ISA Sign Expo Showcased Next-Gen Signage Technology

The International Sign Association (ISA) Sign Expo is the annual spring showcase of the latest in both display graphics printing and finishing technology, as well as traditional signmaking. It’s been interesting to follow the trajectory of the Sign Expo over the past 13 years; when I first started covering the show in 2013, print—or at least wide-format print—was very much the new kid on the block in the signage industry. Today, it virtually dominates, and the show has always been an interesting juxtaposition of high-tech digital imaging equipment and things like good-old-fashioned bucket trucks. Ask any sign shop which is the more valuable and you may just be surprised.

Last week’s Expo—themed “Find Your Spark” with a fitting opening ceremony—was no different.

Epson launched its latest UV flatbed, the SureColor V4000, Vanguard debuted its Natchez flatbed solution, EFI brought a selection of its rollfed, flatbed, and hybrid “children,” Agfa had its menagerie of beasts including the Anapurna Ciervo H2500, Roland had just launched its VersaOBJECT LO-640-F3 UV Flatbed Printer, and so on. It’s amazing how much display graphics technology has evolved.

But signmaking is about more than printing. Nestled at the back of the exhibit hall was the Next Gen Tech Zone, which ISA launched two years ago as a showcase for the next level of technology for signmakers. If I can use this term without infringing on Mary Schilling’s trademark, they can be thought of as Cool Tools for sign shops. This year’s Tech Zone included a half dozen or so exhibitors demonstrating a mix of hardware and software solutions. Spoiler alert: AI will be involved in some of these.

U.S. Chamber of Commerce

The Chamber of Commerce? Really? Yes; the Chamber has developed a program called Small Business AI Basics that is designed to educate small businesses—which three-fourths of sign businesses are—on how to use AI to help their businesses. Supported by Google, it’s a 30-minute on-demand training session that teaches attendees how to write effective prompts (an increasingly crucial task as AI tools proliferate), as well as how to use AI to streamline workflows and daily tasks. And, best of all, it’s free. People who complete the course receive a certificate and web badge, as well as other resources such as pre-written prompts specifically designed for things like marketing and sales. The course will give attendees “actionable takeaways,” said the U.S. Chamber’s Jessica Hook, who was talking about the program in the Tech Zone, and presenting a daily session.

Vuely

Vuely is—wait for it…—an AI-powered software tool for signage sales that can turn a site survey into an accurate mock-up and proposal in seconds. Users take a photo of the intended location for the signage, add a single width measurement to give the software a sense of scale, and Vuely will generate a mock-up of the new sign based on a proposed design (swapping out an older sign if need be), as well as generate quick pricing. It will also determine the relevant sign codes based on geographic location, potentially saving remake costs should a sign fall afoul of the local regs.

eufyMake

eufyMake was demonstrating its eufyMake E1, a personal 3D texture UV printer. Designed for prototyping, the maker community, or other low-volume production, it was the result, said the company, of the most-funded Kickstarter. The company’s brochure offers a handy schedule of print time and ink costs based on print size and material. For example, a 12 x 16-in. acrylic board would take around four hours to print, and cost $7.39 in ink. A 3.5 x 2.5 x 6.5-in. stainless steel tumbler (yes, it has an optional rotary attachment) would take around 35 minutes at an estimated ink cost of $0.11. Your mileage will vary, but you get the idea. The company also says that surfaces do not need any kind of adhesion-promoting pre-treatments.

Architech

Architech Quotes is—yep—an AI-powered platform designed for signage estimating. And it does what AI does best: analyze reams of things such as architectural drawing packages and specification documents, automatically highlight signage-related pages and key details, and generate accurate proposals—thus eliminating what can be hours of manual document review. Architech Quotes is in the final month of beta testing.

Sunsign

One of the coolest items on display in the Tech Zone was a portable, solar-powered illuminated outdoor sign called Sunsign from Sunsign Design & Controls. It’s tempting to think this is a digital display, but it is actually static printed signage that is installed inside a frame and illuminated using LED lighting. The use of solar charging means users don’t need to muck about with power cords, which is useful if the sign is going to be placed some distance from a power source, such the far end of, say, a parking lot (it has had particular interest from the parking industry). Roller wheels make it easy to trundle it off to its desired location, it’s designed to handle all kinds of weather, and it can be outfitted with a set of extender legs for added stability in high-wind areas. It is also two-sided. The charge is said to last for 10–10-1/2 hours, which is perfect for overnight use.

i5LED

i5LED is a manufacturer of bespoke indoor and outdoor LED applications, handling all design, engineering, and manufacturing. The thin-profile LED panels can support a variety of pitches (equivalent to a pixel in the print world; the finer the pitch, the higher the “resolution” of an LED display). They can also assemble elaborate video walls—or anything you can think of (“Give us a napkin with a design on it and we’ll make it,” said i5LED’s Rob Kendrick). The company was also showing its Kiosk View, a rollout/portable customized LED display. They were also demonstrating ThruView, an LED display that functions as the dynamic digital version of perforated window graphics—the imagery is visible from the exterior, and from inside offers 80% transparency. It is targeted primarily to retail locations who want to install LED window graphics, but also have the ability to see outside.