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| Choosing the appropriate signage for your business or organization is an important decision. When you are designing your sign; you should always utilize the resources of an experienced sign professional. However, if you are designing your own sign, we have outlined these important steps to guide you through planning your signage. |
| Most Importantly: Deal with a reputable company. |
| E.C.S. opened for business in January 1996 and is located in a small, rural town. We are a privately owned sign company offering you personal, quality service. Maintaining a very low overhead, our product price lists reflect small town service. |
| In addition, we are outstanding at offering cost effective suggestions. We are proud of the clientele we serve locally as well as nationally: we can supply references upon your request. When you are looking for a sign fabricator, always ask what they create in their own shop and what they hire out. The more that is created in-house, the greater the control they have over your project. |
| Set an objective for your signs |
| Have a clear understanding of what you want your signs to do for your investment. Without an objective, it is hard to recommend the right materials or design. Signs can be promotional material, informative, directional, or a multi-combination of marketing information. Identify the type of traffic your sign is meant to attract (highway traffic, sidewalk traffic, downtown traffic, even air traffic) and use the proper size, color, angle, lighting and placement for maximum visibility. Many of the decisions relating to signs and sign placement are limited by your local sign ordinances; always consult with your local government before planning your signs. |
| Make your signs (and you) look good |
| It is important that your signs broadcast the right image for your company or organization. Just like your letterheads, brochures, products, and location speak volumes, so must your signs. Signs should be well designed and consistent with the image you want to project to the public. |
| Impression: Does your design make a statement? Does it have attractive elements (such as a logo) represented? In many cases, the first thing your customers see about you is your sign. The impression left on them should be a positive one. A sign in poor repair or shabbily installed will send a negative message to your customer. Likewise, even a properly installed sign but with poor layout may have the same effect. All aspects of proper layout must be considered to give your potential customers a good impression. |
| Logos: Do you have a logo that fits well with your sign copy? Inclusion of graphical elements or a logo should complement the sign message and in most cases not overpower the entire sign. Some logos (Such as McDonald's, Coca-Cola, etc.) are strong enough brands that virtually no text is needed for their sign-however this is not typical for most business owners who need to send some message to their intended audience. |
| Letter Size: Letters that are too small to read are commonplace in many signs today. For a quick reference on what size letters are needed for your sign; examine the visibility chart taken from the research conducted by the University of Pennsylvania State and the United States Sign Council. The viewing distance is a primary factor. |
| Glance at it, and if it catches the viewers the interest, they will read it. That is how most people view signs. The viewer's ability to read the message correctly improves by individual letter distinction. Do not cram your design; allow plenty of blank space between text lines. The style of letters (or font) needs to be bold, simple and clean for the greatest impact and readability. If you are looking at a proof up close, it is easy to read the copy. However, placing your sign up close is not always an option available to you. The further away you are from the sign, the larger the lettering and graphics need to be. A sign that is too small is the most common reason they do not achieve their goal. If in doubt, always opt for bigger. Ordering a sign larger than you think you need allows you extra space to guarantee a clean readable sign. The overall layout must have balance, eye appeal, and be consistent with the message. |
| Color & Finish Contrast: Letters that blend in with their background become illegible at moderate distances. This applies to polished metal letters that may reflect a similar color as the sign background to the viewer making them unreadable; dark letters that may blend into a building brick or stone; or other letters where there is a small level of contrast between the letter color and the background. The amount and type of lighting (both artificial and natural) is important as well to overall legibility. |
| White/Negative Space: Simply enlarging letters does not make them more readable. Proper letter kerning (the space between letters) and leading (the space between lines of text) have almost as much to do with legibility as letter size. Maintaining a high degree of white or negative space is important to keep the letters from running together or running into other distractions around the sign. |
| Message: Does your sign say what it needs to for your customer? The proper sign message is neither too wordy nor too concise; and can vary from sign to sign depending on what your sign is supposed to do for you. Make sure your sign has the proper emphasis on the elements of the sign that benefit you the most. Phone numbers normally won't work unless they're memorable. Who can grab paper and pencil while driving? Keep it brief, remember, the driver has only a few seconds to read your message, try to relay your message visually. |
| Neighboring Signs: Your sign must be distinguishable from its surroundings. A sign that can not be seen should not be created. While your sign should stand on its own; in many cases it is important to examine the signs around you and your type of building or monument to make a determination on the colors, styles or sizes of your sign. Having an exact duplicate of your neighbor's sign may not be appropriate or effective-but a sign that is harshly different may also send the wrong message for your business. |
| Get the best value for your marketing dollar |
| There is a variety of substrate materials available to sign makers. These materials range from cheap short-term durability grade up to exceptional high quality, long lasting signs. Make sure you understand the durability and longevity you require and use the appropriate grade. Economy grades are certainly cheaper than quality grades, but may not be the best solution for your sign needs. Fully discuss your needs and make sure you are getting the right quality and product for the project objective. It is not always the lowest price that dictates the best value. Quality, design, readability, durability, and longevity all play major roles in value. Just as with an employee, you do not mind paying a little more for a sign that is going to work hard and last longer. |
