Throughout office settings, signs are posted virtually everywhere from the front door and reception area, to hallways, executive suites, conference rooms, and even the break room. In most instances, there is virtually no room or area spared from these notifications or instructions, including grounds and building maintenance. This is the case whether the signs are informal, formal, or mandated by law.
Signs everywhere
Signs are used in many ways. In business parks or professional offices, signs can establish regular or seasonal operating hours, provide directional guidance, identify locations, call out points of interest, or specify certain areas as off limits.
In office environments, signs are used to identify rooms or conference areas, prohibit smoking, and request visitor sign in. Signs communicate HR notices, rules, and reminders to personnel. In break rooms, signs spell out refrigerator rules and remind staff to keep the premises clean.
Because these signs can be located in high traffic areas, the sheets of paper, cardstock, sheet protectors, laminated sheets, and posters used must not only present an impeccably professional image, but also stand up to a harsher environment.
This is where the problem lies. Since many of the options used for ad hoc signs are not designed specifically for high traffic office use, they may not look professional or be sufficiently resistant to wear and tear from frequent touching and handling or the cleansers utilized in such environments. As a result, they are damaged easily and must be replaced frequently.
Oftentimes, permanent signs are not an option because of landlord regulations. In those situations, options for facility managers can be limited. Many signs can cause considerable damage to the underlying surfaces when taped, tacked, nailed or screwed to walls, glass, or equipment. Sign removal can also leave behind unsightly residual tape or adhesive. This is exacerbated when signs include information that is regularly updated or changed, such as for seasonal operating hours or instructions.
The ideal solution would be signage that is easy to install, durable enough to endure harsh conditions, yet comes off easily when necessary, leaving no trace.
“Commercial office labels used as signage must be more durable than those used in a lower use office, but also should remove cleanly when they need to come down,” says Tina Huff, Group Product Manager at Avery Products Corporation. For us, the key to accomplishing this was developing an adhesive that holds well but can be removed when needed. Achieving that balance is harder than it sounds.”
As the result of this effort, new Avery Surface Safe Sign Labels have an exclusive and proprietary construction specially engineered to stick securely yet remove cleanly without damage or residue from painted walls, doors, windows, furnishings, equipment, and other interior surfaces.
These “labels used as signs” are made of durable, commercial-grade material that resists water, chemicals and even abrasion. Available in a variety of sizes, they print easily on standard laser or inkjet printers, opening a world of possibilities for custom, do-it-yourself signs.
Unlike standard office labels with a paper substrate, the topcoat of the commercial sign labels is waterproof and chemical resistant, while its polyester substrate is a durable, scuff and tear-resistant film.
These qualities are ideal for safety-related signage mandated by regulation or required by company policy.
For instance, commercial office managers and safety officers or engineers will want signs compliant with OSHA 1910.145 (Specifications for Accident Prevention Signs and Tags) and ANSI Z535.4 (Product Safety Signs and Labels).
Although standardized safety signs can be purchased out of catalogues, there is often a need to modify or customize mandated signage as conditions or formats change.
On-demand printing solutions have traditionally required a large upfront investment of thousands of dollars, including a specialized sign and label printer, software, labels, and ribbons.
In response, industry innovators such as Avery have developed a simplified, flexible approach using standard laser and ink jet printers. The company’s free online Design and Print Software enables customizable printing utilizing OSHA/ANSI compliant templates.
Employees can create and print their own informal, formal, or compliant labels from pre-designed templates or create them step-by-step on demand at a desk or service counter. Most employees find the process intuitive, since it resembles creating an office document from pre-designed templates.
With all the signage used throughout commercial office settings, the ability to conveniently print new sign labels in minutes and cleanly remove the old will go a long way toward keeping the whole operation safely up to date and professional looking without the hassle, mess or cost.
For more information visit www.Avery.com/signs.
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