Southern California Sign Blog

Glendale & Pasadena Sign Company | Do You Need A Sign Permit?

Posted by Julie and Chris Ramirez on Fri, Jul 26, 2013 @ 06:07 AM

Glendale & Pasadena Sign Company | Do You Need A Sign Permit?

Sign Permits — A Just for Your Sign Installation
As you get ready to install signs for your business, make sure you secure appropriate sign permits. Forgetting this important step could mean you have to remove your signs and also face fines or fees. This wastes your company's valuable resources and costs you time to fix.All cities and municipalities have different sign permit requirements for a multitude of signs including building signs, parking lots, ADA signs and signs for monuments.

The Sign Studio has years of experience in the sign business creating signs that meet requirements and restrictions. Our team can work with your company design and modify it as need to meet any sign permit requirements. Knowing ahead of time what obstacles you might face in installing your signs will help you and The Sign Studio create an appropriate sign to suit your needs and local requirements.Sign permits may feel like a hassle or obstacle to overcome but taking care of permits before installing signs saves time down the road. Skipping this vital step will most likely end in the removal of your sign and a penalty. Without appropriate signage for your business, customers won't be able to locate you as well hurting your business.

Install signs right the first time by securing sign permits. Your business will thank you!

Sign Permit Estimate 

 

 

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.

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Topics: Sign Permits, Sign Design, Glendale & Pasadena Sign Company

Pasadena & Glendale Sign Co | Interested in the history of Sign Fonts?

Posted by Julie and Chris Ramirez on Wed, Jul 10, 2013 @ 06:07 AM

Pasadena & Glendale Sign Co. | Interested in the history of Sign Fonts?

History of Popular Fonts Used for Signs

“What’s the best font to use on a sign?”

It’s a question that The Sign Studio team members face frequently. While there is no one perfect answer for every situation, there are some fonts that have endured through the years to become staples in visual communications, DIN 1451, Frutiger, Gill Sans and Helvetica are classic fonts that have helped countless people reach their destinations throughout the decades.

DIN 1451 isn’t a promising name for a good communicator, but it has been used since the 1930s for scientific and traffic signs. The name is an acronym for the German Deutsches Institut für Normung (German Institute for Standardization). In 1936 the German Standard Committee named DIN 1451 the official typeface for technology, administration, engineering, traffic and business. The medium version of this font was popular with graphic designers in the 1980’s and today it is frequently used for identification on vehicles and as cast metal lettering for street and building signage.

Frutiger is a typeface commissioned in 1968 by the Charles De Gaulle International Airport for new directional signs. Type designer Adrian Frutiger was told to create a modern font that had excellent visibility at various angles, sizes and distances. This highly legible font with a warm personality is a favorite in the advertising industry. In 2008 it was the fifth best-selling typeface of the Linotype foundry. It is used throughout the public transit network in Norway since the 1980s.

In 1929 Eric Gill was commissioned to produce Gill Sans for the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER). It was first presented in a single uppercase weight and became very popular immediately. It was the standard typeface for all LNER posters, locomotive nameplates, station signage and even the menu on the dining cars. More recently, the BBC adopted Gill Sans for its corporate typeface in 1997. The British Government formally adopted Gill Sans as its standard typeface for use in all communications and logos in 2003.

Helvetica is another classic font, so popular it even inspired its own film. The U.S. Government uses Helvetica for everything from federal tax forms to NASA’s Space Shuttle orbiter. It is also used for the U.S. television rating system. Helvetica was adopted as the official font for all of New York City’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority in 1989. The Chicago Transit Authority uses Helvetica for the city’s elevated train system and Philadelphia’s SEPTA uses it exclusively for all signage.

To learn more about the history of classic fonts, visit this excellent post from the Live Well Collaborative.

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.

