Signs Learning Center: Before Buying a Sign

Next Day Signs

What you should know?

Learning Center

All of us here at Next Day Signs know the importance of educating our customers and asking the right questions to guide you to the appropriate product(s) and service(s) for your specialized needs.

Before buying a sign, what should you know?
There is a lot you need to know for your own protection and to ensure your receipt of a quality product. Always require a proof or layout of the work you are requesting. You know what they say about getting what you pay for, so be careful. You are trying to get business, grab attention and look professional. Design software, the designer themselves and their experience are keys to your success as well as the sign company you choose. Colors and effects are important but can be misused all to often creating a wonderful magazine ad but not a legible sign. Remember that signs are not smelled, they are seen and usually from quite a distance while moving at high speeds. Signs need to be bold, legible and memorable. Not necessarily pretty. Always specify the duration in which you'd like your sign to last, whether it will be used indoors or out and where and how it will be hung or placed. Ask questions. Signs can be made from a wide variety of materials, some are very inexpensive and are not as durable or weather resistant especially in the tropical environment in which we live which can cause you to replace them quite often, others are very durable and weather resistant but will cost more upfront.

Quick tips:

Outdoor signs - aluminum is always a good option. It's one of the most durable sign making materials and very weather resistant. Aluminum signs can be routed and cut to shape, dimensional letters can be cut from aluminum, vinyl and digital graphics can mount to aluminum and aluminum can also be screen printed.
PVC substrates are a bad idea for long term outdoor use unless coated with an automotive paint. PVC's and plastics tend to discolor with age and expand and contract with heat and cold so this provides an opportunity for the substrate to crack.
Always use contrasting colors. One light color and one dark color to get the most visibility and legibility
Do not use Script typestyles on smaller signs that need to be read at high speeds.
The less text, the better. Keep it direct and to the point. No one likes to read a book to find out what type of service you offer and what differentiates you from the next.
White space or blank space is your friend! It allows the eye to concentrate on the text or graphics in which it surrounds

Designing your project and sending files to Next Day Signs

Design software is completely different in every industry. With signs we require line art or vectorized art to provide you with the best quality product. Image files such as .jpg and .tif are usually a very high resolution but cannot be altered or cut in any way, they are a photographic image. Vector art or line art is created in only in a few software's available, Sign making software, Adobe Illustrator or Corel Draw. Providing these types of files will allow us to provide you with crisp clean lines on all of your logos, graphics and/or text. If these files are unavailable to you, we offer a logo or artwork recreation with a one time set up charge. CD's are available for purchase after the recreation with your logo or graphics in many file types and extensions.

Hours of Operation:

Monday - Friday
8:30AM - 5:30PM.
Closed Saturday and Sunday.

Email us: service@nextdaysignstampa.com

Get Directions to Our Store:
Map of 6744 Memorial Hwy
Tampa, FL 33615-4504, US

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