It’s no mystery why magnetic signage is seemingly ubiquitous. Not to oversimplify the process, but it’s simple. Changing the message? Simple. Installation? Production? The right equipment? Selling magnetic signs to customers? Yes, those can be simple as well. 
如今，磁性标识已经褪去往日神秘的外衣，变得越来越普及。即使不用简化流程，磁性标识的应用也非常简单。磁性标识在信息更改、安装、生产、合适的设备应用、客户销售渠道等方面都十分便捷。
Today, sign companies specialize in large, wide-format graphics that utilize magnetic-receptive media and relish the fact that the image can be changed out with little or no difficulty. These two sign companies do just that and both – regardless of size – enjoy the thriving magnetic signage market.
标识公司利用磁性材料接收媒介来专门研究大型宽幅图形，并期待着图像可以在很少或是没有困难的情况下得到变更。有两家标识公司做到了这一点，无论规模如何，他们都在享受着蓬勃发展的磁性标牌市场。

Serving an ace
为王牌项目服务
At the Univ. of Michigan’s (Ann Arbor, MI) Varsity Tennis Center, the Wolverines’ men’s and women’s teams are the chief attraction. However, what adds pizzazz by presenting the current lineup and history of the storied tennis program is magnetic signage created by Shaw PPC Design (Novi, MI). While the company has been designing and manufacturing custom signage and fixtures since 1932, it has been offering magnetic signage for just over 10 years, company president Tom Smith said.
在密歇根大学安娜堡分校（安娜堡，密歇根州）的网球中心，狼獾队的男子队和女子队是最引人注目的两个队伍。然而，用以展示当前网球的阵容和历史来增加球队魅力的磁性标识是由Shaw PPC Design（密歇根州，诺维）制造的。该公司的总裁汤姆·史密斯说：“自1932年以来，我们公司一直从事于设计和制造定制标牌和固定装置，并且已经拥有超过10年的磁性标识制作经验。”
The Tennis Center project was not unusual for Shaw. According to Project Manager Don Schroeder, “We do a ton of this work for many other colleges and retailers.” A one-stop shop, all the design and printing of magnetic signage take place in-house.
网球中心的这个项目对于Shaw PPC Design公司来说并不罕见。其项目经理Don Schroeder说：“我们为许多其他的学院和零售商也提供了大量类似的标识服务项目。”作为一站式商店，磁性标识的所有设计和印刷都可以由公司自己来生产制作。
And what makes such projects so successful is the versatility of the graphics. “You cannot tell when it’s on the wall that it’s a magnetic sign,” Smith said. In addition, “Installation is expensive, so it’s cost effective [having the customer handle the installation] and they can have students change them out.” Not only are the images in the Tennis Center a great attraction, Shaw also has schedule boards scattered throughout the Ann Arbor campus that can be swapped out by students.
而这些项目如此成功的原因在于磁性图形的多功能性。史密斯说：“当它被安装在墙面上时，你几乎看不出来它是一个磁性标识。安装的费用是昂贵的，相应的它具有很高的性价比（客户可以自行进行处理安装），即使是学生也能够自行进行更换。”不仅网球中心的图像具有强烈的吸引力，Shaw PPC Design安装在安娜堡校园各处的日程安排板也可以由学生自由更换。
There are two options when dealing with magnetics: magnetic media and magnetic-receptive media. Magnetic media directly receives the ink and is magnetized. Magnetic-receptive media is part of an overall display system. Traditionally a magnetic “base” is installed. Then the magnetic-receptive graphics are printed and adhered to the installed magnetic backing.
磁性材料可分为磁性媒介和磁性材料接收媒介。磁性媒介可直接吸收墨水并将其磁化，磁性材料接收媒介则是整个显示系统的一部分。传统的安装方法是先安装磁性背衬，然后印刷磁性材料接收图形并将其粘合到安装好的磁性背衬上。
Shaw PPC Design utilizes Flexiron, a magnetic-receptive material that adheres to all types of low-profile magnets, including flexible magnetic sheeting and strip, plus ceramic and neodymium (rigid) magnets. Both sides (front and back) of Flexiron attract magnets. According to Smith and Schroeder, Flexiron is easy to drill or cut with a knife, a die-cutter, a cutting plotter or scissors. The sharp graphics are achieved via large-format Durst printers, which print 126 in. wide, roll-to-roll and/or 98 in. wide, direct-to substrate – and are used on jobs like the Tennis Center that call for either rigid or roll-to-roll magnetic-receptive media. 
Shaw PPC Design采用Flexiron磁性材料，这种磁性材料接收媒介可以粘附在各种低矮的磁体上，包括柔性磁性板材和带状材料，以及陶瓷和钕（刚性）磁体。Flexiron的两侧（正面和背面）均具有磁性。据史密斯和施罗德介绍，使用刀具、模切机、刻字机或剪刀都可以很方便地对Flexiron磁性材料进行钻孔或切割。通过宽幅Durst打印机可以打印出清晰的图形，此种型号的打印机打印宽度为126英寸，卷对卷打印的宽度为98英寸，可直接对基材进行打印，并可用于像网球中心这样需要刚性或卷对卷磁性材料接收媒介的工作。

