Customization Fuels Growth for Sign it Now

Like his father before him, David Kearsley, Sales and Production Manager at Sign It Now in Victor, ID, went to school for accounting. “We live in a rural area and summer and fall can be slow for accounting, so my family made window signs and decals,” Kearsley says.

In 2009, David’s dad asked him to come work in the shop. Eventually, his supplier encouraged him to attend a vehicle wrap class. “At that point I learned we needed a quality printer,” Kearsley says.

Passion + Power = Growth

Kearsley invested in a Roland DGA (Booth 1137) VersaCAMM 54-inch wide-format printer/cutter. “Our old printer never hit the same color twice, and the plotter wouldn’t start where it ended,” he says. “With the VersaCAMM, there are endless possibilities. It also prints and cuts in one workflow, which maximizes convenience and productivity.”

Being largely self-taught, Kearsley appreciates the VersaCAMM’s ease of use, color management and durability. “The quality of the equipment is the main reason we buy Roland. I’ve seen printers that shake as they print. Roland inkjets are built with quality, and they deliver quality prints every time,” Kearsley says.

Sign it Now also added a Roland SOLJET Pro 4 XR-640 64-inch printer/cutter. “We needed the extra speed and additional print width. Plus, the light black ink brought in a whole new gamut,” he notes.

Six months later, business was booming. That’s when Kearsley purchased a Roland LEJ-640FT flatbed to further ramp up production.

Year-Round Business

Today, Sign it Now is a year-round full-service sign business with a staff of three. They operate out of a 2,000-sqft facility with two bays for vehicle graphics work.

Sign it Now works with clients to gradually increase their branding efforts. “We suggest to our clients that they start with a banner, business cards and vinyl graphics, and then graduate into apparel and vehicle graphics,” Kearsley says.

Victor, ID sits in the shadow of Jackson Hole, WY, and Sign it Now gets lots of business from companies that serve the valley’s clientele, such as CityPass, Laid Back USA and A3 Merchandise. A3 Merch, an official merchandise provider, enlisted Kearsley to produce marketing campaigns for such clients as Country Music Awards, GoodGuys Car Show and Pro Rodeo Gear.

Lately, Kearsley has been exploring new markets made possible by the versatility of the shop’s LEJ-640FT. For example, they produce antique gold leaf signs on wood that’s three inches thick. 

Kearsley set up his flatbed with spot gloss and white ink, and Sign it Now has begun doing more interior signs. They’ve also been experimenting with printing on a wide range of materials, including wood pallets, reclaimed barnwood, tabletops, tin sheets, naugahyde fabric and various vinyls and plastics. They’ve even printed custom Tonneau pickup truck bed covers.

Another market was revealed when one of the owners of a T-shirt company down the road stopped by Sign it Now and saw the flatbed in action. Now Kearsley prints about 200 12-by-16-inch and 18-by-24-inch antique tin signs a month for them.

Kearsley continues to enjoy taking on unique projects. “There’s a fresh challenge every day. It can be done, and it can be done here,” he says.