1. Keep it visible and legible

Less is more.

By keeping your message short, your sign is easier to read at a glance.

Signs come in many shapes and sizes, so make sure you have chosen an appropriate size for the distance you expect people to view your sign or display. Consider where it will be located and what barriers may be in the way.

Visibility is a vital part of your signage.

2. Avoid clutter

Effective signage communicates a message quickly.

The message should be communicated in as few words as possible to your target audience. Cramming your sign with too many words or lines of text makes it harder to read from a distance.

“White-space” is the area left uncovered by either text or graphics (the background). The space surrounding text and graphics is just as important as other design considerations. There is a tendency to “fill up” the available area with as much copy as possible. But crowded text becomes harder to read.

Thirty to forty percent of the sign’s face area should be white space for optimal readability.

3. Type and fonts

Use clean, crisp, easy-to-read type styles for maximum legibility.

Most fonts have varying weights, from regular to bold, black, extended, etc. Use these to your benefit by giving priority to certain parts of your message.

There is a misconception that ALL CAPITAL LETTERS are “larger” than lower case letters, so they must be easier to read from a distance. However, studies have concluded that upper and lower case text is more readable from a distance than all upper case letters.

Since readers may only have a few seconds to get your message, increase the readability of your sign by not overusing capital letters.

Generally, use no more than two different fonts on a sign. You can make your message stand out by choosing two fonts that complement each other.

Use fonts that are legible when viewed from a distance.

4. Images and graphics

Adding a border can increase the reading speed by up to 25%.

Whenever automobile traffic is the intended audience, experts often recommend borders as they tend to cause the eye to focus on the message.

Also, incorporate full-color digital photos into designs to add greater impact. You can also add logos, artwork, and other graphic elements to enhance the design and layout visually.

5. Foreground/background colors

When choosing a background for your design, stay away from anything that will make it difficult to focus on the primary message.

Black contrasts nicely with any light color, while white works well with dark values.

The greater the contrast, the easier text is to read from a distance. For example, kelly green lettering against a royal blue background is closer together, won’t contrast, and will be more challenging to read.