Have you ever noticed how old, ugly, and unappealing some custom business signs are? If you happened to answer “no” to this question, your response isn’t that surprising either. People these days have an overabundance of visual stimuli, which leaves many signs virtually ignored. That means that if a sign happens to be faded, worn-out, or dull, most people won’t even consciously acknowledge its existence.

What a waste of company money.

With the increased competition for visual attention, many successful companies are finding their way to stand out with eye-catching custom business signs. Even better, they’re getting those signs installed the easy way with simple, turnkey service from a company that takes care of absolutely every stage of the hassle-filled signage process.

Not Sure What It Takes to Create and Install Custom Business Signs?

If you don’t know the process of creating custom business signs yet, you’re pretty lucky. The truth is: it’s a serious headache to get a sign designed, approved, manufactured, and installed…

Or is it?

Sure, it’s a time waster to deal with signage on your own, but when you work with the right signage company, you can skip the headache by eliminating the confusion and hassle that surrounds the end-to-end signage process.

NGS, one of the nation’s largest full-service sign and graphics providers, is the right signage company, offering turnkey service that covers you and your business every step of the way, from concept to completion.

When you work with NGS, your signage will be worry-free because we take care of:

• Design and Selection

In this stage, you figure out what you want. You’ll choose the type of signage you need, such as pylon, blade, or channel, and you’ll specify the design. Many signage companies will require that you already have a design ready for them, but NGS is happy to create an eye-catching, stand-out design for you. Not sure what type of sign you want? We can figure that out for you too.

• Administrative Hassles

Rules, laws, and regulations play a large role in the signage process and often can slow your project to a crawl. Your landlord’s restrictions can also complicate your plans, and, after a while, it may feel that everyone in the world is trying to get in the way of your signage goals. However, when you work with NGS, you don’t have to deal with any of the hassle because NGS will handle everything for you. And we mean everything: all the phone calls, all the approvals, all the permits. . . all done. During that time, you’ll get to keep focusing on your business.

• Manufacturing and Production

When it comes to the manufacturing and production of retail signs, there are two major factors that come into play: quality and reliability. With NGS handling manufacturing and production for you, you can trust that your sign will always be of the highest quality and made with the best materials – and you can also trust that you’ll get your sign when you need it. NGS works to meet your timeline, instead of the other way around.

• Installation

You’re busy. You have a business to run. You don’t have the time or energy to coordinate the installation of a retail sign, and, frankly, the thought of all that project management makes you cringe. Don’t put off your custom business signage project until that mythical date when you’ll “have more time.” Instead, let NGS handle everything for you. NGS will manage the entire project for you, and NGS installers will work around your business schedule to make sure there’s as little interference as possible with your day-to-day business.

When you have true professionals working for you every step of the way, the process for custom business signs becomes remarkably easy.

Need the city to approve that pylon sign by the road? No problem.

Need special forms and permissions for a lighted or channel sign? No worries.

Need a fast turnaround for multiple stores in your national chain? You’ve got it.

Truly, no matter what your signage needs are, NGS has got you covered.

Contact NGS to find out more about how your company can benefit from an easy, seamless turnkey process for custom business signs.  

The Surprising Method You Can Use to Manage Your Business Assets

You already know this, but we’re going to tell you again:

Improving your bottom line requires adequate asset management, so you can ensure that your buildings, fixtures, and equipment experience a long lifespan while losing as little value as possible.

Summer is coming on fast, so today we’ll be talking about how you can protect your merchandise and equipment from the sun while reducing the energy load on your building’s chillers.

Let’s get to it.

Your Asset Protection Options

Most managers think their only method for asset management is remodeling. A remodel project is great… except for its required construction downtime and prohibitively high costs. If possible, companies tend to avoid this expense if they have the option.

Most managers don’t realize that there is another way: Commercial Window Film.

Commercial window film is a low-cost solution that eliminates construction hassles and offers a significantly lower cost than remodeling. In fact, window film can increase the lifespan of your assets by protecting your merchandise and business from both thieves and sun damage. In addition, window film can reduce your lighting and HVAC costs too!

