March 21, 2022
Do You Make any of These 9 Signage Mistakes?
Want to make your customer’s channel letter sign more effective?
Follow these nine simple principles and you can’t go wrong.
FONT – Stick with sans serif fonts. Serifs may cause illumination issues due to the small stroke contained within the serif. Basic fonts also tend to be more legible, and legibility is highly important. Signs must be read quickly.
FACE COLOR – Avoid these colors for channel letter faces: dark blue, dark green and burgundy. These colors tend to absorb (rather than emit) more of the illumination.
LETTER STROKE – The stroke must be at least 1.5” for proper LED module installation. If you see a smaller stroke on your customer’s design (including the letter serifs), remember that bright illumination could be a problem in that area.
CONTRAST – Check the building façade and compare the color to the letter faces. Your customer’s sign should have a clear contrast to the mounting location color. A face color similar to the mounting surface may cause the sign to “blend in” and will not be as visible in the daylight.
MOUNTING SURFACE CHARACTERISTICS (for Reverse Lit letters) – A reverse lit letter halo can make a surface area texture or construction characteristic obvious. The building façade color may also influence the halo appearance. Consider a backer panel if the mounting surface has a feature and/or color that may negatively impact the halo.
POSITION – Review the sign placement options to be sure the customer’s choice is optimal. A poorly positioned sign will decrease the sign effectiveness.
LETTER SIZE – Check the typical distance from which the sign will be read. Are the channel letters large enough to be easily legible?
ILLUMINATION QUALITY – Make sure that your LED comes from a reputable LED manufacturer with a minimum of a 5 year warranty. DSW uses an LED with a 10 year warranty.
ALL CAPITAL LETTERS – A sign with ALL CAPS will always be less legible than a sign with mixed upper/lower case. Use mixed case lettering.
You’ll receive more referrals when you pay attention to these details. Any one can make a difference in the channel letter sign’s overall effectiveness.