Every industry is spurred forward by new technology. New thoughts lead to new designs and advancements in tech lead to increased efficiency in the workplace and more effective installations. In the signage industry, the meaning of “new technology” encompasses a lot of things. There are channel letters, wall graphics, digital signage, LED installations, vehicle wraps, carved signage, ADA signs and more that entail their own marketplaces and ecosystems. It can be hard to stay on top of all the product releases and tech advancements.
This new tech roundup lets you know the direction the industry is pointing. All signs point to a healthy market for digital signage in the upcoming decade and the average sign shop customer is becoming increasingly insistent on fully custom signage. There are products in R&D across the country being developed to address these market needs. Continue reading this new tech roundup to keep your finger on the pulse of the industry. Let’s start with some of the latest news from Computerized Cutters, Inc., the company that produces machines for channel letter producing and fabricating.
Channel Letters
The signage industry has changed since the pandemic, as Computerized Cutters owner Carl Ondracek explains.
“The COVID-19 recession in 2020 was particularly challenging for machine manufacturers. During such downturns, companies are reluctant to invest in capital expenditures,” says Ondracek. “However, as we’ve seen in past recessions, recovery eventually comes and businesses recognize the need to invest in new machines to stay competitive.”
The Accu-Cut XLR8 CNC router table is Computerized Cutters latest product to hit the market. These router tables are built upon a heavy-duty steel welded base that will not vibrate loose and are hand-assembled by American craftsmen to ensure accuracy and repeatable cutting up to .003 (three-thousandths) of an inch. These router tables will accurately cut aluminum, acrylic/plastics and wood. The Accu-Cut XLR8 is also capable of cutting 3D parts, when used with the proper software to create 3D files.
“We set out to manufacture the best router right here in the USA, to stand out against the influx of lower-priced machines from Asia. While these imported routers might be cheap, they often fall short in quality and post-purchase support,” says Ondracek. “We joke with companies looking at the cheap Asian machines, we tell them to buy three of them so that when the first two break down in the first year they will have spare parts available. We want companies to know that when they buy one of our router tables, it is going to last for over 20 years. “
In terms of what makes the company move these days, the company’s classic offering is still a popular option for the market.
“Our top-selling machines are the Accu-Bend series. The Accu-Bend Freedom, in particular, is our best seller because it empowers smaller sign companies to compete with larger ones,” says Ondracek. “Priced around $20,000, it offers a cost-effective alternative compared to machines costing $50,000 and more.”
Ondracek has been running the company since the mid 90s and, as a result, he has quite the understanding of the signage market.
“With the number of new sign companies coming on the scene, and the growth of existing ones, finding good skilled workers has become increasingly challenging,” he says. “As a result, the demand for automation is higher than ever.”
Here at SBI, we’ve of course been noticing the demand for custom signage skyrocket across the nation as capabilities and branding expectations continue to expand. There seems to have been a death of uniformity across the market.
“From car wraps to interior and exterior signs, nothing is cookie-cutter anymore. Companies especially want their signs to stand out,” says Ondracek. “With handmade signs becoming rare, machines have become essential for sign-making today.”
LED
After a trip to DSE 2024 in Las Vegas this past winter, SBI walked away with a newfound understanding of the digital signage market. The market includes a vast array of products from LED boards to content management systems to experiential designs. One company, ClearLED, stopped many attendees in their tracks with their Wall Series of LED display modules that can be combined and arranged to turn a storefront window into an eye-catching digital signage display, or even formed into a cube to create and one-of-a-kind experiential signage installation at a trade show, retail store, concert, etc.
The ClearLED Wall was designed for high-profile installations and is comprised of a lightweight modular system with built-in power supplies and receiving cards for easy installation and impressive brightness, ensuring a streamlined display experience.
ClearLED ensures a high pixel density and more captivating imagery on their transparent display. Customers can select from a range spanning 1.9mm to 25mm for tailored solutions and with a vast 120-degree viewing angle, in both vertical and horizontal dimensions, it unlocks limitless creative possibilities. In terms of brightness, the ClearLED wall shines brightly in daylight and illuminates the night, ensuring content is vividly presented, no matter the time or place.