Here are some of the ways your business can increase the longevity of your assets at a fraction of the cost.

• Reduce Fading, Cracking, and Peeling for Your Merchandise

Solar film is a great low-cost solution if your merchandise, equipment, or furniture needs protection from the damaging effects of the sun.

The sun is great, but depending on where you live, it can really do a number on your bottom line. Help curb sun-related depreciation of your assets with solar film that blocks up to 99% of UV rays, which fade your fabric and upholstery, peel your paint, and crack your plastic inventory.

• Protect Your Goods from Wanna-Be Thieves and Taggers

Security and anti-graffiti film help increase your security and keep your windows looking beautiful – all at a fraction of the cost of glazing replacement and repair.

Security film offers your business protection from thieves by strengthening your glass against rocks, baseball bats, and other smash-and-grab tools. Anti-graffiti film protects your storefront from the costs of repairing graffiti and etching by providing a peel-off film that leaves your glass looking as good as new within minutes.

• Harvest Daylight to Lower Your Lighting Costs

Reduce lighting costs the high-tech way with the surprisingly affordable prismatic film that brings beautiful sunlight deeper into your building for longer in the day.

Most building and retail managers have never heard of Daylight Redirecting Film from 3M – and that’s a shame. This innovative solution actually redirects sunlight toward the ceiling as it passes through your windows, which reduces your need for electric, artificial lighting. Studies show that better, more comfortable lighting also significantly increases employee productivity and customer satisfaction, which helps build a fast ROI along with your cost savings for years to come.

• Optimize Your HVAC Costs in Summer and Winter

Keep heating and cooling costs manageable and predictable year-round with film that blocks heat in the summer and cold in the winter.

Thermal films are a fantastic option for businesses or building managers that want to cut down on their ongoing costs of heating and cooling. Whether your buildings have uncomfortable hot spots in the summer or you’re looking to increase your sustainability measures year-round, thermal films can help you keep your operating costs under control.

Help Ensure Your Business’s Future with Smart Asset Management

We think it was Benjamin Franklin who famously said that “A penny saved is a penny earned.” That’s never been truer than it is now. The pace of modern business is moving faster than ever before, and new disruptors hit the market all the time. The best way for you to stay ahead of the curve is to reduce your ongoing asset costs so you can save your money and reinvest it into competitive, business-building strategies.

And one of the smartest ways to do so is to control your costs by properly managing your assets.

Instead of spending your time and money on remodeling, you may find a smarter, more cost-effective solution by investigating the many benefits and options you have available with commercial window film.

Contact NGS Films and Graphics to learn more about your options for commercial window film. Call us at (866) 925-2083.

Everyone knows the phrase: “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” When it comes to your business, that vital first impression often comes from the building and space you’re working with.

Take a second right now to envision what people see when they first walk in. Have you had upgrades, fixes, or remodeling projects you’ve put off because of cost or time constraints? How old and outdated are your interiors and exteriors? Have you considered resurfacing instead of remodeling?

Why Many Companies Choose Resurfacing

If you haven’t looked into resurfacing as an option, you might be surprised at some of the advantages this process can offer a business like yours. Here are some of the ways you might benefit from a simple resurfacing job instead of a full remodel.

• Less Cost

One problem that everyone has with full renovation is the price tag. Remodeling even one room or area can be far costlier than you would expect. Conversely, resurfacing with architectural film gives you that brand-new appearance that comes from remodeling without all those expensive bills.

• Less Disruption

Remodeling results in a business disruption. It’s unavoidable. Either you have to close your store for a few days or you have to stay open while workmen saw and hammer away in the background, but no matter what: when your business is disrupted, it costs you money. Architectural film like 3M DI-NOC or Belbien require minor preparation, no demolition, and minimal equipment, allowing for a quick installation process that doesn’t interrupt your daily business.

• Less Waste

When you remodel your building, you must throw out all the old parts and replace them entirely. This creates a large amount of unnecessary waste and isn’t a very eco-friendly solution. Most surfaces are just outdated and need a makeover; they are not so structurally unsound as to need a full replacement. When you resurface with architectural film it eliminates this pointless and costly waste.

