Last week we noted that even though your investment in exterior signage may seem lofty, it is one of the most effective ways to spend your marketing budget, according to the Small Business Administration. Once you have reviewed local sign codes, provisions for signage in your commercial lease, and architectural considerations of your building, you can begin to assess two important elements – conspicuity and readability.
Let’s begin with some helpful terms.

Conspicuity: This pertains to the sign’s capacity and ability to stand out or be distinguished from its surroundings and easily discovered by your clients. In other words, conspicuity addresses issues that are related to your client noticing and being aware of your sign. This can include the contrast between a sign and its background. Your client (and potential clients) need to be able to differentiate your sign from the surround background.

Unfortunately, it is difficult to measure conspicuity. Your sign may catch the eye of several motorists, while a pedestrian may walk by your sign without ever noticing it. One reason a sign will be conspicuous to one person and not another has to do with whether or not the person is looking for a particular business or a certain type of business. Someone who is ready to eat lunch is much more likely to notice a restaurant than someone who is simply driving to work. A person with a special preference for the color green will be more likely to notice green signs than another person who is neutral toward the color green.

Businesses need their signs to be noticed and remembered, but many times the sign competes for attention because it is positioned among many other visual stimuli, similar-looking stimuli, or a combination of both. Star Bullets Banners & Signs™ will partner with you to determine effective placement of your signage.

Readability: While aesthetics play an important role in the readability of any sign, people may only glance at your sign for less than a second to understand your marketing message. A creative message that includes inventive fonts, trending colors, and interesting graphics may grab attention, but you need your message to be readable. Here is the general rule for the appropriate letter height that you will need to ensure your sign is readable. A good rule of thumb is every 1 inch of letter height provides 10 feet of readability.