What’s it cost to produce this freestanding sign?
Digital printing and cut vinyl film combine to get the job done
By Rocco Gaskins
Posted on Monday, July 2nd, 2018
Materials:
One sheet of ½-in. PVC board: $121.54
PVC posts and finials: $68.12
One sheet ¾-in. overlaid plywood: $86.82
Cutting charge: $4.85
Cutting/painting of letters: $270.00
One yard Avery 900 series white vinyl: $3.62
Vectorization of artwork: $8.00
Digital prints: $30.00
Paint: $26.00
Misc. supplies (see text): $74.27
Total materials: $693.22
Labor:
Sales: 2.5 hours
Design: .5 hour
Gather materials (includes travel time): 1.25 hours
Hand draw curve and cut panel: .5 hour
Painting panels: 1.25 hours
Drill panel and pin mount letters: 2.5 hours
Cut/weed/apply vinyl: .5 hour
Apply digital prints: .25 hour
Make/paint brackets: .75 hour
Assembly/disassembly of sign in the shop: 1 hour
Installation (two people times 3.5 hours): 7 hours
Total time: 18 hours
We typically do electrical signs, but always appreciate the chance to go in a different direction. While this wasn’t something exactly new, it was a welcome change of pace from drilling holes in concrete walls for channel letters. We were referred by another customer so that makes it even better.
This funeral home’s small freestanding sign had seen better days. The letters (originally plywood) were delaminating, the posts were starting to rot and it was time for a new sign. Since this town has a strict sign code, we had to re-create what they already had. That eliminated the chance to be creative but it did cut down on the design time.
