Creating the perfect sign for your business can be tricky. You want it to perfectly capture the experience your business gives customers, but at the same time it needs to be noticeable and memorable. You’ve probably seen some great signs that stick in your memory. They don’t always stop and make you think about them, but you’ll remember them and recognize them afterward. And you’ve definitely seen some bad signs, where you wonder what the business was thinking in the first place. No matter how good your sign looks, the main purpose of it is to make your business visible and recognizable. Here are some tips for increasing your sign’s visibility.

Choose eye-catching colors that go well together

The thing that will jump out at people before anything else on your sign is the color scheme. The logo and what’s written on the sign are important once you have someone’s attention, but the color is what directs their attention toward the sign. So, make sure you have some vibrant colors on your sign so that it sticks out from whatever is around it. The other important factor in sign coloring is making sure that the color of your text stands out from the rest of the sign. Getting people’s attention doesn’t matter if they can’t read your sign because words blend in with the background.

Keep the text short

When you look at a sign, you generally give it a passing glance. Unless there is something so interesting that you stop and stare at it, you’re not giving a sign more than a second or two of your time. This means that you need to have as little writing on the sign as you can while still conveying your message. People will be looking at the logo, too, so you need writing that people can absorb in less than a second since their small amount of attention will be divided among the other elements of your sign.

Choose a clear font

With all of the font choices out there these days, it can seem overwhelming. You may want to choose a fancy looking font, such as a cursive or other stylized font. However, if this is your main sign, then you don’t want to make the words harder to read than necessary. It might look cool to you, but you already know what it says. Choose a font that is as clear as possible so that there is no guesswork involved. If it’s an unclear font, people will look at your sign and not actually take in what it says before they look away.

Choose your location deliberately

All of these other factors don’t matter if it’s hard to get a look at your sign. Choose a spot where it will be visible from as many angles as possible. Take trees and telephone poles into account, even other businesses’ signs if you’re close enough to them for it to be a distraction. Also, lighting is important for the same reason. If you’re open late enough for it to get dark outside, invest in some lighting for your sign. This could mean backlights within the sign to make it glow, or lights above or below the sign to keep it visible. Even if you’re not open at night, keep in mind that any shade or a gloomy day could make your sign harder to read without the proper lighting.

PHILLIPS SIGN & LIGHTING CO. | PROFESSIONAL CUSTOM SIGN CREATION

A lot more goes into sign making than most people initially think of. There are artistic elements of graphic design, as well as psychological elements that determine how people will react to the sign, and even logistical elements that determine if people will be able to read the sign at all. If you’ve got an expert helping with your sign, like the ones at Phillips Sign & Lighting, then all of these elements will be taken into account and leveraged to make your sign more effective. We can create a custom sign for your business that captures the experience you give customers and captures people’s attention. We’ll start with a consultation to figure out what you’re looking for, then design it and check for your approval. Once you’re happy with it, we’ll build the sign and install it for you, too.

To get started on creating a custom sign for your business, give us a call at (586) 468-7110 or send in an online contact form now!