Before plastics and polymers, PVC and polystyrene, signs were crafted out of wood, clay, stone and, occasionally, metal. From those earliest signs – a projecting horseshoe or hammer signifying a blacksmith’s shop, for example – metallurgy has morphed along the ages due largely to new, more technological ways of working with metals. Nowadays, metal signage still stands the test of time, and in all the most familiar places.
在塑料和聚合物、PVC和聚苯乙烯出现之前，标识是由木头、粘土、石头，偶尔还有金属制成的。例如，从那些最早的标识开始，一个突出的马蹄铁或锤子就像征着铁匠的作坊，冶金学随着时代的变迁而发生了变化，这在很大程度上是由于金属的新技术方法。如今，金属标识经受住了时间的考验，成为受欢迎的标识材料。
As so happens with many retail outlets across America, an outdoor shopping center in Baltimore was due for a renovation. Though it had the same name on paper, it still needed new signage – lots of it. The Avenue at White Marsh required more than 80 signs, and Ashton Design (Baltimore) was tasked with carrying out the makeover.
就像美国许多零售商店一样，巴尔的摩的一个户外购物中心也要进行翻修。虽然它的名字在纸上是一样的，但它仍然需要很多新的标识。怀特马什大道需要80多个标识，阿什顿设计公司负责进行改造。
Because Ashton had worked with property owners Federal Realty Investment Trust in the past, they jumped at the chance to work together again. “We were interested in the project because of the unique challenges and design opportunities,” Creative Director Alexey Ikonomou said. “The existing retail center needed a lot of love and attention.”
由于阿什顿过去曾与业主联邦房地产投资信托公司合作，他们抓住了再次合作的机会。创意总监亚历克西·伊科诺穆说:“我们对这个项目很感兴趣，因为它有独特的挑战和设计机会。现有的零售中心需要很多社会的关爱和关注。”
Unfortunately, excitement doesn’t always equal smooth sailing where signage is concerned. The client had asked for “something non-traditional, fun and a bit unexpected,” Ikonomou said. That left the design team trying to figure out how to creatively incorporate the many blank walls, solid, split-face CMU blocks and zero windows that comprised the space’s 12 total buildings.
不幸的是，伊科诺穆说：“客户要求的是一些非传统的、有趣的、有点出乎意料的东西。”这让设计团队试图弄清楚如何创造性地融入许多空白墙，实心，分割面CMU模块和零窗户，这些模块构成了空间的12个总建筑物。
Ashton went to work to create a fun, exciting and unexpected environment for visitors (including adding metal mounted sculptural elements with a “Maryland Nature”-inspired conceptual theme). That meant crafting a 50-ft. pylon sign; six entrance identification signs (6 x 18-ft., composed of four 4 x 6-ft. panels); two 80-ft.-long building-mounted project identification signs that wrap a building’s corner; six freestanding directional signs and 19 light-pole-mounted directional blade locations (with up to four double-sided panels per location); 36 unique tenant blade signs; 12 custom wall murals and various smaller wall plaques and signs.
阿什顿致力于为游客创造一个有趣、令人兴奋和意想不到的环境包装(包括添加金属安装的雕塑元素与马里兰自然灵感的概念主题)。这意味着制作一个50英尺的标识，还有六个入口识别标识（6 x 18英尺，由四个4 x 6英尺的面板组成）; 两个80英尺长的建筑物安装项目识别标识，用来放在建筑物的角落; 六个独立方向标识和19个安装在灯杆上的定向叶片位置（每个位置最多有四个双面板）; 36个独特的租户标识; 12个定制的壁画和各种较小的墙壁标识。
While Ashton took responsibility for the conceptual design, documentation, fabrication and installation oversight of the retail project, Concept Unlimited Inc. (Columbia, SC) fabricated and installed all the signage and graphics except the 50-ft. pylon, which was made and installed by Triangle Sign Services (Baltimore).
阿什顿负责零售项目的概念设计、文档编制、制作和安装监督，而哥伦比亚的概念无限公司 Concept Unlimited Inc.负责制作和安装除50英尺外的所有标识和图形，由巴尔的摩三角标识服务公司制造和安装的电塔标识。
The design and construction process lasted several years and multiple phases as the retail center had to remain open to accommodate existing tenants, but is finally complete.
设计和施工过程持续了数年，分多个阶段，因为零售中心必须保持开放，以容纳现有租户。
EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN
重焕生机
Woodland Manufacturing helped the Vara Ranch in Meridian, ID, attract customers to the property’s hunting grounds.