• Less Time

Time is the ever-present obstacle in any business. One of the reasons that businesses don’t remodel is because of the downtime they’d have to face because every hour that your business is closed results in a reduction of your profits. The loss of revenues added to the high price of remodeling can make it seem like you’re paying for your upgrades twice. Architectural film gives you the great new look you desire in a fraction of the time. In fact, most architectural film resurfacing projects can be completed in just a few hours or overnight.

• All the Appeal

A common misunderstanding people have when considering resurfacing instead of remodeling is that they worry their decorative options will be limited. With the wide array of styles, colors, and patterns available in both Belbien and 3M DI-NOC, companies that choose resurfacing have a virtually unlimited range of possibility to choose from. Films can even realistically simulate metal, stone, or wood finishes.

And the benefits aren’t limited to architectural film solutions; full-size wall murals with full-size digital images can also reinvent your space for a fraction of the cost and time of a remodel. Not only do “super graphics” provide better branding opportunities for your company, they also add a fresh, new feeling to any of your interior spaces.

Making the Choice Between Resurfacing and Remodeling

If time and cost aren’t your top concerns, you may still be having trouble deciding whether to choose a remodel or resurfacing project. To help, here’s a simple guide:

• Choose remodeling if the areas you’re concerned with are in such bad shape that they need complete replacement.
• Choose resurfacing if the areas that you’re concerned with are simply worn-out or outdated.

It is also wise to consider that resurfacing tends to only last about a decade, whereas remodeling can last much, much longer. If your company wishes to make near-permanent changes, remodeling may be the best solution. Of course, if you suspect you may want to update your look again in a few years, resurfacing will provide you with the flexibility to do that.

The Most Important Choice for Your Project

No matter which path you choose, you’ll want to ensure you choose the right service company to perform the work.

Finding the right company to professionally install the architectural film that will upgrade the appearance of your business is every bit as important as finding the right remodeling crew. (After all, you wouldn’t let anyone with a sledgehammer and some power tools remodel, would you?)

As one of the leading film and graphics companies in the U.S., NGS Films and Graphics can provide you with a wide range of best-of-breed products and services that will make your project a success. At NGS, we’ve got you covered.

Contact NGS at (866) 925-2083 to discover all the options available to help your business get the new look and upgrade it needs.

Ah, the New Year! Filled with new business plans and strategies, everything in this season revolves around improvement. It’s the time when you look back at the previous year and figure out how things can be even better.

One great way to improve is to save money on energy costs. Being the savvy business owner you are, you undoubtedly already know that window film can provide cost savings for your building, but you aren’t exactly sure how a window film project works.

To give you a better idea of what to expect in your company’s window film project, NGS Films and Graphics is here with a breakdown of every stage in the process. Let’s get to it.

1. Consultation

The process starts with a conversation about what you want your project to achieve. This conversation will usually include a walkthrough of your space, and we’ll ask questions like:

• What’s the desired effect of this project?
• Do you want to lower your building’s heating and cooling costs?
• Do you need better security?
• Are you looking to improve the aesthetic appeal of your building or workspace?

If you’re not sure what you want, NGS’s window film professionals can help you find the proper solution for your building’s unique needs by giving you an accurate, real-life view of the beneficial effects of different films on different parts of your building. We do this using building modeling and energy modeling.

• Building modeling creates a 3D image of your entire structure so you can view a “before” and “after” image.
• Energy modeling calculates your cost savings over time for various energy-efficient upgrades, such as Low E film, daylight redirecting film, and solar film.

Since we want to ensure that your project turns out perfectly, this consultation will probably be the longest part of your window film project.

2. Selection and Production

After the consultation, you’ll have all the information you need about the different types of film that make sense for your project, and how you’ll benefit when they’re applied to your building’s interiors or exteriors.

Since NGS Films and Graphics has access to industry-leading manufacturers and offers the best-in-class film solutions on the market, this means you’ll have a lot of options to choose from. You’ll need to narrow down your options to get your perfect solution.

