Before the COVID-19 pandemic, surface cleaning of high-touch areas was not high on the list of concerns for most businesses. Today, it’s one of the foremost operational priorities. When you start analyzing the numerous surfaces that employees, customers and visitors touch each day, the task of keeping the workplace clean becomes overwhelming. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the impact contagious illnesses not only have on the spread of disease, but also the impact on the cost of doing business including costs associated with the number of employee sick days. Finding the appropriate graphics, signs, decals and stickers to convey safety messaging during COVID is a key component to keeping your business environment safe and your work force healthy and productive, and will also provide visible reassurance to employees, customers and visitors.

There are a wide range of considerations when developing environmental safety measures in the workplace, such as identifying high-touch surfaces, the selection of proper cleaning agents, ensuring the use of masks in interior spaces, and complying with the recommended CDC guidelines. Another highly effective tool to add to your disease-control protocol is the use of antimicrobial COVID decals on high touch surfaces. It won’t eliminate the need for regular cleanings, but is proven to be effective in suppressing the growth of bacteria and fungi on the laminate surfaces.

Hospitals know this and have been using antimicrobial products for years. The medical community requires wall coverings, fabrics, and other surfaces to contain antimicrobial properties to reduce exposure to bacteria and fungi. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently released its updated (Antibiotic Resistance Threats in the United States) indicating that antibiotic-resistant bacteria and fungi cause more than 2.8 million infections and 35,000 deaths in the US each year.

Repros has launched a new product line designed to apply special, antimicrobial layers to informative, COVID-19 decals to make common surfaces safer, reducing touch points to definable areas for easier, more frequent cleaning. Antimicrobial decals can be applied to push open doors, order counters, credit card machine areas, door handles, and many other common touch points.

The (PermaGard Shield*) over-laminating film PGS128 is a high-performance pressure sensitive adhesive over laminating film engineered to inhibit growth of microbes and protect against abrasion, moisture and fading. PermaGard Shield consists of a 3.2 mil Matte clear vinyl film coated on one side with a clear pressure sensitive permanent adhesive and 1.2 mil clear PET liner.

Shield signage decals have been tested and is durable for 180 washes using window cleaner, disinfectant and bleach disinfectant. Antimicrobial decals have been tested against (CDC cleaning guidelines) and effectively reduced contaminants. The durability is 2 years outdoors. Remember to read directions on your cleaning agent to ensure that you are using the proper solution to kill viruses on these surfaces.

An antimicrobial solution, when combined with social distancing decals, mask order stickers and CDC educational prints are best practices for a safer environment. Click here for our COVID-19 order sheet or call today to discuss solutions using antimicrobial decals. Custom messaging and art is available.

* No public health claims are meant or implied by Mactac. This product does not protect user from disease causing bacteria, viruses, germs or other disease-causing organisms.

Now that the political campaign season is over, yard signs across the country are being taken down and put away. But with all that prime advertising real estate now freed up, that means it’s an ideal time to put signs promoting your business in their place. Let us walk you through the many great uses for yard signs, as well as some of the reasons why they are worth considering.

Yard Sign Usage

Everywhere you drive, you’ll see yard signs around your area—usually at high-traffic intersections or in front yards promoting such things as:

• Political Campaigns: This is definitely the most popular usage of yard signs—of late. Whether they promoted a candidate or a ballot issue, yard signs are a common method of campaigning.
• Business Advertising: Even if you have great exterior signage on the front of your business location, yard signs are a great way to quickly promote your business contact information and hours beyond your storefront. You can also expand your reach farther by placing signs in areas beyond your neighborhood. Another consideration is if it’s hard to see your business from the street, or you have a competitor nearby, a strategically-placed sign could direct people your way.
• Student Promotions: Whether it's celebrating a graduate, a student making the honor roll, or cheering on an athlete, families love to showcase their student's accomplishments with a fun decorative yard sign.

• Special Offer: As a way of generating traffic, yard signs highlighting a promotion you’re running are a great way of getting the message out there.
• Yes, We’re Open: With businesses closing left and right, it’s important to let people know you’re still here. So if you’re a company that relies on foot traffic, having a yard sign letting patrons know that you are in fact open, can help remind them to stop in.
• Directive: Another great use of yard signs is for directing car traffic. Especially now when pick-up services are so common, having a sign directing customers where to go is so helpful. They’re also incredibly helpful if you need to direct visitors to an event with arrows or directive instructions.
• We’re Moving: If your business is relocating, moving or closing, having yard signs to alert people to your new location or to a moving sale is a great idea. Especially if they don’t drive by your business front, or if your business is set back inside a business plaza. By having them out on the street, it will alert them to the change.
• Event Signage: Events always need signage—directing newcomers to the event and highlighting sponsors.

