Category Archives: Sign Design

Contrasting colors and simple designs are all part of superb sign design ideas.

Sign Design Ideas: Grabbing Viewer Attention and Keeping It

Signs act as an announcement for you and your businesses – and they are one of the most vital instruments you have to grab the attention of a consumer. What makes a well-designed sign even more powerful is that it can actually attract and engage a consumer who, prior to seeing the sign, may have never even thought they were interested in the goods and services you have to offer. Whether it’s at an exhibition, trade show, convention or something positioned on a highway or above a storefront, when considering sign design ideas, it is crucial you take into account the random passerby.

“Best Buy discovered that about 17 percent of its customers were people who did not intend to stop there but did so specifically because they saw the sign, which is well linked to their brand and overall marketing,” Sapna Budev, director of strategic initiatives for Alexandria, Va.-based International Sign Association, told Entrepreneur. “Who hasn’t been driving down the street, stopped at a store and made a purchase, merely because they saw the sign?”

To maximize the arresting nature of your signage, read on for a few innovative design ideas:

Make Color Your ‘Brand’
Color – as we’ve previously discussed – plays a big role in making your sign “pop” to a casual observer. But more than simply drawing the eye, different colors evoke distinct feelings, sensations and ideas – all which you can use to highlight aspects of your “brand.” Strong, eye-catching colors like reds, yellows and orange all speak in a coded language and have a visual power that goes well beyond simply what hue you’re looking at.

Think about the way that famous brands use colors. Most successful companies typically limit their palette and repeatedly use colors in a very specific way on their signage. This can be used to identify you as being a particular kind of company with certain values AND distinguish you from the competition. Soda brands Coca-Cola and Pepsi draw from a lot of the same fundamental colors, particularly whites, reds and occasionally black. Both companies use white lettering as well as black backgrounds to distinguish their diet offerings, but Coke has their classic vibrant red background while Pepsi uses blue to contrast.

When picking out your sign colors, consider what the fundamental values of your company are and what you want a person to know with a glance: Do you want to exude cool authority? Try blues and greens. Want to stand out as a bold innovator? Orange signifies a burst of energy and a capacity to challenge norms.

Contrast to Ensure Readability
Part of choosing your colors is creating strong contrast. White text on an off-white background will be difficult to read at any distance, particularly from farther away. Similarly, text imposed on a busy background could get lost.

“Most signs will include either text or graphics in the foreground, with a continuous background color,” Budev said. “The contrast between these two items is critical to the viewer’s retention of the content.”

sign design ideasWhen it comes to signage, simplicity and clarity is crucial.

Establish Messaging Hierarchy
Depending on the application, you may have a variety of information you want to convey with your sign. In addition to the name of the business or organization, you may have a brand tagline, a short-term promotional element or location information. That can be a lot to process on one sign.

A sign loaded with text that is all the same font size can seem chaotic or difficult to read. Rather than parse it all out, most consumers will just walk on by and pay your sign no mind. To avoid losing a potentially valuable customer, think about the “hierarchy” of the information you want to impart. What’s the most important thing that you want a person to know with just a momentary glance? What are less important elements that you could impart later, after you’ve generated a solid lead?

Typically, the name of a business or organization is the thing you want a possible customer to remember. From there, they can choose to seek more information later. To ensure that your business name is a memorable feature of your sign, make it the largest element. Other features like a tagline or sale information should be made smaller – or left off the sign entirely for clarity.

Need signage for your next sale, exhibition or special event? Sign Art Etc has you covered. Call or email us today to get an expert’s help with all your sign needs.

A popup banner can make events a snap to set up.

Popup Banner Displays: Where Convenience Meets Dynamic

Are you a brand that has occasion to showcase your business in lots of different locations? Do you regularly attend industry conventions and trade shows? What about setting up and breaking down signs quickly for festivals, fairs, red carpet events, sales and other outdoor applications?

With a lot of traditional signage, combining mobility, fast set-up and easy storage with visual panache can be tricky. But not with a popup banner!

“Only takes a minute or two to set up.”

What Makes it Pop
A popup banner – sometimes called a “HopUp” – is a display banner that is attached to a collapsible lightweight yet sturdy hardware frame. The banner can be either high-quality fabric or glossy, resilient vinyl. Aside from when cleaning the banner, the display never needs to be removed from the frame.

