Graphic Stickers and Decals
of Numbers and Creatures
For School and Medical Facility Use
Project:
- Graphic Stickers and Decals of Numbers and Creatures
Client:
- San Ysidro School District – reopening signage
- Loma Linda University Children’s Health – pediatric exam room
Product Highlight:
- TASQUE & TexWalk Anti-Slip High-Tac Adhesive White printable PVC vinyl for walkways, classrooms, sidewalks, and more.
- 3M Control-tac Graphic Print Wrap Film IJ180 is very popular for adhering to smooth surfaces, car wrapping, and decals, clear overlaminate.
Returning to Full In-Person Learning
Schools are an essential part of the infrastructure of our communities. They provide safe and supportive learning environments for students that support social and emotional development, access critical services, and improve life outcomes. Schools also employ people, teachers, administrators, enable parents, guardians, and caregivers to work.
Students benefit from in-person learning instruction, extracurricular activities, and sports, so we are happy to say that schools are opening and welcoming the kids back this Fall. All the activities that were a part of everyday life over a year ago. As students move from the protection of their home back to the public, should we be worried?
According to the CDC, schools will need to have certain protocols before the morning bell rings. Since vaccination will not be widespread among students by then, they must take every safety precaution seriously.
We have come accustomed to wearing masks and practicing social distancing from other people. However, kids will be kids. Once schools are open for full-in-person learning, it will be difficult for students to remember to follow protocols meant to safeguard their wellbeing. What about a fun and easy way for facilities and teachers to help remind them?
San Ysidro School District
San Ysidro School District (SYSD) came up with such a plan. They came up with a number and animal signage system to help students line up outside of classrooms in an orderly and safe distancing manner. The creation of this simple system help meets the need of Covid safety criteria and guidelines for a full school reopening.
We received a call from SYSD, who asked if A&I could help design the numbers for the playground area for each of the district’s seven schools to help students line up and remind them to wear their masks before going to the play area. Our design guru created numbers 1-32 in a circle formation for upper-division students and used each schools’ colors for the background to emphasize school spirit. The designer utilized an animal theme for the elementary school kids to make it fun and easy to remember and follow. The sticker decals application would be to floors and playground pavement. A material that would withstand the beating sun, heat, constant traffic and needed to adhere to cement.
TexWalk
A&I chose a product called TexWalk. This material is a printable fabric reinforced, non-slip PVC that is easy to apply, remove and leaves little to no residue. It has a matte finish, sticks to almost any surface, and can be cut into any shape. TexWalk is designed to be applied as a wall or floor graphics and can be used on carpet, tile, metal, painted, or wooden surfaces. It is ideal for high-traffic areas as advertising, directing, and point of sale signage. You might have seen this material used in industries like grocery stores, trade shows, banks, concerts, stadiums, and now…schools. What a great idea!
A few months later, we received another call from SYSD. Teachers and school executives loved the number and animal system A&I completed for the playground. Now they wanted something designed and produced for the classrooms. To help students line up when the bell rang, keep a safe distance, and remind them to have a mask on before entering the classroom.
QM-TASQUE
For this project, A&I chose a material called QM-TASQUE, similar to the qualities of the TexWalk. It’s a matte finish, anti-slip white vinyl with high tac removable adhesive. High quality and budget-friendly, usable on smooth surfaces such as floors, tabletops, trade show displays, and anywhere advertising or direction need visibility impact. The matte finish extrudes vinyl for slip resistance, yet easy to apply, water-resistant, scratch-resistant, and stand up to everyday wear and tear.
A&I printed 6” floor circles for seven schools, a total of 250 classrooms! Each set of circles was printed with their school colors and shrink-wrapped for easy distribution. Seventy-five hundred 6” numbered decals and one hundred fifteen 8” animal decals in total. That a whole lot of numbers and animals!
The challenge for this project was distance. While A&I is based in the Inland Empire, our client location is in San Diego. SYSD trusted A&I to use our best judgment with creativity and design coupled with the ability to deliver a high-quality product on time. We learned it is imperative to stay in contact with long-distance projects and be available to the client through the entire process. To send proofs out timely, keep notes, and critical for our sales team to communicate and sharing information with the production team. Our experienced staff has always delivered and this time was no exception. Teachers at SYSD now utilize the colorfully designed decals to help give students direction while staying safe is paramount. The school district has made COVID protocols fun and safe for returning students. They will be confident in reopening schools and welcoming students back with safety guidelines in place!
Loma Linda University Medical
Pediatric, Ear, Nose and Throat Surgery and Audiology Department
We all know that trips to the doctor for medical treatments can be traumatic for anyone—especially children and parents who must go multiple times. Loma Linda University’s (LLU) objective is to provide an environment where young visitors and their parents can be more relaxed in a visually calm surrounding. Who doesn’t love the ocean and the beach, right?
A&I was printing a custom wall covering for our client when they requested an additional project, interior décor items. We gladly accepted the challenge. LLU wanted to continue the oceanic theme into the children’s wing of the medical center and add colorful sea creatures to mark specific exam rooms.
3M Controltac Graphic Film (IJ180)
During the design meeting, we provided various sea creature graphics to narrow down the client’s selection. A&I already knew we would print on the ever-versatile material known as 3M Controltac Graphic Film (IJ180). This material adheres to multiple surface types like glass, wood, painted metal, and almost any smooth surface. Our HP Latex printer can image the IJ180 graphic film and deliver excellent dynamic color. Installation is this material is quick and easy. Perfect for this project because of its durability. The Controltac Graphic Film is used exclusively as vehicle wrap material. It can be washed without fading, peeling, or tearing. Application is pressure-activated adhesive makes for easy sliding, positioning, and once placed, stays put. Expected performance life can be ten years plus. To assure this and more, A&I also applied a protective laminate to increase durability and ease of cleaning.
The single challenge with this project was selecting the best sea creatures from the vast ocean of choices. While we also made sure they fit within the color scheme and the client’s concept for the finished look of the medical office. After several revisions, the exam door decals came to life.
While strolling through the medical offices, you will see the walls adorned with the peaceful ocean waves and the colorful sea creatures on each exam door. It is a calm reminder that what’s on the inside isn’t that scary after all for children or adults to visit a medical facility.