If no off-the-shelf solution works for your specific needs, you can always have NGS design unique, customized film that meets your criteria, such as displaying your brand and graphics or matching the design of your building and workspaces. If you’d like, you can also choose different films for different floors or sides of your building, so you can maximize your efficiency and impact.

After this stage, NGS handles all the details for you so you can get back to focusing on your business. All you’ll need to do is look forward to your soon-to-be-finished film, graphics, or signage project.

3. Coordination

For this part of the project, hiring the best in the business will demonstrate the critical difference between a success and a disaster. That’s because this phase relies heavily on effective project management; only a small handful of window film consultants are also effective project managers.

To enjoy a hassle-free project, you’ll need a window film company that plans and manages all aspects of your project so you don’t have to juggle multiple schedules for work crews. A well-coordinated project finishes on time and on budget – which is what you can expect from NGS.

4. Installation

This is when the workers actually show up and begin working on your building. It’s okay if you thought this was the only stage to a window film project; many people don’t realize all the work that happens behind the scenes before film ever touches their windows.

During installation, window film is typically applied one floor at a time, starting from the bottom and working toward the top, or vice versa. The length of time needed for a given installation will vary according to many factors such as the type of film, the conditions for installation, the weather, coordination of schedules with other work crews on-site, and, of course, your personal preferences.

5. Satisfaction

This is the best stage. It’s when you get to relax and fully enjoy the advantages of your upgrades and improvements. All that’s needed now is for you to sit back and watch your benefits take effect.

On most window film projects, your staff will be able to tell the difference almost immediately and your wallet will feel the difference within a few short months. Plus, since this stage lasts for years and years, you know you’ll have time to enjoy it.

Plan for Your Project’s Success

The most important part of the whole window film process is that you choose the right company to execute each stage without disrupting your business’s daily functions.

Sadly, not all window film consultants have the capability or interest in working around your schedule and your needs. NGS Films and Graphics does, which is just one of the many reasons we’ve been named the #1 Commercial Window Film Company in the nation.

We look forward to serving you.

Contact NGS at (866) 925-2083 to discover all the options available to help your business realize maximum cost savings and energy efficiency in the New Year.

When it comes to film and graphics solutions for your building’s interiors and exteriors, you may have started to look into your options already… but you probably realized quite quickly that the vast range and variety available to you can become overwhelming. This blog will help orient you to some of the more popular solutions and manufacturers so you can continue your research with more ease.

As you read through this blog, remember that there are many, many more options and manufacturers available to you and your company. Call (866) 925-2083 to find out about the full range of your options.

But first, let’s talk about the various types of films you have available to you.

In a world of thousands of film options, the sky’s the limit for the film properties or combinations you can get, but some general options include:

• Reflective/Traditional – keeps heat out and modernizes building aesthetic
• Low E – reduces temperature loss to keep costs down year-round
• Exterior – applies to the exterior of your windows
• Ceramic – blocks heat with a warm, natural-toned look and low reflectivity
• Neutral – offers great transparency without color tones
• Spectrally Select – offers heat rejection while allowing maximum light transmission (with minimal, if any, change to the appearance of the glass)
• Security – provides anti-theft, anti-graffiti, and anti-blast protection
• Plastic Glazing – applies to impact-resistant polycarbonate glazing
• Daylight Redirecting – uses cutting-edge tech to eliminate glare while harvesting light in your building, so you can comfortably reduce lighting costs
• Decorative – provides privacy and visual appeal for exteriors and interiors with customizable patterns and colors

Each of the following manufacturers offers a combination of these films, leveraging their own unique spin and expertise to help you get what you need for your building’s size, energy needs, architectural and glazing features, and other factors.

3M

With a focus on scientific innovation, 3M leads the pack in solar, architectural, decorative, and security film manufacturing, offering well-known brands such as:

• Thinsulate – one of the leaders in insulating, Low E capabilities
• DI-NOC – highly durable architectural film that updates interiors and exteriors of any material with astonishingly realistic, natural-looking patterns such as metals, woods, leather, stone, and more
• Fasara – polyester-based decorative films in various colors and patterns

In addition to classic tinted, reflective, or clear solutions, 3M also provides a full-range of energy-saving films proven to reduce HVAC and lighting costs as soon as they’re applied.

