Epic Signs & Graphics Blog

Everyone loves a good before and after office makeover. It lifts the spirits of all who walk into your business. But in times like these when we continue to face a recession, making office enhancements can be quite a challenge when budgets are tight. But that doesn’t mean you can’t do it. Rather than spending a fortune on furniture upgrades and fancy paintwork, it’s simple to give your office a facelift with some budget friendly options.

Vinyl Wall Murals

After a few years, painted walls can easily get scuffed, marked and dirty. Colors can begin to fade. But a fresh coat of paint throughout your business can be pricey (for example, the national average just to paint one room of a home is $1,805!). An easy fix is applying a vinyl wall mural. You can easily transform the look of a space. As long as all debris is removed from the wall, a vinyl mural can be placed anywhere.

What’s even better is since these are designed digitally, the image possibilities are endless. You can feature your brand by placing a logo or business tagline. You can lay graphic images of your work or local area views and photographs to liven up a bare wall. Or, if you’re just looking to make your space more attractive, we can help you create a digital wallpaper.

Installation also won’t disrupt business operations. When you have a space repainted, furniture needs to be covered, there’s drying time to consider and touch-ups to be made, plus there are paint fumes to contend with. But with wall murals, installation is quick and we are happy to come in after hours if you prefer.

Window Treatments

Another area to consider utilizing in order to bring a fresh look to your business are your glass and window spaces. Whether it’s a glass storefront or office windows and doors inside your company, decorating them is easy and a great way to make a space look like new.

If you’re looking to liven up the inside of your office, etched glass vinyl graphics are a great choice. They’re affordable, plus they can provide privacy if needed, or just add some décor. There is a large selection of textures and colors we can put together to make it pop!

For exterior glass decorations, using vinyl films will ensure the application lasts and stands out to all who pass. We can do simple lettering if you’re just looking to convey a message or special offer, or we can create a full-color window display to really showcase your brand. Plus installation is a snap and they’re reusable!

Additional Makeover Options

If your budget allows, some other options to consider are a new lobby sign, dimensional wall letters, directional signage, exterior business signs (like illuminated building signs, electronic message boards, monument signs, and post and panel signs). We at Epic Signs & Graphics are happy to work with your budget to give your business the update it deserves!

Because we've never experienced something like COVID-19, there is no instruction manual for us to refer to for how to operate our businesses right now. Mask suggestions turn to mandates and back again, operating hours may be different, store capacity is limited to this or that, aisles might be one-way or both ways... it's all very confusing for customers, especially when it's written on a single sheet of paper taped to a window. To ensure your customers feel comfortable and protected, use smart signage outside and inside your place of business. Here are a few examples. 

Outdoor Business Signs

Without regular foot traffic, businesses that are a little off the beaten path may take a hit. Putting a few yard signs along the nearest road or around the edge of the parking lot is a great way to remind folks driving by that you are there and open!

Vinyl Graphic Entryway Signage

I've seen plenty of signs that are hand written or typed but in a 12 point font. Customers are going to breeze right by those, meaning they won't be following your rules. Make it clear what a customer can expect using vinyl window graphics on your storefront. A mask policy, capacity limit, directional instructions, and anything else they may need to know before entering should be displayed clearly and legibly.

Directional Signage 

Once they're inside, directional signs can be useful to help them find what they need quickly.

If you have aisles and you'd prefer traffic to go one way to keep things flowing, and limit congestion, consider vinyl graphics on the floor. There are lots of great ways to execute this, from the simple arrows, to something a little more fun. Check out the installation we tested at our own office below.

Also consider simple reminders to stay six feet apart.

Keep Customers Informed with COVID Signage

It's possible that we may be adjusting the way we do business for awhile. Take the time to ensure your customers are informed while also staying on brand with custom signage throughout your business. Not sure where to start?

When you enter a building for the first time, it can be quite a confusing experience. You may not know where you are supposed to go or even where you are allowed to go. And, if there is construction going on or people working with hazardous materials, you might accidentally wander into an area where you are in danger.

Bendix recognized that they needed to properly label the different areas of their headquarters, so they contacted Epic Signs & Graphics for the appropriate departmental door graphics.

A Little About Bendix

Headquartered on Cleveland Street in Elyria, Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems supplies and develops innovative air brake charging, components and control systems, and active safety technologies for heavy and medium duty commercial vehicles, such as trailers, trucks, buses, and tractors. They employ more than 2,000 workers in their main office and manufacturing plants.

When a company that employs so many local workers came to us for signage for their headquarters, we were more than happy to help out. They wanted a way to identify the entrance to their state of the art materials research lab. With approval from the client, we created a design that incorporated the Bendix logo using affordable yet high quality Oracal 651 sky blue vinyl. This vinyl perfectly matched the company colors.

We used our high tech Graphtec machine to cut the vinyl precisely. Then, we applied the vinyl to the outside window of the door to the lab using medium tac transfer paper. The result was another satisfied customer!

How Our Departmental Door Graphics Can Help You

Suite signs are commonly used to identify offices and various rooms within an office building. They are a great option most of the time. However, when you need to mark sensitive areas in complexes, the better option is industrial departmental door graphics. Northeast OH companies can benefit from signs applied directly to the door for a variety of reasons:

• Identification – Suite signs are typically located to the right or left of doors and can be easily ignored. With lab departmental door graphics, Northeast OH laboratories can make it very clear what is in a room and if it is for authorized personnel only or if specific safety equipment is needed to enter.
• Branding – All signage in your building can serve as a branding opportunity. As you can see, Bendix did not just go with a sign that said “BCVS / BSFB Materials Lab.” They could have very easily just stopped there. However, they wanted to help build brand awareness, so they included their logo for a nominal cost.
• Privacy – Are there labs with glass doors in your building that you would prefer people were not able to look into? Vinyl can be used to create a frosted glass look that allows light into and out of the room, but people will not be able to see what is going on inside. This is much less expensive than replacing the door, and the vinyl can always be removed to return the door to its original state.

There are dozens of reasons to choose departmental door graphics for your facility. If you would like to learn more about this alternative, contact Epic Signs & Graphics today!