The Positives of Yard Signs

Yard signs are such a popular marketing method for a number of reasons. Affordability being number one. They are fairly inexpensive, but then we have options to reduce the price even further if your budget is tight. Though we offer frames for the signs, removing the frame and printing on just one side (rather than both) can save money. Quantity can also help reduce costs—if you order in bulk, the price point lowers. Plus, there is different pricing for full-color vs. 2-color vs. 1-color printing.

Durability is another positive to yard signs. They are designed to withstand the elements, plus they then can be easily removed when needed or the promotion is over.

They are also highly customizable. Not only in color, but in design. If you don’t have a specific design in mind, we have expert graphic designers who can create a sign to fulfill your needs. We will also make sure your design is effective—ensuring it’s easy to read and simple in design (a cluttered sign will be ineffective). We can adjust the size as well. Though 12x18” through 24x38” is the typical size ballpark, we can cut it to any size you’d like.

Once you have some key placement locations in mind (and have researched local laws to make sure your chosen areas permits them), give us at Epic Signs & Graphics a call. We can help get your message out to the public!

With today’s modern technology, there are a lot of things that are now so surprisingly easy and fast, it’s frightening. We no longer have to put our bills in envelopes, apply a stamp and put it in the mailbox, and hope it gets to its destination on time before incurring late fees. We can lazily lie on our couch and click a button to change the channel on our TV, turn on our washing machine and start our car… it is kind of scary, yet amazing, how things continue to evolve and change. And wrapping your vehicle is no different. There are a lot of falsehoods out there, but we’re here to set the record straight and show you how truly simple vehicle wraps are.

Vehicle Wraps Really are Simple

Seriously. They’re simple to apply and simple to remove. Once your design is finalized and your car cleaned, it only takes a couple of days to apply a vehicle wrap. As for removal, one of the common misconceptions of vehicle wraps is that they’re difficult to remove. That could not be further from the truth. Vehicle wraps are designed with the purpose of easy application and removal, leaving no residue behind. Just make sure the removal is done by a professional.

Vehicle Wraps Can Protect the Paint Job

One of the great features of vehicle wraps is that they won’t damage the paint on your car—in fact, a wrap can protect it from the sun and from dirt, rocks and sand damage. The only time it could damage the paint is if the paint is already chipped or damaged beforehand. When it comes time to remove the wrap, it could take up more of the paint around the affected area. So when you bring your vehicle in, before we wrap it, we will conduct a full inspection, noting any damaged areas ahead of time. That way you know the possible outcomes when it comes time to remove the wrap.

Is Your Vehicle Leased? You Can Still Wrap It!

Between the tax benefits, low payments, and coverage under warranty, many businesses lease the vehicles in their fleet. But that’s no reason not to brand them with a vehicle wrap—if you’ve reviewed your lease agreement carefully. You’ll want to make sure it’s allowed in your agreement—or ask for it upfront. Once you’ve ensured it’s allowed, a vinyl wrap can be applied over the factory paint job without damaging it. Just make sure it’s removed before the warranty is up.

Windows Can be Wrapped—They're See-Through!

During the design phase of creating a vehicle wrap, some business owners are hesitant to include covering windows, concerned about visibility and safety. When it comes to the front of the vehicle, we absolutely agree: The front windshield and the windows directly to the left and right of the driver should not be covered. But the rear windows and rear windshield can be included in your design. The windows will be designed with premium film—that from the outside will continue your design, but are see-through from the inside. We create this same kind of illusion for business store windows as well!

Wraps Won’t Break Your Budget

We get it: Budgets are tight these days. But it’s so important for businesses to continue to market and advertise in order to continue to connect with customers. We would be happy to work with your budget—if you can’t afford a full vehicle wrap, we also make partial wraps, vinyl lettering and custom diecut logos for vehicles. We can help you stay within your budget, and help you get your mobile advertisements on the road right away! It's simple to get started--just reach out to us for a free vehicle wrap consultation!

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!

