Best Practices for Printed Signage
Whether you are creating yard signs, banners for trade shows, or signs for your store, it is important to make sure you have an eye-catching design. You need to win the attention of passersby quickly and convey your message concisely. Follow these tips to make sure you are creating the most appealing printed signage possible.
Placement is Important
It is important to consider where your sign will be placed when you are in the design process. Here are some questions you will want to answer before you begin creating your sign:
- Is it going to be outside?
- What colors will surround it?
- How far away will the consumer be from the sign?
The answers to these questions will provide you with better ideas of materials, colors and sizes for your new signage. For example, if your sign will be placed outside you will need to use more sturdy materials that are able to stand up to the elements. If your sign is surrounded by colors like grass, trees or buildings, you will need to ensure that you choose colors to contrast that. Signs that will be placed far away from viewers will want to consider how large they need to make the font, so it is still legible from a distance.
Choose Your Words Carefully
The messaging on your signs may be the most important component of your printed signage. People will most likely be reading them in passing, you want people to understand the purpose of your sign right away. You also want your words to catch the person’s attention so that they stop and notice. Follow these tips to make sure your messaging is as effective as possible:
- Keep sentences short, to ensure that people will read them.
- Include a firm call to action.
- Use bold and simple fonts.
Color and Images
We live in a busy world where everything around us is competing for our attention. This means you need to design a sign that is going to stand out! One way to do this may be to choose colors that evoke a certain feeling in consumers. While research suggests that some colors correlate with different emotions, make sure that the colors you choose align with your brand. Whichever color scheme you decide on, the color of the texts needs to stand out from the color of the background. Images can be more eye catching but you need to decide if they are appropriate for the size of your printed signage and the personality of your brand. Be mindful that any image doesn’t distract from your messaging. If you do decide to use images, it is vital that you choose images that are high quality and will withstand being enlarged.
Keep It Simple
When in doubt, keep your design simple. Remember that this sign is something consumers will see most likely in passing; you want your message to jump out and stick with them. When you are ready to get started on your new signage give the experts at Print Tech a call to help you.