According to ClearLED, LED displays are capable of revolutionizing retail spaces in eight particular ways:
- Visual Impact: LED displays provide unmatched visual impact. Their vibrant colors, sharp images, and flexible sizing make them ideal for creating eye-catching visuals that draw customers in. Whether it’s a massive video wall or a sleek digital sign, LED displays grab attention.
- Storytelling: In the digital age, storytelling is paramount. LED displays enable retailers to tell their brand story in immersive ways. They can convey the brand’s history, values, and mission through dynamic video content, fostering a deeper connection with customers.
- Interactivity: Many LED displays are touch-sensitive or equipped with motion sensors. This interactivity engages customers on a whole new level. Shoppers can explore product catalogs, try out virtual try-on experiences, or access additional product information right at the display.
- Personalization: LED displays offer opportunities for personalization. Retailers can tailor content based on customer profiles, purchase history, or even the weather outside. Personalized experiences make customers feel valued and understood.
- Wayfinding: Navigating large retail spaces can be daunting. LED displays can serve as interactive wayfinding tools, guiding customers to the products or sections they’re looking for. This enhances the shopping experience and reduces frustration.
- Real-time Updates: LED displays excel at displaying real-time information. Whether it’s daily specials, flash sales, or inventory updates, retailers can keep customers informed and engaged. This agility in content management keeps the shopping experience fresh.
- Aesthetic Enhancements: LED displays contribute to the aesthetics of retail spaces. They can be seamlessly integrated into store designs, adding a futuristic, modern touch that elevates the overall ambiance.
- Sustainability: Sustainability is a growing concern for retailers. LED displays are energy-efficient, consuming significantly less power than traditional lighting systems. This not only reduces operational costs but also aligns with green initiatives.
Digital Signage Touchscreens
SBI was also introduced to TSI Touch at DSE 2024, the Uniontown, Penn.-based company is a leading manufacturer of touchscreen and protective solutions for commercial-grade displays. Beyond being able to offer touch capabilities for any display, they provide multiple interactive solutions for even the most unique projects.
TSI Touch is an employee-owned business that was established in 1989 as a division within a defense contracts company and re-established as an independent company in 2011. Their digital signage touchscreen installations are quite impressive and prove to be very effective in universities, hospitals, museums and more.
West Virginia University has been in the midst of campus expansion in recent years, and the constant expansion led to a need for a simple, easy solution for information to be displayed on the many Donor Walls and Hall of Fame installations across their campus. WVU began to explore the use of digital signage to meet these needs and provide informational capabilities throughout the installations across their campus.
Working with the InfoStation team at WVU, TSI Touch designed a custom solution to meet the demands of WVU. The products manufactured were ShadowSense and Projective Capacitive (PCAP) touch overlays built specifically to fit the Samsung DM, PM and QM series displays being utilized on the WVU campus. The TSI Touch overlays included customized extended cold rolled steel bezels with highly protective tempered glass. The solution provided an innovative, user-friendly touch experience and protection for the commercial grade Samsung displays. WVU chose to utilize Samsung displays because in their experience the monitors have always had a track record of high quality at a competitive price.
ShadowSense touch technology was first chosen because it is not susceptible to ambient light sources compared to Infrared touch technology. As PCAP was introduced to WVU, they began to make more purchases with this touch technology because the solution has an aesthetically pleasing zero-bezel appearance and is also immune to ambient light sources.
With the customized extended bezel of the TSI Touch overlays (with ShadowSense), WVU was able to cover all other hardware behind the displays to create a clean, finished look. The operating system, mounting hardware, etc. were enclosed within the final product and hidden from users with side bezels that extended from the front of the solution to ¼” from the wall. The digital content management solution WVU utilizes is Four Winds Interactive (FWI), one of TSItouch’s industry partners. Through leveraging FWI’s content manager and player software, WVU is now able to create custom content that supports the visual communications plan of the university.
