Edmonton

Sustainable, Functional and Modern -- Royal Goes Green With Bamboo!

With the growing trend of 'green' products, many businesses and individuals are looking for products that can fulfill their needs while shrinking their carbon footprint. With this in mind, we have recently released a line of customizable bamboo products. Bamboo is both versatile and sustainable because of its ability to grow incredibly fast, its strength and its contribution to improving air quality. 

All of our bamboo products can be personalized with a name, logo, quote or any number of designs. So whether you are looking for gifts for your bridal party, corporate giveaways or a natural and modern look for a recognition or donor wall, we can help! Stop by our showroom at 10633-109 St. to have a look at our bamboo display, or call us at 780-426-4676 or toll free 1-800-272-8859 for enquiries. 

Posted on May 12, 2015 - 4:29pm by Stefan.

Royal How-To Guide: Removing Vinyl Decals and Stickers

When I was a kid, I absolutely loved stickers. I loved collecting them, showing them off and well, sticking them. This of course was a nightmare for my parents who would find big, ugly stickers stuck to the furniture, walls, windows and anywhere I thought looked "nice". The solution to this problem? Sticker books! This gave me a new and acceptable place to stick and collect my stickers but did not solve the problem from my previous attempts at "interior decorating". My parents were left to deal with half-ripped stickers, residue and damage to various surfaces around the home. If only they had known what I know now!

Fast-forward to the present and I am the Lead Sign Installer here at Royal Rubber Stamp. As a sign installer, I am tasked with not only the installation of signs and decals, but often the removal. The removal of old signs and decals can at times be one of the trickier parts of the job, particularly when trying to do so while limiting and/or preventing damage. In my nearly nine years of installing and removing signs and decals, I've learned some tricks that make my life a little easier. In the video below, I share some of those tricks so you can learn how to remove vinyl decals and stickers with ease!

For more tips, tricks and inside looks at Royal, be sure to check out our other videos on YouTube

Connect with Royal. Follow us on Twitter!

Posted on May 12, 2014 - 2:46pm by Stefan.

The Benefits of Dye Sublimation

Back in 2012, Royal Rubber Stamp & Sign Co. set out to manufacture all of Alberta Health Services' employee name tags. The job called for a durable, easy to clean and easy to read tag. Dye sublimation was the manufacturing method of choice for all of the over 8,000 tags! After reading this, it will be easy to see why. These are the benefits of dye sublimation!

What is dye sublimation?

Dye sublimation is the process of applying an image to a medium (specially coated ceramics, metals and plastics) using sublimation ink, heat and pressure. Because sublimation ink is unique in its ability to convert from a solid to a gas without going through a liquid form, it is able to print directly INTO materials rather than sitting on the surface of a material like most inks.

The benefits.

Because dye sublimation prints sub-surface, the end result is a very durable, virtually scratch and water proof print. When done properly, the colours in a dye sublimation print will be rich and vibrant. Photographs, in particular, sublimate quite well.

What can be dye sublimated?

Because dye sublimation is a unique process that requires material with a thin coating of polyester, not just anything can be dye sublimated. With that being said, there are a wide variety of dye sublimatable ceramics, metals and other materials available. Whether you're looking for custom name tags, coasters, small signs, mouse pads, tiles or any other personalized item, Royal Rubber Stamp's customer service staff can help you find what you're looking for.


Below are some samples of dye sublimation:

Interested in seeing more pictures of some of our work? Visit us on Flickr! > http://www.flickr.com/photos/97766255@N05/

Posted on February 10, 2014 - 4:18pm by Stefan.

Custom Orders Made Easy

The idea of ordering custom signage can understandably be a little daunting. There are many different variables and options to think of when placing an order. Size, colours, materials, installation method and design are just some of the things that need to be considered. Not to worry, Royal's staff is here to help make the process as quick and painless as possible. When ordering custom signs, one of Royal's customer service representatives will begin by asking a few questions, "Are the signs intended to be interior or exterior?", "What colour scheme is used in its surroundings?", "Are there any bylaw specific signs needed?". You don't need to have the answers to all the questions, but remember, the more information, the better!

