Three award-winning sign companies mark businesses and commercial districts with both custom and recognizable entrance signs.
三家屡获殊荣的标识公司分享其纪念碑标识获奖项目的制作经验，以及对行业未来的趋势分析。
Who among us doesn’t use our phones to find places? We listen for that disembodied voice to tell us, “Your destination is in 100 feet, on the right,” and, “You have arrived at your destination.” That’s all well and good, but to double-check Siri or whomever, we all still look for a prominent entrance sign to our destination – proof we are in the right place. We recently spoke to three companies that have won Signs of the Times sign contests for their monument signs, to find out more about their design, fabrication and installation practices.
还有谁没用过手机导航吗？如今人们在寻找目的地时，都会需要这些声音：“您的目的地在右边100米”或者“您的目的地到了”。虽然这些提示已经非常详细、具体，但如果没有一个显眼的标识放在眼前，就没有办法证明找对了地方···
所以，标识是一个无法被时代与科技淘汰的行业，至少暂时是这样，具有标志性的显眼标识更是每个商业、企业等场所内外必备的装置。最近，三家擅于制作标志性标识的公司凭借他们精美且具有吸引力的标识，在“时代标识”举办的标识比赛上获奖，他们分享了关于项目的信息，包括设计、制造和安装实践。
A VINTAGE TAKE
复古之旅
When it was time for a new and eye-catching sign for the entrance to Florida’s Historic Cocoa Village, Don Bell Signs (DBS; Port Orange, FL) was eager to create something special. Along with the two-part custom display spanning 22 ft. 4 in., the monument called for a custom, scaled-down cutout of a vintage steamboat docked only a mile away. “The result is an attractive one-of-a-kind display that invokes nostalgic feelings for days gone by in this popular historical area,” said Mandy Moore, marketing director for DBS.
佛罗里达州的可可村历史悠久，是一个颇有名气的旅游景点，为了使人们更容易找到可可村，也为了给整座村落增添光彩，相关人员决定在入口处只做一个引人注目的新标识，他们最后选定的合作伙伴是来自佛罗里达州奥兰治的【唐·贝尔标识】。
【唐·贝尔标识】急切地想要创造一些特别的东西，他们设计的纪念碑标识分为两部分，左右跨度长达7米，在标识的中段则是定制的可可村著名老式汽船等比缩小模型，距离正品1.6公里。【唐·贝尔标识】市场总监曼迪·摩尔表示：“这面标识有一种独特的气质，能唤起人们的怀旧感，很适合可可村的定位——具有悠久历史的旅游区。”
The Village was founded in 1860 by local fishermen and has remained as the downtown center for the city of Cocoa since its conception. The historic area saw the city’s first commercial building erected around 1881 and then was nearly devastated by the “Great Freeze” of 1894-95 (according to mainstreethistory.com ).Today, the area has evolved rapidly from a small plaza to a popular entertainment area for residents and tourists alike.
可可村在1860年由当地的渔民建立，并且从那时开始就一直是可可市的市中心，第一座商业建筑早在1881年就建立起来，由此可见该村落的历史，遗憾的是这座建筑在1894-1895的“大萧条”时被破坏了，后来在遗址处建造了一个小广场，这个广场如今已发展成无论当地居民还是游客都颇为喜欢的商业区域。
“This effort called for a high level of collaboration between fabricator and customer to facilitate the precise fitment of the arch onto the pre-engineered masonry and stonework columns to create the perfect fit,” Moore said. DBS, in working with the customer, analyzed the design intent drawings and value-engineered them; that is, taking an existing drawing and suggesting alternate fabrication methods that save the client money while achieving the same goal, she added.
摩尔说：“为历史村落制作标识，尤其考验制造商和客户之间能否进行高水平的合作，在可可村的标识上，我们遇到的主要困难就是顶部的弓形标牌需要精确地装配到预置的砖石柱子上，以实现完美的视觉效果。”而石柱是由客户在本地制作的，原因是【唐·贝尔】在分析了设计意图并计算了造价后，认为石柱结构在图纸制作出来后发送给当地制作，可以在实现相同效果的同时节省客户资金。
Don Bell Signs created a monument sign that included a custom, scaled-down cutout of a nearby vintage steamboat.
