Signs can look wonderful close up but be virtually invisible from the street. The difference is made by a few technical decisions.
Size Your Letters Properly
The minimum recommended height for letters on a sign is 25mm per 3m viewing distance. So for example a sign viewed from 9m away would need to have lettering of at least 75mm high. The stroke width of lettering also needs to be taken into account. Thin, delicate lettering can disappear at long distances whereas bold lettering remains visible.
Choose High-Contrast Colour Pairings
Dark characters on a light background or light characters on a dark background are the most readable in bright sunlight. So, for example, black characters on a white background, dark navy characters on a pale yellow or cream background and white characters on a deep green background are all recommended. Avoid backgrounds such as beige on cream or grey on white as the characters will not have sufficient contrast and will quickly become unreadable. The British Standards for visual contrast and signage legibility provide clear information on the minimum contrast ratios that should be used.
Avoid Decorative and Condensed Fonts
The use of condensed lettering can reduce the space between the strokes and, when viewed from a distance, can cause words to become unclear or even for them to merge into one. Also, it is generally easier to read mixed case text at a distance than all upper case letters as the spaces between the letters are greater, with the use of lower case letters in particular, aiding the open counters of the letterforms.
Think About Light at Different Times of Day
Signs can also be difficult to read in the shade during the morning and then become invisible at night when lit premises need to be identifiable. If you trade in the evenings will backlit lettering or external spotlighting be required for your sign?
Get Local Advice on Your Specific Site
The viewing angle, surrounding colour and ambient light can all vary greatly from location to location. If you are looking for Sign Makers Exeter, see //exeter.nettl.com/signs/.
Follow these key points to get your sign to work hard for you, from the moment someone turns the corner and comes face to face with it.
