We have the perfect solution for a sign shop trying to upgrade a building directory to digital. The existing directory is almost never the correct size for the digital screen to drop in as a direct replacement so the sign shop has to fabricate decorative faceplates to complement the screen.
The before and after pictures show a bank building with an out of date directory cut into its marble walls. When the building was renovated, the marble is too expensive to replace so a stainless steel faceplate fabricated by one of our sign shop partners adapts the digital screen to the existing opening while complementing the directory and adding to the modern look of the digital screen. This particular building is in downtown Los Angeles and has a 47 inch screen in the lobby and a 42 inch screen in the garage.
The directory itself is connected to the building’s computer network so it can be changed anytime from the office computer. It also has a live news feed with financial headlines and the local weather. This building owner opted for a clean black background with high contrast white text and areas set aside for building management and leasing contact information.
Some building owners put floor plans on the screen, some install them in portrait orientation and some new buildings add a recess in the wall to install a screen without a faceplate. Once installed the artwork on the screen can be changed anytime but our directories have a feature that greatly reduces the need to create artwork.
The directories shown here use our text over image technology to create the tenant listings. The only artwork is the background image which in this case is solid black. The white text is a layer over the black background created by a character generator in the server. If a tenant change is required, the operator simply has to type the change into directory file and the server changes the screen. The only graphics on this screen are the plain black background and the JPEG pictures in the building management and leasing spaces. These spaces can have several pictures or videos. The news headlines and local weather come from the network and require no attention from the operator.
These directories are not interactive touch screens; they are digital signage and thus inexpensive. The screens pictured are our standard directory package shown in the products section of our website. For this project, the electronics was the lowest cost item. The installation required multiple floor wiring and the faceplates are stainless steel with custom letters fabricated to match the existing building graphics. But this is a high end building and the new directories were part of a much larger project to renovate the lobby and public areas and the digital directories enhance the new décor.
