High quality signage can make or break someone’s choice to stop at your business. That’s why we’ve put together 7 tips for making high quality signage.
Old, dirty, or misleading signs give consumers the impression that your product or services might be the same way. Just like where and how you display products in your business, the love and thought you put into your signage matters.
Here are some tips to keep in mind while creating signage for your business.
TIP 1: Font
Your signs should be easy to read at a glance in the few seconds someone may be walking or driving by your business. You only have seconds to capture their attention so your message needs to be obvious and straight to the point.
Using fancy fonts can be risky for ease of reading. This includes cursive or italic fonts and anything with dramatic curvature or that is whimsical in appearance. Fonts such as these can be hard for people to read quickly, and when it comes to signage for your business, ease of reading is important.
TIP 2: Font Size
When creating your outdoor signage, about 1 inch of letter height is visible for 10 feet. Every 1 inch equals a 72 pt font. So if you want 100 foot visibility, then using 10 inch letters in your design is ideal. This means you will use 720 pt font size.
TIP 3: Imagery & Space
In our visual world, using imagery to set the tone or send a message is a good design choice.
Using images of items you are selling will help cross language barriers. For example, a picture of a strawberry with the price per pound next to it, quickly communicates your message no matter the language someone speaks.
Avoid cluttering your signs.
Your signage should be pleasing in appearance but clear in the message. A busy sign makes it hard for people to grasp what they need to know in the few seconds they look at it. If a message is important enough to put on a sign, then give it the space it deserves to stand on its own.
TIP 4: Rule of Odds
The rule of odds says that our eyes are naturally attracted to groupings in odd numbers. Most often is in groups of three.
Using the rule of odds in your design allows the things on the outside of the group to naturally draw eyes into the center element, giving a sense of balance. This focuses your message to the center element, which is why that element should be your most important.
TIP 5: Color Pops
Find creative ways to highlight your message on signage by contrasting color and imagery. This assists in conveying your message to consumers with few words, because keeping signage visually appealing but uncluttered is always the goal.
Try playing with contrast and color pops to help achieve this goal.
Using black and white images can add drama to your design. Or, applying transparency to an image to make it fade will allow you to easily overlay text. Applying pops of color for the text can help add impact to the drama and highlight your message.
TIP 6: Contrast
When we talk about contrasting colors, we are referring to colors that are different enough in tone that they stand apart from each other, not blend in with one another.
For example, using black on white or yellow on black will create depth and make reading easier from a distance. Using light pink on white, for example, will not create enough difference in tones to pop your message.
When creating signage, always consider the exterior color of your building or the background on which your sign will be placed. You want to choose the sign’s background accordingly so it doesn’t get lost in the color of its environment.
TIP 7: Brand Appeal
Your brand should be recognizable and use consistent elements. The use of consistent elements helps send a message to consumers about who you are and what to expect from you. Together, they create your brand appeal.
Elements you use in your designs are part of your brand appeal. By this we mean your style, tone, colors, font, and messaging. Your brand appeal adds to your brand’s personality, and every brand should have a defined personality. Your personality should then be conveyed in your messaging consistently for easy recognition.
Messaging includes the photos and words you choose. When you stay consistent with your messaging, you look and feel the same wherever people see you.
A final thought…
The more memorable your brand is, the more of a chance someone recalls that you exist when they need your product of service. It takes 5-7 times for a consumer to see a brand and actually remember it. This is why being consistent is so important. If you look and feel the same each time someone sees you, you are reminding them they know you by triggering recognition.
Want some graphic design tips to make better promotional materials? Click here.