Topics: Sign Design, Pasadena & Glendale Sign Company, Sign & Banner Fonts

Pasadena Glendale Sign Company | Sign & Banner Font Styles

Posted by Julie and Chris Ramirez on Wed, Jun 19, 2013 @ 06:06 AM

Pasadena Glendale Sign Company | Sign & Banner Font Styles

"What is the perfect font for your sign?"

Since you asked there is really no answer to this question. It's a question we get a lot at The Sign Studio. Truly a question like that has to be answered on a case by case basis. It's like asking what is the perfect color for the outside of my house? The simple answer is white walls and black trim and shutters. There are no simple answers in life. Can you imagine driving through a neighborhood where all of the houses were decorated with white walls and black trim and shutters? Creepy right?

Now imagine that only one of those houses in that neighborhood was painted a nice tan with beige trim and a red door. That house would really stand out next to all the other houses. That's what you are looking for in a font a way to stand out amongst all the other black and white houses.

More importantly you need to find a way to stand out and get your message across concisely and as quick as possible about who you are and what you do. You only have the viewers attention for a very small amount of time before the next shiny thing grabs their attention. Here are two things that I think help when trying to consider what font to use.

What am I trying to say? Who am I trying to reach?

Say you run a bridal company. You are going to want a font that will reflect what it is you do and with its look you want it to give your name a look that will reach people. In this case it will have to have a gentle sophisticated feel to it. It's a bridal company and not a plumbing company after all. Those are two different looks. See below...

Font Image

Which looks better? See the difference? It's something to think about...

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

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Topics: Sign Design, Pasadena & Glendale Sign Company, Signs & Banners

Los Angeles Sign Company | Sign Design and Sign Fonts

Posted by Julie and Chris Ramirez on Thu, Mar 21, 2013 @ 05:03 AM

WHAT FONT DO I WANT TO USE ON MY SIGN?

One problem that I don’t think has ever really been solved for a graphic designer or Sign Company is an easy way to find the right font for a job. How often have you known what you are looking for, maybe something fun, maybe a modern font, but the task of finding that right font is tedious. You end up spending so much time trying to find that perfect elusive font that it leaves you less time for the rest of the design. Sometimes with lack of time or budget you just reach for the trusty old favorite, when the right font could have really added “personality” to a design.

For ages I have meant to organize my fonts by style, but a new job always arrives and I put it on the back burner. Free font sites such as DaFont, in my opinion, make it far easier to search for a font by style category than some of the commercial ones and are great for headings and sometimes logos. I am always wary of using free fonts for body copy as the kerning is not always great and they do not always include a full set of characters.

Suitcase can be of help by typing in a word and viewing it in different styles, the only downside is the font has to have been loaded into suitcase to view it.The best solution I have found so far for seeing what fonts I have on my machine, without having to install them in something like suitcase is
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.

Topics: Sign Design, Pasadena and Glendale Sign Company, Sign Lettering and Fonts

Burbank Sign Company | Permits & Elevation Plans For Your Sign

Posted by Julie and Chris Ramirez on Sun, Dec 30, 2012 @ 04:12 AM

Engineering

Our team of engineers will ensure that the best structural design is implemented. This includes design and specification for all sign components, including face decoration, lighting, structure, metal fabrication and painting. We will offer help with manufacturing suggestions, valued engineering and installation methods. We will find a solution for any technical issue.

Permits

Our company is aware of local municipal codes and city ordinances and will not fabricate or install any project until all the necessary permits have been issued. The Sign Studio Inc. will prepare and manage all paperwork involved in the permitting process. All costs associated with the permits (i.e. man-hours, city fees, etc.) will be added in the estimate upon request.

Survey

After a thorough examination of the property and surroundings we can determine where signs are needed at the site for identification and directional purposes. We will take accurate measurements, photos, determine if there is electrical access and local code information. Our goal is to find the most visibility & access of your sign to increase the volume of traffic that passes your location every 24 hours.