Navigating a school building is like finding your way through a maze. Whether you’re on a college campus or the grounds of an elementary school, it is so simple for anyone to get lost. It begins by locating the proper building, followed by figuring out parking and entrances, and then finally finding your way through endless hallways, alleys and staircases inside the structure to get to your destination. It can certainly be frustrating and it takes practice! But having clear signage inside and out of your school’s campus will help everyone get on the right path. Plus you can do it all while promoting school spirit!

Signage Needs in Schools

There are many instances when it’s important for a school to convey directions or a message to students, staff and guests.

• Safety: This comes first on the list for a reason—everyone’s safety is of the upmost importance. In general, a lot of the direction in this category comes from state and local requirements and guidelines. But beyond signage for safety exits and evacuation plans, schools need signs for pedestrian traffic, school crossings and speed calming signs. Standard metal signs on stakes will help with many of these needs.
  

• Exterior Directional: Beyond safety directions, there are many reasons a school will need other directional signage outside of the building. Signs are needed to direct traffic for carline pick-ups, bus pick-up/drop-off areas, and parking spot signs for visitors. For larger campuses, signs are often needed to direct drivers and delivery trucks toward popular buildings and areas of campus. Again, metal signs will work for these needs, as well as wooden post signs.

• Interior Directional: The maze continues! Not only will students need to find their way to your building, but inside as well. Directional signs help students find their way to certain wings of a building, a cluster of classrooms, the auditorium or gymnasium. But individual room signs are also necessary so students can find their specific classroom, a restroom or office.

• Building Welcome: Is it clear to newcomers that they have indeed found the right building? It’s important for a building to have the school name attached to the outside of the building, as well as street signs welcoming people to the school. This is a sign that often gets overlooked. Schools are usually happy to just stick with what’s been there for decades. But having dimensional letters attached to the building with its name is important, as well as a street sign (which can be a standard sign, or electronic for announcing important upcoming events and due date reminders).

• COIVD-19: The pandemic brings additional needs for signage—by showing the proper direction to walk to minimize crowding in halls and safety markers so students keep a safe distance in lunch lines and from the office desks. These can be done through vinyl wall and floor art, making them easily removable.

• Team Spirit: Using signs to decorate and promote school unity and team spirit is definitely one of the more fun sides to school signage. Window clings are great for projecting a message as people enter your building (the clings are see-through from the inside), and creating colorful, promotional window posters for display cases also will get your message across. Vinyl wall panels can help brighten up a hallway and cheer on your students.

Get an A+ for Proper School Signage

There are so many ways Epic Signs can help your school provide people with the directions they need and promote school spirit. Whether it’s through interior vinyl wall panels or exterior digital signage, we can help get your message across. 

With all the technology we easily have at our fingertips these days, even if a person happens to get lost, it’s so simple for them to find their way. Google Maps, Waze, MapQuest … all these directional apps can help someone get where they need to go. But once a traveler arrives at their destination, there are times when they need specific directions within and around a business. Having proper directional signage can save a lot of time and confusion, making for a smoother visit.

Times When Directional Signs are Needed

When a person arrives at your business for the first time, regardless of if it’s a new employee, a delivery person, a prospect, visitor or client, there are times when having directional signage can help them know where to go. For example:

• Delivery vehicles come from all over the country to deliver supplies and products. A lot of times, they arrive at places they’ve never been before. So if it’s a large truck arriving at your location with a large cargo, a sign directing them to the proper door or loading dock can make driving, parking and unloading that large vehicle a lot simpler.
• On a smaller scale, for individuals in their car, if your business shares a large lot with others, it can help if there is signage pointing a driver toward parking, as well as even having parking spot signs exclusive to your visitors. It makes for a friendly welcome!

• Once inside your building, safety signs are the most important signs to have (plus they're required), directing people to safety and emergency exits. It’s important they have clear directions and are placed in crucial spots (your local Fire Marshall can direct you where they should be put).
• If you have a large business with multiple offices and rooms, signs that direct visitors toward groups of office numbers and restrooms can minimize confusion and help them get where they need to go on time.

• With COVID-19 continuing to wreak havoc across the nation, having signage to direct traffic flow through heavy-traveled areas is important, as well having signage to encourage people to keep a safe distance from others waiting in line or from your front welcome desk.

Signage Suggestions

Once you’ve identified what directional signage your business requires, you’ll then need to consider a few things—budget, design and communication. It’s important your signs clearly communicate where you want people to go, while staying on-brand and within budget. At Epic Signs & Graphics, we have the design expertise to help you communicate your message, as well as so many options to help you fulfill all your directional signage needs.