Adhering to the rules
磁性标识应用注意事项
Large or small, franchise or independent, market opportunities for sign and display makers are limitless with printable-magnetic and magnetic-receptive materials. Vehicle signs, menu boards, directories, calendars and refrigerator magnets are all part and parcel of FASTSIGNS of Blue Ash’s (Blue Ash, OH) selection of services.
使用可印刷磁性材料和磁性接收材料的标识和显示器制造商，其经营规模无论或大或小，特许经营或独立经营的发展机会都是无限的。汽车标识、菜单板、目录、日历和冰箱磁贴都是Blue Ash服务的FASTSIGNS的标识项目组成部分。
According to owner Mike Langdon, vehicle magnetic signs can be used on a car, truck, bus or van, acting as a company’s mobile business card. It hardly takes a mathematician to imagine the number of impressions a vehicle sign can garner. Traditionally mounted on both of the vehicle’s front doors, the range of designs differs as widely as the businesses they tout. Given the advancements in printable magnetics, the graphics can include images and designs heretofore not possible.
据车主Mike Langdon表示，车用磁性标识可用于汽车、卡车、公共汽车或面包车，作为公司的移动商务广告板。连数学家都无法想象一个车辆标识可以获得多少的广告记忆效应。传统的标识会安装在车辆的前门两边，设计的范围与他们所宣传的业务范围相差很大。鉴于可打印磁性材料的进步，迄今为止无法想象的设计图案，如今都可以实现。
As Langdon suggested, “Vehicle magnetics are a fairly low-cost way to identify your vehicle and advertise. They can be applied and taken off when you don’t want the vehicle identified, such as going out for an evening.” He added that the magnetic may be applied periodically when the vehicle needs identification.
正如兰登所说：“车辆磁性标识的应用是识别车辆和广告的一种相当低成本的方式，这种磁性标识可以根据你的意愿随时应用或将其拆卸。当你不需要车辆识别时，例如晚上外出，你就可以将其取下；当车辆需要识别时，可以定期使用磁性标识。”

Magnetic vehicle signs can also be a source of issues. For example, if the magnet is not securely attached, wind can peel the sign from the vehicle, particularly on the high-way. One helpful remedy and one of the final steps prior to installation, is to round off the corners. Pointed or dog-eared corners can serve as a sail to lift the sign from the vehicle.
磁性车辆标识也可能成为一些问题的根源。如果磁铁安装不牢固，车辆上的标牌就很容易被风刮落，特别是在高速路上。也许你可以尝试一个有用的补救措施，那就是在安装的最后一步将磁性标识的边角修剪成圆弧形状，直角或卷角的边缘都容易使车辆标识被风掀开。
Magnetic signs also require maintenance and moisture prevention. If dirt and condensation build up between the surfaces, the sign will lose its ability to adhere, so vehicle signs need to be kept dry and clean. Conversely, moisture build-up between the magnet and vehicle can also create too powerful a bond, making removal difficult. Finally, magnets will not stick to non-ferrous metals and alloys including aluminum, fiberglass, plastics or any type of auto body repair fillers. (Many late-model vehicle bodies are not metal.) Those caveats aside, magnetic vehicle signs have a low initial cost, high-read rate and can even provide the customer the opportunity to design their own sign.
磁性标识还需要维护和防潮。如果粘合的表面产生污垢或冷凝物，标识将失去粘附能力，因此车辆标识必须保持干燥和清洁。相反，磁铁和车辆之间的水分积聚也会产生强大的粘合力，使拆卸变得困难。最后，磁铁不会粘附在有色金属和合金上，包括铝、玻璃纤维、塑料或任何类型的车身修理填充物。（许多现代车型的车身已经不是金属材质了。）除了这些注意事项之外，磁性车辆标识原始成本低，读取率高，甚至可以为客户提供设计自己标识的机会。
Fastsigns of Blue Ash, for example, does not necessarily design from concept to completion. They allow the customer to supply much of the artwork. Not surprisingly, that can be challenging. “Logos from customers arrive in various forms from low-resolution JPGs to good outlined files,” Langdon said. “If the image is fairly easy, we go ahead and recreate the art.” That recreation will traditionally be done utilizing Illustrator as well as Gerber Composer. In addition, when a logo recreation is labor-intensive, they charge design fees.
例如，Blue Ash的Fastsigns就会根据客户的意愿，让他们自己来制作部分的实物概念作品。因此，这也许并不是不能实现的事情。兰登说：“客户提供的各式各样的JPG标识图案有低像素的，也有非常高清的版本。如果图像相当简单，我们就会为其增加一些艺术的属性。”一般而言，这种再次创新的工作都会交由设计师或Gerber公司来设计完成。另外，当标识创新成为劳动密集型的工作时，他们就会收取设计费用。

