How to Create the Best Signs for Your Business

Signs are usually the first advertisements you see, whether driving on a highway, walking on a sidewalk, or heading to your go-to establishments like restaurants or grocery stores. Despite everyone being hooked on smartphones or tablets, you still see prominent displays such as vinyl banners, yard signs, posters, and A-frame signs. They’re a tried, tested, and timeless way to capture anyone’s attention.

Research proves that signs effectively change behavior across different domains, from health behaviors and road traffic to environmental protection. A survey found that sign changes had “significant, positive impacts on sales, the number of transactions and profits” and an increase of 10% from 60% of the businesses reported. Companies will benefit from investing in high-quality, easy-to-read signs. However, sign design is still up to the creator, whether a business owner, an outsourced graphic designer, or your advertising manager.

No matter how experienced you are in creating signs, it’s important to approach the process strategically and creatively. Here’s a guide to strategizing and designing a sign that will produce the business results you need.



Coming Up with an Effective Sign Strategy

Go back to your sign’s “why.”
Before diving into design and looking for inspiration, ask yourself, “Why are you displaying the sign?” Is it to advertise a new product or service? Are you introducing your business to customers? Is it to inform people of specifics about your business, like a store location? A clear and straightforward answer keeps the sign’s primary goal in mind and ensures that all details fulfill this purpose.

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Ask more specific questions about the sign and its target audience.
Based on the sign’s “why,” you can answer these questions to further specify your strategy:
  1. Who is the sign’s target audience?
  2. Based on your answer to the previous question, ask other questions about the sign’s target audience: are they students, professionals, or employees? What is their income? Where do they live? Ask more questions about their demographics and lifestyle to understand your target market better.
  3. Based on the purpose of your sign, list down what the sign will do for your business. Some questions you could ask to start this process are:
  1. Are there special promotions you’re advertising, like a seasonal sale or event?
  2. Do you need to inform customers about a new location or store opening?
  3. Are you boosting brand retention by reminding customers about or introducing your business name?
  4. Is there information related to your business that you want to share to help customers, like car safety tips, safe driving, or health precautions?
  5. Are you creating a set of signs for a big event like a trade show or conference?
  6. Will you provide specific information, like helping visitors travel to your hotel or resort? (e.g., the sign will be displayed along roads leading to your establishment so that customers will need clear directions).



Effectively Designing Your Signs



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Choose a sign size that will fit the display location.
Study the location where the sign will be displayed. Base your sign’s width and height on this location to ensure that it fits and follows the local government’s regulations on public displays. Your sign’s size also depends on the sign type. It’s also good to review standard sizes for popular signages like vinyl banners, yard signs, posters, and window clings.

Keep the message clear and concise.
After deciding the sign size, you can start planning your main message. Keep the central copy to a minimum of seven words or less. The sign should be short enough to read and remember in 3.5 seconds. Anything longer, and your audience won’t bother understanding the entire sign.

The central message should also clearly state the sign’s purpose. For example, if you want to boost attention to your business, you also need to indicate the type of product or service you offer. The benefit you’re promoting should be clear in the copy so that it draws the target consumer. For instance, a discounted drinks promo can read as “Happy hour, 4 – 6 p.m.” or “Buy One, Take One.” Another example is real estate signs, where the “For Sale” part is the most explicit and prominent section.

Choose a typeface unique to your brand and that helps convey the message.
Every sign is an opportunity to distinguish your business. The typeface will show your company’s personality or brand, visually communicating what makes your product or service unique. Apply a lettering style that’s easy to read, highlights your brand, and appeals to your target market. If you’re unsure where to start, look for fonts based on the feelings or image you want your brand to evoke.

You can also check the typeface’s various weights, like bold, regular, and black, to see which works best for your design. Avoid fancy fonts typically seen on wedding invitations. These are usually hard to read and deter the potential customer from reading the entire sign. Remember: your passerby has only a few seconds to absorb all the information.

Stick to only one or two font families.
Large sign displays have more room for other valuable information, such as your contact number. For signage with several short phrases, limit the font families to two that complement one another. Three at most, if you have more information to relay. Any more than two font families, and the reader will be unsure where to focus or find the information they’re looking for in your sign.

Use complementary colors most legible from a distance.
Contrast is the key to combining colors for the sign’s text and background. A background is typically light, and the text is dark, or vice versa, for the sign to be readable. You can also choose from the top five most legible color combinations according to the Outdoor Advertising Association of America (OAAA):
  1. Black on yellow
  2. Black on white
  3. Yellow on black
  4. White on blue
  5. Green on white

Do not use capital letters to spell out your sign’s message.
While capital letters seem easier to read from afar, a combination of upper- and lowercase text appears more legible. Readers are likelier to read the latter in a few seconds. Lower- and uppercase letters are easier on the eyes and demand less urgency from your readers than everything in all caps.



Common FAQs in Designing Signs

Which sign shape is the best?
The three common sign shapes are (1) a horizontal rectangle, (2) a vertical rectangle, and (3) a perfect square. These have enough space for a short message and a large font to emphasize what you’re advertising.

What is the optical center of a sign?
The optical center is where the eye focuses on a design. You can find the center about 46% down from the top of a design. You’ll want to place your sign’s central message or element in this location.

How do I make the sign visually captivating?
Contrast is a design principle you need to apply to your sign. You’ll have to single out one element, such as your logo, company name, or central message. Put two different objects next to each other to apply contrast to your design. Contrast allows one element to stand out from the other. To distinguish the two separate objects, you can also vary other parts of the sign, such as the size, font, color, or the emphasized visual.

Once you’ve completed your sign creation strategy and design based on these foundations, you can choose the best display type, size, and features for your promotions. Check out the various posters, banners, and window decals available on UPrinting.



Some Sign Design Inspiration

Creative Sign Ideas That Will Make You Say, “Now, Why Didn’t I Think of That?”
These businesses dared to think out of the box and discovered new ways to use their promotional signs.

Color Theories to Back Up Your Design
Apply these color theories to your sign, and you’ll be reaping the benefits of a well-thought-out plan for your design.

UStory: Stroup Knives
Find out how this small business benefited from using banners for their sales.