There's no denying it, our nation is becoming increasingly aware of our environmental responsibilities. Today's American consumer is consciously seeking out every "green" product alternative that addresses their deepening concerns. The push is definitely on to create new products successfully reprocessed from materials harvested from old products that outlived their usefulness and destined for a landfill.

Compared to the heavy and cumbersome painted angle-iron or welded-wire "banjo frames," or the flimsy spaghetti stakes commonly used, our sign frames and sign stakes are made entirely of near 100% recycled structural plastic. And, because they're light weight it even takes less energy (and less wasted $$$) to ship. Not only can you offer your customers "green" sign frames and sign stakes at competitive prices, but you’re also doing your part to protect and conserve America’s natural resources.

MN Designs is a proud distributor of the USA Sign Frames and Stakes. They are definitely innovative, high-quality and environmentally-responsible sign frames and sign stakes at competitive prices. All our sign frame and sign stake products are engineered to be sturdy, durable, and light-weight. Each USA Sign Frame and Stake design offers integrated features that a welded-metal version simply can’t match. And, just as important, you can be confident that all our sign frames and sign stakes are exceptionally efficient to ship. That factor alone is solid savings right to your bottom line.

To view are selection of USA sign frames and stakes, please visit our website!

For those of you who haven't noticed yet, MN Designs now offers a full scale online shopping site for those sign guys who need to order supplies during any hour of the day. We know that working face to face with our customers and clients is very important, but we also know that easy accessibility is also important, especially for our customers and clients, both new and old, that aren't close to our office, and who are looking for great wholesale prices.

There are tons of sign supplies to choose from that are offered on the MN Designs web page. One of our biggest categories is our vinyl. We are official distributors of both FDC and Avery vinyl. We offer out customers a wide variety of color options and sizes as well. Our blank banner section also offers customers many varieties and sizes. Both of these sections, along with the others, are extremely easy to navigate, and each product has item explanation and pricing for even more ease.

Using the website to purchase blank and digital banners allows our customers to receive free shipping on these products. As stated, this is a website promotion only. MN Designs ships anywhere in the United States, and all orders placed before noon as each business day will ship out that same day!

Customers can also take advantage of daily specials throughout each month to save even more on their sign supply needs. Each day the special is updated in the news section of the web page, and on the official MN Designs twitter. These specials are call-in only, but there are also sale items on the website that customers can also take advantage of.

To visit the MN Designs website, click here.

To follow MN Designs on twitter, click here.

Vinyl banners are by far the most common banner type in use today. They are used everywhere from Albany to Zambia, from National Parks to car parks and from the poles to the equator. But rather than making them easier to understand, this ubiquitous nature has made them more complex and difficult. The variations of substrate, printer, inks, lamination and finishing techniques have become almost infinite.

Vinyl banner substrates have a variety of surface textures, but these are just cosmetics, and personal preference should apply. The important bits are in the composition of the banner material. Most vinyl banners are made of calendered PVC. Woven into some banners are polyester scrims. In these banners the PVC is coated over the scrims, providing a lot of extra strength. The weight of the banner also determines strength. Common weights range from 10 to 16 ounces. Backlit banners are translucent for even light transmission. Some banners allow small amounts of light to pass through, others have a block-out layer in the middle. Different situations require different choices here.

Choosing the right printing ink and substrate combination is also critical. Aqueous inks are only acceptable for short-term indoor use. The banner materials have to be coated to accept the inks and these coatings are not very durable or water resistant. UV inks do not bind very well to vinyl banners and scratch easily. Eco and mild solvents bond lightly to many banner types, but every substrate needs testing before any purchasing decisions are made. True solvent inks bite deeply into vinyl banner materials. The inks are resistant to abrasion and fading, making for excellent all-round banner choices. If a longer term product is desired, the banner can be coated with a liquid lamination. This can be applied with a special coating machine or the old-fashioned way with a spray gun or roller.

After printing, most banners will require some form of edge finishing. For simple, short-term indoor use, banner tape is quick and easy. This double-sided adhesive is formulated for use with vinyl banners and will provide a good light-duty product. For a stronger bond without using any equipment, chemicals are available that actually alter the chemistry at the join. They are much stronger than adhesives.

If you want to get some machinery to make the job easier, heat welding is a good entry-level product. The heat seams are attractive and relatively strong. Radio frequency welding requires more expensive equipment and training, but gives a stronger, more consistent and almost invisible edge finish. The strongest, but ugliest, edge finish is sewing. Thread cannot be beat for a tough, durable hem. This also allows for reinforcing material to be sewn in when heavy-duty use is expected.

Banners can be used almost everywhere. They are good looking enough for even the chichiest occasion. Vinyl banners are tough enough for the wildest outdoor locations and they are cheap enough for the lowest budgets. Stand and framing systems are available in sizes that range from the personal to the gigantic, but almost anything can be turned into a banner holding device. They can be fastened to surfaces or stretched between poles. They can be attached rigidly or left floating like flags. There’s not much that you can’t do with a banner. One artist is even recycling old banners by sewing them into shopping bags.

There are lots of reasons why vinyl banners are so popular today. Easy to print, easy to fabricate, inexpensive to stock and easy to handle are reasons why printers push them, but durability, attractiveness, versatility and cost effectiveness are reasons why clients keep coming back for more.

Running a business in a competitive economy means that you have got to be on your toes when it comes to market sharing. It is a basic survival rule! If you are running a business in the field of graphics, printing, and advertising, the idea of market sharing is even more important. Clients look for the easiest, most cost effective routes now, and in the printing industry, flatbed printers are a viable option to gaining expanded business!

The flatbed printer brings easy printing capabilities that can cut out, all together, the need for vinyl application onto substrates. Many local companies in South Carolina already come to MN Designs because of our flatbed capabilities, and it had expanded their markets greatly. The greatest capability of the flatbed printer is that it can print directly onto a substrate. As noted before, this eliminates the need for vinyl application which saves time, and ultimately saves money. Most flatbed printers use UV curable inks that when ran through the printer, are instantly cured. This shortens the amount of time a customer would have to wait to have their print installed. The type of substrates a flatbed can print on is really only restricted to the height at which the printer head can be raised. MN Designs can print on substrates up to 2" thick, and that has definitely been taken advantage of. From magnetics, to glass, and even to doors, flatbeds are a great tool to utilize for direct printing.

MN Designs offers wholesale digital flatbed printing on a wide number of substrates. More information on substrates can be viewed at the official MN Designs website.