For exterior signage, we have simple, low-budget options like yard signs and banners, as well as more permanent options like metal or woods signs on stakes or posts. For interior directions, vinyl wall or floor art can easily adhere to almost any surface. Window clings and artwork are also another way to direct traffic. But for something more substantial, we have the capabilities to create plastic, metal or wood wall signs if that’s what you prefer.

So whether you’re directing traffic, helping visitors with parking, or pointing clients toward your office, having clear directions is so helpful—and your guests will appreciate it. We can help them get there ... easily!

Coronavirus has affected and hurt businesses across the globe, but the restaurant industry has been hit especially hard. Whether it was back in Spring when eateries were only allowed to offer take-out and delivery, or in Summer when they reopened their doors but had to limit patrons (resulting in many locations adding outdoor dining), it’s been a struggle for sure. But with dining in on the rise, it’s a great time to freshen up the place as more and more folks feel comfortable with restaurant dining and are returning for a meal. We have some great suggestions to help your restaurant refresh its décor without breaking the bank.

Vinyl Wall Art

Ambiance is an important factor to any restaurant. It’s one of the main reasons patrons eat in your location, rather than take out, and especially now, restaurant owners need diners to eat IN. A great way to enhance your restaurant’s ambiance is through wall murals, decals or lettering—done in vinyl. Once printed, they can easily attach to most surfaces and they won’t damage the wall or paint underneath. So you can easily transport patrons to the homeland of the type of cuisine you serve, or brighten up a bare wall or powder room. You can bring nature indoors with beautiful landscapes, or enhance a beautiful wall color with a pattern applied over it. The options are endless!

Window Signs and Promotions

In these COVID-19 times, it’s crucial that diners know, “Yes, you are open!” So another avenue worth exploring is how to best use your restaurant windows. Having custom made window vinyl decals could be the answer. You can create signage to let people know they’re welcome to come in, highlight seasonal specials, or just promote your brand. There are a variety of size options—you could just do a small logo or you can do a full window treatment, where from the outside they see a promotion, but it’s see-through from the inside.

Enhance Your Barriers

Many restaurants don’t have the space luxury to just spread out and limit the tables in order to provide proper social distancing while patrons eat. Some eateries have had to hang curtains between tables or install glass or plexi-glass dividers. But those dividers don’t have to be an eyesore. You can enhance them with pretty decorations and/or provide tables more privacy from one another by adding a frosted treatment.

Giving your restaurant a refresh doesn’t have to be expensive or stressful. By teaming up with Epic Signs, we can help make your vision a reality, working to stay in your budget. We have the design and installation expertise to make enhancing your restaurant a snap!

Did you know that 60% of car owners have a bumper sticker on their car? It makes sense—it’s a great way for people to express themselves, their beliefs and businesses. Sometimes they provide a chuckle to others on the road, or a sense of solidarity when we support the same sports’ team. But in more recent years, people have been turning to car magnets to accomplish the same thing, but without damaging the paint job. Particularly for business marketing—it’s such a simple and inexpensive way to make your business card mobile.

Benefits of Car Magnets

Marketing your business through car magnets is a no-brainer:

• Ease of Use: It is not only easy to attach and detach it from any vehicle, but it’s fast and easy to apply. It also won’t damage the paint job on your car, plus they are UV resistant and durable.
• Increased Brand Awareness: By attaching a magnet to your car promoting your business, you are exposing people to your business in places it wouldn’t normally go DAILY. You’ll get increased brand exposure without breaking your marketing budget.
• Length of Exposure Outweighs the Cost: After purchasing your magnet and applying it to your vehicle, your promotion will be visible for years. A newspaper ad, for example, requires monthly fees to continually run. The average car magnet lasts two years.
• Create a Branded Vehicle: If you're considering wrapping your car, applying a car magnet is a less-expensive way to try this form of advertising. You can easily make any vehicle branded with your business. Plus, it’s perfect for delivery services!
• Customizable: You can choose the size, colors and design. Use it for a special promotion, create a seasonal offer, or just generally promote your business. With them being so easy to install and remove, you can change them out easily, making your promotions truly customizable and a great way to promote different things on different days.

The Recipe for Car Magnet Success

Once you’ve created and applied your car magnet(s) to your vehicle(s), there are a few things we suggest in order to get the most out of your marketing purchase.

