At Topmade, there are 5 keys we consider to make your signage solution successful:
1. Graphic Design – Never “skip” getting a professional logo designed. Professional graphic designers know that logos need to be readable from afar, use striking colour combinations, and interesting and memorable icons that reflect what you do or stand for. It takes years of training to become a graphic designer, so unless you have that yourself, go to a pro – it’s well worth it.
2. Visibility- Size of your sign matters, and if it’s an outdoor sign, we always recommend illumination. We also recommend you get the biggest your landlord (and city permitting authority) will allow. Signs are such a powerful marketing tool, you might as well get the biggest you can afford.
3. Positioning – Always examine the walking and driving traffic patterns to ensure you get the most “eyeball” attention. Take photos and create mockups of where and how you could position your sign.
4. Amount – Make sure you’ve ordered enough signs to direct traffic from as many directions as possible. This will always maximize your walk-in and drive-in traffic.
5. Quality – Carefully consider the how long you need your sign to last. At Topmade, we almost never need to return to fix or repair signs — we already know how windy and snowy (not to mention hail) Alberta can be! Beware of cheap materials and lighting solutions that do not last….give us a call to learn more.
Are you ready to order your sign? Click here to give us your order information.
A market research firm in Calgary recently told us about an interesting signage study they conducted.
The survey involved visiting businesses in a specific part of the city to determine the approximate amount of walk-by traffic each day, and compare it to each business’ storefront signage.
SIGNAGE SURVEY: FINDINGS
Based on averages in surrounding cafes and other businesses, it was determined that indeed, signage – its size and prominence had a lot to do with attracting people into various shops. It generally appeared that the larger the signs, the greater the walk-in traffic on a store-by-store basis, even though there were variations between various kinds of businesses. Those with the largest signs often considered 100% of their client base to be “walk in” and those with smaller/non-existent signs were largely selling to internet audiences with little walk-in.
CONCLUSION
In short, there is no reason not to have the biggest signs you can get to represent your business, especially if you see benefit in getting walk-in traffic. It’s a personal billboard that says, “Hey we exist” – and you might as well use it to your maximum advantage.
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By TopMade
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When it comes to signs, colour and lighting choices have great impact on visibility. How can you achieve maximum visibility both day and night?
- Lighting – Depending on where your sign is located, we can recommend lighting and colour choices that are lit externally or from within.
- Timers – We are surprised at how often we see stores forget to ensure timers are controlling their lighting. People assume lit signs are a signal for “we’re open” – so if the sign is off or on by mistake, you’ve created an inconvenient assumption for people who park or walk up. If you want your signs on even when you’re not open, be sure to display your hours prominently so people don’t have to get out of their cars and knock on your doorstep.
- Reflective Lettering – In addition to lit signs, reflective lettering can give you decent visibility in low light. Ask us about your best colour choices to suit your artwork.
- Letter Size – To figure out the letter size based on viewing distance, you can work backwards. Letter height in inches= 10 times the ideal viewing distance in feet. This means a 5″ letter height is ideally viewed at 50 feet. About 3 times this viewing distance give you the maximum distance it would still be readable, but we don’t recommend you assume it will be readable to everyone.
- Colours – According to the Outdoor Advertising Association of America, the following colours are the most easily readable combinations:
BLACK on YELLOW
BLACK on WHITE
YELLOW on BLACK
WHITE on BLUE
GREEN on WHITE
BLUE on YELLOW
WHITE on GREEN
WHITE on BROWN
BROWN on YELLOW
BROWN on WHITE
YELLOW on BROWN
RED on WHITE
YELLOW on RED
RED on YELLOW
WHITE on RED
Please give us a call to assist you in figuring out the best colour combinations for your artwork.
