If you’ve seen enough of our work here at Bloomingdale Signs in the vehicle wrapping arena, you know that we’ve wrapped just about anything on wheels. From cars to delivery vans to gigantic fleets of semi-trailers.

This Summer brings literally one of our biggest wrapping project yet – not for a vehicle but an outdoor installation that will cover an entire intersection of State Street in downtown Chicago.

The public art installation in tandem with multimedia artist Jessica Stockholder and the Chicago Loop Alliance is called “Color Jam.” As the artist explains, you can plan on many heads being turned by this explosion of color and creativity.

“My idea is to fill an intersection with color. That will include the road, sidewalk and up the buildings, so there’s a cubic volume of color in the intersection wedged between four corners and four buildings.”
Jessica Stockholder
Color Jam artist
Chair, Department of Visual Arts, U. of Chicago

We’ll be installing this exciting project in late May, so if you’re in the area, come on down and see what we’re up to. As we go along, we’ll also be sharing a lot more pictures and video of Color Jam with you too. In the interim, watch the teaser video above to see how a seemingly ordinary intersection can be a canvas for the strikingly beautiful.

Upshot is an integrated marketing firm in Chicago that thrives on bigger ideas and a collaborative environment. So as you can imagine, our interior décor for this type of environment had to really accentuate the fun, creativity and sophistication of the place.

As the logo itself is a red circle, we worked closely with Upshot’s team to ensure the presence of curved shapes in our design elements to reinforce the logo.

Our work on the floor-to-ceiling frosted glass of Upshot’s entrance and conference rooms gives the space character while custom printed red wallpaper invites visitors into the space. When these elements come together, what you have is a shining example of an office space reflecting its brand to perfection.

Comfort Solutions has been designing and manufacturing bedding mattresses for over 100 years. The Willowbrook, IL-based company wanted to create an environment that highlighted that history in a dynamic way, but their primary challenge was dealing with a curved wall in the main entrance.

Rather than try to plan around the wall, Bloomingdale Signs suggested a digitally printed wallpaper for Comfort Solutions that was flexible enough to curve right with their wall. This wallpaper offers a texture that’s not only highly adaptable to the structure itself but can also work well with designs that incorporate different colors, shapes and lighting.

Besides the large format printing of the custom wallpaper, the interior graphics for this project were created right in-house here by Bloomingdale Signs’ graphic designers.

Bigger than a banner for the next Bulls game.
Bigger than a wrapped fleet of semi-trucks.

Because the biggest thing to happen to us…is an honor.

The honor that our company has been named the #1 print shop in Illinois for 2012 by Wide Format Imaging Magazine.

Wide Format Imaging is the premier publication covering professionals who specialize in wide format printing. It routinely offers an unbiased view of the industry, including its annual “Best of the Best: Top Shops,” which recognizes the fastest-growing wide format printers nationally.

“The most rewarding thing about this business is that it’s over 20 years old and yet, the future for us just keeps getting brighter and more exciting,” says Alan Schellerer, our Director of Operations. “We’re very lucky to have a team of employees that have helped make this remarkable accomplishment happen with their passion and a number of clients who have continually trusted us again and again to help them brand bigger. None of this happens without them.”

So we can kick back and relax? Not a chance.

We’re truly grateful for the accolade. But we also know that a big part of maintaining our competitive advantage in Illinois, besides the quality of our team, is investing in superior technology.

That’s why in the first quarter of 2012 alone, Bloomingdale Signs already invested in exciting new equipment that is on the cutting edge of printing technology, such as the Zund G3, a digital cutting machine that may be the most flexible in the world of its kind – a very good thing for our clients who have a variety of materials and shapes to consider for their brands. After we welcomed that piece of equipment in January, we introduced the EFI VUTEk QS3220 to our floor in February, which utilizes incredible print resolution for backlit displays, point-of-purchase displays and window graphics.

“I feel it in my gut that (the printing) industry is in an economic rebound. This has given us the confidence to start investing again in new technology.”
-Gary Schellerer, VP Operations

While change can be a difficult challenge at times, we see bringing in new technologies like these as a natural part of our evolution and a necessary component to maintaining our competitive advantage. It makes for a stronger Bloomingdale Signs by Tomorrow and more importantly, a stronger partner for our clients.

After all, we don’t just expect to be on the list of Top Shops again. Now that we’re #1 in Illinois, we’re thinking about how we can be #1 in the Midwest and beyond. When you’ve come this far, your ambition just doesn’t have any limitations. That’s what branding bigger is all about.

Thanks again for your part in helping us get there.

And that’s precisely where confusion in the crowd can occur.

Directional signage, like the kind you see here that we recently produced for a multi-level mall downtown on Michigan Avenue, works great for funneling a large crowd to your destination.

Of course, you probably guessed that. But here are three more effects of strong directional signage that can create a very positive impact for you which you may not have considered.

It also alleviates the pressure on your support staff to be giving directions on a rapid-fire basis. Can you imagine this type of poor representative being forced to devote all of their energy and time on answering the same “where do I go for…” question over and over again when a few prominent directional signs can accomplish the task with relative ease?

When your resources are stretched as it is, you have only a few seconds to point the audience in the right direction, which may also include upselling opportunities (“Team Merchandise This Way!”). Let’s take a sporting event, for example. Sure, you want them to find their seat but are you ensuring every possibility that they’ll spend time in the other valuable destinations you want them to go? This is particularly important when it comes to event sponsors or building advertisers, who need foot traffic to feel that their participation is a worthwhile endeavor.

A clearer direction can mean a better customer experience too. In the age of social media where people can take to social networks to provide an online review – right from their smartphone in that moment – you can’t afford to let that review be a bad one. Especially if you plan on creating a similar type of experience in the future. The faster they get from point A to point B, the more likely they can post good things about the destination rather than how getting around is a headache.