Design

At The Sign Studio Inc. we understand that a creative and marketable sign is necessary to attract the targeted audience. Our company's award winning design team incorporates all logos and related material into the sign it builds for the prospective client. They work close together with our engineers and production managers to assure a satisfactory and effective sign design.

Permit and Elevation Image

If you have any questions, please call The Sign Studio at (818) 843-9200 or send us an e-mail at thesignstudio@sbcglobal.net.

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Topics: Sign Permit and Elevations, Sign Design, Burbank Sign Company

Burbank Sign Company | Sign Letters - Distance and Size?

Posted by Julie and Chris Ramirez on Wed, Dec 12, 2012 @ 06:12 AM

HOW BIG SHOULD I MAKE MY SIGN LETTERS
Lettering size is an important part of sign making because you will need to be sure that your clients can read your message from a distance. Whether it’s storefront window graphics, a banner, or vehicle graphics, make sure that you can read the lettering and logo contained in your message. To maximize readability the standard is that each inch of letter height represents 10 feet of readable distance, meaning that for a sign to be readable from a 30 foot distance the letters should be at least 3 inches tall.

Interior signs that are being read by customers in a retail
store environment need only be an inch or two tall, while an overhead exterior banner being read from a nearby street or highway would need much larger letters in order to be seen from a distance. Also, font selection will play an important role as some fonts are thin and script like, while bolder fonts and capitalization (with appropriate spacing) can improve readability. Trying to skimp or economize by using a smaller lettering size is definitely not a wise decision. See The Sign Studio’s Legibility/Readability chart below for an example assuming Helvetica upper case black lettering on a white background.
 
READABILITY/LEGIBILITY CHART

Sign Readability Chart Image

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

If you have any further questions or need any signage information, please give us a call at (818) 843-9200 or send us an e-mail at thesignstudio@sbcglobal.net.
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Topics: Sign Design, Burbank Sign Company, Sign Letter Size

Burbank Sign Company | Sign Fonts and Sign Design

Posted by Julie and Chris Ramirez on Wed, Sep 26, 2012 @ 06:09 AM

Burbank Sign Company | Sign Fonts and Sign Design

WHAT FONT DO I WANT TO USE ON MY SIGN?

One problem that I don’t think has ever really been solved for a graphic designer or Sign Company is an easy way to find the right font for a job. How often have you known what you are looking for, maybe something fun, maybe a modern font, but the task of finding that right font is tedious. You end up spending so much time trying to find that perfect elusive font that it leaves you less time for the rest of the design. Sometimes with lack of time or budget you just reach for the trusty old favorite, when the right font could have really added “personality” to a design.

For ages I have meant to organize my fonts by style, but a new job always arrives and I put it on the back burner. Free font sites such as DaFont, in my opinion, make it far easier to search for a font by style category than some of the commercial ones and are great for headings and sometimes logos. I am always wary of using free fonts for body copy as the kerning is not always great and they do not always include a full set of characters.

Suitcase can be of help by typing in a word and viewing it in different styles, the only downside is the font has to have been loaded into suitcase to view it.The best solution I have found so far for seeing what fonts I have on my machine, without having to install them in something like suitcase is
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.
Sign Fonts and Design

Topics: sign fonts, Sign Design, Burbank Sign Company

Burbank Sign Company | Sign Design and Installation Professionals

Posted by Julie and Chris Ramirez on Mon, Sep 17, 2012 @ 06:09 AM

Burbank Sign Company | Sign Design and Installation Professionals

Your signage design and installation experts in LA County!

The Sign Studio specializes in signs of all kinds and is the one-stop shopping place for sign installation in LA County and surrounding areas. Whether you're just starting up and need to get your name out there or your company is already wildly successful, chances are, you need signs. Make the most of your marketing budget and let The Sign Studio handle your sign and banner installation needs. We've been serving Glendale, Burbank, Pasadena and the greater Los Angeles area for many years and have created signs and banners for some of the most successful businesses around. Now we're ready to put our experience and expertise to work for you. Drive new customers to your door with our eye-catching vehicle signs, or increase your visibility with window graphics, illuminated signs or updated dimensional lettering.