林地的生产帮助本省梅里迪恩的瓦拉牧场（Vara Ranch）吸引顾客来到这里的狩猎场。
Many projects are met with their share of snags, so it’s always welcome when one goes off without a hitch. Such was the case for a recent reclaimed-wood project for Woodland Manufacturing (Meridian, ID). When a website request came in for a reclaimed wood sign from a client who wanted to open up their ranch to deer and exotic hunting, Director of Marketing Casey Space knew it would make a great turnkey project. “We [already] streamline the sourcing and fabrication of reclaimed wood sign backers through a good amount of product development [so we know] these types of signs look great with a variety of materials and we like making them,” she said.
许多项目都遇到了困难，所以当一个项目顺利进行时大家都异常欣喜。最近的一个林地制造回收木材项目就是这种情况。当一个客户要求在网站上提供一个回收木标识时，营销总监凯西空间(Casey Space)说，这将是一个非常棒的项目。她说：“我们已经通过大量的产品开发，简化了再生木材标识资助者的采购和制作流程，所以我们知道，这些类型的标识用各种材料制作看起来很棒，我们喜欢制作这些标识。”
The client’s vision was “an indoor sign that fit in with their rustic and modern-style home,” Space said. Woodland representatives requested quotes for black acrylic and powder-coated metal for the logo design on the reclaimed wood, eventually choosing the metal option. The rest of the project was a cinch, as “we went from quote request to order in the shop in just a few emails,” quote and design specialist Julie Verkerk said.
斯贝斯说：“客户的愿景是一个室内标识，与他们质朴现代风格的家相匹配。林地代表要求报价黑色丙烯酸和粉末涂层金属用于再生木材的标识设计，最终选择了金属材质。”报价和设计专家朱莉·韦尔克（Julie Verkerk）说：“项目的其余部分很简单，我们从报价到下单只用了几封邮件。”
Woodland mocked up the Vara Ranch logo on a reclaimed wood backer for client approval, and then, after using CorelDRAW for the design, the team assembled the sign using ⅜-in. Baltic birch plywood, reclaimed wood from Reclaimed Lumber (Nampa, ID) and ¼-in. aluminum finished with TIGER Drylac powder coating. “We like using reclaimed wood from Reclaimed Lumber Products because they are local and their planks are high quality and relatively uniform,” Space said. “The Baltic birch backer is rigid and sturdy. The powder-coated aluminum design on the wood backer gave the sign the modern and rustic look the client was requesting.”
伍德兰在一个回收的木材支持者上模仿瓦拉牧场的标识。然后使用绘图软件设计，团队组装使八分之三的回收波罗的海桦木制作胶合板，回收木材的表面涂有TIGER Drylac粉末涂料。斯贝斯说:“我们喜欢在标识产品中使用再生木材，因为它们是本地的，而且它们的木板质量高，相对统一。波罗的海桦树的支撑具有刚性和坚固性的。木背上的铝粉涂层设计赋予了标识客户所要求的现代和质朴的外观。”
The backer was cut with a Coherent META 10C 1000W CO2 Laser, while the reclaimed wood was brought to length with a chop saw. The aluminum design was cut on an OMAX Waterjet. They then brad-nailed the reclaimed wood panels on the Baltic birch, while the dimensional design was adhered to the wood with liquid silicone. Finally, they attached a French cleat on the back with screws for mounting.
巴克用META 10C 1000W CO2激光切割，把回收的木材用锯子切割成长度。铝的设计是用OMAX水射流切割的。然后，他们将回收的木板钉在波罗的海桦木上，而尺寸设计则用液体硅树脂粘在木头上。最后，他们把一个法式夹板用螺丝固定在后面。
This project showed that anyone can benefit from a sharp-looking, well-made sign – and that the process doesn’t have to be complicated. “I think one of the interesting things is that professional signs are not just for established businesses,” Space said. “It is easy to get a metal sign custom made in a professional shop for a home business venture. Simple materials like metal and wood can make a great-looking sign that fits in with your home’s style and yet looks professional and is welcoming and homey.”
这个项目表明，任何人都可以从一个外观敏锐、制作精良的标识中获益，而且这个过程并不复杂。斯贝斯说:“我认为有趣的一点是，专业标识并不只适用于成熟的企业。在专业商店中为家庭企业创业定制金属标识很容易。金属和木材等简单的材料可以制作出符合您家居风格的漂亮标识，看起来很专业，而且温馨。”
A NEW LEASE
一个新的租赁
SMI Sign Systems was able to create a multi-tenant pylon sign and more while dealing with strict deadlines and compliance.
