With a wall sign, how much information can be put on the front?
A sign can do 2 things. Advertise or Identify. Some folks want their wall sign, or pylon to advertise every single item they sell. This is usually because the name of the business doesn’t mean anything, so they need additional information on the sign.
How to figure out the right size wall sign or pylon sign
Letter size for your sign is very easy to figure out. First determine the maximum wall sign you are allowed to have. (see city issues in this blog) Second, how far away is your sign going to be read on average. And third, how fast is the traffic driving past, or better still, how long does a car driving take to pass you sign.
Typically, a car driving by your business can see your pylon sign from 500-1000 feet away. It will take a care about 25-30 seconds to drive by your sign going at city traffic speeds and will only be able to read your sign in that time frame. Usually less, because of course they are driving. Most signs will be read in less than 10 seconds.
How much can your sign say in 10 seconds?
As a rule of thumb, make the letters the largest you can get and still look good within your maximum sign size, then limit your message to 7-10 words. Meaningful words. Picture words. Words that will create an immediate picture in the drivers mind.
You have a limited amount of time to pass along a message. KISS – Keep It Simple Stupid is the rule. If you put too much stuff on your sign, or the design is difficult to read, YOUR WALL SIGN OR PYLON SIGN WON’T WORK! I shout for effect. I am an advocate of simple & readable is better. Why design a sign that can’t be read by the audience you are trying to attract?
I live and work in Minnesota. As I drive through the Twin Cities I see so many signs that say way to much. You only have 10-15 seconds to get their attention, don’t blow it.
Good signing
November 18, 2008 at 4:53 pm |
Should my sign have a black background with white letters (this will match the black awings that will be installed later) or a white background with black letters. The sign is pretty close to the road. We are in a small town and there is a traffic light less than 500 feet from the store, so traffic will sit while the light is in rotation during rush hour. The question is which is more visable?
January 17, 2009 at 12:18 pm |
[...] it. This is why I recommend you main sign tell people what you do in your name. You can refer to my blog on this subject. Since you know you need a sign and can only advertise the main thing, are you [...]