The 4 Most Common Sign Design Mistakes
Designing signage can seem like a fun and straight-forward task; experienced graphic designers and marketers know, however, that quality sign designs are only a result of diligent graphic design efforts and a general understanding of marketing with signage. If your business is considering investing in car signs, window graphics, or vinyl banners, take a few moments to learn about the most common design mistakes businesses make when launching a sign campaign.
Improper Font Size
Improper font size is arguably one of the most common mistakes seen on all types of signage. The success of your sign almost entirely relies on passerby’s ability to see and read the wording on your banner, car sign, or sidewalk sign; as such, ensuring your font size is perfect for the dimensions of the sign itself is critical. Font that has been designed too small can make it difficult to read the sign from the road or sidewalk, causing passerby to focus their attention elsewhere. On the other hand, font that is designed too large can result in odd spacing between letters; in some extreme instances, over-sized font can cause only part of the wording to be cut-off, and the sign incomplete. Both over and undersized font can be detrimental to your sign’s professionality.
Color Contrast
Color contrast is an important but often forgotten aspect of sign design. While it is important to ensure the colors of your company logo are incorporated into your sign in one way or another, it is equally important to ensure whatever colors used for your content and background colors contrast one another. Color contrast captures attention and guides eyes to the focal point of a sign, making the important aspects of your sign (such as text, logo, and contact information) pop out and resonate with those reading your sign.
Installation Errors
Installing your signage correctly is arguably the most important part of a successful sign campaign. Even with the best graphic design and exciting content, no sign can be effective if it is wrinkled, blocked by nearby items, or otherwise unreadable. When installing your signage, be sure it is visible from the road or sidewalk, and that no trees, buildings, or other items are blocking it from being seen by passing traffic. Banners and posters should also be free of wrinkles, and hung tightly to ensure it will not be disrupted in windy conditions.
Spelling Errors
All too often, businesses invest time and money to develop a sign campaign without spell-checking the content placed on their sign. Signage spelling errors confuse customers and exude a lack of professionalism, rendering even the most well-designed signs useless. Before printing any sign or banner, double-check the spelling.
Learning from the mistakes of others is always preferable to learning from your own. Don’t waste time and money on a sign campaign that has been tainted by any of these common mistakes. If you are unsure of which font-size to use or how different colors will contrast one another, using our pre-made design templates or custom decal designer are great ways to try out different color combinations and layouts.