SMI标识系统公司能够在截止日期之前同时制作多个客户的壁挂标识。
While some projects encourage coloring outside the lines, others require strict adherence to the boundaries. Such was the case for Max Aronow, CEO of SMI Sign Systems Inc. (Frederick, MD), who recently completed a comprehensive sign plan for a new shopping center. Not only did SMI have to create and submit a plan, but they also worked under a tight deadline with the owner and a land-use attorney to get the sign package approved. Only upon final permission from the owner were they able to fabricate and install the multi-tenant sign.
有些项目鼓励在线条之外着色，而另一些项目则要求严格遵守线条范围内着色。SMI标识系统公司(SMI Sign Systems Inc.，Frederick, MD)的首席执行长阿洛诺(Max Aronow)就是这样一个例子。SMI不仅必须创建并提交一份计划，他们还必须在很紧的期限内与业主和一名土地使用律师一起工作，以使标识方案获得批准。只有得到所有者的最终许可，他们才能制作和安装多租户标识。
Despite all of this, Aronow enjoyed the work and trying to stay within compliance while thinking outside of the box. The appeal of the project was to meet the challenges in many areas both creatively and practically, as well as [meet] code compliance and/or to seek approval to allow the signage to exceed code with certain sign types, he said.
尽管如此，阿罗诺还是很喜欢这份工作，并试图在遵守规定的同时建议跳出框架思维。他说:“该项目的吸引力在于创造性地和实际地应对许多领域的挑战。”
SMI designed all of the sign types for The Field at Commonwealth shopping center (Chantilly, VA) within the comprehensive sign package to include building-mounted identification signs, under-canopy signs, monument signs, directional signs and pylon signs. But their first priority was the fabrication of the initial pylon sign.
SMI为弗吉尼亚州联邦购物中心(Chantilly, VA)的综合标识包设计了所有的标识类型，包括安装在建筑物上的识别标识、雨棚下的标识、纪念碑标识、方向标识和塔架标识。但他们的首要任务是制造最初的塔架标识。
The client had their architect provide the final concept design to SMI, who used it as a basis for fabrication. SMI had a short window in which to permit, fabricate and install the sign, but they were able to finish just in the nick of time – the day before the grand opening.
客户让他们的建筑师为SMI提供最终的概念设计，SMI将其作为制作的基础。SMI虽然只有一小部分时间制作和安装这个标识，但是他们刚好在弗吉尼亚州联邦购物中心盛大开幕的前一天完成了。
SMI used the owner’s vector-based EPS logo files for the logos. But because the architect was unable to provide a useable art file to accompany the design, SMI’s team had to recreate the intricate background design themselves. The designers took the architect’s concept drawing and created technical drawings for permitting and fabrication, ensuring that all sizing met code requirements, Aronow said.
SMI使用了基于矢量的EPS标识文件。但是由于建筑师无法提供一个可用的文件来配合设计，SMI的团队不得不自己重新创建复杂的背景设计。阿罗诺说：“设计人员绘制了建筑师的概念图，并为许可和制造绘制了技术图纸，确保所有尺寸都符合规范要求。”
Building the sign from the ground up, SMI used a brick/CMU base and then finished the surfaces with Matthews paint. Additional materials used include a France 60W LED power supply, G2G Trident SF180 LEDs, 3M 8405 adhesive, 3M 4905 tape, 3M vinyl, aluminum from Eastern Metals (Washington) and Plaskolite OPTIX LD acrylic sheeting.
SMI从地面开始建造这个标识，用砖做地基，然后用马修斯油漆漆了表面。其他材料包括法国60W LED电源，G2G Trident SF180 LED, 3M 8405粘合剂，3M 4905胶带，3M乙烯基，东部金属公司(华盛顿)的铝和Plaskolite OPTIX LD亚克力板。
When it came time for fabrication, they made use of a Roper Whitney Autobrake, an AccurShear 625010, a Gerber Sabre 408 CNC router for the push-through acrylic, an AXYZ 5016 CNC router for aluminum parts and Miller Millermatic 252 MIG welders with 30A spool guns.
在制作过程中，他们使用了罗珀惠特尼自动制动器（Roper Whitney Autobrake）、AccurShear 625010、Gerber Sabre 408亚克力数控切割机、AXYZ 5016铝件数控切割机和Miller Millermatic 252 MIG焊工设备，以及30A轴枪。
Whether your metalwork will be seen by thousands or dozens, it’s always important to forge your best effort. Aronow’s advice“Fabricate and install the highest-quality signage possible. Do what you say you are going to do.”
无论你的金属制品会被成千上万的人看到还是被几十人看到，全力以赴总是很重要的。阿罗诺建议制作并安装尽可能高质量的标识，说到做到。
