Essyx Design + Fabrication does exactly what its name implies, and everything in between, which is why Warriors’ Path State Park in Kingsport, Tenn. turned to the all-in-one design-build graphic company for its interactive displays.

Eleven displays dot the walking paths in Warriors’ Path State Park, informing park goers about the flora and fauna that populate the park. The displays were built and installed by Essyx and include any number of interactive features, also built by Essyx.

The main print that provides the primary information is embedded in a layer of epoxy. Essyx used LexJet 8 Mil Production Satin Photo Paper, printed on the company’s HP Designjet 5500. “We used the Production Satin because the paper is very economical and it’s easy to work with in production,” says Christian Schmid, graphics manager for Essyx. “We sent out the print for the epoxy treatment, but it’s the only piece of the project we subbed out.”

The paw prints, hoof prints, leaves and other dimensional pieces attached to the face of the display were fabricated in-house with a type of modeling clay. Essyx made a resin cast from the clay pieces and then sanded and painted them.

Some of the displays also feature sound. Users can push a button to hear the animals speak in their own wild language. Schmid says that the displays have taken a beating but have withstood far more abuse than the typical park sign can handle. “Kids are especially tough on displays like this,” says Schmid. “Because of the interactive nature of the displays we had to make them as weather-proof and vandal-proof as possible.”