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). 6
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
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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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