Ask a Sign Expert: How Should I Safely Store Car Signs?
Though there is much to learn about your new sign, one of the most common topics we come across is centered around how to store car signs. When you invest time and energy to find the perfect style and design for your business, the last thing you want to do is damage your sign when putting it away.
To collect some tips on how to store car signs, we asked our own Alex Velandia, industrial designer, to walk us through his best advice for new car sign owners.
Alex’s Tips for Properly Storing Car Signs
- Why is sign storage a challenge? Sign storage is a problem for two main reasons, the first being that they do take up a lot of room. That can make navigating the already cramped quarters of a kitchen and staff area all the more difficult. The second is, when they are stored on the floor they tend to get dirty and kicked, which isn't good for the decals and the life of the sign.
- What is the biggest mistake people make when storing their sign? The biggest mistake people make is thinking the car signs can be tossed around. Although they have a large plastic shell, the interior light works in the same way as a desk lamp or, for our battery-operated sign, a cell phone. The battery versions have circuitry and, like a cell phone, can be damaged with rough landings.
- What can damage signs in storage? Our car signs are plastic but the decals are printed on a vinyl that is coated with a UV protector lamination process that helps your sign’s colors avoid sun damage. However, if you leave your sign on its side, the vinyl can be damaged with sharp edges or abrasion over time.
- Where or how should I store my sign? The best storage solution for car signs is to hang them on the wall. We have a kit that comes with a magnetic metal bar that can be mounted on a wall, allowing the sign magnets to stick to the bar. We also send large wall templates so that everything is laid out for customers, including where to put screws. It's a great tool to help customers decide the best place to mount their signs.
- What should be my priority when storing my sign? The top priority when storing your sign should be keeping it in a convenient place for drivers to pick up and drop off when their shift is done. If the drivers take care of their signs, they will last a lot longer. Even if you have our mounted storage solution in place, the driver is ultimately responsible for the sign outside of the store. It is very important they follow the best care and practices that we set up for them. This will prevent things like the premature need for replacement of either the shell and decals or the internal electrical components.
- Do storage limitations influence which signs you’d recommend to clients? It's not usually storage size limitations but rather how large the customer wants the sign to be. Usually, customers choose the largest available because they see the sign as a moving billboard. With that, they tend to crowd all the information onto the sign that they can fit. However, it's really best to keep the sign down to simply a good, clear logo and maybe a phone number. You want the customer to remember that you exist, not try and put the whole daily specials menu up there. If our clients are worried about the sign size, I would recommend looking at our smaller signs, such as the Auto Advertiser, the Mini Quad, and the Campus Insider.
- Define a storage area for your signs
- Organize the signs neatly within the designated storage area
- Number your signs and their corresponding storage spots