Taking it to the Street

Like many young graduates, after college Trevor MacDermid headed for New York City. There he worked as a freelance website designer and, in his off time, used his artistic talents to make objects out of metal and other materials. One day he made a replica of a subway sign, and people loved it.

"The Roland (vinyl cutter) is really easy to use. The precision is amazing. I can run an eight foot sign with no drift."

When the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) discovered his work, they offered him a licensing agreement. "At that point, I knew I needed to purchase a vinyl cutter," said McDermid. "All the reviews pointed to Roland." MacDermid worked with S&F Supply in Brooklyn and chose the Roland GX 24 vinyl cutter.

"The Roland (vinyl cutter) is really easy to use. The precision is amazing. I can run an eight foot sign with no drift."

"Metalworking came easy to me, but I was new to contemporary signage," said MacDermid. "Fortunately, the Roland is really easy to use." MacDermid's signs are typically 12 inches tall and run as long as eight feet. "The precision is amazing," said MacDermid. "I can run an eight foot sign with no drift."

About half of MacDermid's clients want the name of an actual transit location on their sign. The rest want a customized sign in metropolitan style. MacDermid's customers range from individuals looking for room d_cor to corporations outfitting their lobbies. Organizations frequently order groups of signs for special events, sometimes outfitting an entire building in transit signage.

MacDermid appreciates the reliability of his Roland cutter. "The first blade I bought has lasted several years," said MacDermid. "Maintenance on the machine has been next to zero."

As a result of having the GX-24 (vinyl cutter), MacDermid has been able to say yes to other types of jobs as well. He produces vinyl window and wall d_cor for a local art gallery and has created banners and signs for special events as well as producing fabric lettering.