From Concept to Construction and Beyond
In 2015, I started as a Customer Service Representative at Cushing. I didn’t know anything about printing and, short of admiring a skyscraper from the ground, had little knowledge of the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction industry.
I was lucky!
My coworkers are experts in the world of A/E/C printing. As orders for drawings are submitted, they sort sheets by index, change orientation, adjust sheet sizes, and print (even in color!) in no time at all. Eager to learn, I had great teachers:
Combined, our production team has over fifty years of industry experience.
My first day? A set of drawings was like a foreign language to me. Compare that to long tenured production staff, Diane and Amanda both read drawings so well they catch clients ordering the wrong addendum before going to print with their order!
Trust Cushing with your AEC printing because we’ve grown with the AEC industry.
In 1929, Cushing opened as a blue print shop. Coating diazo paper in the 1950’s, we became a converter of photographic and drafting films, and sold them to printers in the Midwest. Fast forward a couple decades, and we included the addition of electronic (CAD plotting) services and an expansion of color services. The rest is history!
How do we anticipate your needs? Our team knows the construction process, and print is an asset at every stage.
Here’s what I’ve learned about printing during the construction process:
Design and Development
In the first stage of construction, architects and design firms present ideas to financiers and owners. Presentation boards and booklets are invaluable ways to sell your idea, your brand, and yourself to a client. Any printed visuals, proposals and drawings, are helpful for financers to envision the finished project. They act as great leave-behinds, often ending up in the front lobby for all to see!
Bid and Permit
During the bid and permit process, printing is critical. Drawings, specs, bid sets, issue for permit sets, and ASI’s (Architect Supplemental Instructions) are all printed and sent out in this stage. Any changes, big or small, that come up need to be considered. Cushing will print plans and specs for bidders to order and pick up or have sent out to them during the bidding process.
Construction Sets
Throughout construction, updates happen frequently, and addendums need to be printed as they come up. Any missing details or changes need to be corrected and reprinted.
Reprinting your drawings in color highlights any changes or updates from the last set.
When a bidder or architect has questions, needs to make changes, or has recommendations, RFI’s (request for information) are also printed. When printed in different colors, these are much easier to read – anything printed in color easily identifies items that have changed since the previous version.
Aside from drawings and check sets, display graphics enter the equation. Barricade graphics, signage for scaffolding, safety, wayfinding, and fence banners are printed and installed during this stage. External graphics act as advertisements for your brand and help developers find tenants.
Closeouts
When construction ends, closeouts are put together. This huge collection of documents includes operation manuals, warranties, and general information. It can cover building details, from tile to light bulbs. This information is sent to the owner or building management.
As you can imagine, printed information can add up – and take up space! Instead of printing, we can have your closeouts put onto a CD/DVD, stored digitally, or put onto a custom electric document portal.
Leasing
When the building is complete, promotional signage, banners, or window graphics advertise a space available for lease. Before a group moves into their new space, wall graphics are a great addition to brand an office and foster a welcoming environment.
Consider parking lot signage (like we did for Cordos Construction) or wayfinding graphics to make navigating your space a bit easier.
Electric Document Portal
If you’re looking for an easy way to store documents, consider a custom EDMS (electric data management system) portal. Simply send us your files through email, Dropbox, FTP, etc. and we will put them on your own custom site. Upload or update documents so the most recent versions are available.
Give certain people access to a particular project or document for a set amount of time. Store your closeouts here for quick reference (and save a tree). Download any documents you have stored, or order a set of prints through the site. The possibilities are endless!
Why choose Cushing?
We have years of experience in the industry and see construction documents come in and out of the shop every day. Our web upload tool and document management portals make ordering simple, and we are always looking for the next big thing. Still not convinced? Ask around, we know our reputation will put us a step above the rest!
Want to compare black & white versus color? Our team is happy to drop off samples for you to review!
