Designing attractive and successful signage is not easy at all. It involves multiples elements to consider, and combining them correctly can be the difference between missing customers and getting your message delivered while generating an impact on your target audience.
The most important thing to figure out before creating your business sign is where will it be placed. The location is crucial in order to deliver your message to your potential customers. Your signage location will determine your sign’s dimensions and how big the letters should be.
Now, this is only a little but essential ingredient to complete a successful signage formula. It is better to get help from a professional with your signage development. An expert’s opinion will always have better ideas and solutions to the common and unexpected problems that designing and placing effective signs could have. Nonetheless, it doesn’t mean you can’t provide useful ideas, and therefore, it is better to be well-informed and educated on the subject, so here are some useful tips to consider.
The correct signage dimensions will ensure it is readable.
Sign dimensions
Your new and potential customers are all around, and you need to catch their attention. You must consider that they could be walking or driving by and in just a few seconds, they have to be able to see your sign, read it, and understand it. Some researchers agree that the average distance for a driver to be able to see a sign and safely decide to make a stop when traveling around 25-30 miles per hour is at least 155 feet long. However, if the sign is mounted parallel to the roadway – for instance on a road with changing lanes – it needs to be up to a 70% larger. For example:
- For cars traveling at 40 mph, the sign should be at 185 feet when mounted perpendicular, but at least 550 feet long if it is parallel to the roadway.
- For cars traveling at 55 mph, the sign should be at 265 feet when mounted perpendicular, but at least 720 feet long if it is parallel to the roadway.
Once you determine the legibility distance, you need to determine its height. First, the height from the ground to the bottom of the face should always measure a minimum of 7 feet high so that the sign is not blocked from view by passing or parked vehicles. The distance the signage is intended to be read, in relation to the average speed of the road, determines the height to the top of the face.
For instance, a sign placed on a freeway that travels around 60-65 mph should be at least 75 feet high, while a sign placed on a roadway with a speed limit of 35 mph should measure 20 feet high.
Letter size
Choosing the correct sign letter size.
Once again, the letter size is determined by how far your potential customers will be seen it. Experts agree that for every inch height of your sign letter, you have 10 feet of readability. This means that eight inches high letters should be readable from 80 feet away.
You should also consider the letters’ colors, fonts, materials, and illumination. All of these elements can help or affect negatively how your message will be delivered to your customers.
With these few pointers, you can start designing your business sign. Nonetheless, remember it is always better to have a professional taking care of these matters. This way, you can ensure that your time and money invested in your project will get the best results.
