We often underestimate the power of visual advertising. We are so inundated with generic advertisements and signage, we forget what good advertising can do.
Any business signs you have put up are in many ways the image you’ve decided your company is going to present to the world. They matter. How, then, do we make sure the image we present is a stunning one? Read on to find out.
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Font Isn’t an Off-hand Choice
One of the choices so many businesses make quite casually is, in fact, quite important: font. You can almost view font as our speaking voice or general tone. It is quite central in establishing mood.
Let’s imagine you’re beginning a logo printing project and need to decide what font your company name will be in. One might assume the default is Times New Roman but that’s only half true.
Times New Roman is a simple, formal font. It’s one everyone has seen in thousands and thousands of ads and on signs. However, it isn’t your only option if your business still needs a somewhat formal, professional feel to its signage.
For instance, both Tahoma and Goudy Old Style can make for strong choices. They’re still easy to read and give off a professional vibe, but are less common and thus readers may take more notice.
Using Color Psychology
Color psychology is the science of how colors tend to affect us. It’s a complicated field if one decides to research into it and huge claims made about it deserve skepticism. Research into colors and how they affect us is ongoing and ever-evolving.
While colors don’t allow us to mind control potential clients (which is probably a good thing), there’s enough science saying we should care more about our choices than “not at all.” Yellow is often viewed as attention-grabbing and happy. Black as serious and sophisticated, but also sometimes dark, depressing, or even evil.
These associations can be subverted but it takes work and artistic talent. If you’re having custom printing work done, it’s best to know the basics first. Then you can subvert tropes and common associations if you feel the need.
Red and yellow are very common in food brands, for their association with speed, hunger, and positivity. Black is common for professional brands and those catering to the elite, due to its association with sophistication and modernity. Blue is often used in medical ads, as it is associated with health and honesty.
Research the colors you use. If you want to use a color not often associated with feelings you with what your brand is aiming for, use caution. It can still work but you may want to talk to a professional artist before doing so if you haven’t already.
Knowing Your Medium
When printing any advertisement (or material just meant to inform), it’s important to understand your medium. That is to say, what are you going to be printing on?
That doesn’t just mean material, although that is important. It also means you need to consider the size and dimensions of your sign.
Certain images, logos, and even text won’t print well at certain sizes. If the things on a sign aren’t sized for the distances you expect people to read them at, information can be obfuscated.
There’s also the question of image resolution (and overall quality). The bigger an image is being printed, the tighter the resolution requirements. Otherwise, the image may look pixelated or its weaker elements may be made more obvious.
There are benefits to the many different “canvases” you have to choose from as well. Billboards allow for huge, loud advertisements. Small signs might allow for a subtle, professional look even a moderately large sign may find difficult.
Standing Out
There’s an art to standing out. Bad advertisements do stand out, but not for the reasons the company is hoping for. The trick is standing out while presenting, at least generally, the image you intend.
One thing that can help is consulting directly with the company printing your sign. For example, the custom work of the experts at Teamconceptprinting.com allows for their signs to be cut in both simple and complex shapes. They can also run UV, gloss, or satin aqueous coating over the signs they print.
Many times a company hoping to get a sign made doesn’t even think about these little options. We get it in our heads that our signs have to be the standard rectangle with our logo on it and then don’t put in the extra legwork beyond that.
Talk to artists and talk to the people at the company you’re printing with. They may have insight that those in your company don’t. This is extra true if your company is smaller and has no or a very tiny marketing department.
However, remember that most companies aren’t looking for the broadest appeal. Your products or services have a niche. Appealing to people outside that niche with signs and ads only matters so much; their attention won’t matter if they’ll never make a purchase.
Put Your Best Foot Forward With Business Signs
When it comes to business signs, it’s best to put in the extra effort so you get it right. Do your research, hire or at least consult an artist, and talk with the company you intend to print with. This is definitely a measure twice, cut once type situation.
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