Signs and graphics

My kids slept early the other night so I had time to just flip the channels and watch whatever show. I came across an investigative show and was so caught up with it. No wonder shows like those run years and years and keep topping the charts!

One thing that caught my eye was when they were looking at the maps on board a ship. It was interesting that they kept flipping those acetate type things to add or deduct some detail into what they were trying to see on the map.

It was yesterday that I found out those are called overlays. I’ve seen those before when we were doing projects in college but didn’t register that they could also be used in large-scale operations like in the military. Even those patters with yellow orange and black Warning or Caution signs on drums for chemicals or at the ship’s doors are also called Graphic Overlays.

Also, it’s not just in the military that they’re used. Graphic overlays are also used for other commercial and industrial specific applications. Now, when I go out and see those signs, I know how they’re made and what it took to make them, thanks to google and to that TV show.