Posted by Tom Humphries on Fri, Jul 30, 2010 @ 07:49 AM
Interior and Exterior Signs Letter Size Matters
Signs are used to connect with and attract new clients and customers. When you are designing your window sign (window graphics), banner, or car graphics or vehicle wrap you always want to make sure your target market can read what you want them to know about your business. The size of your letters and logos, and the colors you choose are crucial in creating interior and exterior signs that are visible and easy to read sign.
There are Letter Visibility Charts showing the maximum reading distance for maximum impact, and the overall readable distance. A good rule of thumb is every 1 inch of letter height equals 10 feet of readability for maximum impact. 3in. tall letters have their best impact within 30 ft.; however, it can still be seen and read at up to 100 ft.
When designing any commercial sign, consider the most important message, and how far away are the readers you are wanting to impact. If you are placing an interior sign for a sales ad in a retail store, your text need only be visible to the people in the store, so 1-2” or less would work just fine. However, if you are hanging a banner and want drivers on a nearby highway to be able to see your exterior sign, you would design your letters at 3”minimum, preferably much larger.
Font types also impact visibility of your text on interior signs as well as exterior signs. Very thin fonts and script fonts can potentially decrease visibility. A bold style font that is easy to read with sufficient spacing between letters is best for visibility on any sign. You can test this by typing in a few words in a computer program at different font styles, colors, and sizes, and printing them out and posting them on a wall. Stand back and view them at different distances to see how all these aspects come into play in choosing the proper lettering for your sign.
When you want the best impact on those you are trying reach you will need to consider a number of things. The size, colors, and styles you choose should all depend on what you want as your end result. Always consider how your sign will be viewed and who you are trying to reach. Trying to save a few dollars by purchasing smaller letters is not a wise decision; you may be wasting your investment and efforts when the sign cannot be read by the customers you are trying to attract. Be size wise!
360 Signs in Austin, Texas can help you with a wide variety of custom signage. Give us a call at 512-442-2900 or visit us at
www.360signs.com.
Posted by Tom Humphries on Wed, May 26, 2010 @ 10:24 PM
You see them more every day. Digital signs are helping companies and organizations communicate key information to their customers at the right place and time. Whether it is at the airport, or in a business, digital signs use compelling displays of video, text, and graphics to get your attention and get you a message. With digital signage, your company can use this powerful technology to share information with your customers and "talk" to them when they are right in front of your business.
Digital signage is a form of electronic display that shows information, advertising and other messages. Digital signs (such as LCD, LED, plasma displays, or projected images) can be found in public and private environments and are widely used in retail stores and corporate buildings. Daktronics, of Brookings, SD, is a leading supplier of LED displays for many venues such as airports, gas stations, and stadiums.
Digital signage delivers information that is relevant and useful in a format that is attractive and enticing to the user. Displaying custom content that communicates your message easily and more effectively, digital signage increases visitor interaction and ultimately increases customer retention and ROI (Return on Investment)
Six Popular Uses of Digital Signage:
- Way finding - used anywhere where mapping can efficiently guide visitors and guests: hotels, conference centers, universities, casinos and corporate campuses. Great for directory signs.
- Restaurant Menus - digitally display menu items and allow for easy changes and updates
- Flight Arrival & Departure Live Information -used frequently in hotel lobbies to alert guests of flight delays or changes, great for keeping guests on property
- Event Listings & Schedules - great for any environment where events and scheduling are a priority: hotels, conference centers, hospitals, corporate settings, and universities.
- Meeting Room Signs - show individual meetings per room as well as local information
- Conference Area Signage -meeting room signs, way finding, and event listings are very popular in any conference center and operationally support convention center staff
In Austin, if you need help with high impact digital signage contact 360 Signs, your source for custom digital signs.
360 Signs in Austin, Texas can help you with a wide variety of custom signage. Give us a call at 512-442-2900 or visit us at
www.360signs.com.
Posted by Tom Humphries on Tue, Feb 23, 2010 @ 09:11 PM
LED signs are dynamic, eye-catching on-premise
signs. According to the SBA (Small Business Administration), "Signage is the least expensive, yet most effective form of advertising for your business. Those who invested in an outdoor or indoor LED sign saw a sales increase of 15 - 150% over a period of a year. Since LED signs will last for many years it is easy to see how they can be cost justified and provide a great ROI (Return On Investment).
Advantages of LED Signs over Static Signs:
- Motion grabs attention
- Bright illumination attracts attention
- Increased viewing distance
- Changing messages hold viewers interest instantly, it changes while they drive by
- Changing messages hold viewers interest over time, as they drive by day after day, the LED sign doesn't fade into the commute scenery
- High resolution graphics are attractive, like television
- Message content can be adjusted easily
- Message content can be time of day or day of week specific
- Messages can promote specific products
- You can program in message changes, days, weeks, and months in advance
If you are considering a new sign or a sign upgrade, do the math, an LED sign could be your best investment.
360 Signs in Austin, Texas can help you with a wide variety of custom signage. Give us a call at 512-442-2900 or visit us at
www.360signs.com.
Posted by Tom Humphries on Wed, Feb 17, 2010 @ 12:37 PM
If you are responsible for getting the corporate logo or company name on the wall in your office lobby, you have some decisions to make regarding the fabrication and installation of your new custom sign. One of the first decisions is whether to have the logo and letters attached directly to the wall or to mount the letters on a flat panel that stands off the wall.
DIRECT MOUNT
Even with direct mount there is a decision on whether to flush mount the letters, i.e. having the backs of the letters 
touching the wall or to have them mounted on spacers that will hold them ¼" to ½" off the wall. Flush mounting can be achieved by mounting the letters with studs (metal posts that go into holes drilled into the wall) or using two-sided tape and adhesive. Spacer mounting must be done with studs and small metal spacers that go over the studs and sit between the back of the letter and the wall. The spacer ensures that each letter is the same distance from the wall.
The thickness of the letter will have an impact on the amount of shadowing that comes off the letter. Letters on spacers will have even more shadowing.
PANEL MOUNT
The entire logo can be directly mounted to a rigid panel that is mounted directly to the wall. Panels are typically mounted on metal standoffs that hold the panel approximately 1" off 
the wall. Standoffs come in many sizes, shapes and material finishes. There are also many choices for the mounting panel. If you want to be able to see the wall though the sign then acrylic is the best choice. But even here there are many options: clear, light frosted, frosted, acryglass and each of these come in thicknesses from 1/8" to 1" thick. For solid color panels, opaque acrylic panels work well, as do metal panels. Polymetal panels (aluminum face, plastic center, and aluminum back) are lightweight and very rigid so ideal for sign panels. Wood and synthetic materials such as PVC can also serve as sign panels.
The letters are mounted directly to the panel. Dimensional letters are mounted with two-sided tape and adhesive; vinyl letters are mounted directly to the panel. On-site installation time will be less with panel mount because all of the letters can be mounted prior to delivery of the sign; installation consists of drilling the holes and mounting the standoffs.
CONCLUSION
There is no right or wrong answer for how you should mount your lobby sign. Typically very large signs will look better mounted directly to the wall. My recommendation is to look at examples of business lobby signs on the web and to walk around and observe other custom lobby signs to see what really grabs you. Your lobby sign is the first impression that your clients and employees see every time they walk into your office. What kind of impression do you want to make?
360 Signs in Austin, Texas can help you with a wide variety of custom signage. Give us a call at 512-442-2900 or visit us at
www.360signs.com.