6 tips for stand out signs

Signs. Ever practical, always functional, the ideal addition to any event, show, space, office classroom… the sky’s the limit!

But, how do you make your signs really stand out? With attention spans shorter than ever, your potential customers might only dedicate up to 20 seconds to look at your sign or message. So how do you cut through the noise? Get inspired to create truly sensational signage with our six tips below…

1. Creative colour

Whatever you’ve got to say, the first thing you need to do is choose your colour. Crafting sale boards? Go vibrant with red, yellow, orange or contrasting brights. Creating functional signage for an event? Think toned down green, blue, pastels or clean white to make your message stand out.

But whatever you decide, make sure it works with your font colour too and the other elements on your board. Which brings us nicely onto point two…

2. Clever contrast

If your sign is going to take pride of place in a busy space, chances are, most people won’t have time to read loads and loads of information. So not only does it need to be short and sweet, you’ll need to make the most important bits stand out.

How, you ask? Well, the easiest way is with contrast. Make sure the colour of the background is significantly different enough to the text colour so that it stands out, and it can be read comfortably at a distance. Don’t overload your sign with imagery which might confuse your message, and pick a solid, substantial font…

3. Terrific typography

Choosing the right font can make all the difference. Fonts that are curly, thin or overcomplicated can be difficult to read at a distance, so if you’re going for high impact, choose a font without all the fuss.

Sometimes, when it comes to signage, less is more, so keep it simple. If you’re not sure, try printing your sign first and holding it 5 metres away. Can you read the most important bits? Is there enough spacing between your letters? If not, you might want to reconsider your design.

4. Perfect personalization

If you’re looking to make an instant connection with your audience, getting personal is the best way to do it. By adding words like ‘you’ or ‘your’ to your sign messaging, you can evoke a much stronger reaction and connection with your potential customers.

5. Substantial stocks

Think about where you’ll be using your sign and the size it needs to be. Do you need to craft a heavy vinyl banner? How about a lightweight display board for in-store promo? Or perhaps you’re creating window displays? Enter, self-adhesive vinyl. How about in or outdoor posters for functional, affordable event signage? Whatever your project, find the option that fits and mix ‘n’ match your print ‘til it’s perfect. You can find everything you need to get started here.

6. Do it differently

Don’t be afraid to have a little fun with your signs and do things a little differently. Just because sale signs are usually red doesn’t mean yours have to be… try injecting your brand colours or imagery to your signs for extra wow factor. Why not play with puns or jokes to really grab attention? The most important thing to do is stand out and be memorable, so remember that when you get designing! Oh, and of course, have fun!

Need some inspiration? Check out these awesome examples…

Get creative with clear self-adhesive vinyl to really make a statement…

Functional signage doesn’t have to be boring. Check out this creative example for, err, avoiding sharks…

Having fun with your messaging is a genius way to get noticed!

How are your design making skills? Tell us your signage stories by commenting below!