Southern California Sign Blog

Do I need to do a Site Survey before I decide on my signage? Absolutely!

Before starting on any sign project, it is essential to do a site survey. This holds true for monument signs, channel letter signage, outdoor banners etc. The initial survey is the single most important step of your design and marketing effort. Without the information from the survey, the most impressive signage can be rendered ineffective by existing conditions not otherwise recognized.

When conducting the survey, the following conditions should be documented:

• Approach - The distance measured along a line of travel from the point where the signage display first becomes visible to the point where copy is no longer readable (having passed perpendicular to the line of sight). Consider the approach to the business. What speed is permitted on the street(s)? What obstructions are along the approach? How clear is the line of sight?

• Exposure Time - Exposure time is the amount of time an observer has to view the content of the sign. Exposure time is a function of the approach, noticeability of the sign, legibility of the sign, and rate of travel along the approach path.

• Noticeability - This term is actually a combination of detection and conspicuity.

• Conspicuity - The quality of an object (sign) or a light source to appear prominent or to stand out in its surroundings. The depth associated with the individual channel letters contributes greatly to this quality.

• Detection - The quality or state of being perceivable by the eye. In many outdoor applications, visibility is defined in terms of the distance at which an object can be just perceived (i.e. detected) by the eye. Since channel letters can be spaced without an associated cost in square footage allocation, a spread pattern can often be used to increase the distance at which the letters can be discerned and read.

If you have any questions or need help with your Signage Site Survey, please give us a call at The Sign Studio (818) 843-9200 or send us an e-mail at info@signstudiola.com
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HOW TO CREATE SIGN BANNERS that catch your ATTENTION!

Here are some statistics about basic color combinations, font styles, margins and graphics usage in successful banners. Since the primary goal of a banner is to grab the viewer's attention and then communicate a message, the banner should be readable and visually attractive. The following steps are a good place to start to create an appealing and attractive banner, and to maximize its effectiveness.

1. Choose appropriate font styles.
Avoid using more than two type styles on a banner. The more fonts used, the harder it is to read. Sans serif fonts like Helvetica, Futura and Antique Olive are the easiest to view from a distance. They should be used for the primary message on your banner. Likewise, serif fonts such as Goudy, Benguiat or Times are appropriate for a secondary message. Fonts such as Old English Text or Engraved are almost impossible to read correctly from a distance and should only be used when the viewer is stationary for a period of time (such as in a conference hall, meeting room or retail store) to be able to absorb the entire message at their own pace.

Take into account the type of business or event where the banner will be used. A bridal shop or beauty salon banner can be dressed up with a script font such as Brush or Commercial Script; however, these fonts would be out of place in an auto parts business.

Also, try to stay away from using all upper case lettering on your banner. It can be used for one word or a line of text for emphasis, however, it takes the human eye longer to read and process words in upper case.

2. Use Graphics Appropriately
Logos, clip art, borders, etc. can effectively be used to grab the viewer's attention, but should not overpower the sign's main message. If the viewer is only concentrating on the cool clip art or graphic, the message has been lost.

As a signage professional, we have already developed an eye for what works and what doesn't so if you need our help or have any questions, please give us a call. As you drive around your community, look around at all the banners grabbing for your attention. Notice the ones that stand out. Mentally take a note about one or two elements of the banner design that grabbed your attention in the first place.

3. Consider viewing distance and viewing time.
"How far away will the banner be from the viewer?" If a grand opening banner will be on the front of a business with a large parking lot between the storefront and the street, the letter height must be large enough to be viewed by drivers on the street. Also, keep in mind that a driver only has about 1.5 - 3 seconds to read a message while in motion. The chart below will help determine the correct height vs. viewing distance.

4. Use effective color combinations.
The following chart shows the most readable and successful color combinations in order of viewing effectiveness. Color combinations with high contrast between the background and letters are easier to read and can be viewed from greater distances. Always consider the type of business or event when choosing colors. Pink, purple, teal and orange colors aren't shown on this chart, but still can be used for certain holidays, special events or parties.

5. Banners need margins and white space.
Margin widths are usually the most abused spaces on a banner. Common errors include stretching letters and graphics to fill the entire banner to the edges, or the text and graphic is too small for the sign and the margins are too big. A general rule of thumb is to have the top and bottom margin be 10% of the height, and right and left margins be at least as wide as one of the banner's main font character width. For example, a 48" sign should have a 4.8" top and bottom margin. A three-foot wide banner should have at least a 3" margin on the top and bottom. Avoid filling the empty spaces of the banner with graphics. White space helps keep the viewer's eyes concentrated on the text.