What makes popups so convenient is that it only takes a minute or two to set them up. No more fumbling to connect tabs, mounting fabric or screwing things together. Once you take your banner and frame out of the bag, simply set the aluminum frame and let the tension pull the banner taut. In seconds, your graphic sign is at full glory. When you’re done, just unlock the tension rods in the frame, collapse your display, and store both frame and graphic back in its convenient carrying case.

The Advantages
Aside from the ease of set-up and breakdown, popups have numerous advantages over other forms of signage that make them ideal for businesses, organizations and brands on the go:

  • Wrinkle and fold resistant: The natural tension due to the way the fabric graphic mounts to the frame makes them fold-resistant. Once fully set up, you’ll have a smooth, wrinkle-free surface!
  • Can harness three-dimensional space: One of the uniquely impactful design features of popups is that – due to the fact it is simply an image mounted by webbing over a frame – they can leverage different planes to create a more visually compelling sign. They can be curved, making a more interesting sign and distinguishing your signage from some of the less inspired flat signs.
  • Ideal for shipping: Traveling long distances to attend a conference or trade show? Simply have your popup shipped to your destination. They pack up very compactly and are easy to store, stack and ship.

Ideal Applications 
We’ve talked a fair amount about how these types of banners are ideal for trade shows and conventions – spaces where business owners and entrepreneurs need to quickly and efficiently hang out their shingle and make a splash. But there are plenty of other great opportunities for a popup to really shine.

Consider these alternative situations:

  • Car shows
  • Tourist attractions like zoos and museums
  • Country fairs
  • Beach events
  • Sporting events

Popups are great for both indoor and outdoor applications, though strong winds and other environmental elements should be avoided.

Sign Art Etc specializes in industry-leading, high-quality displays. A design of your choosing is printed onto the durable, stretch tension fabric with non-toxic water-based ink and mounted onto a lightweight aluminum frame. Boxed-off end caps are an option or you can leave the side open.

Assembly and take-down are both quick and easy. All of the materials used in the frame and stretch fabric display are fully recyclable and come with a lifetime hardware warranty against manufacturer defects.

To learn more about how your brand can benefit from a popup banner, contact Sign Art Etc today.

What sort of sign materials should you choose?

A Guide to Sign Materials: Which Is Best for Your Business, Message or Event?

Choosing the right sign materials can be a real head-scratcher: What kind of materials are available? What are the relative advantages of each? What will give you the most “bang for your buck” in terms of being cost-effective?

At Sign Art Etc., we offer a wide range of sign options to choose from, specializing in creating signage that will meet the unique needs of your business, brand, message or event. With that in mind, here is a guide to the three major materials most commonly used:

Vinyl backdrop for step and repeat areaVinyl
Vinyl is one of the premier sign materials available, offering a high degree of aesthetic flexibility at a low cost. With digital printing, there are virtually no limits to what you can print. As long as your image or text is the proper resolution, you can create vivid signs using thousands of possible colors. Other advantages of vinyl include:

  • Water and weather-resistant. Vinyl typically comes in a few different varieties, including matte, scrim, gloss and mesh. While all varieties are water-resistant, mesh and scrim are known to stand up to the elements very effectively and are less likely to rip or tear than fabric.
  • Natural sheen and gloss. Vinyl signs and backdrops are naturally eye-catching since the printing process results in a glossy finish. Matte finishes are also possible.
  • Low cost. An 8×8 vinyl backdrop from Sign Art Etc. can cost less than $100, while the fabric equivalent can cost nearly three times that amount.
  • No wrinkling. The stiffness of vinyl signs allows them to be rolled and unrolled without creases and wrinkles forming. They also resist damage from the wind.
  • Easy storage. Vinyl will roll up for easy tube storage and stacking.
  • Versatility. Of course, the best thing about vinyl is that it is supremely versatile: These signs are used to great effect both indoors and outdoors and for nearly every type of business or enterprise. Whether you are looking for a red carpet backdrop, banner for a convention or trade show, or a celebratory sign for an office party, vinyl is a great choice.
Retractable, portable vinyl banners for trade shows, product launches and other events.

