Signature Sign & Image recently designed, fabricated and installed a new dimensional sign that welcomes visitors to its hometown of Niagara Falls, Ont., as they arrive from the U.S. over the Rainbow Bridge border crossing. Inspired by vintage postcards, it adds a touch of bright colour to the side of Highway 420 near Powell Avenue, less than 500 m (1,640 ft) from the border.
Signature Sign＆Image为安大略省的尼亚加拉瀑布城设计、制作并安装了一个立体标识，以欢迎来自美国并经过虹桥边境的游客。受到复古明信片的启发，它们将这个立体标识安装在距离边境不到500米（1,640英尺）的鲍威尔大道附近的420号高速公路旁，为这里的风景增添了一抹亮色。
A time to celebrate
值得庆祝的时候
The project began in spring 2017, when the municipal government asked for design bids. City council would fund the sign as part of its Canada 150 events, which also had federal support.
该项目始于2017年春季，当时市政府要求进行设计投标。市议会将把这次的标识项目作为加拿大150周年庆典的一部分以提供相应的资金，联邦政府也会有相应的资金支持。
“It was strange how there was nothing in the area to welcome the many American tourists who use the bridge to arrive in Canada,” explains Emily Butko, graphic designer and marketing director for Signature Sign. “We had made other ‘welcome’ signs for people coming to the Falls from Toronto and St. Catharines, Ont., so once the city had the Canada 150 funding, they asked us to bid on this project.”
Signature Sign的平面设计师兼营销总监Emily Butko解释道：“奇怪的是，这个地区没有任何标识可以用来欢迎大量通过虹桥抵达加拿大的美国游客。另一方面，我们已经为来自多伦多和安大略省圣凯瑟琳市的游客制作了‘欢迎’标识，因此，一旦该城市获得了加拿大150周年庆典的项目启动资金，他们就会要求我们竞标这个项目。”
Given the nature of the location, facing east toward the U.S. border, the city’s criteria for the sign included a requirement to integrate the slogan, ‘Gateway to Canada.’ Signature Sign submitted two concepts with its bid in June 2017. One of these, designed by Butko, was selected in September.
考虑到该地区朝向美国边境东部的方位性质，对于标识制作的要求是必须将“加拿大入口”的标语融入进新制作的标识中。Signature Sign在2017年6月向竞标机构提交了两种概念的标识设计。其中由Butko设计的方案在九月成功入选。
“The inspiration came from my mom’s collection of vintage Niagara Falls postcards and other memorabilia, which featured iconic local ../images within each of the letters spelling out the place name,” she explains. “That style, with big, chunky letters, was very popular in the 1950s and ’60s. I visited antique malls in Niagara Falls, N.Y., and bought a tonne of those postcards for reference.”
Butko解释说：“标识设计的灵感来自我母亲那些复古的尼亚加拉瀑布明信片和其他纪念品，其中的每个字母都十分具有当地特色并且拼出了相应的地名，这种大而厚实的字母风格在20世纪50~60年代非常流行。我参观了纽约州尼亚加拉大瀑布城的古董商场，并购买了大量的特色明信片作为参考。”
Selecting ../images
选定标识图像
With a combination of stock, client-supplied and newly purpose-shot photos, Butko used graphic design software to add a ‘painterly’ effect to the ../images.
在将原有保存、客户提供和新拍摄的照片相互参考之后，Butko使用图形设计软件为图像添加了美化效果。
“It also took a lot of tweaking in Adobe Photoshop to make the ../images fit well in the letters,” she says. “Then we had to go back and forth with the city over the content in each letter. That was the most challenging and time-consuming part of the project.”
Butko说：“即使使用PS也需要进行大量的调整才能使图像很好地适应标识的设计。因此，我们不得不为了确认每个字母代表的内容而在一些城市中来回进行考察，这个过程是该项目中最具挑战性和最耗时的部分。”
A volunteer committee led by Chris Dabrowski, co-owner of the Niagara Falls Comic Con, was in charge of organizing local Canada 150 events and legacy projects throughout 2017. The sign was this committee’s final project and all members had input for the design, especially the photos in each letter. In one case, for example, an outdated photo of the Maid of the Mist boat tour was replaced to showcase the newer Hornblower Niagara Cruises vessel.