TSI’s products are now installed in 13 buildings on the Morgantown, W. Va.- campus, with 17 installs utilizing fully interactive content.
“The products we have purchased from TSI have helped to continue the saturation of digital signage at WVU while giving our monitors’ screens more protection. They also give us the ability for interactivity in the future and a clean installation without needing to add on any additional material to [the] sides of our monitor to hide the mounts and wire from a profile view of the installation,” says Steve Stavar, Digital Visual Communications Specialist at West Virginia University. “By connecting interactivity with digital signage, WVU is engaging more and more with their students, staff and visitors.”
Digital Signage Touchscreen Table
The New Mexico Wine & Grape Growers Association and Ideum teamed up to celebrate the rich history and pioneering spirit of New Mexico’s winegrowers using Ideum’s Tasting Table at the 2025 Unified Wine and Grape Symposium at the end of January.
Ideum’s Tasting Table can host up to four guests at once. The bar-height touch table features an optically bonded 55” touch display and a stylish combination of wood and steel, making it an ideal addition to wine bars and tasting rooms.
The Wine Experience software package allows owners to upload wine information to a cloud-based content management system (CMS) and design personalized tasting experiences. Ideum’s sophisticated object-recognition software aids in identifying specific wines using custom tabletop coasters. Guests can also share their tasting experiences through an interactive digital tasting wheel.
New Mexico is the oldest wine-growing region in the United States, with the introduction of the Mission grape in 1629 by Spanish friars. To celebrate the state’s long wine history, the New Mexico Wine & Grape Growers Association and Ideum collaborated to showcase how the industry continues to evolve, blending tradition with cutting-edge technology.
Ideum worked with the New Mexico Wine Association and VARA Winery to develop and extensively test the Wine Experience software. The Software allows wineries, wine bars and others to create their own branded tasting experience through a cloud-based Content Management System (CMS). Unified visitors were among the first to try the interactive wine-tasting experience.
“We’re thrilled to partner with Ideum to bring a new level of interactive engagement to the Unified Wine and Grape Symposium,” said Christoper Goblet, Executive Director of the New Mexico Wine and Grape Growers Association. “Our state’s winemaking tradition has deep roots, and it’s exciting to showcase both our historic legacy and the innovative strides we’re making in the industry today.”
Owners can create custom wine tastings, and as guests participate, their choices on the tasting wheel are recorded and sent to the cloud. This helps winemakers and others gather information about the aromas and flavors in their wines. It makes the tasting experience more straightforward to understand, more interactive, and less intimidating for guests. A winemaker or sommelier can guide the experience, or guests can explore at their own pace.
“This is a passion project that brings together all of our experience,” says Jim Spadaccini, founder of Ideum and amateur vigneron. “We’ve been developing touch tables since 2006, and we’ve been developing object recognition software, which identifies the wines, for nearly a decade. In addition, we’ve created tasting software for Starbucks, the JCB Collection and MSC Cruises. This new product brings all of this together.”
Printers
Roland DG Corporation recently introduced its fastest TrueVIS® printer to date: the next-generation XP-640 – a Pro-level 64-inch eco-solvent inkjet that combines unmatched image quality and outstanding productivity. The XP-640 incorporates several exciting innovations, including new printheads, upgraded high-speed data control technology, and new inks, to provide users with the best of both worlds – outstanding speed and stunning output.
The XP-640’s newly designed dual staggered printheads eject finer ink droplets at higher densities to produce incredibly vibrant, detailed graphics with fewer passes. These advanced printheads, along with the new data control functionality, enable the XP-640 to print at speeds of up to 818 square feet per hour while achieving beautiful, high-definition image quality.
