Key Takeaways
- A single act of vandalism costs the average small business roughly $3,370.
- Identity Group manufactures vandal-resistant and vandal-proof signage using compression technology.
- Applied tactile and photopolymer signs are vandal-resistant by design.
- Thermoformed signs are vandal-proof because tactile copy and braille are permanently embedded in the acrylic.
- Choosing the right manufacturing process up front protects your signage investment over time.
Introduction
When architectural signage gets vandalized, the default options sound limited: cover the damage or replace the sign altogether. There is a better play. Manufacture for vandalism resistance from day one.
A single incident of vandalism costs the average small business about $3,370, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration. That number compounds quickly across multi-site programs.
Identity Group manufactures thermoformed signage, a build engineered to be vandal-proof. We also produce applied tactile and photopolymer signs, both vandal-resistant. Here is how each one works.
What you need to know:
- Compression Technology
- Vandal-Resistant: Applied Tactile Signs
- Vandal-Resistant: Photopolymer Signs
- Vandal-Proof: Thermoformed Signs
- Be Proactive About Vandalism
1. Compression Technology
Start with the foundation. Identity Group uses compression technology to build every sign we make. The process runs in three steps, with specifics that shift based on the finish and texture you need.
The specifications that differentiate each build:
- Applied tactile sign: laser-cut text and braille beads
- Photopolymer sign: raised text and braille beads
- Thermoformed sign: raised copy, symbols, and braille produced through a custom mold
Different builds. Different finishes. Different textures. The right question for any operator is which one fits your environment and how proactive you want to be about vandalism.
2. Vandal-Resistant: Applied Tactile Signs
An applied tactile sign is built by precisely laser-cutting text and adhering it to a sign substrate alongside inset braille beads. With Identity Group's compression tactile process, text and graphics fully fuse in standard and custom colors, metal, or real wood across a variety of substrates.
The applied tactile sign is difficult to deface for two reasons. First, the fuse itself is permanent. Second, other build features like process-cured ink, laser fabrication, and injection molding add layers of durability that stack against everyday wear and intentional damage.
3. Vandal-Resistant: Photopolymer Signs
A photopolymer sign starts as a digital image converted into a negative and transferred onto a photopolymer sheet. Lettering enters production black because color is added at the very end. The photopolymer sheet is exposed to ultraviolet light, washed, dried, and exposed again. A clear film carrying the final color is applied to complete the sign.
Identity Group's patented photopolymer design is vandal-resistant because every feature is one-piece. Our acrylic signs are built with fused raised text and inset braille beads. There is nothing to peel off, snap off, or pry away.
4. Vandal-Proof: Thermoformed Signs
One step sets thermoformed signs apart from every other build: the mold. During compression, the acrylic sign is pressed into a custom-routed mold under high heat, producing raised copy, symbols, and braille that become part of the sign itself.
Tactile copy and braille on a thermoformed sign are extremely difficult to remove because they are permanently embedded into the acrylic. The same process delivers a rich, textured finish. IdG can produce fully fused text and graphics in standard or custom colors, in metal or real wood, across a wide variety of substrates.
Embedded tactile copy combined with full-strength compression is what makes thermoformed signs vandal-proof, not just vandal-resistant.
5. Be Proactive About Vandalism
Whatever industry you operate in, vandalism is a risk worth designing against. Choosing compression-built signage from the start means fewer replacements, fewer service calls, and lower lifetime cost.