Sign industry is developing really fast and half of the technologies and materials today were virtually non-existent just a decade ago. This is why we are hiring a sign installer and all his “perks” are based totally on years of experience it is not enough. Toronto Sign Services is aiming at becoming the most advanced, precise and equipped with the latest knowledge and tools sign installation company. This is why we invest in getting our installers trained and certified by the industry leaders like 3M. We are proud to call us “3M preferred installer” in Toronto and area.
There is quite a bit information about 3M certification program for graphics installers out there so I will share my own experience from numerous training sessions and testing.
The overall experience was completely positive. 3M has been running their “certified 3M installer” program in the United States for years before launching it in Canada in 2010. Alex Severin of Toronto Sign Services was at the first advanced training course held in Hamilton and then at several other training courses for installers.
The training gives very solid knowledge on almost every aspect of 3M vinyl installation on most types of substrates including, walls, windows, floors but with most time devoted to car wraps. The idea is simple “if a guy is good at wrapping, all other types of vinyl installations will be a breeze for him”. I would say it is very close to being truth but doesn’t work in 100% cases. I’ve seen wonderful wrap specialists who were just weak at frosted vinyl installation onto glass. Still it is easier to teach a professional 3M certified wrap installer to do walls and glass than the opposite.
What is extremely useful about the training sessions is the ability to get hands on experience with all the 3M application tools out there and “play” with 3M wrapping films that are normally too expensive for a beginner.
The training gives you an idea on the things an installer will encounter during the PIT (Preferred Installer testing) but honestly an installer has to do at least 20 full car wraps before taking the test. It is just too difficult for a beginner and too expensive to try several times.
The testing is extremely rigorous. You have 2 full days to pass numerous “props” and from my experience it would take a person around 10-11 hours a day of hard work racing against the stop watch to pass everything. If you fail a prop, you can take it one more time. If you fail 3-4 of them, most likely you won’t have enough time to complete everything anyways.
Among the props were concrete 3M vinyl application on a brick and cinder block walls, flat trailer side with rivets, wall graphics, floor graphics, wrapping MB Sprinter’s back door, wrapping several sections of Chevrolet HHR’s including doors, fenders and the front bumper (by far the most difficult task).
Also there is a written knowledge test that consists of many questions on the product knowledge and application standards. The technical bulletins that you have to read to prepare for the test are “just” around 400 pages of technical data.
By passing all the parts of this test Toronto Sign Services gained the right to call itself 3M preferred installer (Canadian analog of 3M certified installer in the US).
Combined with many years of graphics installation experience, other companies trainings and seminars 3M preferred installer’s status gives us the right to be the best of the best in the industry.
Don’t trust your sign and graphics installations in Toronto and GTA to anyone less experienced!