Although these are good general guidelines, they might not always produce desired visual results. Use your own discretion and intuition. Creating attractive and effective signage is essential.

If you have any further questions or need The Sign Studio to design your banner or signage, please give us a call at (818) 843-9200 or send us an e-mail at info@signstudiola.com.

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Get your message across with big, bold banners and flags. At The Sign Studio, our banners and flags provide a powerful way to draw attention to your product, event, business or organization. Whether displayed indoors or outdoors, hanging or in stands, there is no better way to make an impact. Durable, flexible and portable, banners and flags keep working for you—again and again.

Banners-Indoor

Attract new customers and grow sales with one of the most cost-effective advertising methods available. Banners are seen, read and acted upon over and over again each day. Whether you want to create product awareness, introduce special pricing, promote an event or draw visitors to your tradeshow booth, colorful indoor banners are a sure way to make an impact and generate excitement.

Banners-Outdoor

Draw attention and awareness to your business or organization—or promote an event, product or service—with high-impact outdoor banners from THE SIGN STUDIO. Highly visible everywhere you go, banners are a versatile, durable and affordable way to get noticed, even from a distance.

Flags

Make a statement with colorful flags from THE SIGN STUDIO. Whether you want a polyester pennant string, a company logo or a grand patriotic flag, we offer a wide variety of flags to meet your needs. Choose from a range of sizes, materials, colors and designs, all made to be durable for use indoors or out.



If you have any questions or need further information, please contact THE SIGN STUDIO at (818) 843-9200 or e-mail us at thesignstudio@sbcglobal.net

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Floor Graphics sell for you!

Look down. What do you see? The first thing you see is the floor. People look at what's underfoot as soon as they approach your threshold.

Floor graphics...sell for you! If you aren't using your floor, you're wasting a selling tool.

Think about the potential for your floor. How much space is available? How much space can you clear to accommodate your floor graphics? Have you thought about the floor in your restrooms?

If your restrooms are ADA compliant, you have a clear space about six feet in diameter, the size required to turn a wheelchair. Let us design floor graphics for your restrooms.

Floor graphics should be clear, easy to read from a distance of 6 feet, and be understood quickly.

If you don't want to present specific products on your floor, how about your company logo? Even a location like a doctor's office or a lawyer's office would be enhanced by using floor graphics.

Why do you have a company logo? Because you are looking for instant recognition. You want people to say "I've seen that before" about your logo. Use it often and in unique places. Incorporating your logo in floor graphics, you will be surprised at how well they sell for you.

If you have any questions or need assistance with anything, please give us a call at The Sign Studio (818) 843-9200 or send us an e-mail at info@signstudiola.com.

When faced with the task of reviewing the many choices of signs available, it helps to approach it by first looking at the three primary locations in which you will typically use on-premise signs:

1. Building Mounted signs
2. Freestanding signs
3. Interior signs

Keep in mind that there are dozens of possible sign options and configurations, each as unique as a business' needs.

Here are some of the options you may want to consider in your sign:

• Building mounted on-premise signs may be attached to the roof, parapet, marquee, or building fascia. These signs may be either parallel or perpendicular to the building surface.

• Freestanding on-premise signs are generally supported by a structure attached to or cast in a foundation. . The structure and attachments to the foundation may be concealed with a decorative covering. Freestanding signs can be further enhanced by landscaping.

• On-premise signs can be either internally or externally illuminated. For retail businesses, on-premise signs should be illuminated too accomplish communication with potential customers during nighttime hours.

• Sometimes a building itself functions as a sign. This occurs most often with franchise and chain retail operations, where standardized (or "signature") buildings and colors, as well as traditional on-premise signs, announce the presence of the business.

• Buildings also may be fitted or retrofitted with "trade dress" to design a theme. Retrofitting of a building-facade is often described as a "face lift." Both building and freestanding signs should be designed to echo the theme or trade dress.

• Changeable copy boards or electronic message centers enhance a sign's effectiveness by providing space to advertise time dependent messages. Such sign or sign additions can be electronically controlled (the electronic message center), or changed manually (the changeable copy sign).