Often times, your sales rep will recommend a site inspection to ensure the most accurate information is available before moving on with the design, manufacturing and installation of your signs. Site inspections are all about gathering information. Measurements, pictures and troubleshooting for any potential lighting or mounting problems are all important in making sure the end product will be as spectacular as you imagine! Once as much information as possible is acquired, Royal's staff will begin the design process.

Recently, Royal was approached to design custom directional and room identification signage for an apartment complex in Sherwood Park, Alberta. Here is the information the design team had to work with:

  • Three, four storey apartment buildings
  • Three digit number on each sign
  • Braille not needed
  • Visibility is important; lighting in building is excellent
  • Client requests signs be approx. 5" x 3"
  • Moderate budget; keep costs down while maintaining quality
  • Tamper resistant
  • Use silver coloured material

With that information, Royal's team was able to begin work on the design process. Shown below are early concept sketches.

Once a design was chosen, computer renderings as well as a prototype of a room identification sign were made to present to the customer. These are shown in the pictures below.

Once the customer has approved the design, the manufacturing of the signs can begin and Royal's experienced and professional installation staff is always available to install your signs.

Don't be afraid to ask for custom signs; logos, colours, shapes and materials, the decision can be yours! From concept, to fabrication, to installation, custom orders are made easy with Royal.

More custom signs from Royal:


 

Posted on January 2, 2014 - 9:22am by Stefan.

We Love a Challenge! - A Look Back at Some of Royal's More Unique Jobs, Projects and Experiences

Over the years, 60 and counting, Royal has encountered its fair share of unique and challenging projects. "No" is not a word that exists in the Royal vocabulary. If there is a challenge to be had, it is a challenge worth conquering. This is a view Royal employees are hardwired to believe in. After all, what fun would it be if every day was the same? "We love a challenge!" is our slogan and we're sticking to it!

Here is a look back at some of the more unique and interesting "challenges" we've conquered over the years.

New Edmonton Remand Centre - Oct. 2012 - Feb. 2013

If installing signage in a brand new state of the art prison wasn't unique and interesting enough, Royal was tasked with added unique challenges such as strict security requirements, tamper proofing signs and limited time constraints.

Read more about the ERC project here. > http://royalstamp.ca/portfolio/case-studies/new-edmonton-remand-centre


Official Medals Engraver, World Masters Games - July 2005

About as unique as it gets. In the summer of 2005, Royal was selected as the official medals engraver for the World Masters Games being held in and around Edmonton. After an athlete won a medal, they had the option of having it personalized with their name, date and any other info about their win they wished to commemorate. With over 21, 000 athletes from 89 countries, this was no easy feat. To add to the special occasion, Royal also included the option of having their medal mounted in a beautiful gold, silver or bronze frame. In order to accommodate the high demand for medal engraving, Royal had an engraving booth set up at the event headquarters in the Shaw Conference Centre as well as at various event locations in and around Edmonton. To increase access to different sites throughout the day, one of Royal's vans was turned into a mobile engraving unit.

The event was a massive success for the organizers and the city. Royal was proud to have played an integral role in helping visitors and athletes from all over the world feel welcome while also having the opportunity to send them home with personalized souvenirs to remember their great achievements from a fantastic week!

 

University of Alberta Centenary Celebrations "Tory on a Stick" - December 2007

In late 2007, Creative Services at the University of Alberta approached Royal with a rather strange and very unique request. They needed 700 heads on a stick and they needed them ASAP! Of course, this being 2007 and not medieval times, it was a request for cutout prints of the U of A's first president, Henry Marshall Tory, and not actual heads on a stick.