由尼亚加拉瀑布漫画公司的共同所有人Chris Dabrowski领导的志愿者委员会负责在2017年全年组织加拿大150周年庆典活动和遗产项目管理。该委员会的最终项目就是制作此项特色标识，所有人都对标识的设计有所付出，特别是每个字母中的照片。例如，他们将标识中过时的雾中少女号游船的照片替换成了新的尼亚加拉瀑布号角者号游船的照片。
The final selection of ../images also included the Horseshoe Falls, fireworks, the Skylon Tower, the Niagara Skywheel and dice to represent both Casino Niagara and the Fallsview Casino, among other iconic ../images.
最终定好的标识图像还包括马蹄瀑布、烟花、摩天塔、施格林观景塔、尼亚加拉摩天轮、具有代表性的尼亚加拉赌场和 Fallsview赌场，以及其他当地的标志性图像。
“I designed the sign through February 2018,” says Butko. “During that time, while the actual contents of the letters were revised, the original technical drawings did not really change. It was fabricated and installed over a one-month period, from February into March.”
Butko说：“一直到2018年2月，我才真正完成了标识的图形设计，在此期间，我不断对标识的字母图像进行了相应的修改，但是最初的设计理念并没有真正的改变。从2月到3月，它是在一个月之内安装完成的。”
From banner to sign
从图形到实体标识
The city’s design criteria included a maximum size for the sign, requiring it to be no taller than 3.4 m (11 ft) and no wider than 9.1 m (30 ft). In the end, it would measure 3.4 x 7.3 m (11 x 24 ft). The angle at which it would be installed was determined using a 100 per cent scale banner, which Signature Signs temporarily hung on-site from two bucket trucks, so as to gain Mayor Jim Diodati’s approval of the exact location and angle.
城市的设计标准对标识的尺寸进行了相应的规定，要求标识高不超过3.4米（11英尺），宽不超过9.1米（30英尺）。最后，标识的尺寸定为3.4 x 7.3米（11 x 24英尺）并使用精确的标尺对标识的安装角度进行了确定，Signature Signs暂时将两辆大卡车开进了现场，让卡车举起了标识的设计图，以方便让Jim Diodati市长确认标识的安装方位和角度。
The aforementioned technical drawings for the sign and its footing were prepared by Signature Sign vice-president (VP) Mark Wallis and stamped by a certified engineer. Most of the sign was built from aluminum, due to its versatility, low weight and ease of manipulation, while a stonemason built the base to match a nearby Victoria Avenue bridge, using decorative stone.
之前提到的标识和基台的工程图纸都是由Signature Sign副总裁Mark Wallis准备并交给经过认证的工程师盖章确认过的。出于铝制材料的多功能性、重量轻和易于操作等特点，大多数标识都是由铝制材料制作而成的，而石匠则使用装饰石建造标识的基台，与附近的维多利亚大道大桥相得益彰。
Most of the components were coated with AkzoNobel’s paints and Grip-Gard EFx-LV high-solid polyurethane (PU) topcoat specifically formulated for signage.
大部分组件均涂有AkzoNobel涂料和专为标识材料配制的Grip-Gard EFx-LV高固体聚氨酯（PU）面漆。
“We use an intermix toner system that can match thousands of solid and metallic colours in any gloss level,” Wallis explains. “We upgraded our paint system in January and, while no metallic colours were used on this sign, it was one of the first we painted using the new system.”
Wallis解释说：“我们使用的混合油墨系统可以在各种光泽度的情况下，匹配数千种固体和金属色。我们在1月份升级了我们的油墨系统，虽然在这个标识上没有使用金属色，但它是我们使用新系统绘制的第一个标识。”
An updateable landmark
可实时更新的标识
The 1.2 to 1.8-m (4 to 6-ft) tall letter faces, meanwhile, were designed to be changeable, rather than permanent.
同时，1.2~1.8米（4~6英尺）高的标识表面可以进行实时更新，并不是永久不变的。
“Part of the vision for this sign is the city can come to us in the future with updates,” Butko explains. “When Niagara Falls hosts the Canada Games in 2020, for example, we can swap out the faces with newly printed graphics featuring those sports. We could also do a special series of ../images for the Winter Festival of Lights.”
Butko解释道：“在未来，我们可以随时根据城市需要对标识图形进行更新。例如，在2020年的时候，尼亚加拉大瀑布旁将举办加拿大运动会。届时，我们可以使用这些以运动为主题的新印刷图形来替换掉旧的图形。同时，我们还可以为冬季彩灯节制作一系列特别的图像。”
As such, the letters feature two-part printed graphics. Using an Epson SureColor S60600 ‘eco-solvent’ inkjet press, the graphics were reverse-printed on 3M Canada’s Scotchcal IJ3650-114 transparent film with pressure-sensitive adhesive, backed up by IJ3630-20 translucent white matte film, and applied to the second surface of Covestro Plastics’ Makrolon clear polycarbonate sheeting.
