The effectiveness of a sign in having a positive impact on a business is dependent on 2 factors, its ease of visibility and how well the matter in it is presented. There is a science to the creation of an effective roadside sign; it is not a simple matter of making it big with eye-catching colors. The International Sign Association (ISA), the leading signage industry association, has done a great deal of research on what makes for an effective roadside sign. These are a few of the findings:
The Components of a Good Sign
· The creation of a sign involves a careful design that incorporates various elements such as colors, fonts and logos into a unified whole. The overall readability and the way the traffic (which contains the viewers) moves must also be considered. While a graphic artist may be able to help with some of these factors, only a signage professional will be able to take everything into consideration to create a sign that works.
· Research by the ISA shows that if a sign is placed parallel to the flow of traffic, it will need to be at least 70% larger than if the same sign were placed perpendicular to the flow. Otherwise, there will not be adequate time for the contents of the parallel sign to be read and internalized.
· The size of the lettering should be at least 1 inch for it to be readable from a distance of 25 feet. This will make it both legal and readable. In other words, if traffic is moving at 30mph, a sign with lettering of size 16.4 inches will be readable from 410 feet away, which will give the driver enough time to read and digest the message.
· This lettering size of 1 inch for every 25 feet is only for easy to read fonts. If the lettering is fancy or artistic, it will typically be more difficult to read and since the speed of the traffic cannot be altered, the lettering will have to be much larger.
· Illuminated signs are much easier to read irrespective of weather and light conditions.
These are just a few of the findings of the comprehensive ISA study; there is indeed a lot more and all this information will only make sense to someone with a knowledge of signage and experience in the field.
Consult an Expert
Signs are not simple. They are meant to convey a message that will attract people to a business. How effectively this is done depends on many factors, including those mentioned here. If you want to use signs to promote your business or are in a situation where the signs you already have are not producing the results you want, contact a professional signage company. They will be able to design and create signs that will produce real results and give you the kind of business benefits you expect. You are an expert in your line of business; use an experienced professional signage company to create business signs that work for you.