Vinyl banners are durable, easy to transport and effectively catch the eye


Fabric 
For years, fabric wasn’t only the traditional choice for flexible signs and banners, it was the only choice. Yet even in a more limited field, fabric could be a very pleasing and cost-effective option. Typical choices for fabrics include polyester or a poly blend. Organic materials like cotton or wool are less common since they attract mildew and can degrade over time when exposed to the elements. Here are a few advantages to fabric signs:

  • Long-term durability. Fabrics are quite resilient, due in part to to the ink being permanently bonded to the fibers. This means the ink is less likely to chip, smudge, get pulled off by tape or fade over time.
  • Less glare. While vinyl can be given a matte coating, fabric tends to be naturally matte, making them better for photographing and giving them a more pleasing look.
  • More realistic imagery. Images printed on fabric look sharper and brighter, due to the fact that the printing process isn’t built on the “individual dot” printing process of vinyl.
  • Washable. If your sign gets dirty, simply treat it like you would any cloth material and wash it. Take care to observe any suggestions to keep colors bright, but otherwise washing allows you to use your signs over and over again.
  • Luxury. A fabric sign is a true signal that your organization means business. The luxury and confidence that you exude with a premium fabric sign simply can’t be beat!
Corrugated plastic signs are often used in personal applications. Corrugated plastic signs are often used in personal applications.

Corrugated Plastic Yard Signs
While less commonly used, corrugated plastic does have some distinct advantages in specific sign applications. Yard signs – designed for high-volume production at a low cost, particularly when associated with a local political campaign – are ideal candidates for corrugated plastic. They are flexible and can be read clearly from a great distance at many different angles. However, in larger applications, they are difficult to store and prone to chipping.

Having trouble deciding which material is right for you? Sign Art Etc. has you covered! We provide full-service custom sign, graphics and marketing solutions ready to fit your unique needs, including vinyl banners, vinyl and fabric backdrops, retractable banner stands, yard signs and more. It would be a pleasure to assist you.

Keep your signs simple and they'll really pop!

Designing Eye-Catching Signs: How to Make Yours ‘POP’

Designing eye-catching signs is somewhere between science and art: You want something that reflects your business or organization that is visually pleasing, but not so bland that people walk right by without noticing. Whether it’s a banner, custom backdrop or more detailed signage, here are a few key guidelines to ensure your signs draw the eye:

Take Inspiration From Your Business

Design should begin with identifying which features are central to your organization or enterprise. If you’re selling ice cream, images of ice cream cones on your sign are a great way to give people a taste of what they might expect out of your business. Similarly, a dentist might have a cartoon illustration of a tooth or a toothbrush.

“The simpler and more striking you can make a sign, the better.”

Go for Simple and Clean, Limiting Detail

While it may be tempting to insert a photo-realistic image on your sign, the simpler you can make featured images, the better. Signs are meant to grab attention quickly and raise interest from those who may be just passing by.

The human brain is only able to take in a certain amount of detail in one glance, so the simpler and more striking you can make a sign, the more likely it will quickly make the impression you intend. This is why so many signs use stylized icons or cartoon representations rather than photos.

Use Only One or Two Fonts – and Keep Text to a Minimum

The way you use fonts for lettering is key. Too many different fonts – both shapes and sizes – on a single sign and your custom banner may look chaotic or incoherent. Use the same font for large blocks of text, and your sign can seem boring or, worse, unreadable.

A solid best practice is to limit yourself to one or two fonts on your sign: One style for your logo, event or business name, another for smaller explanatory text. The second font can be used to create a contrast from the main font. Even so, it may be beneficial to stick to the same font family – serif or sans serif – on a single sign to help create a sense of harmony and flow.

The most effective, eye-catching signs combine readable text with simple icons. The most effective signs combine readable text with simple icons.

Don’t overwhelm your signs with text. Most people will spend less than a minute looking at your sign, meaning that if it’s bogged down with lots of text, chances are they won’t read it all anyway. Boil what you have to say down to a single sentence, with a 10-word maximum. Ideally, a sign should include a name and something similar to a slogan.

“Rounded shapes evoke a sense of calm and control.”

Use Bright, Warm Colors and Simple Shapes

You want your sign to draw the eye, and there’s no better way to do this than warm, bright colors. Identify the overall feeling you want to exude from your organization: Inviting? Leisurely? Serious? Knowledgeable? From there, choose bold, bright colors that project this feeling. Be careful though. In general, it is best to avoid harsh, aggressive colors like shades of neon since these may actually be difficult to look at.

Apply the same logic to the shapes you use, both as icons on the sign or in the shape of the banner itself. Even if you go with a standard rectangular shape for your sign, you can make it more dynamic by framing the text and logo with a contrasting shape. Rounded shapes evoke a sense of calm and control, while shapes with pointed angles are dynamic.