1. How you operate your vehicle matters. If you cut people off, tail them on the highway, and generally act obnoxious on the road, that could be bad for business. Other drivers could have a negative reaction to your behavior. So try to be courteous on the road.
2. You’ll want to also take proper care of your magnet. When cleaning your vehicle—either by hand or the car wash—make sure to remove it. This will help extend the life of your magnet, and at that time, clean it by hand to remove any dust and grime.
3. Consider the vehicle you attach the magnet to. It begins by having a clean vehicle, but if your vehicle is rundown or falling apart, it doesn’t exactly promote your business as stable or successful. You’ll also want to consider what other magnets or bumper stickers are on the automobile. Make sure they are for things you’d want your business to be associated with.
4. When your magnet is not in use, make sure to keep it flat and away from sunlight. This will help it last longer.
5. Be thoughtful in your design. We know it’s tempting to want to cram every detail on it, but it can then result in the type being small and hard to read. Focus on the main points.

Car magnet signs are truly a great and inexpensive way to market your business, and we’d be happy to help you with the design that makes the most sense for your goals. Just click below to get a quote and get started!

For Sale signs, windows boarded up, landscape not kept up with… This is a familiar scene across America right now as we continue to face a global pandemic and a major recession. In fact, according to the Washington Post, over 100,000 small businesses have closed since March. With small businesses closing left and right, if your business is still going strong, it’s important to project stability to your customers and prospects. It’s also critical to let people know, “Yes, you are open!” so they don’t pass you by. One way to do this is by having effective business signage.

Here’s the Math: It’s Affordable

Many businesses are being careful with their spending right now. But those businesses that continue to invest in themselves are the ones who will step ahead of their conservative competitors. They are the ones people are seeing and hearing!

Example: Let’s make a conservative estimate that 10,000 vehicles pass your business every day (that’s the average for a moderate to low traffic area). And a newspaper ad in the Plain Dealer has the possibility of reaching 125,000 readers in a day. Divide 125,000 by 10,000, and you will find that the sign reaches the same value as the paper ad within 12.5 days. Signs last much longer than that, of course, so you can expect the cost per impression to be quite low over time. Plus, the business sign does something the ad does not do: It delivers multiple impressions to your potential client base. This helps build your brand recognition.

Good Signs are a Sign of Good Business

So how can you update your exterior marketing without breaking the bank? We have some ideas! Are you more likely to check out a business with outdated or home-printed signs or one with modern graphics clearly more recently applied? Fresh signage builds trust! Here are some low-cost signage updates you can consider:

• Window Signage: By applying full-color perforated window graphics to your store front windows, it not only makes a statement, but it provides additional marketing space and can be see-thru on the inside.

• Yard Signs: Remind passers-by you’re here and in business with simple signs on the street. Use them to highlight features like drive-thru availability.

• Banners: If you’re adding a new service or changing a service in a lasting way, share and promote it with banners in front of your building or on the nearby roadways.

Signs are Simple, Effective & Affordable

We are living in an odd time. There are so many places going out of business, so it’s your duty to make sure your customers and prospects know you’re still there for them. Drive by your business and assess where you can do a better job of showing off your business. Then let us help you figure out the sign that best accomplish your goals.

Around the world, ambulances save hundreds of lives every day by responding to emergency phone calls. It is an important part of any country’s emergency response fleet. So when we were given the opportunity to work with a paramedic program in the Dominican Republic, providing decals and lettering for their ambulance, we were happy to do such worthy work. Here are some images from the job, along with some kind words from the client.

“Thank you for providing an outstanding decal product, and for your quality of service. I am pleased that Epic Signs & Graphics upheld its excellent reputation, and I'm happy to recommend you to my colleagues. The ambulance has been viewed and enjoyed by countless people in Dominican Republic, as it is essentially a rolling advertisement. My humanitarian role, as Director of the Paramedic Education Program, is to ensure that the paramedics inside our ambulance are just as professional and polished as those decals!

On behalf of Solid Rock International and Christian Association for the Promotion of Integrated Health, our partnered non-profit organizations in the United States and Dominican Republic respectively, I would like to give our sincere appreciation to you and your team!” --Michael Trompak, Director, Programma de Educación Paramédico

Epic Signs & Graphics Can Help YOU

We can help you with any of your vehicle graphic needs. Whether it’s decals and lettering for your business’ delivery van, or vehicle wraps for your entire fleet, with our expertise and know-how, we can help your vehicles effectively market your brand and communicate your message. Contact us to get a quote today!