signs.

Brush Finish

A satin finish, or a finish in between glossy and matte. Similar in appearance to fine scratches made by dragging a bristle brush across a surface. Commonly seen on stainless steel sinks.

Camera Ready Artwork

Artwork supplied in it's final form for printing preparation.

High in resolution, clean balck and white.

Camera-ready artwork is artwork that's ready for the camera that captures the dots and density of your artwork and then translates it into a screen, mold or laser template, or whatever based on the imprinting method being used. No matter what color you'd like your imprint to be, the type, artwork and graphic materials should be a very high black-and-white (B&W) contrast ready to be photographed on a process camera.

CMYK

Coroplast

Coroplast comes in a variety of styles, all based upon the Coroplast high quality corrugated plastic sheet. Our standard sheet has been treated to allow for excellent adhesion quality to aid in printing for the graphics arts fields. It is also extremely durable because of its waterproof and resistance to stains and most chemicals

The name Coroplast‘ applies to a wide range of extruded twinwall plastic sheet products produced from a high impact polypropylene copolymer. Coroplast uses a copolymer resin in order to increase impact and low temperature performance. Chemically, the sheet is inert, with a NIL pH factor. At regular temperatures most oils, solvents and water have no effect, allowing it to perform under adverse weather conditions or as a product component exposed to harsh chemicals.

All Coroplast twinwall profile sheets can be modified with additives, which are melt-blended into the sheet to meet the specific needs of the customer. Special products that require additives include: ultra violet protection, anti-stat, flame retardant, custom colors, corrosive inhibitors, static-dissipative, etc.

Corrugated Plastic Sheet

Corrugated Plastic Sheets are typically used for short-term or light-duty signs such as promotional signs and displays signs.

A polypropylene sheet or board created by joining a corrugated piece between two flat faces. Similar in appearance to corrugated cardboard.

Corrugated plastic is inexpensive, lightweight, and will not fade or break down in outdoor use.

Sheet stock is produced without adhesives. Any adhesive can be applied to this material. Mechanical fasteners are also commonly used for sheet stock.

COROPLAST® is a registered trademark of Ceroplast Inc.

DPI

Dots Per Inch (or dpi) is the unit of measure used to describe the resolution of image files, scanners, or output devices, by measuring the number of separate pixels (or dots) represented either horizontally or vertically in one inch.

Generally, printers with higher DPI produce clearer and more detailed output. The DPI measurement of a printer is dependent upon several factors, including the method by which ink is applied, the quality of the printer components, and the quality of the ink and paper used. A dot matrix printer, for example, applies ink via tiny rods striking an ink ribbon, and has a relatively low resolution, typically in the range of 60 to 90 DPI. An ink jet printer sprays ink through tiny nozzles, and is typically capable of 300 DPI. A laser printer applies toner through a controlled electrostatic charge, and may be in the range of 600 to 1200 DPI.

Econolite

The core is a high density, corrugated polyallomer (CPA), that will not swell, wick water, corrode, rot, or delaminate due to prolonged water exposure, making it perfect for all outdoor applications.  The finished surface is .016-inch high-gloss white aluminum, with a light gauge aluminum backer.  Econolite features a highly reflective, factory baked, acrylic paint surface that is warranted not to crack, chip, flake or peel. Colorfast 10 year limited warranty.

Econolite is an economical alternative to Alumalite, but with only one painted aluminum side. The other side is a light gauge, aluminum backer.  When properly supported on 24" center, Econolite can be used for post and panel and/or billboard applications.  Cannot be used in all the same applications as Alumalite because Econolite’s aluminum backer is not as strong as Alumalite’s thicker, .016 aluminum backer.  Econolite is best used in applications when all four edges of the panel are supported, such as wall mount signs, canopy, or supported post and panel.

Engraving

Engraving is the practice of incising a design onto a hard, flat surface, by cutting grooves into it. The result may be a decorative object in itself, as when silver or gold are engraved, or may provide an intaglio plate, when copper is engraved, or a relief print block when wood is engraved. Engravers use a hardened steel tool called a burin to cut the design into the surface.

Before the advent of photography, engraving used to reproduce other forms of art, for example paintings. Engravings continued to be common in newspapers and many books into the early 20th century, as they were long cheaper to mass reproduce than photo images. Engraving has also always been used as a method of original artistic expression.