The University of Alberta was getting ready to celebrate its centenary when a couple days before a media event, organizers decided it would be neat to give all those in attendance a Henry Marshall Tory "mask" of sorts. Given that Henry Tory was the first ever president of the U of A and a large part of why the University got to where it was, it seemed to be a fitting idea. The only problem, how on earth would they make them in such a short amount of time? The task fell into Royal's capable and willing hands. In just a matter of two days, the masks had been designed, manufactured and delivered to the client. The event went off without a hitch and the "masks" were a big hit!

 


Do you have a unique project that you would like help with? Give us a call or send us an email; we love a challenge!

Posted on November 19, 2013 - 2:51pm by Stefan.

Glass Etch Vinyl - Modern and Practical Window Covering

Windows are in. If you haven't noticed, modern architecture is all about open spaces and natural lighting. With advances in window technology, buildings are now being built with a lot more glass without compromising the heating and cooling of interior spaces. With the added windows, there has also been a rise in the use of glass etch vinyl. Glass etch vinyl is an affordable and effective way to increase privacy for an office or personal space, add a decorative look, or even advertise or promote your brand on a window without sacrificing natural light. When installed properly, glass etch vinyl can appear as though it is etched directly into the glass effectively giving your windows a high-end look without the high-end cost.

Over the years, Royal has produced and installed glass etch vinyl on hundreds of windows in Edmonton and throughout Alberta. From a single window as an added touch to compliment the decor of a room, to entire office buildings where a little more privacy is needed, Royal can do it all.

Below are some photos of glass etch vinyl installations Royal has done over the past couple of years.

The residents of Southwinds Condominiums wanted a little added privacy for their gym. Here's what we did for them:

One of the windows in the new staff gym here at Royal features glass etch vinyl that not only offers privacy, but also gives an encouraging message:

ATCO's new buildings throughout Alberta feature a lot of glass. Offices within the buildings required some added privacy. Here's what we did for them:

Add a design feature to your windows:

Incorporate your company logo:

Interested in trying your own glass etch vinyl install? Pick up the material from us and watch the instructional video we put together below.

 

Posted on November 6, 2013 - 12:46pm by Stefan.

Laser Engraving Metal: An Inside Look

Over the years, Royal Rubber Stamp & Sign Co. has engraved plaques, plates and hundreds of thousands of tags for our customers in Edmonton and beyond. From one single award plaque, to over 200,000 deep engraved industrial tags (on one order), there is not much we haven't done. The methods we have used to mark metals in the past have in their own way been both effective, yet limiting. There is rotary engraving, which is effective but can be a little slow and has limitations in terms of artwork. ProPen is extremely fast but only produces an industrial look (we wouldn't want to use this for a plaque commemorating little Billy's first goal in hockey). Then there is laser engraving. Being limited to only stainless steel and having to use a toxic chemical to burn the engraving into the metal were huge drawbacks to the laser method. Enter the FiberMark laser from Epilog. This fantastic piece of machinery now allows us to mark directly to almost any metal you can think of. Whether it is a decorative plate for an award plaque or hundreds of steel tags to mark machine parts, we can do it! We can easily personalize almost any type of metal with a logo, picture, or even a barcode.

Now the fun! Our production manager, Jim, was kind of enough to allow me to place his iPhone inside the FiberMark laser to film close-up video of the machine running. Yes, Jim was a little nervous about what might happen to his precious iPhone but the end result is pretty cool! (especially since his iPhone made it through unscathed) Check out the videos below to see for yourself!

Laser Engraving Brass. (For decorative plates):

Laser Engraving Steel (Tools, plates, etc.):

Laser Engraving an iPad (Personalize for clients, gifts, etc.):

 

Laser Engraving in the Dark (We did this just for fun. My personal favourite of all the videos):

If you'd like to see more videos from Royal, make sure to bookmark our YouTube page. We'll be posting more videos in the coming weeks!

What we can mark with our new FiberMark laser:

Posted on October 8, 2013 - 2:35pm by Stefan.