Remember, from custom metal to signs that employ QR codes, directional signage can be beautiful too. Take advantage of the opportunity to let this underutilized element of your destination shine. It’s the little things like a unique sign pointing people in the right direction that leaves quite the memorable impression. Hey, just because you’re moving them right along doesn’t mean they can’t stop for a second or two to admire your sign.

To learn more about how directional signage can work wonders at your next indoor or outdoor event, call Gary Schellerer at 630.893.4450 or IM “garycschellerer.”

If you’re doing a public works project or a Fortune 500 company engaged in rolling out a new product line, it’s practically impossible to ignore the importance of green-friendly business practices.

It’s the same way when you’re a digital printer.

As it turns out, sustainability isn’t just smart for the planet but it’s also smart for business. We thought we’d share how we’re incorporating sustainability into our business at Bloomingdale Signs by Tomorrow so you can have peace of mind not only about how your printer thinks about being more “green” but some tips that may be relevant for your own business if you’re wondering how you can be more considering sustainability.

Here’s how we approach it:


Make it part of your mission
Plenty of companies can throw out buzzwords on sustainability that sound great on the marketing front. But it’s challenging to be green-friendly unless you truly build it into your company’s business practices and the essence of what your business stands for rather than an “add-on” or “nice-to-have.”

So beyond having the discussion internally, we knew had to actually identify as many areas as possible of our business where we could embrace sustainability without experiencing major bumps in delivering the same great service and product our customers were used to.

“We can all continue to use the most energy-efficient practices in our day-to-day operations. And always offer the most recent green materials and products available from our industry.”
- Alan Schellerer,
 Director of Operations, Bloomingdale Signs by Tomorrow

How much do you waste each month?
Did you ever think about how much waste in your company that adds up? Most don’t because they’re more focused on the day-to-day operations, where a scrap here and a scrap there doesn’t seem like much. But after a month, that waste can wind up being more than you thought. We noticed that here at Bloomingdale Signs by Tomorrow with our own scrap PVC, acrylic and vinyl waste.

So we partnered with a company called United Plastics to ensure any and all PVC, acrylic and vinyl waste we accumulate is being recycled each month. And it makes good financial sense too, since United Plastics issues a check to its customers based on the weight of the scraps they receive.

Every printing company is bound to have some degree of waste. The key is what you do with it.

Are there alternative materials?
When you can print on an environmentally-friendly material that doesn’t compromise the quality of the job, it just makes sense to explore it. So we’ve begun utilizing our UV flatbed printer to print onto materials such as BioBoard (a recyclable substrate made from corrugated cardstock) and UltraFlex’s BioFlex (an alternative to vinyl). 


Do your partners meet your “green” standards?
As we’re becoming more “green” in terms of what we produce, we expect the companies who supply our printers to think about that as well. So we’re making a conscious effort to ensure we’re investing in superior printing technology that’s Earth-friendly too.

Take our HP latex digital printer, for example. This printer not only creates stunning graphics but it also eliminates harmful Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs).

Our partners have to create that kind of “win-win” situation for us. It can’t be a choice between what’s better for the environment and delivering the same high standard of product we always have.


How is the industry adapting?
There aren’t quick and easy answers to every sustainability challenge. But you don’t have to come up with those answers on your own. What are your competitors or similar businesses in your industry doing to build sustainability into their practices? After all, your challenges are probably similar to what they’re facing as well. In our business, one thing is for certain: Green initiatives aren’t going away and the need to address environmental concerns is front and center. From the disposal of mercury to emissions from inks to energy usage, these are the issues we’re staying on top of to see how we can leave less of a carbon footprint. Take a look around at others in your industry to learn how they’re employing the same practices.


Your turn. What’s your business doing to realize sustainability and greener business practices? We’d love to hear your ideas here.

(Source: Sign Builder Illustrated, Going Green Supplement, January 2012)

How come? That’s easy. We’ve got a fully staffed Graphic Design team here at Bloomingdale Signs by Tomorrow.

We have five artists have been in the graphic design industry for years, with backgrounds in Fine Arts, Advertising and Design. Their knowledge of the latest and greatest design software positions us to work closely with clients to understand what they’re striving to achieve as they’re “Branding Bigger,” whether that calls for a poster, event banner, point-of-purchase display or many other possibilities.
Best of all, by all parties being under one roof, you’ve got a design team that couldn’t be more in sync with your printer. And that significantly decreases the likelihood of those dreaded communication missteps that derail a project.

You don’t have to be able to visualize every detail for us. That’s what our designers are here for. So try our design team on your next project. And let us show you how the printing you’ve always trusted from us comes with plenty of creative firepower when you need it too.

We’ve printed many pieces for the Bulls before, but this time was different. The banner wouldn’t just have to be one piece but transform into many. The team’s mascot, Benny The Bull, would be suspended in the air high above the crowd atop a giant banner. As he released a hinge mechanism, the banner would extend and create a new message on top of the old one.

You can get a sense of the size of this banner by viewing some of these clips below:

After testing a prototype, it was game time. With cables to keep the Bulls mascot secure, Benny released the banner to reveal several different messages. The music kicked in and the crowd went wild.

If a banner with multiple messages is something you’re interested in, let’s talk. It’s not your ordinary effect and your audience will definitely be surprised when one message becomes a lot more.

Watch a testing of the banner prototype that Benny The Bull would operate as he soared above Bulls fans just before tip-off.

It may look simple, but trust us – when you’re hundreds of feet in the air, you want to do a trial run or two to make sure everything goes just right.