Because of the high level of microscopic detail that can be achieved by a master engraver, counterfeiting of engraved designs is well-nigh impossible, and modern banknotes are almost always engraved. Many classic postage stamps were engraved, although the practice is now mostly confined to particular countris, and/or used when a more "elegant" design is desired and a limited color gamut is acceptable.

An engraver is a person who engages in engraving. The engraver can execute an original engraving as an independent work of art invented by him/herself, or, as a reproductive engraver, divulgate an idea expressed in a painting, drawing, statue, etc. invented by an artist other than the engraver.

EPS Files

Encapsulated PostScript (EPS) is a standard file format for importing and exporting PostScript files. It is usually a single page PostScript program that describes an illustration or entire page. The purpose of an EPS file is to be included in other pages. Sometimes EPS files are called EPSF files. EPSF simply stands for Encapsulated PostScript Format.

EPS files can be generated by all drawing applications as well as most layout applications. Image manipulation programs like Adobe PhotoShop can also save bitmap images as EPS-files. Some printer drivers are also capable of generating EPS-files as well as PostScript files.

The EPS format (Encapsulated PostScript) was developed by Adobe as one of the file formats in its page description language, PostScript. It is a vector format (not bitmap), thus inherently scalable and moderately device independent, which moves easily across platforms (the language itself is ASCII code).

Think of an EPS file as its own little mini-document. When you place an EPS file into a page layout document it is like placing a page layout within a page layout. It is described using PostScript® - the same as the page layout document itself when it is sent to a PostScript device. It is a set of instructions within a set of instructions. Naturally, then, the fonts would be required to properly interpret the instructions within the EPS file.

Examples of EPS drawing programs are Corel Draw, Adobe Illustrator, and Macromedia (once Aldus) Freehand.

Fonts

Refers to the style and width of a particular design of letters, numbers and symbols, such as Helvetica Bold or Times Roman. Until the development of the computer and scalable fonts, references to fonts also included the size, such as 10-point.

HDU

HDU is a closed cell urethane that is made by pouring proprietary chemicals into a mold, after which a chemical reaction causes the material to foam.  It is then cooled into sheets, usually 4’ x 8’, but larger panels are available, and in various thickness’.  Different densities of HDU are available for various applications including 4, 6, 10, 15, 18, 22 and 30 pounds per cubic foot.  The lower the density number the softer the HDU.

HDU is light weight and easily worked with standard woodworking tools: surfaces can be carved, scraped, routed, sandblasted or sanded.  It’s durable.  It’s water, rot, and termite resistant, and doesn’t need to be edge laminated. 

Hot Stamping

Hot Stamping can be defined as custom printing napkins, pens, key chains, etc. usually with a logo and promotional message.  Hot Stamped impressions are especially nice looking.  They can be bold colours or very expensive looking “metallic ink” because they are actually printed with melted plastic.

Hot Foil Stamping is a very versatile method of printing. Using foils (available on a roll) it offers instant dry printing without using any messy inks. Hundreds of colors and shades from metallic matte, gloss, pearl and even 22k gold are available

Hot Stamping machines have electrically heated type holders.  A type is a block of metal with a reversed raised letter or sign at the printing end.  The operator loads the type holder with the appropriate reverse type, logo, illustration or die, and positions it in the machine with set screws.

When the type reaches the desired temperature, pulling a lever causes the hot type to be pressed against a strip from a roll of plastic (mounted on the machine), and a reverse image is “melted” onto the paper or other receiving item held position by the machine’s jaws.

The basic principle is similar to iron-on transfers.  You can tell hot stamped materials by the especially vivid colours and slight indentation where the design is applied as apposed to top printing (smooth) or embossing (raised)

Images for Stamps

Ink

An ink is a liquid containing various pigments and/or dyes used for colouring a surface to render an image or text. Common perceptions consider ink for use in drawing or writing with a pen or brush. However, inks are used most extensively in printing.

Pigmented inks have the advantage when printing on paper that the pigment stays on the surface of the paper. This is desirable, because when more ink stays on the surface of the paper, less ink needs to be used to create the same intensity of colour.

Dyes, however, are generally much stronger and can produce more colour of a given density per unit of mass. However, because dyes are dissolved in the liquid phase, they have a tendency to soak into paper, thus making the ink less efficient and also potentially allowing for the ink to bleed at the edges, producing unsightly and poor-quality printing.