【唐·贝尔标识】创建的可可村纪念碑标识，中段包含老式汽船的定制等比缩小模型。
The installation details were planned in two separate phases. “The first was to pour the concrete and install the bracing that would secure the paddle boat,” Moore said. “The second phase was to install the paddle boat and the archway.” Delegating and dividing the installation kept the project unrushed, to allow the best possible outcome. DBS worked closely with the GC that was pouring the concrete, as well as fabricating the pillars on which the shop’s install team would attach the archway. The concrete had to be poured first with steel stanchions in place. Once the concrete was set and dry, the boat was sleeved over the stanchions and secured in place. “Same with the sign,” Moore said. She credits great communication among the contractors for the accuracy.
在项目计划中，具体的安装分为两个阶段，摩尔解释说：“首先是浇筑混凝土并安装支撑汽船模型的支架，第二阶段是安装模型和上方的拱门。”
【唐·贝尔标识】对安装工作进行的合理委派与划分，使得项目顺利完成并实现了最佳效果，他们首先与负责浇筑混凝土的【GC公司】、以及制造石柱、拱门的团队展开密切合作，因为在混凝土浇筑完成并凝固、干燥后，必须立刻将汽船模型的支架套在支柱上并固定，“这些承包商的准确性与协同性是值得赞扬的。”摩尔说。
For the arch itself, the signface cabinet featured flat-cut scrollwork and letters attached to stand-offs, finished in historical colors and carefully mounted between two pre-engineered masonry and stonework columns, and also a flat-cut aluminum sheet and tube finished with Matthews Paint’s acrylic polyurethane. DBS used their MultiCam 3000 router, SAi’s FlexiSign and EnRoute software, RAS metal break form, Accurshear metal shear, JIH-24 D cut-off saw and Roland SOLJET vinyl digital printer/cutter for the fabrication. Everything was mechanically anchored into pre-engineered masonry columns.
拱门标牌的特点是采用了卷轴状的平切牌面，文字则固定在支架上，整体用做旧的色彩装饰营造历史感，整个标牌小心地安装在两个预先设计的砖石和石雕立柱之间，并且加装平切的铝制板材与管材，以及喷涂马修斯油漆的亚克力。【唐·贝尔标识】使用了MultiCam3000雕刻机，SAi的FlexiSign和EnRoute软件，RAS金属加工程序，Accurshear金属剪切机，JIH-24D切割锯和罗兰SOLJET贴纸数控印刷切割一体机。
完整的制作工具，完善的生产流程，让所有的产品都完美的被固定在预先设计的砌体石柱中。
The vintage steamboat required considerable time to create precise tool paths for its routing. The construction materials and process used were similar to the arch, also requiring the flat-cut aluminum sheet, tube and pipe with a Matthews Paint finish. However, this attachment necessitated a different anchor from the arch, Moore said, so it was core-drilled and chemically anchored into the concrete base. Chemical anchoring is a technique for fastening to concrete and similar substrates that provides more flexibility than mechanical anchoring. A resin is applied into the concrete hole prior to the placement of the stud. The chemical naturally fills in the gaps in the hole, making it airtight and waterproof.
老式汽船模型需要大量时间来为其创建精确的设计与制作路径，所用的建筑材料和工艺与拱形标牌类似，也需要喷涂马修斯油漆的平切铝板与铝管。然而，这些附件需要的锚固方式与拱门标牌不同，是在混凝土基座上钻孔后用化学锚固来固定的。
化学锚固是一种专用于混凝土和类似基材上的技术，它比机械锚固具有更好的灵活性，具体的工艺是：在防止双头螺栓之前，先将树脂填充进混凝土孔中，这种化学物质自然会填满孔中的缝隙，使其具有极佳的气密性和防水性。
As for trends in monument signs, “We are beginning to see more requests for sustainable signage materials such as solar illumination for signs,” Moore said. “Clients want a durable product while minimizing their carbon footprint.” With monument signs of the near future, she sees the industry moving into a more environmentally friendly place.
对于纪念碑标识的发展趋势，摩尔说：“我们注意到更多的客户开始追求可持续标识材料，例如太阳能照明等，客户希望在减少碳排放的同时获得更加耐用的产品，这样的需求量在日益增长···总之，整个标识行业都在朝着更加环保的方向发展。”
FOLLOW THAT SIGN
致敬原版
For a well-established childcare center, a sign that is noticeable to both children and adults can draw in future students and create an atmosphere filled with fond memories for alumni. When New Horizon Academy (headquartered in Plymouth, MN), opened a new location in Broomfield, CO, they needed a new monument sign. The company reached out to YESCO (Denver) to replicate the existing design.
