Fall is a favorite time of year for many, with the cooler weather, the beautiful leaves, and of course Halloween right around the corner.
As such we wanted to take this opportunity to use one of the most iconic elements of Halloween, the Jack-O-Lantern, to show how this favorite component of Fall is actually an excellent example of what signage is and can be.
Lighting
Jack-O-Lantern’s would be nothing without the all important light source inside of the pumpkin whether that be a candle or an LED light.
In fact, if we were to describe the Jack-O-Lantern’s in signage terms we’d describe it as backlit. This is a common method for lighting signs including channel letters, monument signs, and pylons.
Painted Signs
Historically before the advent of electricity signage was often carved out of a material, such as wood, or it was painted on the sign of a building or on a material such as metal or wood and hung up or attached to the wall.
Though one might argue a true Jack-O-Lantern’s involves carving out the letters, or face, into the pumpkin, some choose instead to keep the integrity of the pumpkin by painting on it instead. Though most sign companies have moved away from hand-painted signs, there are still some, especially those who service historic buildings and communities, who keep up the practice.
Weathering
Much like a sign, a Jack-O-Lantern placed out on a front porch is subject to a whole host of environmental risks, including regretfully some of the human variety as well such as vandalism. While there’s not much that can be done to slow down the natural decay of a Jack-O-Lantern, there is a lot that can be done to help signs ahead of time and after any such damage.
In the case of exterior neon signs, if the sign is low to the ground, or if it’s in an area especially frequented by birds, we may fabricate a case to protect the neon sign.
If channel letters, or any other variety of exterior signs, has suffered external damage, our service team can examine the signage, repair on-site or off-site if needed the damaged parts, or if it’s required fabricate a new face for the damaged letter or full sign.
Sign Removal
Jack-O-Lantern’s most certainly have a shelf-life, and though it doesn’t take an expert to remove one, it’s an essential task nonetheless. An old, decaying pumpkin will keep visitors away, unintentionally or otherwise.
Businesses on the other hand we hope will last many seasons and many years. Still there may be times, whether due to closure, a move, or perhaps even a reface if your sign has suffered signficant “decay” aka damage, when a sign needs to be removed. In that case you’ll want an expert sign company to help you out.