• Interior on-premise signs are those that advertise the location of businesses located in a common building such as a mall, office building or entertainment complex. They have two major purposes:
1. to influence buyer choices and encourage certain "point of purchase" transactions; and
2. to provide guidance in a safe and efficient manner, as required by local regulatory authorities and federal law.

Primarily, there are building mounted, freestanding and interior signs, within which are many types of signs. Carefully reviewing the many types of signs, and considering how well they will meet your location and business' needs, will enable you to select the kind of signs you need for your greatest business success.

Here are descriptions of various types of signs you might use:

Building mounted signs are essentially "signs that are applied or attached to a building." Within this expansive definition, however, fall many separate types of building mounted signs. Here are some different signs you might use.

Wall or Fascia
A sign that is attached to the exterior wall or fascia of a building. The building fascia is that portion of any elevation of a building extending vertically from the grade to the top parapet wall or eaves, and horizontally across the entire width of the building elevation, including slanted wall surfaces sometimes referred to as a mansard.

Building Mounted Signs

Awning
A building mounted sign that provides additional functionality as shelter. Awnings are most often found over walkways, doorways or window areas.

Projecting
A building mounted sign with the faces of the sign perpendicular to the building fascia.

Sign band
A horizontal area above a multi-tenants' building's entrances, architecturally designed to accommodate complementary signs for each tenant.

Roof sign
A building mounted sign erected on the roof of a building.

Parapet
A sign mounted on top of the parapet of a building.

Window
A sign that is displayed in a window, whether it is attached to the window, or it is applied to the window.

Freestanding Signs
Canopy
A sign that is displayed on a marquee or Canopy.

Pylon
A freestanding sign with visible support structure or with the support structure enclosed with a pole or pylon cover.

Joint Tenant sign
A sign used to display the names of tenants of a business complex.

Monument
A ground sign with low overall height.

Pole
A freestanding sign with visible support structure.

High-rise pole
A tall freestanding pole sign.

Directional
Signs designed to provide direction to pedestrian and vehicular traffic.

Electronic Message Center
A variable message sign that utilizes computer-generated messages or some other electronic means of changing copy. These signs include displays using incandescent lamps, LEDs, LCDs or a flipper matrix.

Interior Signs

Directional Sign
Signs designed to provide direction to pedestrian and vehicular traffic.

Directory
A sign that identifies the names and locations of tenants in a multi-tenant building or in a development made up of a group of buildings.

Regulatory Sign
A sign having the primary purpose of conveying information concerning rules, ordinances or laws.

Mall Signs
A wide variety of typical on-premise sign types located within the interior of a multi-tenant building or mall.

Point-of-Purchase (POP)
Signs that advertise a product at its point-of-purchase.

If you have any questions or need further information, please send us an e-mail at info@signstudiola.com or give us a call at (818) 843-9200. The Sign Studio is here to help YOU!
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Vinyl and Graphic Sign Banners - How great they are!

Banners can do many things for you!
Vinyl Banners are meant to be noticed. Whether you are looking to target market potential clients, advertise an event, or send a message to the world, a banner will more than accommodate your plans.

The Sign Studio and it's team of design specialists, trained in the design and marketing field, use the most innovative technology available today. The Sign Studio is equipped to provide you with the most spectacular banners, your message is sure to be an attention getter. With a weather resistant vinyl format, these state-of-the-art banners easily mount to any location. Easy to display, rain or shine, a vinyl banner by The Sign Studio offers reliability without the stress of wondering if anyone will see your words. A stress-free, bold, brilliant color banner is beyond a doubt the answer to conventional advertising.

Aside from the fact a vinyl or graphic banner by The Sign Studio can feature full color photographs, customized to suit every need, it is an economically smart choice. Comparing the astronomical cost of print advertising to get the attention of potential clients, a vinyl banner is a far wiser choice. Even black and white newspaper and magazine ads cannot cost compare to a full color banner.

Ordering a custom banner is simple, either e-mail us a request at info@signstudiola.com or give us a call at (818) 843-9200. In addition to the professional service and easy steps it takes to order a banner, there are no hidden fees. The Sign Studio will send you a quote within a few minutes and we understand your need to advertise on a budget. Ordering a cost effective banner is not an opportunity you can only take advantage of certain times of the year. Vinyl banners by The Sign Studio are available at an economical price all year long.
Moreover, the quality of our banners demonstrates just how understanding the company is, knowing banners are not always used for advertising purposes. A family reunion, your child's baseball game, a neighborhood picnic, welcoming guests on a colorful banner is a keepsake to be remembered. A banner makes for a special gift when celebrating a birthday, birth of a child, even an anniversary. The Sign Studio always delivers high quality vinyl banners without substituting style and personal taste.

