Recently, in order to find materials for a new column, I took a trip to Sanya. I originally wanted to take pictures of the sea view, but I was "tripped" by an acrylic sign factory hidden in a village near Yalong Bay. The owner is a local uncle with a surname of Fu and a tanned skin. The first sentence he spoke made me laugh.: “Do you who write articles on the Internet think that our industry is just about cutting, polishing, polishing, and that’s it? It's not that simple. ”
Boss Fu’s factory is not big, even a bit old. The buzzing machine sounds like a world away from the blue sea and sky just a few steps away. I mentioned the common articles on the Internet such as “Five Major Processes of Making Acrylic Signs” and “How to Choose High-Definition Transparent Sheets”. He waved his hand and lit a cigarette.: “It's all true, but when you come to Sanya, you have to change your way of life. Look at the logos of hotels, restaurants, and scenic spots. What is the most important thing? It's not about how bright it is at night, it's about how transparent it is during the day. ”
.jpg "三亚亚龙湾那家Acrylic signage
厂，老板说透比亮更重要")
He led me to a pile of boards. They were not the usual solid colors, but had subtle gradients and textures. “The sun in Sanya is so poisonous. ”He knocked on a blue gradient board, "An ordinary white board will turn completely white and dull when the sun shines on it. You have to use one with a bit of 'water head' feeling, or add a little bit of extremely fine pearlescent powder, which reflects like sea water. During the day, it will look soft and layered, blending in with the environment. The logo is not here to fight with the sun, but to 'borrow light'. ” This was interesting, so I quickly jotted it down. When selecting candidates online, most of them emphasize resistance to yellowing and hardness, but what Boss Fu values is "expressiveness under specific light." This is probably the so-called "local experience."
When it comes to production, Boss Fu has his own obsession with "precision", but it is not based on cold machine standards. He picked up a cut wave-shaped corner: “Look at this arc, the CNC cutting is accurate, but the corners feel 'sharp', like a blade. We have to polish it a little by hand to make it feel a little 'meaty' and feel warm, like a stone rounded by sea water. Sanya gives people a relaxed feeling, and the details of your sign must also have this kind of relaxation. You can't be taut with industrial strings everywhere. ” This reminds me of the "ultimate precision" advocated in many design articles, which seems to have been softened by the sea breeze here.
.jpg "三亚亚龙湾那家Acrylic signage
厂，老板说透比亮更重要")
Splicing and gluing are a big test for acrylic signs, especially at the seaside where there is humidity and high salt content. Boss Fu is very particular about the glue he uses, but what he values more is timing. “You can't rush it, and you can't wait for it to get thirsty. It's a bit like us locals making soup. The taste is right when the heat is up. ” He pointed to the splicing joint of a large hotel letter, "The almost invisible tiny expansion joints are left here, not to cut corners, but to leave room for thermal expansion and contraction. Otherwise, when exposed to the sun in the summer, the internal stress will slowly turn the joints white, and then the joints will be 'disfigured'." ” These subtle doorways are far from being summed up by the words "use special glue".
What impressed me most was that when it came to the luminous effect, Boss Fu was a bit disdainful of the "bright and blinding" uniform LED light strips that are now popular. “Those are used in shopping malls, as long as they are bright enough, but in Sanya, many signs are embedded in plant walls, placed by the swimming pool, or facing the beach and the sea. If the light is too rigid and too bright, it will destroy the environment and make the logo 'isolated'. ” He showed a case of a luminous logo made for a seaside restaurant. The light diffused from the sides and bottom, and the brightness was deliberately lowered by two levels. It was warm white, imitating the feeling of the afterglow of the evening sunset shining on the sign. “When guests see it from a distance, they don't think it is a dazzling billboard, but rather like a halo growing naturally in the environment. This is high-end. ”
After chatting, Boss Fu lamented that many order drawings are now standardized to save trouble, but he is still willing to take those "troublesome" custom orders. “The temperament of each place is different. Sanya's signage has to breathe the sea breeze, endure the scorching sun, and finally become a part of the scenery, rather than a 'sign' inserted forcefully. Well, if you feel comfortable with your logo, only those who look at it will feel comfortable. ”
When I left, it was already evening. When I looked back at Boss Fu’s humble factory, I felt that it contained not only machines and plates, but also an understanding and persistence of a sense of place. Tutorials and articles abounding on the Internet may teach people the steps, but the wisdom of “coexisting” with the local environment probably depends on the “feel” and “eyesight” of these masters. Next time I write about acrylic signs, I probably won’t list a bunch of parameters. Maybe I should ask: Is your logo ready to welcome the unique sunshine and sea breeze?
