If you’ve ever wondered how a great sign goes from a loose idea to a landmark on your building, this is your backstage pass. At TNT Signs and Graphics in Santa Rosa, we’ve spent decades refining a process that’s equal parts creative, technical, and logistical, so your sign looks right, reads right, and lasts. Below is our step-by-step workflow, with practical details on what happens at each stage and how we keep your project on time, on budget, and on brand.
Discovery Brief: Goals Before Graphics
Every strong sign begins with a conversation. In a 30–45 minute discovery brief (in person or virtual), we clarify:
- Business goals: Awareness, wayfinding, rebrand launch, product promotion, compliance—what job must the sign do?
- Audience & viewing conditions: Driving vs. walking, typical viewing distance, approach angles, traffic speed, competition in the visual field.
- Brand assets: Current logo files, brand fonts, color standards (Pantone/hex/CMYK), preferred tone (polished, playful, premium).
- Site constraints: Landlord criteria, existing mounting points, power access for illumination, local code/permitting realities.
- Budget & timing: Desired install date, must-hit milestones, contingency planning.
Outcome: A written brief summarizing success metrics, technical constraints, and the approval path. This is the blueprint that keeps design decisions objective.
Site Survey: Measure Twice, Mount Once
Even the best concept falters without real-world measurements. Our survey crew visits your location to capture:
- Precise dimensions (width/height, stud spacing, ceiling/soffit clearance, ADA reach ranges for interior).
- Surfaces & structure (stucco, brick, metal cladding, drywall+studs) to determine hardware and load capacity.
- Sight lines & sun paths (glare risks, shadows at different times of day, approach curves for drivers).
- Power & access (dedicated circuits for illumination, ladder/lift needs, after-hours install windows).
- Permit parameters (setbacks, allowable square footage, height, illumination rules).
Outcome: A survey pack with photos, measurements, and mounting notesfeedin, g directly into design and engineering.
Concept & Mockups: Designing for the Real World
With the brief and survey in hand, our designers translate goals into visuals you can picture in place.
- Scale-accurate mockups: We overlay design options onto your actual storefront photos at real proportions, so you can judge readability and impact.
- Hierarchy & legibility: We size letter heights to viewing distance (rule of thumb: ~1″ letter height per 10 ft of viewing distance) and keep messages tight—name, category, action.
- Material callouts: We label each option (e.g., ¼″ aluminum composite panel, routed aluminum letters, cast acrylic, halo-lit channel letters, vinyl on glass) so you can compare look, durability, and cost.
- Value-engineer choices: Where budget matters, we present equivalents (e.g., formed plastic letters vs. routed aluminum) that preserve the look without sacrificing lifespan.
Outcome: 2–3 refined concepts with clear pros/cons and pricing bands, ready for your selection and feedback.
Color Matching: Your Brand, Not “Close Enough”
Color drift is the fastest way to make a premium brand look off. We treat color as a controlled process:
- Brand targets: We pull your Pantone/hex values and set device profiles for our print and paint systems.
- On-material swatches: We print and/or paint color chips on the actual substrates (aluminum, acrylic, vinyl) because materials and finishes (gloss/satin/matte) shift perception.
- Natural-light proofing: We evaluate swatches outside at noon and late afternoon to check for glare, shadow, and metamerism (colors that look different under different light).
- Client sign-off: You approve color on swatches, not just on a monitor, then we lock those values for production.
Outcome: A verified color recipe per material, ensuring consistency across channel letters, panels, vinyl, and interior elements.
Engineering & Permitting: Paperwork Without Panic
For exterior and illuminated signs, we prepare the technical and city paperwork:
- Shop drawings: Dimensioned drawings with materials, mounting methods, and electrical specs.
- Structural review: If required, we engage engineering to certify loads and fasteners for your wall or monument footing.
- Permit package: We assemble and submit the sign permit application with drawings, landlord approvals, and photo simulations; we track status and handle revisions.
Outcome: Approved documentation so production and install move forward cleanly.
Production: Where Pixels Become Panels
Once you approve design and colors, we schedule your job on our equipment:
- Routing & fabrication: CNC routing for letters/logos; metalwork for frames and returns; acrylic faces cut and finished.
- Print & laminate: Large-format graphics printed with UV-resistant inks, then laminated to protect against abrasion and fading (finish selected for glare control and brand look).
- Paint & finish: Matthews or automotive-grade coatings for metals and formed plastics, matched to your approved swatches.
- Electrical build: UL-listed LEDs and power supplies installed and tested for halo-lit or front-lit letters; we bench-test illumination before leaving the shop.
- Quality control: We inspect edges, hardware, finish uniformity, light leakage, and dimensional tolerance against the drawings.
Outcome: Finished components staged for install with a QC checklist in the crate.
Installation: Safe, Clean, and Built to Last
Installation is where craftsmanship meets safety. Our crew arrives with the right equipment and a plan to minimize disruption.
- Site prep: Drop cloths, cones, temporary wayfinding if needed; power verification; landlord/neighbor notices if required.
- Layout & leveling: We plot hole locations, verify plumb/level with lasers, and dry-fit before committing.
- Anchoring: Hardware and anchors are chosen for your substrate (tapcons for masonry, toggle/lag for studs, epoxy anchors where specified).
- Electrical: Licensed connections for illuminated signs; sealed penetrations to prevent moisture ingress; timers/photosensors tested.
- Cleanup & handoff: We remove debris, polish faces, test illumination at dusk if applicable, and walk the site with you for sign-off.
Outcome: A sign that is straight, secure, bright, and clean, ready to perform from day one.
Post-Install Care: Keep It Looking New
We leave you with a simple care guide tailored to your materials:
- Cleaning cadence: pH-neutral soap, soft microfiber; avoid abrasive pads and high-pressure wands on edges.
- Glare & dust tips: Satin vs. gloss behaviors; best practices for glass-mounted graphics and interior acrylic.
- Lighting maintenance: Recommended intervals for lens cleaning and sensor checks; how to spot transformer vs. module issues.
- Seasonal checks: Fasteners and seams after heavy storms or heat waves; quick touch-up kits if applicable.
Outcome: Longer life, better appearance, and protection of your investment.
Timelines You Can Plan Around
While every project is unique, these are typical ranges:
- Discovery & survey: 3–5 business days
- Concepts & mockups: 5–10 business days (faster for simple panels)
- Permitting (if required): 2–6 weeks depending on jurisdiction
- Production: 1–3 weeks after approvals/permits
- Installation: 1 day for most wall-mounted or interior signs; 2–3 days for large/illuminated assemblies
We’ll give you a realistic schedule up front and update you at each milestone.
What Makes TNT Different (and Why It Matters)
- Design that sells, not just decorates: We design for legibility, contrast, and viewing distance, the things that actually drive recognition and response.
- Color management across media: Your storefront letters match your window vinyl and your interior wayfinding. Consistency builds trust.
- Local know-how: We understand North Bay sun angles, coastal weathering, and Santa Rosa code,fewer surprises, faster installs.
- One accountable team: Brief, survey, design, permits, production, and install happen under one roof. No handoff drift.
Ready to Turn an Idea into a Landmark?
Bring your logo, a photo of the install location, and any landlord guidelines. We’ll handle the rest, brief to mockup, color matching to permitting, fabrication to a clean, safe install, so your sign does what it’s supposed to: get seen and build trust.
TNT Signs and Graphics
📍 1042 Hopper Avenue 3-F, Santa Rosa, CA 95403
📞 (707) 528-8523
🌐 www.signservant.com
Let’s take your brand from sketch to sign, and make it look effortless to everyone but us.