Sign you see.

Road Trip Signage - Signs You Should and Shouldn't Expect to See on the Road

Taking a road trip soon? It’s a road warrior tradition to pass the time by playing games that involve traveling traffic signs. There’s travel bingo, road trip sign scavenger hunts and alphabetical sign games. To help you prep we’ve found five interesting signs of the road that you may find along the way.

Animal Highway Signage

There are a number of animal signs out on the road, some of which are more common than others. The bear crossing sign is one that you’re more likely to see and should definitely make note of since bears can leave a big dent in your car. But an elk crossing sign? Yep, they do exist although the need for them isn’t as great unless you’re up north.

Other animal signs you may or may not see during your travels include crossings for rams, donkeys, goats, deer and moose.

The Most Dreaded of Road Trip Signs

When you’ve got your road trip mapped and all timed out one thing that can put a serious wrench in the gears is road work. The dreaded Road Work Ahead sign immediately brings to mind bumper to bumper traffic, closed lanes and busted up asphalt. The sign may as well say serious slowdowns ahead. Just keep in mind that while it isn’t a welcomed sign it is one that is meant to keep workers safe. So respect the warning and watch out for workers.

The Sign You Hope You Don’t Have to Use

One of the last things you want on a road trip is an unexpected stop – especially ones that are a result of a breakdown. No Stopping Except on the Shoulder is a traveling traffic sign you should expect to see if you’re on the highway. The problem is, if you have to actually use the advice it’s usually not a good thing.

One Road Sign You Surprisingly Won’t See

Are we there yet? It’s quite possibly the most common phrase uttered in a car, yet you never see a sign for it. We’re sure there’s an app to answer the question, but until then, here’s the closest you’ll get to an actual sign.

Think you know your road signs? There are hundreds of warning, safety and regulatory signs out there on our highways. Test your road sign skills with the DMV Practice Test.

Posted by CopperSign at 6:54 AM No comments:

Safety Traffic Signs from Dornbos

When you need safety traffic signs you want to know that you’re buying the best. Dornbos Sign and Safety has been in the signage business for more than 60 years. In that time they have created an impressive collection of warning signs including:

• Animal signs
• Crossing signs
• Train signs
• Road condition signs
• Weather condition signs
• And many more

Benefits of Using Dornbos Warning Signs

Warning signs from Dornbos are designed to offer the best protection for drivers. They do so by using 3M High Intensity Prismatic sheeting and 3M inks. These products have been found to offer superior visibility during stormy weather, at night and in areas where there are competing light sources.

The use of HIP signs ensures that drivers are able to recognize safety traffic signs more quickly and from farther away compared to the signs of competitors. The HIP Bicycle/Pedestrian sign is a perfect example of how the crisp icons created by 3M sheeting and inks can make even intricate designs discernable from a distance.

Product Specifications for Dornbos Safety Traffic Signs

Dornbos safety and warning signs are built to be durable and easy to install. In addition to 3M HIP sheeting, specifications include:

• Constructed of heavy gauge, durable aluminum that remains rust-free
• Comes with a 3M guarantee to provide at least 10 years of no-fade service
• Signs come with holes already drilled at top and bottom center for easy installation

From simple yet straightforward warning signs like the X-ING sign, to more specialized signs such as the black and yellow Elk HIP sign, the Dornbos collection has signage for just about every safety precaution.

Posted by CopperSign 

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Dornbos’ Custom Vehicle Decals Product Review

Just about every time you drive down the road there’s a good chance you’ll see a car or truck with custom vehicle decals. These specialty signs are used by both public entities and private businesses to provide others with information. For businesses it’s an effective way to advertise, and for city or county officials decals are an important part of maintaining safety.

Dornbos Sign was among the first businesses to make custom vehicle decals part of their regular service offerings. Over 50 years ago Dornbos Sign began designing and creating high-quality vehicle decals, which they are well known for today.

Dornbos Vehicle Decal Services

Dornbos currently offers a broad range of decal services that assist customers through every stage of the process: designing, printing, cutting, stripping and wrapping. The company has worked on a wide variety of custom vehicle decals over the last five decades, including:

• Ambulance decals
• Fire truck decals
• Police car decals
• Big rig decals
• Decals for private vehicles

One look at our gallery will show the level of quality that goes into each decal. The products can be sized to fit virtually any vehicle using high performance materials like 3M Diamond Grade Reflective Sheeting. When you need custom vehicle decals Dornbos Sign is a company you can trust to meet your every need.

Posted by CopperSign 

5 Interesting or Funny Signs Found on the Web

Have you ever seen weird road signs and thought to yourself, “What were they thinking?” Well, so have we! Here are five of the most interesting traffic signs we’ve come across recently while surfing the web.

No Way Stop Sign

We’ve heard of a four-way stop, but a no way stop? When you can’t go left, right or forward that’s usually called a dead end. This is one of those funny traffic signs that come about because of construction. However, that still doesn’t explain the downward arrow.

Information Overload Sign

Traffic signs are made to provide drivers with information, but this set up is an information overload. Putting so many weird road signs all together is going to do nothing but confuse anyone that’s behind the wheel, especially the ones that have never come across this sign monstrosity before.