Along with their well-known film brands, 3M also offers print media films for printed graphics that enhance your building’s interiors and exteriors, windows, sidewalks, and floors so that, no matter where your customers or prospects look, your brand will be right in front of them.

Hanita Coatings

Hanita differentiates themselves by providing world-leading solutions for solar and security film made for glass or plastic windows. Hanita’s name brands, SolarZone, SafetyZone, and PolyZone may be less well known than 3M’s brands, but they offer the same outstanding 12-year warranty for commercial films.

A leader in print graphics as well, Hanita’s plastic substrates provide highly durable, distortion-resistant print media that offer water resistance, tear resistance, optical clarity, and other long-term benefits ideal for a variety of applications and locations.

Madico

Providing award-winning laminating and coating solutions that offer high performance for a wide range of uses, Madico’s complex, multi-layered films span brands such as Sunscape (Sun-Gard), SafetyShield, and Decolite.

Madico wasn’t only the first company to successfully commercialize transparent reflective window films in 1958, they have also maintained a stance of consistent innovation for nearly 100 years to provide outstanding solutions for many applications. Most recently, they’ve been focusing on safety films, including coverage for technical glass such as fire-rated and wire glass.

Madico’s safety solutions reduce spall from small and large missile impacts, and they have performed admirably when tested with ASTM, ANSI, and other testing standards. Madico does not manufacture print graphics.

Solar Gard

Yes, we know it can be hard to remember the difference between Madico’s “Sun Gard” and the manufacturer “Solar Gard”, but it’s worth it to know how these brands stand apart from one another.

Solar Gard’s films include brands such as Ecolux, Solar Gard, Panorama, and Armorcoat, offering everything from solar protection to energy savings to security film to anti-graffiti solutions.

Solar Gard is part of Saint Gobain, the world’s only manufacturer of both glass and window films. Saint Gobain has over 350 years of experience in glass manufacturing, which, when combined with Solar Gard’s more than 40 years of film and coating expertise, makes for a great product with proven results.

Solar Gard does not manufacture printed graphics media, but they do offer decorative films that come in custom colors, patterns, and designs to meet your precise needs.

Eastman Chemical

Founded in 1920 by George Eastman of Eastman Kodak, this company focuses on the chemical compositions that create both window films and print graphics. That’s right: not only does Eastman Chemical offer several well-known brands from their window film manufacturing plant—the largest in the world—they also invented many of the materials that compose modern window films. Their brands include:

• LLumar – a wide variety of films: reflective clear, spectrally select, Low E, ceramic, decorative, security, and more; used in Buckingham Palace and the Vatican
• Vista – also a wide range of window film variety, with custom colors, solar films, exterior and interior applications, or virtually any combination of LLumar and Vista offerings
• V-KOOL – the first high-tech, clear film in the industry and one of Popular Science magazine’s Top 100 Inventions of the Millennium; uses “sputtering” for clarity and is great for storefront displays
• SunTek – highly secure films tested to government standards for break-ins, blasts, and impacts, includes innovations such as one-way privacy mirrors, dual-reflective films, and solar/decorative combinations

Though Eastman Chemical doesn’t directly manufacture signs, graphics inks, or substrates, their leading status in the chemical industry means that there’s a high likelihood your print graphics leverage Eastman’s expertise to ensure the finished product’s quality and longevity.

Whatever You Need, NGS Films and Graphics Has Got You Covered

When you’re looking for the best solution for solar film, security film, decorative film, energy-saving film, anti-graffiti film, architectural film… or even gorgeous print graphics and substrates, NGS can help you find the perfect solution.

Other window film vendors limit themselves to partnering with only one manufacturer, which gives you a limited palette to choose from; with NGS, your palette is never limited. NGS Films and Graphics believes you deserve to know the full spectrum of your options all the time – and that includes many we haven’t mentioned here in this post.

Contact NGS Films and Graphics at (866) 925-2083 to learn more about your options for film and print graphics. You’ll be surprised at how much there is to see.