Panface specs

[myront]

Having a hard time as a designer explaining the necessary specs needed for panceface signs. "Retainer, flange, and/or rise" means nothing to the designer. We keep getting bitten when trying to size graphics for these panfaces that are on site. Graphics are always too big.

All I need to know is the "viewable" area or area that is to be covered if it's a full color print. Could their be a simple mathematical standard I'm not aware of?

 

[signguy 55]

Every pan face is different. Different size flanges, retainers, etc.

Seems to me like your best bet would be to do a site survey and measure the existing space available and subtract a few inches for your optical empty space (margins) and design from that.
Even if you had to do this with a bucket truck a 20 minute measurement would recoup your money in the first job.

I would never attempt to do a full size print without definite measurements. Someone has to scrape the lettering off the existing face don't they? Could they get measuremts?
Even if you had to pay someone else to do the measuring, it would be worth it.

 

[myront]

Yes, we have a guy doing the onsite survey with our bucket truck. He only jots down the retainer size, flange, etc. For ordering the faces. I can't get him to understand why I need anything else.

 

[signguy 55]

Sounds like you need a new guy pulling the tape measure. Or give him a spec sheet just like what you sent and have him measure exact open area, retainer, flange, etc.

Even if you're ordering new faces I wouldn't do a thing as far as printing until the faces were in my shop. But that's just me.

 

[Andy D]

Every pan is different, even when we are building the sign, and pulling our own faces, I won't do
any graphics until the pan face is actually pulled, if I go by the designers mechanical, it will be close, but not close enough.
You need for graphics:
Flat area, this is usually 1/4" - 3/8" all the way around, back from the pull, you don't want your graphics to be on a convex bend at all.

To replace the pan face:
trim size, overall size of the pan face to slide in the track with a 1/8"-3/16" gap.
VO aka Visible opening, inside dimensions of the retainers.
The depth of the pan.

 

[myront]

...I wouldn't do a thing as far as printing until the faces were in my shop...

Yep, that's my plan. I'll proof it as close to finished as possible with a stipulation that the size is approx.

Thanks to all inputs.

 

[FS-Keith]

every sign face survey requires the following

Visual opening
Cut size
cabinet size
pan depth if it is a pan face

with all that information we never have issues

 

[Moze]

Just to throw this into the mix, the depth of the pan is referred to as the 'draw'....

 

[Andy D]

Just to throw this into the mix, the depth of the pan is referred to as the 'draw'....

Interesting, never heard of that before, I'll have to ask our plastic guy if that's what he calls it.