Signs of the Times - February 2014 - (Page 38)

Te c hno lo g y R e v i ew By Chris and Kathi Morrison International Sign and Printmakers Guild Chris and Kathi Morrison own and operate The Image Specialists, a full-service graphics company based in Clements, CA. Chris is also a Microsoftcertified systems engineer. Cloud-based tools for sign and printmakers S Ai is a notable producer of cloud-based, sign-design, CNC, screenprinting and digital-print (RIP) software for sign- and printmaking professionals - it's also the founding sponsor of the Intl. Sign and Printmakers Guild (ISPG). The Guild is a member-led, web-based network that's designed to increase business opportunities for its signand print-making members, while reducing their overall business costs. The Guild's first concept is that pooling resources helps everyone. Its web connection is a gateway to many tools and services that may streamline your business. Web shopping often provides sales and discounts from equipment manufacturers, media suppliers and distributors, and group-buying programs can save members on shipping, credit-card processing, supplies and more. Membership is free, courtesy of Arlon Graphics LLC, a platinumlevel sponsor. SAi is also a Guild sponsor, as are Signs of the Times and The Big Picture magazines, Roland DGA, 38 SIGNS OF THE TIMES February 2014 Key Information SA Intl. 5296 S. Commerce Dr., Ste. 102 Salt Lake City, UT 84107 (800) 229-9066 www.thinksai.com www.signprintguild.org Contact: Stephanie Stamm, marketing team leader (800) 229-9066, X109 stephanies@thinksai.com Mutoh America, Summa, ImageOne Impact, Aptinet, The Bad Wrap and Signtracker. Another benefit is The Guild's web store (sign.com). Its goal is to bring national sign buyers to the sign.com store website, where they can design their signs via the site's templates, or create a custom design, and then complete their order online. Sign.com routes all incoming orders to the 10 closest Guild members for fulfillment. They source the order requests via SAi's Flexi 11 Software. Any Guild network member can accept or ignore new orders; the first shop to accept the order gets it. SAi, the Guild's sign.com sponsor, says it intends to spend $3 million over the next three years to advertise and promote the store site to the buying public. Guild-member shops may also establish a free, web-based storefront and directly market their shop's brand and services. Further, a cloud-based, job-approval system is in the works, so shops can soon direct their customers to a private website, where they can make changes, approve artwork and track the job progress. Sign.com bills the sign buyer and pays the Guild member after fulfillment and customer acceptance; Guild members receive full price for each order, less a 20% Guild fee. Guild members retain the new customer for future business. Flexi 11's unique Cloud window is where Guild sign.com participants see new jobs, access the job files and flag them as fulfilled; thus, Guild members need SAi's subscriptionbased Flexi Software, or SAi's fulllicense Flexi 11 product (which they may already own, or need to upgrade). The job files are PDF format, and you can process them with any RIP software. An additional offering includes SAi's Flexi sign-design program, digital-print RIP and color profiler, on a monthly subscription basis. Join the Intl. Sign and Printmakers Guild and become a one-stop shop. Become one of more than 2,200 members who take advantage of new-customer opportunities and reduced rates on products, and belong to a cooperative, network community of sign- and print-service providers. Check out the Guild at www.signguild.org. n http://www.sign.com http://www.thinksai.com http://www.signprintguild.org http://www.sign.com http://www.Sign.com http://www.sign.com http://www.Sign.com http://www.sign.com http://www.signguild.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Signs of the Times - February 2014

Signs of the Times - February 2014
Contents
ST Update
Technology Update
Welcome to the 21st Century
Vinyl Apps
Strictly Electric
LED Update
Software Update
Technology Review: Cyrious online
Technology Review: Sign and Printmakers Guild
Sign Museum News
New Products
Walls of Fame
A Designer’s View of Health-care Signage
Health-care Signage: Care Required
Health-care Signage Trends
Estimating Software
Dynamic Digital Signage Made Simple, Part 2
Industry News
Advertising index
Editorially speaking

Signs of the Times - February 2014