Creating A Vinyl Sign For Your Business

Every business needs a well-designed sign to create the right impression on customers and a distinctive image. Signs can be displayed outside shops, in windows, on vans or cars or throughout the city to direct customers to your business. Whilst you will sometimes need temporary signs for one-off promotions etc., it’s a good idea to design one sign with a strong image that conveys your company’s brand and can be used again and again.

For this reason, vinyl signs are a good choice. This material is strong and waterproof and so it can be displayed outside for extended periods of time without losing its visual appeal. A vinyl sign with a glossy finish can look very impressive and you have a wide range of colours to choose from so it will certainly make your business stand out from the crowd. Furthermore, if you use UV-resistant inks the colour won’t fade.

Before you get too far along in the design process, you should find out who is going to make it for you. It’s a good idea to use a specialist signmaker because vinyl signs need to be cut by an expert with special tools if you want it to look professional. Go and visit a few signmakers, look at previous examples of their work and compare costs to help you decide which will work best for you.

Once you have decided which company to use, find out their specifications for sending artwork in. There is no point designing something in the wrong format if their systems are not compatible with this. For example, some companies can’t use Microsoft programmes because they work with Adobe. You should also check the resolution requirements, whether you need to include bleeds and whether to send the artwork in CMYK colour or RGB.

When it comes to design, simplicity is key. Some people try to include too many graphics but this can be confusing and detract from your essential message. Depending on the size of your sign, graphic-wise often just the company logo displayed prominently will be sufficient. The colour scheme should be simple too: go for bright contrasts and no more than three different shades as too many colours will make it look busy.

In terms of text, do remember to include the bare minimum as you want it to be large enough to be read from a fair distance. Make sure you include essential details such as contact information, your location (if it is to be displayed on a company vehicle rather than at your premises) and a clear description of exactly what it is you do. Many companies like to include some kind of tagline or motto, but remember that this should also be brief and snappy so it can be read in an instant and will stick in the mind. Above all, try to be original. If possible, you want your sign to look different to those of your competitors.