Delivering nationwide, ordering a vinyl banner for your personal event or business function relieves the stress of finding a quick turn-around company. Available at your fingertips, The Sign Studio realizes your need to have all of the particulars worked out in a timely manner. A 24-48 hour turn around time from the moment you sign off on your layout is simply another outstanding service you will receive from The Sign Studio. In addition to understanding the importance of a timely turn around, The Sign Studio acknowledges a businesses need to invest in a tool for long term. These superb vinyl banners can be used multiple times and always remain outstanding in color, giving you the results you need each and every time.

If you have any questions or need further information or simply want to order a banner, please send us an e-mail at info@signstudiola.com or give us a call at (818) 843-9200.

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Wayfinding signage and Planning Services aka Directional Sign Systems

If you have any questions or need further information or simply want to order a custom vinyl banner, please send us an e-mail at info@signstudiola.com or give us a call at (818) 843-9200.

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Buying a Custom Sign
Every business organization wants to look their best at all times. A great way to do that is with a high quality sign that projects the right image for your business. Many are surprised to find that getting a custom made sign seems easy at first, because there are many sign shops/manufacturers to choose from, only to find that the information required to obtain a quote is confusing. Some of this is due to lack of experience on the part of entrepreneurs as they may have never had a sign made, but the problem can be compacted by sign makers if they are not experts in the sign industry. Know your options and what will work best for your everyday use.

Custom Sign Options
First you must determine where your sign will be located and the drawing that you want to use to narrow the field of materials and custom options for your sign. The biggest factor is whether the sign will be protected from the elements inside/outside or where it will be exposed to the weather factors. This should be considered for the sign material. The agenda will be the budget for the sign, since the cost will be directly connected to the material used, the number of colors and a custom design is needed.

Inside Custom Signs
Indoor signs are usually much cheaper than their outdoor counterparts because they are in a protected environment. You no longer need to worry about strong winds, rain, snow, animals or vandals. Considerations should be made so that the sign blends with the building design and still captures the attention. Material options include custom interior signs, plastic, aluminum and PVC with variations that are a combination of the above substances, such as Dibond or Aluma-plastic signs.

Outdoor Custom Signs
Outdoor signs face many threats, including weather, animals, vandals and other external factors. The first step to an external sign is to verify the legal restrictions from your city, province and the owner or operator of the property. You may need special permission to hang a new sign or have a certain size, color or material requirement/limitation. Knowing this, before you begin your sign design will be very helpful.

If you have any questions or need further information or simply want us to take charge of your project, please send us an e-mail at info@signstudiola.com or give us a call at (818) 843-9200.

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DESIGN TIPS FOR LARGE BANNERS
If you need support for special events, it is a good idea to make a large vinyl banner with huge format designs to create interest even from great distances. Making vinyl banners with a large plan design usually increases your visibility and guarantees a great turnaround for your special event. If you don't already have a brilliant class sign or printing company that designs custom vinyl banners and signs, give us a call at The Sign Studio, we are here for YOU!

You need to create an effect by creating and integrating color images on the banner so you can feel the full implementation of a beautiful color image.

Uses - Vinyl banners using large format drawings can illuminate and strengthen the existing colors and images of the banner. Normally sign and printing companies achieve this task by increasing contrast. Further sharpness of the images may make your banner come out brighter, leaving a strong run, clean and fresh. You must decide on the choice of service provider only after seeing the samples, which are usually placed on web sites. Sometimes, if possible, it is also good to visit the store and see to what extent the design of large size can be customized for your event. Make sure you ask for a sample before you approve the final layout so you can check color and sharpness.

Cost-effectiveness - a good banner service provider must be able to handle all the drawings, the extensions of files and materials to make the correct impression. This cost effective service could definitely beat the cost, inconvenience and difficulties that you would have to go through to get everything done. Remember that a properly designed vinyl banner is obviously a great way to catch the notice of a guaranteed audience. The custom vinyl banners are undoubtedly the best and most cost effective way to make money.

If you have any questions or need further information or simply want us to design and print your custom vinyl banner, please send us an e-mail at info@signstudiola.com or give us a call at (818) 843-9200. The Sign Studio is here to help YOU!

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