一个完善的托儿中心需要具备的标识，不仅应该吸引儿童，更应该吸引成年人，这样才能顾及到未来可能的市场，并且营造出一种充满对校友之情回忆的美好氛围。
总部位于明尼苏达州普利茅斯的新视野学院，该学院的原版标识就具有上述的功效，但是当他们在科罗拉多州布鲁姆菲尔德开设新校区时，显然不能将老标识带走，只能重新定制一个新的纪念碑标识，于是他们向【YESCO】寻求帮助，以复制现有标识的好设计。
New Horizon Academy has specialized in childcare for over 45 years. Originally founded by Sue Dunkley, the family-owned company has flourished across multiple states for decades. Dunkley’s first student and son, Chad Dunkley, remains at the company as the CEO.
新视野学院专门从事儿童保育工作已有超过45年的历史，该学院属于家族企业，最初由苏·邓克利创立，数十年来在美国的多个州开枝散叶，蓬勃发展，邓克利的儿子——也是他的第一个学生查德·邓克利现在担任公司的首席执行官。
Brian Shumard-Crippin, the designer charged with replicating the New Horizon logo, has spent over 22 years in the sign industry, with the last 13 at YESCO. And his experience showed on this project; he was able to recreate the iconic sign from sight. “Fortunately, I recognized the fonts and I did an overlay in Illustrator to confirm the match,” he said. “Thanks to our field survey technician, we were able to catch every detail to match the existing monuments.”
负责复制新视野学员经典标识的设计师，布莱恩·舒马德-克里平，从事标识行业已经22年，其中的13年都在【YESCO】供职，他丰富的经验支撑了他在这个项目上的成功，他的厉害之处是能够从视觉上重现标识的特点与标志性。
布莱恩说：“在这个标识项目上，非常幸运的一点是我认出了原版标识所用的字体，并在Illustrator软件中做了覆盖匹配。另外，我们公司现场的专业勘测技术人员，能够捕捉到所有原版标识的细节供我参考。”
Each side of the New Horizon Academy sign made by YESCO (Denver) has a separate layout.
【YESCO】制造的新视野学院标识，每一面都有单独的设计布局。
To create the components for the new, duplicate sign, YESCO’s fabrication team flat-cut layers of aluminum using their MultiCam 3000 router, powered by SAi’s EnRoute software, and then pin-mounted the cut aluminum to a faux-Corten background. Then they applied push-through acrylic copy with digitally printed graphics on translucent, high-density 3M vinyl. GE Tetra MAX LEDs with a 100W self-contained, damp-rated 24-V power supply were installed to provide the backlighting for the New Horizon Academy logo and copy.
一个既要尊重原版，又要有所突破的全新标识，【YESCO】的制作团队使用由SAi的EnRoute软件搭配MultiCam3000雕刻机对铝材进行平切处理，并将加工好的铝板固定在人造考登钢背景墙上，然后他们在亚克力上应用透明、高密度、经过数字印刷的3M贴纸制作出原版标识的样式。
为“新视野学院”文字以及整个标识提供背光的是GE TetraMAX LED独立光源，额定功率为24V，100W。
The distinctive sign measures 11 ft. 4.75 in. x 1 ft. 6 in. x 5 ft. 11 in., and each side of the sign offers a separate layout. “Notice that even the formed trapezoidal concrete base is sloped from street-side to parking lot-side and [is also] chamfered at each corner,” Shumard-Crippin said.
这个独特的纪念碑标识尺寸为3.5*0.5*1.8米，每一个侧面都有不同的独立布局，布莱恩说：“这个标识上值得注意的一个特点是，看上去一体成型的梯形混凝土基座，实际上是从靠近街道的一侧向靠近停车场的一侧倾斜的，并且在每个拐角处都进行倒角加工。”
In the future, Shumard-Crippin predicts the sign industry taking a vastly different turn, with technological, futuristic-inspired designs taking the sign world by storm. “I think we’ll continue to see an increase in tech-inspired sculptural designs,” he said. “At least I hope we do.”
布莱恩预测，在未来标识行业将发生巨大变化，由于技术的进步，未来派风格的设计将席卷整个标识世界，他说道：“我认为我们将继续看到更多因为技术的突破变得更为超前且大胆的雕塑设计···至少我希望【YESCO】会这样做。”
BULLSEYE
正中靶心
With more than 1,800 locations, the majority of them operating in the US, Target stores showcase a memorable logo used in clever marketing campaigns featuring its adorable Miniature Bull Terrier, Bullseye, emblazoned on huge exterior storefront-wall signs and, of course, topping the monument signs that designate entrances to the multi-tenant centers that Target stores often dominate. With so many locations, this kind of work is available for sign companies all over the nation.
