Robert Wales

In 1985, Robert Wales started working for a screen printing company, doing some sign work on the side. One of the people he was working for offered him a job that would enable him to make signs full time and he has been doing it ever since. Robert worked in a lab for motion pictures after which he designed and made signs, visited customers and carried out installations.

Being a SAi Flexi user for 15 years, Robert began using the sign-making software for design and cutting with a Graphtec cutter that came with an OEM version. Cut vinyl lettering remains a major portion of his business–even after adding a 54-inch Roland VersaCAMM VS-540i in 2017. He has SAi Flexi on the desktop computer that drives the printer and cutter as well as a non-printer-enabled version on a laptop that he takes to customer sites to develop design ideas or make modifications.

Attention to detail

Using SAI Flexi in this way gives the business a very powerful combination of software and hardware that ensures high quality results. A look at All-Star Signs’ website and Facebook pages reveals not only the quality and diversity of his company’s work, but demonstrates a rare sensitivity to the function of the signage. “Signs have a job to do,” Robert says. That means the signs have to be suited to where they are displayed. For example, the sign on a building is meant to be viewed from a minimum of 10 feet away; sometimes from across the street, or even further. The message has to be clear.

Some of All-Star Signs’ signage is clearly designed and positioned to suit the features or character of the building, so they look part of the design of the whole façade, not just something that was slapped on. While All-Star Signs makes cut signs and prints vinyl, it also works closely with fabricators for the production of steel, aluminum and illuminated signs. Regardless of the type of sign, Robert is committed to quality as well as design.

Leading to new business opportunities

All-Star Signs has recently developed a new niche market in vehicle gauge faces. “I saw an advertisement for custom gauges and ordered one for my 2002 Pontiac TransAm,” mentions Robert. “I was disappointed when it arrived as it had been hand-cut and, for example, the opening around the odometer wasn’t crisp. Rather than complain, I called the supplier and said I thought I could cut these better automatically using the design and cut features of Flexi. As a result of that call, I now print and cut these for Firebirds and Chevy Cameros and also handle other fulfillment for the supplier.”

Customers can make a number of choices for the gauges: fonts, speed intervals, colour, or printing their logos, initials, or names. “Using Flexi makes it so much simpler to edit, manipulate and do all the things I want to do with the design,” he says. “Storing the files is easy, so design time can be saved when printing repeat or nearly similar jobs.”

The number of these jobs can fluctuate depending on the publicity the Cameros and Firebirds get during any month, but there has been recent interest from other vehicle owners.

“I’ve done a few motorcycle gauges and that’s a market for potential growth, too,” he says. “These gauge faces bring interesting design challenges and delivering what the customer wants is paramount. To me, a repeat customer is better than a new one, because it means I’ve done my job right.”

Robert is loyal to the suppliers he uses and when that loyalty is rewarded with good service, it’s working both ways.