How to Design a Really Good Sign Without Hiring an Expert

You may have wondered if you could make your own signs and banners without hiring an expert. The answer is yes! Your final designs will depend on several factors. The first factor that plays a key role in your success is your own personal taste. If you’re an adventurer at heart, your personality will probably show through in your sign designs. If you are a calm and homely person, that will also be reflected in your designs.

While almost anyone can easily dabble in graphic design, some people are much more adept at it. You don’t need to have any formal education in graphic design, sign engineering, or any other field that might seem suitable. You shouldn’t have any difficulty designing a good sign or banner if you just follow some of our tips below.

1. Avoid Information Overload! One problem many people have is putting too much detail on a sign. You can do more harm than good by including too much text and design elements. The next time you’re on the highway and pass a billboard, pay attention to the few words on the sign. Take a lesson from that and cut down on the wording in your own sign design.

2. Choose colors that don’t blend and lean in the direction of blends that contain effective visual appeal. For example, putting gray lettering on a white or tan background is not a very good choice for a legible sign. Of course, if those are your company colors, go for it! But otherwise, there are better, more readable options. Just remember that by choosing such similar variations, you are sacrificing the readability of your sign or banner. One trick here is to think about adding an outline to your words in the color white to help you break up the darker colors and better draw the eye. A poorly designed color scheme will create an unreadable sign, which is generally a bad thing. Obviously that means you will lose business! In general, the easier your ad is to read from a distance, the better it is for you. A good choice for signs is the color yellow. Try yellow words on a black background. That will really pop up and be easy to read. A safe choice for signs is the color white. You can use it as a color for the text (if you have a dark background) or as a background (if your colors are darker overall). Combine white with any darker color and you’ll usually get a nice design. White lettering on a purple background would look awesome. Again, consider using a color wheel to help you choose colors that blend effectively.

3. Take advantage of the Space: Take advantage of the space you have available at your disposal. Now, that doesn’t mean you have to go overboard and fill every square inch of the sign with information! That might be hard to see. Larger print is easier to read from further away, so make sure the largest text is on the sign first. Those are the most important elements to consider. Once the text is in place, you can get creative with the remaining empty space to make the sign more attractive and eye-catching. A sign with white space (or “negative” space), as it’s sometimes called, can be even more appealing than a design filled to the last square inch with something to read or look at.

4. Fourth, choose the shape of your sign. The shape of your sign is an extremely essential choice. It can make or break the message, so choose wisely. For example, if your banner is going to have multiple rows of text, then you may want to select a rectangular banner that fits the entire set of words. Square or block signs have their place, but you don’t get the same flexibility with all the wording that you would find with a rectangular sign design. There is no “absolutely correct” option here. Just think about the layout of all the elements you want to include. Rectangular and square signs are the most favored options, however you can also make oval signs, rounded corner signs and other shapes as required and also depending on your entire design concept. You should also consider contacting a local sign professional for further guidance on what is appropriate for your particular application.

5. Incorporate Images – Photos, graphic designs, borders, and colors will further add your unique impact to your structure. Dare and experiment with the inclusion of some of these components to see what the result is; you will most likely enjoy the end result. If you’re not sure how to add these types of elements to your sign, contact an established sign company for some additional suggestions.

6. Visual Alignment – ​​One of the ways you can get out of the “hobbyist” look is to pay attention to the overall alignment of the text and overall layout. For example, if your layout has elements that need to be left-aligned, make sure they are actually left-aligned. If you have pieces that need to be centered, make sure they are centered in the design. If you intentionally stayed away from aligning design elements, the audience should be able to guess that was your intention. They shouldn’t look at the poster and say, “Were you drunk when you made this poster?” If you don’t pay attention to the left, right, and center alignment of your layout, it will be obvious.

7. Last but not least, “steal” from the best. The truth is, when it comes to sign design, very little is truly “new and original.” Most designers borrow ideas from other people. Then this is your chance to do the same! What do you notice about the use of color and text in the signs you see in everyday life? Examine how the design is structured and try to figure out what makes it effective. Then work to add those types of elements to your own signs. Although we emphasize in this article that you create your own sign designs, sometimes it helps to turn to a professional for new ideas and inspiration.

Resume

Follow the general design tips listed above and you will increase your chances of creating a sign that has visual appeal. Of course, this article cannot make you an expert in sign design. If you still feel like you need help designing your next sign, I highly recommend reaching out to a professional. The biggest challenge when designing your own signs is that it can take a long time to make a really great design that you’re proud of, especially if you’re a newbie. So don’t be embarrassed to call a professional to help you. Most professional sign companies want to do a good job because they know you might be a repeat customer or give them a good referral. So, they want to do a good job. Get in touch with your local experts and let them help you create something exciting and engaging!