We hate to think of what the road ahead looks like, but hopefully additional signs were spread out along the way to give drivers a better idea of which way they need to take. That’s the secret to any good street sign – it provides information that gives drivers ample time to prepare.

Weird Road Signs about Weird Things Falling from the Sky

At a glance it may look like other ‘Watch for Falling Objects’ novelty street signs, but then you notice that the biggest rock has legs. We can only sympathize with the unlucky driver that actually had a cow land on their car, which prompted local authorities to put this sign up. On this stretch of road you not only have to look out for boulders, you have to look out for falling livestock too!

Good Luck Sign

At least these guys know how confusing their sign is. Whoever created this road system was setting people up for imminent failure. This is a perfect example of how important customized street signs can be. We’re pretty sure this is the only street sign of its kind out on the road (at least we hope so).

Learn to Fly Sign Becomes a Warning Sign

We’re assuming the signs came first on this one, and the landing spot of the plane was an unfortunate coincidence. Then again, the pilot could have just been following the signs. Regardless the plane in the tree probably isn’t good for business.

This is just a small sampling of the interesting traffic signs we’ve come across in over 50 years of making signage. We’ve even made a few ourselves when clients need something custom like a cow falling from a cliff.

Posted by CopperSign 

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

How to Successfully Install a Street Sign

Keeping roads safe for drivers, bikers and pedestrians is an ongoing job that requires signage. When street signs are damaged, stolen, inoperable or vandalized, or when traffic changes require modified signage getting the signs properly installed is key.

It may seem straightforward, but we get a lot of questions regarding how to install a new traffic sign. When you follow the steps below you’ll have your street sign installed in no time and can rest assured that it will stay that way.

How to Install a Street Sign

Before you break out the posthole diggers safety measures should be taken. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that in 2011, 122 workers were killed in roadway work zones. Protect yourself by:

Parking vehicles as far off the road as possible in the direction of traffic

Wearing a reflective safety vest and apparel

Putting out warning signs that drivers can see before they reach you

Now that the sign installer is properly safeguarded, let’s turn the focus to the installation.

Step 1. Determine the location of the street sign.

The purpose of the street sign will influence where it should be located. Most often street signs should be located on the right-hand side of the road several feet from the road shoulder and far enough ahead that people have adequate time to respond.

Before making the final decision check to make sure there are no cables or lines below the surface that can be damaged during the installation.

Step 2. Determine the pole you need and the surface type where you are installing the sign.

The surface where you’ll be installing the sign is most likely to be soil or concrete. This will impact the type of pole needed for the installation. Another factor that influences which pole you’ll use is the street sign being installed.

Safety should be the number one concern for choosing a pole. In most instances a base bending metal pole such as a steel u-post is an economical, safe option that will last for years.

Step 3. Measure the pole so that it sits 1.5 to 3 feet below the surface of the soil.

This will give the pole adequate support. The exact depth depends on the size of the sign being installed. Also keep in mind that signs on rural roads should be around 5’ from the ground, and in business, residential and urban areas signs should be around 7’ off the ground.

Step 4. Drill a hole on top of the sign to fit your pole.

Unless the sign comes pre-drilled you’ll need to drill a hole in the top and bottom of the sign to affix it to the post. Keep sign height in mind when determining where to drill the holes.

Step 5. Apply the proper bolts to secure the sign on the pole.

Now that the sign has been drilled and the holes are aligned with the pole the two can be affixed using bolts. There are a variety bolts that can be used to install a street sign such as head bolts and corner bolts. For the best protection opt for vandal resistant bolts that are designed to work with specialty nuts that cannot be removed without a specialized wrench.

Safety precautions and the right equipment make installing a new traffic sign simple and straightforward. If you have questions about proper signage and poles give us a call at 1-800-922-0029 and we’ll be happy to help.

Posted by CopperSign

Product Review of U-Channel Sign Posts

If you are looking for a sign post that is easy to assemble, mount and put into the ground, a U Channel sign post is perfect!

These metal sign posts have one side open, which looks like the letter “u”, hence the name. Because of the design and the open side, U-Channel sign posts easily sink into the ground. They also remain secure and stable as long as they are correctly assembled.

You can choose from green or galvanized U-Channel posts. When you buy a sign post from Dornbos Sign, they come to you predrilled with holes, to make your job easy! You can choose the size of your post based on length and weight. Choose from 8 feet to 14 feet in length. Dornbos Sign also offers discounts on bulk orders. So, if you are planning on ordering more than 10, expect big savings.

The 3lb sign posts are heavy duty and great to use to support a bigger sign or in an area where the winds are high. If you are hanging a smaller sign and you don’t need to worry about high winds, the 2lb sign post would be a perfect match.

Although these sign posts work great with any type of road sign, they work best with signs by Dornbos Sign. The posts come pre-drilled, so they are designed to align perfectly with signs directly through Dornbos Sign.

If you are not familiar with Dornbos Sign Inc., the company has been located in Michigan and has been in the commercial sign business for more than 60 years. Dornbos Sign produces high quality products and pays extra attention to detail. Specializing in street signage and posts, Dornbos can ship signs anywhere in the United States and even offers free shipping on select orders that are more than $99.

So if you are in the market for U-Channel sign posts, Dornbos is the place to be. Go ahead and check us out today!

Posted by CopperSign