塔吉特百货在全世界有1800多家分店，其中大部分都在美国，该公司的Logo与各种巧妙的营销活动非常令人难忘，比如他们会将可爱的迷你斗牛犬的巨大贴图粘贴在店面外墙上、纪念碑标识的顶部以及商户招牌上。因为塔吉特百货分店众多，全美国范围内的标识公司都有承接其业务的机会。
However, translating the iconic logo to a sign is not as easy as it sounds – the rigid standards for the logo set by the company must be upheld. When the Bristol Place (Santa Ana, CA) Target was constructed, a new monument sign was needed at the end of the street to alert potential customers to the nascent location. Absolute Sign (Los Alamitos, CA) took on the tasks of permitting, building and installing the multi-tenant monument sign for the megastore.
但是，将标志性的Logo转换为标识并不像听起来那么容易，在重新制作标识的同时仍要坚持客户Logo原有的严格标准。塔吉特百货在加利福尼亚州圣安娜的布里斯托尔商业广场开设的新店，需要在街道尽头建造一个新纪念碑标识吸引潜在客户，同在加州的【绝对标识】承接了这个项目。
For Absolute Sign CEO Tish Scialampo, the project was even more challenging because the sign had been designed by an architect, and not someone with more experience with how novel materials work (or don’t work) in signage applications. After 30 years in the industry, Scialampo knows exactly what she likes to see. “The Nichiha product [a fiber-cement siding used to achieve a smooth finish] called out by the architect is not really designed for signage and I would definitely [have gone] a different route,” she said. “It looks nice though.”
对于【绝对标识】的CEO泰什·斯卡兰波而言，这个项目是非常具有挑战性的，因为该纪念碑标识的整体设计是由建筑师完成，而不是一个在标牌行业中具有丰富经验，知道什么样的新材料可用或不可用的设计师来制作的。
但是作为一个在标识行业工作长达30年之久的专业人士，斯卡兰波完全知道标识所需要的是什么：“建筑师要求的纤维水泥墙板，更多是用于实现光滑的饰面，并不是真正为标识设计的产品，虽然看起来不错，但如果是我肯定会选择另外一种。”
Absolute Sign (Los Alamitos, CA) completed the permitting, building and installing of this multi-tenant monument sign for Target.
【绝对标识】承接了塔吉特百货的商户纪念碑标识，并完成了全部的建造与安装。
Absolute Sign cut the Nichiha product on a panel saw and the faces of the sign on the shop’s Computerized Cutters router, guided by SAi Flexi software. The project consisted of two freestanding monument signs and two sets of channel letters, lit by GOQ LED modules. The monuments measure 15 x 8 ft. and 7 ft. x 4 ft. 9 in., respectively. Scialampo said with proper maintenance, the signs can last for many years.
在SAi Flexi软件的支持下，【绝对标识】在裁板锯上切割了纤维水泥墙板，并用公司的数控切割机制作了标识的表面图形。整个项目由两个独立的纪念碑标识和两组发光字组成，使用GOQ LED光源模块，标识尺寸分别为4.5*2.4米和2.1*1.4米。斯卡兰波说，如果这些标识能进行适当的维护，使用寿命会很可观。
The installation process only took a day, but as often is the case when everything seems routine, accidents can happen. “We did hit water in one of the footings while auguring, so that slowed that process down a bit,” Scialampo said. The lesson here, of course, is to check carefully with local authorities before digging, but even so, the water rupture proved to be only a brief delay. Shortly thereafter, the newest Target location featured its pair of entrance signs.
整个项目的安装只花费一天的时间，整个安装过程之中，经常会在看似一切正常的情况下发生事故，斯卡兰波回忆说：“我们在进行钻孔作业时，的确打破了其中一个地方的水管，因此拖慢了进度，这个教训提醒我们以后再进行挖掘或钻孔工作之前要和地方当局确认图纸。”好在即使是水管破裂，也没有造成很长的停工，在短暂的延迟后就重新开始工作，很快塔吉特百货的新店入口处，就有一对新的纪念碑标识了。
Whether a monument sign is unique to one location, a copy of an existing sign or two, or literally one of thousands like it, each one serves that vital purpose of landmarking a business: “You have arrived at your destination.”
无论需要制作的是一个独一无二的标识，还是一个现有标识的复制品，或者干脆是成千上万的同款标识中的一个，这个项目都具有为企业建立地标的重要目的，当一个标识制作者能够明白这个道理，就已经“正中靶心”了。
