Make it Simple, but Significant....Signs and Design
Savvy business owners connect the right message & the right image with the right product to give their business signs the right stuff! Your custom signage is often the first thing associated with your business that potential customers see, so a professional-looking design is essential.
Designing signs can be a great way to get the exact look you want, and whether you design your own sign or secure the services of a professional, here are a few tips to get it RIGHT!
Visibility: Business signs are available in a variety of sizes. Important points to consider are choosing a sign size appropriate for the expected viewing distance, the location the sign will be placed, and any obstacles that may be between your sign and those viewing it. Visibility is one of the most critical parts of your signage.
Overall Design: What type of settings will be used?
A sign that will be used indoors and viewed at short distances or a sign used outdoors and viewed from a greater distance? Do you need a lighted sign? Answering these questions can help you decide what font and effects to use for your text, colors, backgrounds, and images in your custom sign design.
Less is More: When creating your design, less can be more! Leaving space around the edges of your design elements and not filling all of the areas with your text and images will impact your design. Placing too much material into a design will make it appear crowded and more challenging to read. The USSC (United States Sign Council) recommends using just the essential information about your company - such as the name and necessary contact information, address/phone. Keeping the design clear and concise is recommended. According to the USSC, the best results will come from a sign that is about 40% text and 60% blank space.
Types and Fonts: The overall legibility of a sign is essentially determined by the height, color, and font characteristics of the text. The following chart from the USSC will help you decide which size type is needed for your custom sign.
Limit the number of fonts used in your design to just one or two. Choosing two fonts that complement each other can make your message stand out. Be sure to use fonts that are clearly legible when viewed from a distance. Some examples of some standard highly readable fonts include:
Helvetica; Futura; Times New Roman, Copperplate; Trebuchet, and lastly, Optima. Check them out!
Colors: Choosing a single color scheme - such as yellow text on a black background - can give your custom sign a more finished look. Bright colors will draw attention to your sign, but overuse can take away your message or make it hard to read. Using full-color logos is a great way to emphasize the main message. However, if the text will overlap an image, the design should be checked carefully to ensure that the text will be legible.
Foreground / Background Colors
When choosing a background for your custom design, don't use anything that will make it difficult to focus on the main message text. A color wheel will show you the importance of contrast, hue, and value when choosing a foreground/background color combination. Opposite colors on the wheel a called complementary colors. For example, Red and Green are complementary colors. Such colors have very high contrast but effectively cancel each other out, making it very difficult to read.
Colors next to each other on the wheel, such as blue and green, make poor color combinations since their contrast is similar in both hue and value, making it hard to see. Better color combinations are usually found using colors that are not opposite or adjacent on the color wheel, such as blue and yellow.
Black works with any light color, and white pieces well with darker colors. For example, yellow and black are the right combination because they are different in the contrast of both hue and value.
The highest visibility color combinations to use on your sign, according to the Outdoor Advertising Assoc. of America (OAAA) is as follows:
Have fun with your design while making it easy to read and appropriate for your target audience and business. The selected color schemes and typefaces will reflect on your company's image. If you have any questions or concerns about your design, please let us know, we're always willing to help.
Better signs can lead to more business, which you can expect from Fox Design Services. We create custom signs that drive business to your door by producing crisp, clear signage that displays your brand proudly. Our signs are manufactured in the heart of Tennessee and shipped throughout the country.
We have the right equipment, the best talent, and the enthusiasm to bring your vision to life. Reach out and let us help you grow your business.
Fox Design, your wholesale sign
source for 3-D signage.
615-991-3125
email: contact@foxdesignservices.com
