ISA 2013 Recap

ISA 2013 saw a huge turnout. With so many exhibitors and attendees, people really had a great chance to network with old friends and meet new ones.

One of the highlights was the release of our new Precision Board Plus PBST-15 HDU. Faster and easier to prime and paint, PBST is a sure step forward in the next generation of sign substrates.

Click here if you didn’t make it to this year’s show and would like a free sample of Precision Board Plus PBST-15. We’re looking forward to your feedback and helping you make the best signs you’ve ever made.

Unnamed.2Booth #5236

IMG_1163Made by Dan Sawatzky of Imagination Corporation

UnnamedMade by Roger Cox of House of Signs

IMG951165Made by Enrique Valenzuela of Art Sign Works 

IMG951162Waiting for the doors to open at the 2013 Sign Expo!

Dan Sawatzky's Imagination Corporation

Perhaps one of the most innovative forces in the signage industry today, Dan Sawatzky and his Imagination Corporation are a household name among many sign makers. Dan has been a friend of Coastal for many years and is a huge fan of Precision Board Plus, especially the higher densities such as PBLT-30 and PBLT-40.

Kellie Miller, our Customer Relations Manager has been friends with Dan since the late 90’s after meeting at Rick Glawson’s Letterhead meet. Dan was interested in incorporating HDU into some of his creations, and proceeded to test out different brands, with Precision Board Plus emerging as the winner.

Since then, Dan has used Precision Board Plus HDU exclusively and has won many awards for his work. One of the coolest things about Dan is also his willingness to help and teach others. This is evident in the sign and sculpting workshops he holds at his shop in Chilliwack, BC Canada. In addition to Precision Board Plus HDU, Dan also uses FSC-88WB Primer/Filler, PB Bond-240, and Abracadabra Sculpt.

Besides signs, he is also heavily involved in interior and exterior architectural theming and readily incorporates Precision Board Plus into his themed environments. Dan routes most of his projects on his MultiCam 3000 Series 4-axis CNC router using  software.

His blog is updated frequently and has extremely detailed tips on how he makes the magic happen with his signs, sculptures and themed environments. We host it on our website in addition to this one, so if you have a second, be sure to check it out!

****Update: Dan Sawatzky’s next Sign Magic workshop will be held this November 6 – 8 in Hackensack, NJ. Full information available here.

Here is some of the award winning work done made by Dan:

2012 International Competition – Signs of the Times

Fox and Hounds Pub – Second Place in the Sign Systems category

 

2011 International Competition – Signs of the Times

First Place – Commercial Sign Systems – MultiCam Western Canada

 Second Place – Commercial Monument Signs – Dhillon Farms

 Third Place – Commercial Building Signs – Shmyer’s Harbor Sign

2010 Sign Media – Canadian National Competition

Best in Show & Winner – Unique Signs – Sextant

How to apply gold leaf – Solidified Sunshine

The December issue of Sign & Digital Graphics magazine has an excellent article on how to apply gold leaf. Gold leaf is considered to be one of the highest forms of sign artistry due to the use of gold, custom paper writing service and because it is accomplished entirely by hand.

There are several techniques used by those “in-the-know” to achieve a picture perfect finish. Learn about them all in the article written by signmaker Francis Lestingi, of Signs of Gold Inc., in Williamsville, NY on page 74 in the December issue of Sign & Digital Graphics, or view it on the web here.

Here is a picture of respected sign maker Cam Bortz of Finest Kind Signs in Pawcatuck, CT at a letterhead meet in Scotland applying gold leaf to Precision Board Plus:

Applying gold leaf at Dan Sawatzky’s sign workshop. Dan is the owner of The Imagination Corporation, headquartered in Chilliwack, Canada.