With strict guidelines for height, readability and lettering, it would seem that in the of category ADA signs, a sign is a sign is a sign. However, within the rules lie ample design opportunities, and we found three sign companies that fulfilled the challenge to be original.
根据高度、可读性和字体方面的严格指导，在ADA类标识中，标志就是标识。然而，在规则中存在着的设计机会，我们发现了三家完成挑战的签约公司是原创的。

TRANSPLANTING SIGNS
移裁标识

When Gary Nunn, owner of North Carolina Signs (NCS; Siler City, NC) was asked to produce signage for a renovated floor of a medical office building in nearby Chatham Medical Park, he didn’t hesitate. NCS had already been working for the building’s owner for several years, and had initially created the signage for the office when it was new. At that time, they did all of the design work for the project, which amounted to 235 signs, 182 of which were ADA-specific, Nunn said. 

 当北卡罗来纳州标识（NCS；Siler City，NC）的所有者加里·努恩，被要求为查塔姆医疗公园附近的一个医疗办公楼的翻新楼层制作标识时，他毫不犹豫。努恩说：“NCS已经服务医疗办公楼业主很多年了，并且在大楼全新的时候就为办公室制做了标识。当时，他们为该项目做了所有的设计工作，总共有235个标识，其中182个是特定于ADA的。

Then, in 2018, when the same client needed to remodel half of one of the floors, they again requested NCS’s services another 67 ADA signs, in addition to 25 informational and wayfinding signs. The client had become part of a new hospital network, resulting in a new name, logo and colors for the existing signage, which in turn required the removal and cleaning of the frames. NCS was supplied with working drawings of the floor plans and tasked with determining where all signage was required to go, both ADA and wayfinding. The client also asked NCS to devise room numbers and names for each sign.
然后，在2018年，当同一客户需要改造其中一半楼层时，他们再次要求NCS提供服务——另外67个ADA标识，以及25个信息和导视标识。ADA标识已成为新医院的组成部分，从而为现有的标牌提供了新的名称、标识和颜色，而这反过来又需要拆除和清洁框架。NCS获得了平面施工图，并负责确定所有标识的位置，包括ADA和导视。客户还要求NCS为每个标识设计房间编号和名称。

    NCS designed the signs using VinylMaster Xpt by Future Corp., then transferred the design files into EngraveLab by CADlink. NCS specified ADA substrates by Rowmark which they engraved using a Roland EGX-350 Desktop Engraver, and black curved frames from Vista System. They attached the signs to the walls using 3M VHB tape.
   NCS使用未来公司的维基大师XPT设计了这些标识，然后通过cadlink将设计文件传输到雕刻实验室。NCS通过罗马克指定了ADA基板，使用Roland EGX-350台式雕刻机雕刻，以及Vista系统的黑色曲线框架。他们用3M VHB胶带将这些标识贴在墙上。

    Nunn knows it’s largely up to individual sign companies to keep up with changes to ADA regulations, but that doesn’t mean these signs have to be identical. “ADA signs offer more interest than printed signs or cut-vinyl work,” Nunn said. “Customers rarely know the requirements for ADA [and] how the proper signage can enhance the look of their building.” 
    努恩知道，要跟上ADA法规的变化，很大程度上取决于各个标识公司，但这并不意味着这些标识必须是相同的。努恩说：“ADA标牌比印刷标牌或切割乙烯基制品更吸引人。”“客户很少知道ADA的要求，以及正确的标识如何能增强他们的建筑外观。”

LEADING THE FLOCK
领导群众

    Thanks to Architectural Sign Designs, the congregation of St. Francis Xavier church in Stillwater, OK, can navigate the church’s campus.
    由于建筑标识的设计，圣弗朗西斯泽维尔教堂的会众，可以很惬意的在教堂标识的导视下进行观览。

    The newly constructed St. Francis Xavier, a Catholic church in Stillwater, OK, was in need of room identification and wayfinding signage. The pastor, a returning customer, asked Architectural Sign Designs (ASD; Owasso, OK) to create ADA-compliant signs that would easily lead the congregation and other visitors around the church’s campus and make them feel welcome. The church also needed signs that would complement the architectural features and design elements of the buildings. Since ASD specializes in custom ADA and wayfinding signage, this project was a perfect fit, owner Ryan Neurohr said.
    新建造的圣弗朗西斯泽维尔，一个位于康涅狄格州斯蒂尔沃特的天主教教堂，需要房间标识和导视标识。无论是牧师，还是前来观览的会众，可以很容易地引导他们或者游客参观教堂和校园，让他们感到受欢迎。而这些要求建筑标识设计时（asd；owasso，ok），就需要考虑创建符合ADA法规的标识，教堂还需要一些标识，以补充建筑物的建筑特征和设计元素。业主RyanNeurohr说，由于ASD专门从事定制ADA和导视标识，对这个项目非常满意。