New TH eco-solvent inks deliver an expanded gamut that opens up a new world of creative opportunities for print professionals. In addition to CMYK, Orange and Green, the TH ink set includes a new Red ink option, allowing users to achieve the highest accuracy with red and orange expression. The wider color gamut also allows for incredibly precise color matching, making it simple to accurately reproduce brand and corporate colors. TH inks are also extremely cost-effective, with an ink price per milliliter that’s lower than that of conventional ink. Improved profiling reduces ink usage as well, allowing for maximum high-volume production profitability.
The XP-640 is packed with features for efficient high-quality output, including an easy-to-use seven-inch color LCD touch panel, a media setup function that automatically performs accurate media gap and compensation adjustment, a media take-up that reduces media skewing for stable production, and a perforated sheet cutter for quick and efficient post-processing work.
Like all Roland DG devices, the XP-640 is built to provide superior performance over the long haul, with minimal maintenance required. XP-640 users also have access to Roland DG Connect, a cloud-based app that helps optimize output operations by providing a full array of functions, including, operational visibility, simple profit calculation, downloading of profiles, and more.
The XP-640 also comes bundled with powerful, intuitive VersaWorks® 6 RIP software, which offers a host of advanced features that enable users to manage print output effortlessly. VersaWorks 6 boasts HARLEQUIN RIP dual-core operation for faster handling of complex files, simple-to-use drag-and-drop functionality, new tools for easier and more precise color matching, built-in Roland DG and PANTONE® libraries, nesting for up to 86 jobs, a predictive ink calculator, and much more.
Digital Signage Content Management
Kitcast, a leader in digital signage software for Apple TV, announced the release of its new platform. It enables businesses of all sizes, educational institutions, and non-profit organizations to turn their digital displays into dynamic, engaging and interactive communication tools. With advanced features that simplify digital signage management, Kitcast boosts both internal and external communication for organizations of any size.
As digital signage becomes a critical component of modern corporate communication, the demand for more efficient and goal-oriented tools has never been higher. With Apple TV’s widespread adoption and Kitcast’s smart management features, businesses now have a scalable solution that meets the needs of both small companies and large enterprises. Kitcast simplifies content management across multiple screens, allowing users to display images, videos, data dashboards, webpages and live streams effortlessly. Since its inception in 2014, Kitcast has grown into a trusted platform used by global giants like Disney Studios, American Eagle Outfitters, The New York Times and Delta Dental.
Kitcast delivers enterprise-grade reliability with features such as zero-touch deployment, Single Sign-On (SSO), and advanced user management. Whether managing a single screen or thousands across multiple locations, Kitcast is the solution for businesses seeking a secure, powerful, and user-friendly digital signage platform.
Key Features of Kitcast:
- Enterprise-Ready Features: Kitcast offers enterprise-level functionality, including zero-touch mass deployment, Single Sign-On (SSO) and advanced user management, ensuring reliability at any scale.
- API: Kitcast API allows customers to create custom integrations with third party applications, offering enhanced flexibility and control.
- Groups for simplified screen management: Easily organize screens with the new sidebar, allowing users to manage screens by groups and subgroups or organize them with tags for simplified navigation.
- Drag and Drop Built-in Widgets: Effortlessly integrate various content sources into playlists, including social media feeds, calendars, weather, TikTok, TED Talks, or HTML5 websites.
- AI-Powered Content Creation: Create stunning designs in seconds. Select a video or static background, add your message, and let the AI craft the perfect layout.
- Unlimited Media Library: Enjoy flexible media management with unlimited cloud storage. Easily connect to Dropbox or Google Drive for seamless media access.
- Easy Playlist Management: Switch between and create new playlists effortlessly with side navigation that makes content control simple.
- Flexible Scheduling: Schedule and modify content from anywhere using smart playlists. Loop content weekly or choose specific dates for tailored delivery with automated expiration.
“We’ve built a powerful platform packed with practical features that make managing screens—whether it’s a few or thousands—easier and more efficient,” says Egor Belenkov, CEO of Kitcast. “In a fast-changing industry, staying ahead is critical. This release highlights our commitment to delivering innovative, scalable solutions that drive growth and improve communication.”
