Getting Your Money’s Worth with Outdoor Lighted Business Signs
Dec 27,2019
Outdoor lighted business signs are a great investment for any business. Though they are more expensive than most non-illuminated options, outdoor lighted business signs generate thousands of impressions for your brand every single day, and they’re practically essential for companies that operate after dark. With proper maintenance and a high-performance design, your outdoor lighted business sign will soon pay for itself!
To that end, today’s post is all about how to optimize your outdoor lighted business sign design to make sure you get your full money’s worth.
Maximizing Conspicuity For Outdoor Lighted Business Signs
In regards to outdoor lighted business signs, “conspicuity” refers simply to the ability of drivers and pedestrians to detect your sign. Plenty of attention is paid to sign legibility (the ability to read and process sign information), but even the most compelling sign design won’t matter if nobody can pick it out of Northern Virginia’s crowded signscape.
And while you may think that outdoor lighted business signs are perfectly conspicuous without any special design considerations, remember that you’re not the only one bringing illuminant media to the table. Many businesses in Northern Virginia use outdoor lighted business signs, but they don’t all tweak their design for maximum conspicuity. Doing so gives you a serious competitive edge.
So how do you make your sign more conspicuous than the competition? Let’s get into it!
Dr. John D. Bullough conducted a seminal study at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s Lighting Research Center that described the typographic and symbolic characteristics that create maximum conspicuity.
One of the most obvious was sign size. Quite simply, if you want your sign to be seen, bigger is often better. Not always, though: your size needs will be very different if you’re trying to appeal to foot traffic versus speeding passersby.
Past research by the U.S. Small Business Association (2003) provides helpful guidelines for appropriate sign sizing based on the speed of approaching traffic. Recommended sign heights range from 12 ft for 25-mph traffic to 50 ft for 55-mph traffic.
Another critical component for maximizing conspicuity is contrast. Higher contrast between letters and background is shown to improve sign detection, especially at long distances.
Dr. Bullough’s research also found that adding a border around the sign itself will often enhance conspicuity. Though the exact reason is unknown, researchers have theorized that the border helps viewers distinguish the sign’s shape from whatever is in the background. Borders are especially helpful for drivers, which is why the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) requires borders on almost all signs.
Free Outdoor Lighted Business Sign Quotes In Northern Virginia
Whatever your outdoor lighted business sign needs, Legendary Custom Signs can help.
Our shop is located at the intersection of Northern Virginia, where we proudly serve all of Prince William, Fairfax, Loudoun, Fauquier and Arlington counties, including the independent cities of Manassas, Manassas Park, City of Fairfax, Alexandria, and City of Falls Church, as well as the greater Washington, DC metro area.
Not a Northern Virginia local? Don’t worry: as members of the Signworld business alliance, we also design and deliver all over the United States via our Signworld alliance network.
Call 571-512-7446 for your free quote or visit the Legendary Custom Signs Outdoor Sign Product page to view some of the options available to you.