    Responsible for all aspects of the project, ASD crafted ADA room ID signage, office ID signs with inserts, directional and flag-mounted room ID signs on the inside of the buildings, including the client-supplied logo on the room and office ID signage. For the rest of the design, ASD generated different concept drawings in CorelDRAW. Outside, they used cast aluminum prismatic dimensional letters as well as custom vehicular wayfinding. 
    负责项目的各个方面，ASD制作的ADA房间ID标识、带插入物的办公室ID标识、建筑物内部的定向和挂旗房间ID标识，包括客户提供的房间标识和办公室ID标识。对于其余的设计，ASD在coreldraw中生成了不同的概念图。在外面，他们使用铸铝棱柱尺寸字母以及定制的车辆标识。

     ASD chose Rowmark substrates in dark brown and smooth gold, as well as cast prismatic letters from Gemini. For fabrication, they employed two Universal Laser Systems machines to cut out substrates and tactile copy and a Vision Engraving & Routing Systems 2550 CNC router for drilling and inserting the braille spheres. With proper care, the church signs should last a lifetime. To keep them clean, Neurohr recommended mild cleansing products, like warm water and dish soap, or Novus Plastic Clean & Shine and a microfiber towel. 
    ASD选择了深棕色和光滑金色的拉丝基底，以及双子座铸造的棱柱体字母。在制作方面，他们使用了两台通用激光系统机器来切割基板和触觉盲文字体，以及视觉雕刻和布线系统2550 CNC雕刻机来钻孔和插入盲文球体。在适当的照顾下，教堂的标识应该持续一生。为了保持清洁，Neurohr建议使用温和的清洁产品，如温水和洗碗皂，或诺维斯塑料 或者超细纤维毛巾。

    Neurohr noted that even though churches are technically exempt from ADA signage regulations, most still go along with the rules to make all guests feel welcome. And, although ASD strives to educate their clients on what it means to be ADA-compliant (including a thorough review of floor plans and properly identifying rooms), Neurohr pointed out that there is always room for ingenuity. “ADA signage does not have to be boring. We love custom designs and most clients do, too,” he said. “[This] customer was a pleasure to work with, and we had the freedom to design signage to complement the beautiful architecture of the church.”
    Neurohr指出，尽管从技术上讲，教堂不受ADA标牌规定的约束，但大多数教堂仍然遵循这些规定，让所有的客人感到受欢迎。而且，尽管ASD努力教育他们的客户遵守ADA意味着什么（包括彻底审查平面图和正确识别房间），Neurohr指出，始终有创造的空间。“ADA标牌不必很无聊。我们喜欢定制设计，大多数客户也喜欢，客户很高兴与我们合作，我们可以自由设计标牌，以补充教堂的美丽建筑。”

SERVING AN ACE
为王牌服务

    Just as signs are helpful for leading you to your destination, sometimes clients help lead you to your next job. This was the case for Guerrilla Graphix (Chapin, SC), which was contracted in 2017 by Sherman Construction to create signage for a medical building. It just so happened that the construction company also worked for Clemson University, and when they were building the school’s Duckworth Family Tennis Facility last year, Sherman Construction asked Guerrilla Graphix to handle the indoor and outdoor signage. 
   正如标识有助于引导你到达目的地一样，有时客户也会帮助你找到下一份工作。这就是游击队图形制作公司（南卡罗来纳州查宾市），该项目于2017年由谢尔曼建筑公司（Sherman Construction）签订合同，为一座医疗建筑制作标牌。恰巧，建筑公司也在克莱姆森大学工作，去年他们在修建学校的达克沃斯家庭网球设施时，谢尔曼建筑公司要求游击队图形制作公司负责室内和室外的标识。

    And handle it, they did, creating a number of room- and office-label signs; restroom, elevator and safety signs; fire evacuation plans; and other miscellaneous signage. Achieving this vision wasn’t too difficult, as many universities provide exact specifications to match pre-existing signage used in other buildings on campus, owner Caleb Chastain said. “It was clear that they were looking for the signage to provide a clean, professional, branded touch to the interior design.” 
    他们做到了这一点，创建了许多房间和办公室标识；卫生间、电梯和安全标识；消防疏散计划；以及其他各种标识。业主卡勒布查斯塔因说，实现这一愿景并不太困难，因为许多大学提供了精确的规范，以匹配校园其他建筑中使用的现有标识。“很明显，他们正在寻找标牌，为室内设计提供一种干净、专业、品牌化的触感。”

