Ackland Frame Guy Blog

If You Can Make a Sandwich...

If You Can Make a Sandwich - you can install the Ackland Media Frame.  

If there was just ONE THING I wish prospective customers could understand about our Media Frames, it would be the SIMPLICITY.  It’s as easy as making a sandwich! (no mustard required.)

1. Base Plate
2. Vinyl Media (Non-Adhesive)
   
3. Cover Plate

Jerry Ackland had it right way back when the first Ackland Frame design was created. He said,

“The Beauty is in the Simplicity.”

No moving parts. No special tools. No tensioning devices. No special perimeter needed on vinyl. Cut-to-fit on site, if desired. Use it on any flat or semi-flat surface. Use it once or repeatedly.  Sell more large format.

Easy as making a sandwich. I think I’ll go eat one.

 

How Do I Get the Wrinkles Out? (NOT a Face Cream Ad)

Dear Ackland Frame Guy,                                            

I have a nice wallscape (about 4' x 20') up inside of a parking structure, and it looked really good when we finished the install, but I just got a call from the customer, and he says there are wrinkles showing in the vinyl...?? Any suggestions?  Please advise. Thanks. 

                                                                                      Randy Q.  - All Kinds of Signs, Inc. 

Hi Randy,

Sounds like a classic case of screws being too far apart -- especially if there were no wrinkles when you completed the job. How far apart are the screws that anchor the top cap in place?

About 3-4  feet.

Bingo. We recommend a space of about 16 inches between screws. A lot of people think that's overkill, because the top cap will stay in place with just a few screws, but you see what can happen if the vinyl is exposed to wind or pressure of any kind, which tightens and holds the media. (The vinyl can pull and gather in places.) The screws reinforce the "Positive-Lock" clamping effect of the Frame. When you use the proper amount of screws you can actually watch the vinyl become more taught as the screw tightens. (Pretty cool.)  

 

            

(BTW - Very soon, Ackland Frames will have built-in fasteners so installers will not have to use self-tapping screws, or pre-drill holes. The holes and screws will be matched sets, integral to the design. The frames are user-friendly now, but this will be an awesome improvement, because it will cut installation time, and reduce installer error.) Let me know if additional screws takes care of the problem.)

 "You were right. We didn't even have to take off the top cap. Just added screws where needed to keep the 16" interval, and the vinyl tightened right up. No more wrinkles! Thanks!"

City says, "No Frame? -- No Banner!"

Cities everywhere are seeking new ways to help businesses gain exposure in a dismal economy. At the same time, avoiding "Eye-Pollution" is very important to some.

 

Here is one city's solution to banners flapping in the wind, or being displayed in a saggy or unsightly manner:

(Excerpt from Greenville, NC - Sign Ordinance)

 

(5)(a)To qualify as a permanent wall sign, displays made from non‑self‑supporting materials, including flex‑face type signs, shall be permanently affixed to the building or other structure by a method approved by the Building Inspector, and the display (sign face) shall be enclosed and/or attached:

 

       1. By a two-inch or wider raised frame that supports the  sign face; or

 

       2. Within a two-inch or wider raised sign cabinet specifically designed for support of the sign.

IS THIS SIGN WORTH 10 MILLION DOLLARS...???

This is a follow-up piece to  an article written several months back. See how one "On-Premises Wallscape" featuring the Ackland Media Frame brought in $3 Million in Revenue from a drive-by prospect. Read how, in just a few short years - the $3 Million grew to over $10 Million!!

 

The Story

"You'll never guess what happened!" Bryan of Kentuckiana Yacht Sales said.  "Several weeks ago, two executives from a barge management company walked in and said that they saw our large sign on the front of our building with a picture of a Zodiac. We want to purchase some. ...

They bought 65!"

(Since this news article was first written, Steve Scalph of Sign Here Ltd reports the # of Zodiac Boats sold as a result of the Wall Graphics has grown to well over 200.)

Visiblity Sells.

The International Sign Association's recently completed survey of new businesses indicated that only 1% of new clients frequented a business because of television advertising, while 49% of new clientswalk through the doors because of

on-premises signage.

As newsman Paul Harvey would say "And now... for the rest of the story".  The barge management company was less than one mile from Kentuckiana Yacht Sales.  For over 40 years, Kentuckiana Yacht sales has been housed in a large steel building in Jeffersonville, Indiana (across the Ohio River from Louisville.).  The barge management company's neighbor is a barge manufacturer that is adjacent to KYS.  For this reason, many people believe that KYS makes barges. Last summer Bryan contacted Sign Here (www.SignHereLtd.com) in Indianapolis.

    "Typically most sign business comes from within a 10 mile radius of my store location.  Sign Here was contracted to fabricate and install seven 19 foot x 10 foot framed banners along the front of KYS steel building.  Because of the corrugated metal building we need something that would stand off of the building, but we did not want anything that protruded more than an inch or two.  Kentuckiana Yacht Sales provided us with the artwork for the banners that were printed on large format printers.  Each banner was a picture of a different product."
 
     Using the Ackland Media Framing (www.acklandframes.com ) system and 300 dpi printed media, Sign Here personnel installed the vinyl on the front of Kentuckiana Yacht Sales.  Their first reaction was that these large images were "traffic stoppers"!

      In case you don't know yet, the Ackland Media Frame is a two-part anodized aluminum system that securely holds media printed on vinyl banner material.  There are no special keys for installation or special fabrication to the banner required.  This makes installation and replacement a simple process.  Sign Here has installed this media framing system on the sides of semi trailers and recently installed a 40-foot by 10-foot system on a corrugated building in Indianapolis.

Special Thanks to Steve Scalph, owner of Sign Here Ltd. Steve is a member of the Sign Biz Network and member of the Sign Biz Advisory Board.  For over 10 years Sign Here has been providing outstanding customer service and solutions to clients signage needs.