Lamacoid

A brand name of engravable phenolic sheet stock

Lamicoid (Lamacoid) has become a generic term commonly used for specifying 2- or 3-ply, laminated engraving stocks and the nameplates, tags, or legend plates produced from the stock.

SignsBC Illuminated produces lamacoid with a precision cut laser engraver

Laminate

A laminate is a material constructed by uniting two or more layers of material together. The process of creating a laminate is lamination, which usually refers to sandwiching something between layers of plastic and sealing them with heat and/or pressure.

The materials used in laminates can be the same or different. For example, by applying a layer of plastic film either side of a sheet of glass, the glass is said to be the laminated subject. The plastic is said to be the laminate.

Laminating paper, such as photographs, can prevent them from becoming creased, sun damaged, wrinkled, stained, smudged, abraded and/or marked by grease, fingerprints and environmental concerns. Photo identification cards and credit cards are almost always laminated with plastic film.

Laser Engraving

The laser cuts away the rubber, and leaves the lettering or image for the stamp. Laser engravers are very precise, and produce the best image quality, and the most durable rubber stamp in the market. When shopping around for rubber stamps, a good question to ask is "Is this pre-inked rubber stamp using laser engraved or another process?" It is also important to find out the dpi the rubber stamps are being cut at. SignsBC Illuminated/ OnlineStampAndSign rubber stamps are cut at 1200 dpi, which allows for very detailed images.

All self-inking, pre-inked and traditional style rubber stamps are laser cut for precision and quality.

Neon

Pre-Inked Stamp

Pressure Sensitive Vinyl

This is the most widely used material of the vinyl sign business. Once applied, pressure sensitive vinyl looks just like a custom painted surface with only a fraction of the labor. It consists of a layer of colored, opaque or translucent vinyl material and silicone coated kraft paper with a transparent adhesive between the two. The kraft paper acts as a carrier and is eventually peeled away. It can also be obtained in various thicknesses (2 mil or 4 mil), with 2 mil being used more frequently as it is easier to work with and lasts longer. The range of metallic, fluorescent, matte, shiny, reflective, opaque or translucent choices is overwhelming. New vinyl products are constantly being introduced to achieve different effects and facilitate production.

This vinyl material is cut by a computer cutting plotter that contains a small knife which does not penetrate the backing kraft paper. The part of the image that is not desired is then lifted or weeded off from the paper. What remains will be the vinyl lettering or logo that will be applied to the finished surface. But, wait, not so fast! The image is then covered with a transfer masking tape that is designed for this purpose. This application tape is available in various sizes for your particular needs. The paper backing is then peeled away to reveal your graphic stuck to the masking tape backwards. Now the cut vinyl is ready to be applied.

The cut vinyl image can then be positioned in the appropriate area and on the surface desired. When in place, the transfer masking tape is removed and "Presto!" you have your finished product.

Pressure sensitive vinyl can be applied to almost any smooth, clean surface. As you scan your surroundings, the possibilities are astounding. There are just a few unacceptable surfaces, though. These would be rough concrete or brick, and latex painted wood board or plywood.

PVC

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is a widely-used plastic. In terms of revenue generated, it is one of the most valuable products of the chemical industry. Globally, over 50% of PVC manufactured is used in construction. As a building material PVC is cheap, and easy to assemble. In recent years, PVC has been replacing traditional building materials such as wood, concrete and clay in many areas. Despite appearing to be an ideal building material, PVC has high environmental and human health costs.

The symbol for polyvinyl chloride developed by the Society of the Plastics Industry so that items can be labelled for easy recycling is:

The Unicode character U+2675 (HTML ♵).

RGB

The RGB color model utilizes the additive model in which red, green, and blue light are combined in various ways to create other colors. The very idea for the model itself and the abbreviation "RGB" come from the three primary colors in additive light models.

When written, RGB values in 24 bpp are commonly specified using three integers between 0 and 255, each representing red, green, and blue intensities, in that order. For example:

(0, 0, 0) is black
(255, 255, 255) is white
(255, 0, 0) is red
(0, 255, 0) is green
(0, 0, 255) is blue
(255, 255, 0) is yellow
(0, 255, 255) is cyan
(255, 0, 255) is magenta

Sans Serif

In typography, serifs are the small features at the end of strokes within letters. A typeface (font) without serifs is called sans-serif (from French sans: "without"), also referred to as grotesque (or, in German, grotesk).

