2009 International Sign Contest: Banners/Awnings

FIRST PLACE

The Reading Museum stipulated one person must be able to lower and change Bright Sign’s banner structure. Thus, the company fabricated a 17 x 9-ft. structure, which supports a 12 ft. 10 in. x 7 ft. 9-in. banner, with a custom, multi-pulley system built within the 8-in.-internal-diameter, aluminum superstructure. Miratec Systems Inc. fabricated the banner using Stafford Textiles’ Grandform 1099 media, which was printed on an EFI3360 solvent-ink printer with 3M Graphics Market Center inks.

SECOND PLACE

For the NHL’s Winter Classic, which pitted the Chicago Blackhawks against the Detroit Red Wings at Wrigley Field last New Year’s Day, Flying Colors created an entire banner system that replicated Wrigley’s signature ivy and brick outfield wall in spring splendor. Bible created the program using Adobe®’s Photoshop® and Illustrator® software.

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According to David Kerchman, the company’s president, Flying Colors fabricated the vinyl-mesh graphics using Ultraflex Systems Inc. 7-oz. material, which it imaged using 3M Graphics Market Center 5330 solvent-ink printer. For the fence wrap, a knitted polyester mesh was imaged with repeating, mechanical screenprinting, whereas the scaffold wraps and broadcast platforms, comprise digitally imaged, polyester mesh. Flying Colors decked out the dasher boards with dye-sublimated, knitted polyester. (For the full story, see page 70 of ST’s March issue.)

THIRD PLACE

ArtFX fabricated the 26-ft.-long, 5½-ft.-wide, three-part awning for a designer-furniture store with Sunbrella® woven, acrylic fabric stretched over a welded-aluminum frame. US Sign and Fabrication (Trumbull, CT) fabricated the 9-in.-tall, ¾-in.-deep,oil-rubbed, brushed-bronze letters, and ArtFX mounted them with discreet brackets to the inner frame.