Current practices
磁性材料的尝试
Most signshops use 30-mil., matte white magnetic media trimmed to size. In addition, most magnetic media commonly used for vehicle signage is magnetized with at least with 12 poles per in. (ppi). The thicker the sheet – the higher the ppi – the more pull a magnet possesses, and, flexible magnetic sheeting has less magnetic pull than rigid magnets. Today’s printers, however, can print on almost any magnetic media.
大多数标识商店会使用大小修剪合适的30密耳的白色磨砂磁性媒介材料。另外，通常用于车辆标识的大多数磁性媒介其标准至少是每英寸12个磁极（ppi）被磁化。片材越厚（ppi越高）磁体拥有的拉力就越大，并且柔性磁性片比刚性磁性片的磁性拉力更低。但是，今天的打印机几乎可以在任何磁性媒介上打印。
Langdon’s finished products are created using an HP Latex printer. If lamination is needed, he will utilize SEAL and GBC print finishing solutions. “Primarily we use Magnum Magnetics [Marietta, OH]. On occasion, we use MSI ProMag [Boyne City, MI] for better pole strength than most others.”
兰登的成品是使用HP Latex打印机制作的。如果需要层压，他将使用SEAL和GBC印后加工解决方案。“我们主要使用Magnum Magnetics [俄亥俄州，玛丽埃塔]公司的材料。但有的时候，我们也会使用MSI ProMag [密歇根州，博伊恩市]公司的材料，借此来获得比其他大多数材料更高的磁性强度。“
The customer care of magnetic vehicle signs is fairly straightforward. Langdon’s advice to customers is that magnetics should be taken off weekly, cleaned and dried (both car and signage). “If waxing the vehicle,” Langdon suggested, “use the same wax on the back of the magnetic. When the sign is not in use it should be stored flat. ” he said.
使用磁性车辆标识的客户需要注意的事项非常简单。兰登对顾客的建议是，应每周清理磁体，保持磁体清洁干燥（包括汽车和标识）。兰登补充道：“如果要对车辆进行打蜡处理，应在磁性标识的背面使用同样的蜡。当标识未被使用时，应将其平放保存。”
With each sale, Langdon offers the following advice: “All vehicle paint finishes are not the same. Recent new finishes, especially noted on Chrysler vehicles, could have an adverse reaction to the magnetic material. This especially holds true on darker vehicles.” He recommends customers closely keep watch on their vehicle/magnetic relationship with weekly removal and cleaning of both surfaces.
在每次销售的时候，兰登都会提出以下建议：“车辆表面的油漆饰涂层各不相同。最近出现的一些新型车辆油漆涂层，尤其是克莱斯勒汽车的表面涂层，很可能对磁性材料的粘合产生负面的影响。此类现象对于表面颜色较深的车辆均有参考价值。”兰登建议客户每周定期对车辆和磁性标识的表面进行清洁，时刻关注车辆和所粘合的磁性材料之间是否有需要处理的问题。

Magnets and magnetic-receptive media are now common-place primarily because of their low cost, ease of use and production. They empower the end user and are such an efficient, attractive method of advertising that it’s difficult to make it through a day without encountering magnetic signage. Magnetic media is becoming a bigger part of large signshops’ production schedules and the bread and butter for many smaller and franchised signshops.
磁性媒介和磁性材料接收媒介由于它们的成本低，易于使用和生产，因此在市场上越来越普遍了。他们将这样一种高效、有吸引力的广告模式交由用户自己来支配，如果没有磁性标识的帮助，这种广告模式很难在这么短的时间内实现。磁性媒介正在成为许多大型标识商店的生产流水线的重要组成部分，也是许多小型特许经营的标识商店维持生计的生产产品。
Clearly magnetic signs are not polarizing end users; most, in fact, are drawn to them. Given the technological trajectory that signmaking tools are on, the application of magnetics is becoming increasingly attractive. Sign companies would be wise to remain a force in the magnetics market.
显然，早期的磁性标识并不是用户的最终使用产品，但事实上，大多数人都被它们吸引。随着标识工具的制作技术的发展轨迹，磁性标识原件的应用正变得越来越有吸引力。标识公司推动磁性市场发展的选择将是明智的。