Our marketing tagline, "Great Design is a Good Idea!", keeps all of us at Graphic Visions focused on providing effective and eye-catching work. As we have grown from a small sign shop to a full service design and sign company; we constantly evaluate our processes and production methods to help deliver outstanding jobs on time.
We have been producing custom signs since 1987. Our sandblasted glass, redwood and cedar soon was made even more dimensional with handcarving and gold leaf techniques. When urethane based boards were introduced to our industry, we started outsourcing router work on parts of our signs.
We found it frustrating to direct our vendor’s staff on the often complicated details of our designs, and often would not have their work done on time or to our specifications. There was even a time that our design was duplicated as a shop sample by our "friendly" competitor (who did our router work).
We began looking at router tables and soon were intrigued by ArtCAM and its capabilities. When we purchased a Gerber Sabre 408 table we also invested in ArtCAM software. Our staff was able to import existing files from both our Mac systems and numerous PC sign software to challenge the new software. We could route a custom shape, apply a digital print or vinyl graphics, keyline paint or sandblast mask and trust that tight tolerances could be held. There were learning curves, but we found personal assistance from ArtCAM and Levi at Advantage Sign Supply. Our staff accepted the challenge to learn the new software and experiment to create processes that worked for our projects.
Today we find many reasons that ArtCAM continues to be a part of an efficient job flow. One great advantage is to view on the screen the simulated tool paths so we can review our dimensional details prior to cutting actual stock. The designer or salesperson can confirm that the final product meets or exceeds the client’s expectations. We understand the tool paths and cutting bits and design the art to be more efficient on the router table. Gone are the days we sent files and stock to a competitor, nervously watched the due dates pass, and receive a "finished job” whose cutting paths were so rough that we had to spent hours sanding or cleaning edges to achieve a satisfactory finish.
Sue Dillion
Graphic Visions inc.
Northville
Michigan
USA