Sign Information Interpretive Exhibits Motorist Guidance Park & Facility Identity Visitor Information Online Store Arrowheads Bulletin Cases Firearms Prohibited Signs National Trail Symbols Recreational Symbols Traffic Regulatory Signs Other Useful Information About Bunting Graphics Art Submittal Guidelines FTP Site Settings Website Help     Interpretive Wayside Exhibits How many parks feel the pressure to meet their sign and interpretive needs with static or reduced funding?  Bunting Graphics has some great news for parks looking to maximize the reach of their sign and interpretive budget dollars.  Bunting is pleased to announce our new product, PorceLite, which is ideal for NPS signs and wayside exhibits, particularly in areas of high pedestrian traffic with vandalism concerns.  The Porcelite process images directly onto powder coated aluminum or steel.  The finish resembles porcelain, but at a fraction of the cost.  Standard thickness is .085 with other gauges available in either aluminum or steel. Click here to receive a free sample.   Exhibit Bases   Exhibit Panels         Reverse Angle   T Base   Sled Base   Wall Cap         There are four major types of bases for Interpretive Wayside Exhibits. Base hardware comes in several styles designed to suit various site conditions.   Wayside Exhibit panels are available in several materials, each with strengths and weaknesses depending on their intended use.   Exhibit Base Mounting Guide An Exhibit Base Mounting Guide is available and shows all the specifications for mounting the bases to the ground as well as other standard attributes. Get the PDF here or click on the image at right.       Base Mounting Guide (900 K) Exhibit Base Materials Structural posts are available in two types of metal and three standard finishes. The material and finish appropriate for a specific sign depends primarily on the sign's purpose and location. A painted post may be a good choice for an urban site; weathering steel is suitable for many forested or desert environments; galvanized steel is very durable in coastal areas.               Painted Steel or Aluminum   Weathering Steel   Galvanized Steel               Exhibit Panel Materials Panels may be fabricated in several materials, each with their own inherent strengths and weaknesses. Porcelain Enamel, which is made by fusing ground glass to steel sheets at very high temperatures, is quite beautiful and durable but requires a high initial investment. Two other options, Embedded Fiberglass and High Pressure Laminate, involve embedding digital prints either in fiberglass or phenolic resin, respectively. Although comparable in appearance and durability to fiberglass, HPL panels are a bit more expensive. Both are considerably less expensive but also less durable than porcelain enamel. The final option that is the least expensive, but has durability approaching either of the laminated panel options, is PorceLite, which is ideal for NPS signs and wayside exhibits, particularly in areas of high pedestrian traffic with vandalism concerns.  The PorceLite process images directly onto powder coated aluminum or steel.  The finish resembles porcelain, but at a fraction of the cost.  Below is a chart that reviews the various features and benefits of each panel type.       Material Comparison Chart   Embedded Fiberglass   Porcelain Enamel   High Pressure Laminate   PorceLite       Weathering   Good   Excellent   Good   Very Good     Vandal Resistance   Very Good   Very Good   Very Good   Best     Warranty   10 years, pro-rated   20 years, limited   10 years   5 years     Relative Initial Cost   Moderate   High   Moderate   Moderate     Replacement Cost   Moderate   High   Moderate   Moderate     Fade Resistance   Good   Excellent   Good   Good     Maintenance   Minimal   Moderate   Moderate   Low     Order Lead Time   8-10 weeks   12 weeks   12 weeks   8-10 weeks                         Exhibit Planning and Design Planning and design of Interpretive Exhibits is an option with our contract, and we have had several success stories in this arena.  Our services range from coordinating copy, layout, cartography services, illustrations, programming and planning.