In the Roman alphabet, serifs originated with the carving of words into stone in ancient Italy. Artisans would carve out a bit of extra space at the end of the long strokes of letters in order to prevent gravel and dust from collecting in the corners of the letters.

Examples:

Sans Serif: This is an example

Serif Font: This is an example

Self-Inking Rubber Stamps

The self-inking rubber stamp has a special mount that has a built-in ink pad and spring mechanism that automatically re-inks the die between impressions.

The rubber stamp flips up and down against an ink pad with each impression made.

Self inking rubber stamps use a water based ink, and require re-inking more often that pre-inks. Re-inking is a very simple process

Signs

Information signs are notices that instruct, advise, inform or warn people.

A rigid substrate processed and/or decorated to produce a durable item for conveying information in the form of text and graphics. The most common substrates are metals and plastics. Signs are typically used to communicate directions, instructions, warnings, and advertisements when the message must be viewed from a distance or while in motion. Although signs and nameplates are made from many of the same materials utilizing many of the same processes, signs are larger than nameplates relatively speaking, and are intended for viewing at a greater distance. Sign is commonly used as a generic term for Labels, Decals, Nameplates, Overlays, Legend Plates, and Tags, as well as Signs.

Sintra

Sintra material is closed-cell, expanded plastic, high-density polyvinylchloride sheet. Sintra is a homogeneous material that allows the ease of cutting without regard for grain. At half the weight of solid PVC, Sintra may be stapled, nailed, riveted, glued, and thermoformed. Forming may be done on conventional forming machines. Because this material is not hydroscopic, it needs no drying pre-forming.

Sintra is available in 9 thickness' 1mm-13mm all thickness' are available in white, some thickness' are also available in black & colors. A Sintra sheet size is 48" x 96".  Cut to size sheet is available on request.

Substrate

Trademark

A trademark (Commonwealth English: trade mark) is conventionally a distinctive sign of some kind, whether that sign comprises a name, word, phrase, logo, symbol, design, picture, styling or a combination of one or more of these elements. A trademark is used by a business to identify itself and its products or services to consumers, and to set itself and its products or services apart from other businesses. A trademark is a type of intellectual property, and in particular, a type of industrial property.

The essential function of a trademark is to uniquely identify the commercial source or origin of products or services, such that a trademark, properly called, is used to 'indicate source' or act as a 'badge of origin'. The use of a trademark in this way is known as 'trademark use' and a trademark owner seeks to enforce its rights or interests in a trademark by preventing unauthorised trademark use.

As any sign which is capable of performing the essential trademark function may qualify as a trademark, the trademark concept extends to include a range of non-conventional signs such as shapes (ie. three-dimensional trademarks), sounds, smells, moving images (eg. signs denoting movement, motion or animation), taste, and perhaps even texture. However, the extent to which such non-conventional trademarks can be protected or even recognised varies considerably from country to country)

Trademark rights, such as the right to exclusive use of a trademark, generally derive only through use (i.e.. actual use in the marketplace) or registration (ie. filing an application and obtaining registration with the trade mark office) in a particular jurisdiction. Such rights will only apply in that jurisdiction, a quality which is sometimes known as ‘territoriality’. However, there are a range of international trademark laws and systems which facilitate the protection of trademarks around the world (see 'International trade mark laws' below).

Vector Files

Vulcanization

Vulcanization is the process of cross-linking elastomer molecules to make the bulk material harder, less soluble and more durable. It is also called curing. It is the heart of the art and science of rubber compounding.

Vulcanization is a chemical process in which individual polymer molecules are linked to other polymer molecules by atomic bridges. The end result is that the springy rubber molecules become locked together to a greater or lesser extent. This makes the bulk material harder, much more durable and also more resistant to chemical attack. It also transforms the surface of the material from a sticky feel to a smooth, soft surface which does not adhere to metal or plastic substrates.

Vulcanization is an irreversible process, like baking a cake, and must be contrasted strongly with thermoplastic processes (the melt-freeze cycle) which characterize the behavior of the vast majority of modern polymers. This irreversible cure reaction defines cured rubber compounds as thermoset materials, which do not melt on heating, and places them outside the class of thermoplastic materials (like polyethylene and polypropylene).