Our business can help you do big business by increasing your visibility, updating your logo or flying your flag with banners and directional signs. Let our skilled graphic artists and craftsman turn your great ideas into reality with our wide variety of techniques and materials. We'll take care of everything, from the design table to sign installation. Because all we do is signs, we do it well, and with The Sign Studio as your signage design and installation experts in LA County, you can get back to running your business while we go about the business of getting your name and your message up there, out there and pretty much anywhere you need it to be!

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.
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Custom Signage Image

Topics: Sign Design, Burbank Sign Company, Sign Installation

Los Angeles County | Important Information About Logo Design

Posted by Julie and Chris Ramirez on Wed, May 23, 2012 @ 06:05 AM

Los Angeles County | Important Information About Logo Design

Looking for a Company Logo Design?
Logos can be considered the first step of branding, and it is essential for a business to create a memorable and positive impression through the visual representation of your brand. The logo design process is often time consuming and cluttered with obstacles.

Selecting your company's logo is an immensely important process. Your logo should be an attempt to market your business to potential customers and business partners in a clear and powerful way.

You can now streamline your logo design efforts by partnering with The Sign Studio and our experts. The Sign Studio is a veritable one stop shop for companies in need of logo and signage help.

The Sign Studio is a sign company in Los Angeles County that develops signs for display in your business, as well as signs to use for marketing. We can help design a logo, as well as strategize the best ways to utilize your company's logo in terms of marketing efforts. For many businesses, eye catching signage is an untapped way to draw in foot traffic or add a strong visual component to a marketing campaign.

The Sign Studio is the leading sign company in Los Angeles County because we offer our customers a fully customized experience. We cater to your business' needs and our staff has the experience necessary to offer useful advice. The Sign Studio is a great resource for emerging businesses as well as those looking to revitalize their image.

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.

Logo Design Image

 

 

 

 

 

Topics: Artwork Logo Design, Sign Design, Logo Design

Does Your Sign Design Stand Out Or Does It Compete For Attention?

Posted by Julie and Chris Ramirez on Thu, May 3, 2012 @ 06:05 AM

Does Your Sign Stand Out Or Does It Compete For Attention?

Signs Competing for Attention

Time Square Picture

Even if your sign looked good when it was alone on your computer screen, look what can happen when it lands in its final location, perched high up on a building. Your sign could lose impact when seen from the landscape of visual noise.

After walking through this scenario in Times Square, I asked some people if any one message stood out in their memory, to which they each replied "no". There was no "take away" message, no "call to action" that stuck in their minds after being exposed to this cluster of signage. Too many messages competing with one another do not result in a communication delivered to your audience.

When you are considering signage, or where to place a sign, take into account the surroundings it will be viewed in. You don't have to be considering a location like Times Square in New York. Even if you are designing signage for a tradeshow at a hotel or large hall venue, consider the competing signage and messaging that will exist there.

Design something that stands out amongst the visual noise. Don't just look at a design proof of your sign by itself only, but place it against a photo background of similar noise and distraction. This will help you see what needs to be done to get your message seen against a busy background.

A confused, unclear and unfocused sign is one that includes more information than is necessary.

 

Take the care to edit your message to its essential minimum-and think about the "white space" so to speak. Especially in a busy environment, such as a trade show or office lobby, you need to clear away a space so your message can be seen. It needs to "pop out" from the background scenery.

Where communicating an announcement or featuring a product, design your sign for quick, brief attention. Think about whether you want it seen at mid-distance or up close-or both.

 

In the "After" example above, the product is more visible and flows right into the text message. Before, it was sitting inside a white box by itself, not totally integrated with the whole.

As you can see, it's important to put some thought into how to best arrange any visual message.

If you have any further questions or need any help, 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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Topics: Sign Design, Sign Questions, Exterior or Outside Signs