因此，标识字母将由两层印刷图形组成。第一层图形使用爱普生 SureColor S60600‘环保溶剂’喷墨打印机，在3M Canada的Scotchcal IJ3650-114透明薄膜上使用压敏粘合剂反向印刷图形，并使用IJ3630-20半透明白色哑光薄膜进行覆膜，第二层图形则是由Covestro的透明聚碳酸酯板材制作而成。
The more permanent ‘Welcome to’ and ‘Gateway to Canada’ graphics were produced using cut vinyl—specifically, 3M’s new Scotchcal 3630-56 ‘glacial green’ translucent graphic film, backed up with a white translucent film. The vinyl and paint mask were cut on a Mimaki CG-160 FXII plotter and the graphics were applied to their substrates on CWT Worktools’ 1640-base lamination table.
而永久使用的“欢迎”和“加拿大入口”图形将使用切割乙烯基材料——正面采用3M新推出的Scotchcal 3630-56‘冰绿色’半透明图形薄膜，背面则采用白色半透明薄膜。使用Mimaki CG-160 FXII绘图仪切割乙烯基材料和进行喷涂工序来完成图形的制作，并将图形应用于CWT Worktools'1640基础层压设备输出的基板上。
Wintertime installation
在冬季安装
The main deadline facing the project was the mayor’s annual state of the city address, scheduled for Mar. 22, 2018.
该项目的完工日期定于市长任期之内，具体时间为2018年3月22日。
The footing was dug and the stone base was completed in January, before the sign was even built. Once it was finished, including the many graphic revisions, its installation could finally proceed in March.
在标识还未制作完成之前，1月份已经完成了基台部分的挖掘和安装。一旦图形修订结束，标识制作完成，安装就将在3月进行。
“Given the time of year, there were weather delays for the sign’s installation, but we had to get it out to the site,” says Butko, “not just to meet the deadline, but also because it is a very large sign that took up most of our shop!”
Butko说：“考虑到季节的因素，标识可能会因为天气问题而延迟安装，但我们必须首先把它送往现场，这不仅是因为完工日期的限制，还因为这个标识实在是太大了，占据了我们商店大部分空间。”
Despite further snowstorms, the installation went smoothly.
尽管暴风雪不断加强，但是标识安装进展一直很顺利。
“The sign was more or less assembled when it was transported to the site,” says Wallis. “Two of the largest letters had to be removed beforehand, so it could be safely strapped upright to our 9.1-m (30-ft) long trailer. Once the sign was secured on-site to the mounting bar, those letters were reinstalled.”
Wallis说：“被运输到现场的标识零件或多或少都已被部分组装了起来，但是有两个最大的字母标识必须事先拆除，才能将它们安全地绑在我们9.1米（30英尺）长的拖车上。一旦标识在现场被安装到支架上后，那些字母就会被重新组装。”
Aside from some perimeter light-emitting diodes (LEDs), the sign is not illuminated.
除了一些周边的LED光源，标识本身不具有照明功能。
“We could add uplighting in the future,” says Butko. “This is a suggestion we made to the city afterwards. So far, no decision has been finalized.”
Butko说：“我们可以为标识增加光源照明，但这是我日后会提出的建议了。到目前为止，还未做出任何最终决定。”
Greeted with pride
令人骄傲的“欢迎”标识
The volunteer committee was happy with the results and Diodati announced the sign’s completion and installation during his state of the city address.
志愿者委员会对标识成果非常满意，Diodati在他的任职期间宣布了标识的完成和安装。
While the sign’s big, bright letters are primarily intended to be viewed by drivers as they pass by the site, they can also serve as a backdrop for pedestrian photo opportunities.
虽然这个高大明亮的标识主要是为了让路过的司机明辨方向，但它也可以作为游客拍照纪念的背景。
“It’s near a neighbourhood where you could park your car and walk down a path to get to the sign,” Butko explains. “That path is not really well-known, but people could visit the site to take selfies, a bit like they do with the three-dimensional (3-D) sign at Toronto’s Nathan Philips Square.”
Butko解释道：“这个标识离周围的一个停车区很近，当你将车停好后，可以沿着小路走到标识附近。这条路不是很好找，人们可以自助上网搜索路线，就像在多伦多弥敦菲利普广场上寻找当地的特色立体标识一样。” |