Don’t Forget a Call to Action

One of the most important elements of a sign is a call to action, or CTA. These simple turns of phrase are what inspire your viewers to do something and are what separate signage from art. Typically, these take on the form of a few words like “Call today for more details!” or “Visit our website to learn more!” But they can also be even more subtle. Just including a website, Twitter handle or a brand-approved hashtag can act as an effective CTA without being overly promotional.

Once your signs are designed, getting them printed on high-quality materials is the easy part. Get in touch with Sign Art Etc. to meet all your sign needs!

Auctions can be an excellent social event for fundraisers.

Making your silent auction the talk of the town

Whether as a part of fundraising efforts or to make commercial profits, a silent – or even open – auction is a great way to get people engaged. Unlike the cold, remote auctions online, a silent auction gives your audience the opportunity to get together, socialize and, most importantly, lay eyes on the products they will be bidding on.

To make sure that your next auction is a hit, follow these helpful tips:

Pick your basket items carefully
For fundraising auctions, picking item baskets is a mix of art and science. You want to encourage bids far higher than what you paid for the items and get people excited to buy something that they could most likely find in stores. To really maximize interest, group your baskets into themes and decorate to accentuate.

A few fun theme suggestions, inspired by Winspire, include:

  • A traveler’s delight bag, including a high-quality leather suitcase, briefcase, state-of-the-art headphones and travel pillow into a carry-on roller with wheels. Add in a gift card for flights or hotel stays to make it extra luxurious.
  • A grill master starter kit, with a cooler or charcoal grill filled with a picnic set, barbecue rubs, marinades and grill accessories like meal thermometers, rotisseries, tongs and an apron. Gift cards to local or national supermarkets can top this off.
  • Mixology 101, including a cocktail shaker, two ounce measuring cup, mixers, bitters and recipe booklet. If you are allowed by local regulation and your organization, including the alcohol itself in the form of aged spirits and high-end liquors can be very enticing.
  • Suave and chic grooming products, split by by gender (or bundled together to cover all the bases). Include high-end grooming essentials like a shaving kit, shaving cream, an anti-fogging shower mirror and personal care products.
  • Home and garden essentials, including a birdhouse, bird feeder, trowels, gardening sheers, a variety of different succulents seeds, gloves and a gift card to a home improvement store or gardening center. Package it all in a ceramic planter with a small (sealed) bag of soil.
  • A mystery basket. A sealed, opaque bag can be fun and often gets the most bids – everyone loves a good mystery, after all. You can include virtually anything in the bag, though it still pays to have the contents be exciting and of value so that your winning bidder doesn’t feel cheated. Why not try and embrace the idea of mystery and include some of your favorite detective novels, suspenseful thriller movies, Halloween masks and the board game Clue or Guess Who?
Silent or not, everyone loves an auction!Silent or not, everyone loves an auction!

Play games! 
In addition to bidding on the items themselves, an auction can be a great opportunity to have a little fun while you raise money. One game that is a surefire winner is called “Heads or Tails.”

“An auction can be a great opportunity to have a little fun.”

To play, start by put together an extra luxurious and broad-appeal gift basket – or alternatively, a mystery basket – and have attendees buy a raffle ticket to enter to win the basket. This can be a very effective fundraising technique as, according to Greater Giving, at least 25 percent of your attendees are likely to purchase a ticket, even if the cost exceeds $25.

During the auction, invite those guests who purchased “Heads or Tails” raffle tickets to stand up. After that, each participant chooses either heads or tails (a small, double-sided sign can do the trick for this).

From there, have the auctioneer flip a coin and announce which side it came up. Those who chose the correct side may continue to stand while those who chose wrong sit back down. This continues, slowly whittling down participants until there is a winner who then gets the prize.

Make your auction a ‘can’t miss’ event
The key to the success of an auction is to make it something attendees wont want to miss, for fear of having missed out on a social event. Winspire surveys show that the majority of winning bidders attend four or more fundraising events each year, underscoring the importance of setting your event above the rest.

A quick and simple way to distinguish your auction is a fun theme. Black tie gala, masquerade, Hawaiian luau: Any theme, with the right choice of decor and promotion, can attract your preferred clientele. And while the auction is in session, encourage attendees to take pictures and share them on social media.

Sign Art Etc has plenty of experience providing custom party planning banners and backdrops for any occasion. Give us a call today to learn more.