The Ultimate Guide to Signage Newsletter

The Ultimate Guide to

OUTDOOR

SIGNS &

BANNERS

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LETTER from the Editor Dear Reader, The warmer weather provides the perfect opportunity to think about your company’s outdoor signage. For retail especially, signage is an important consideration because it gets customers in the door. Whether your company has a storefront or you work in an office, outdoor signs are a powerful marketing tool that tend to have a high return on investment.

This guide aims to provide you with design tips and show you just a few of the options that are available. Our blog at conlinspress.com provides you with even more ideas, templates, and information about the power of signage.

If you enjoy reading this newsletter and would like to learn more about the resources we offer, you can reach out to me at marketing@conlinsprint.com.

I love hearing from you!

Best,

Right: Check out our colorful lawn signs!

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How to Select

FONTS FOR SIGNAGE When planning the typefaces for your signs, there are two important considerations. Think about 1) the size of the sign and 2) the amount of time your reader will have to comprehend the information. A small lawn sign on a 40 mph road will require a greater level of readability than a large sign on a bus stop where the reader will be sitting on the bench or walking by on foot.

Legible Sans serif fonts with a uniform thickness are best for signage.

Increase the character spacing for optimal readability.

For maximum readability, a bold sans serif font is the cleanest option. While you aren’t strictly limited to this kind of font, it may be the best option for signage that’s small or far away, or for signage displayed on roads with a high speed limit.

If the letters are too crowded together, it might affect the legibility of your signage – particularly if it’s a serif font. Increasing the character spacing will make your signage easier to read.

This Works

A Bit Too Fancy Select clean fonts with minimum embellishments.

Be strategic with your usage of script fonts.

Using a fancy calligraphic font on an invitation is different than placing it on signage. With signage, you only have a few seconds to capture attention.

When you choose a script font, pick one that’s simple and easy to read.

For maximum readability, keep the use of script to a minimum. Don’t make your reader look at an entire sentence (or paragraph) in a script font. Use it strategically for short headlines or logos. Display the bulk of your message in a clean typeface.

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Our Favorite Options for

OUTDOOR SIGNAGE

Lawn Signs

Vinyl Banner

Made of durable coroplast, we can contour cut your signs into custom shapes.

Outdoor vinyl with grommets is the perfect option for seasonal messaging.

Aluminum Dibond Signs

Asphalt Art

Perfect for parking signs, our Zund can cut this material into a variety of shapes

This sidewalk signage is a creative choice for outdoor events or wayfinding.

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Image by Weld Photography

Real Estate Signs

Vinyl Lettering

We print and install wooden real estate signage in a variety of sizes.

Customize your storefront windows with vinyl lettering.

Building Wraps

Car Decals

Decorate your brickwork or a wide variety of outdoor walls with our 3M Controltac Vinyl.

Turn your company vehicle into a mobile ad for your business.

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Tips for Designing

LAWN SIGNS Research from the United States Sign Council (USSC) states that it takes drivers one second to detect a sign on a busy street and another two to three seconds to read the message. With such a small window to grab their attention, it’s important that your lawn signs communicate your message clearly.

SPEED

LETTER HEIGHT

25 mph

7 inches

30 mph

10 inches

35 mph

11 inches

40 mph

13 inches

45 mph

14 inches

55 mph

16.5 inches

Size & Readability

Negative Space

When determining the size of your sign, as well as the size of your fonts, consider both the viewing distance and the speed limit of the area in which the sign will be placed.

Manage the space between design elements to make it easy for readers to interpret your message. A crowded sign is busy and difficult to read.

Typography

Color

Be sure to choose fonts that are easily legible from a distance. You have four seconds to capture the viewers attention. You don't want them to waste any of that time on trying to interpret an unclear font. Crisp and bold sans serif typefaces are usually the best option.

Avoid soft colors and instead opt for bright, saturated ones. These will make your sign pop.

It’s also important that your text and background color are contrasting. Contrasting colors tend to be on opposite sides of the color wheel (examples are shown in the image above).

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DESIGN RESOURCES Free Fonts for Signage Design

Set Up Files for Digital Cutting

Brick Wrap Install Video

Free Lawn Sign Template

visit w w w. c o n l i n s p r e s s . c o m / r e s o u r c e s /s i g n s to access these resources 7

1011 West Eighth Ave. King Of Prussia, PA 19406 610-337-4460 kingofprussia@conlinsprint.com

Follow @ConlinsPrint for #Printspiration, design tips, and behind-the-scenes pics!

BROUGHT TO YOU BY:

ConlinsPrint.com | 610-337-4460

For print tutorials, design resources, and marketing tips, visit www.ConlinsPress.com.

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