    Although the university had exact specs for most of the work, the job wasn’t without complications. “The biggest issue that we have run into with Clemson is the matching of the orange color,” Chastain said. “The university does not have a specific paint color that perfectly matches their branding. Though there is a specified Pantone, through samples we found that the PMS color doesn’t always translate well in process printing or to paint mixing.” After a little trial and error, Guerilla Graphix located a perfect match. “Since I have been a fan of Clemson athletics my whole life, I had a coffee mug in my office that was considered the perfect shade of ‘Clemson orange,’” Chastain said. “We were able to ship the mug to our paint professionals and have them make a custom mix to match the color.”
    尽管这所大学对大部分工作都有严格的规定，但这项工作进展的还是相对顺利的。Chastain说：“我们和Clemson遇到的最大问题是橙色的搭配。”“大学没有一种与他们的品牌完全匹配的特殊油漆颜色。虽然有一个特定的潘通色值，通过样品我们发现，在印刷过程中或油漆混合过程中，PMS颜色并不总是能很好地转换。Chastain说：“因为我一生都是克莱姆森运动迷，所以我办公室里有一个咖啡杯，被认为是‘克莱姆森橙’的完美色调。”“我们可以将杯子运送给我们的油漆专业人员，让他们定制一个与颜色匹配的组合。”

    An additional obstacle arose during the design phase, when some of the room labels ran a little long for the specified size of the signs. For example, “HYDROTHERAPY” had to be abbreviated to “HYDRO.” “We were able to work with the end-users to compromise on these labels to names that would fit while maintaining the required lettering size in compliance with ADA regulations,” he said.
    他说：“在设计阶段出现了一个额外的障碍，当一些房间标签在指定尺寸的标识上有点长。例如，“水疗”必须缩写为“hydro”。“我们能够与最终用户合作，在这些标签上妥协，使其符合名称，同时保持所需的字体大小符合ADA规定”。

      There was lots of signage love given by Guerrilla Graphix for the new indoor tennis facility at Clemson University.
    克莱姆森大学新的室内网球设施标识

    Guerrilla Graphix was responsible for the design, installation and maintenance of the signage, while Graphic Components (Greensboro, NC) facilitated the fabrication. The project architect provided a schedule with a design example for each different type of layout, and Guerrilla Graphix recreated the designs to scale in vector format and provided proofs of each individual sign for university approval. They then collected the official Clemson tiger paw logo from the university and checked the pictograms against ADA regulations, Chastain said. A random vector braille pattern was used in proofing to show sizing and placement, but the actual braille translation was done using CADlink’s EngraveLab during the production phase. 
    游击队图形制作公司Graphix负责标识的设计、安装和维护，而图形组件（格林斯博罗，北卡罗来纳州）则促进了标识的制作。项目架构师为每种不同类型的布局提供了一个设计示例，游击队图形公司重新创建了以矢量格式缩放的设计，并提供了每个单独标识的证明供大学批准。查斯顿说，然后他们从大学收集了克莱姆森虎爪的官方标识，并根据美国残疾人法案的规定检查了这些象形图。在校对中使用了随机矢量盲文图案来显示大小和位置，但实际的盲文翻译是在制作阶段使用cadlink的雕刻板完成的。

     For substrates, Guerrilla Graphix used OPTIX NG (Non-Glare) Acrylic Heavy Matte for the sign faces and white Chemcast Acrylic Sheets for the back plates, which they coated with a custom mix of Matthews Paint. For the raised applique, they chose Duets by Gemini and standard raster braille beads. The logo panels were printed with a JFX200 Mimaki printer and ink. They then satin clear-coated the logo panels to protect them. During fabrication, Guerrilla Graphix cut their applique and acrylic on a Universal Laser Systems machine. To engrave the braille, they used a Vision engraver and then sprayed the signs with a Matthews Paint system. 
     对于基板，Guerrilla Graphix使用optix ng（非眩光）丙烯酸重哑光作为标识面，白色Chemcast丙烯酸板作为背板，它们涂有定制的马修涂料混合物。对于凸起的贴花，他们选择标准的光栅盲文珠子。标识板用JFX200 Mimaki打印机和墨水打印。然后，他们缎面透明涂层的标识板，以保护他们。在制作过程中，游击队图形公司用一台通用激光系统机器切割他们的贴花和亚克力。为了雕刻盲文，他们使用视觉雕刻机，然后用马修斯的油漆系统喷涂标识。

     For these three sign companies, creating ADA-compatible signage was no different than any other assignment. Chastain agreed: “We apply the same mindset to ADA signage that we do [to] all of our projects,” he said. “We start by asking, ‘How can we make this special?’ We try to get our clients the most ‘bang for their buck’ by finding budget-friendly ways to make their signage extraordinary.”
     对于这三家标识公司来说，创建与ADA兼容的标识与任何其他项目都没有什么不同。Chastain同意：“我们对ADA的标识采用与我们所有项目相同的思维方式，”他说。“我们首先问，‘我们如何才能使这个特别？’“我们试图让我们的客户通过预算友好的方式让他们的标牌与众不同，从而获得最大的回报。”