Capital City Christian Church Street Sign Content Design
Best Practices
Resolution for slide creation and editing is 120 wide by 60 heigh pixels.
File Formats
Colors
In order to be precise, colors are coded using 6 hexadecimal values preceded with a hash symbol (#). All digital systems use this coding system as an agreed upon method of representing the same colors.
There are many 'Color Pickers' on the Internet and within most image editing programs, such as the link below the following color codes. https://html-color-codes.info/ is another.
This page, https://www.w3schools.com/colors/colors_names.asp displays a large number of color shades along with their color codes.
These let you select a very specific color which then displays a block using that solid color and giving you it's hex value.
Below are some of the baseline colors and their codes as examples:
Reference: https://htmlcolorcodes.com/
This site is very informative. https://www.risevision.com/blog/digital-signage-best-practices
Be sure to check the article links at the bottom of the above link.
Tips on How to Create Effective Signage
Lately, as I drive to work each morning, I’ve been noticing a lot of signage – a lot of poor signage. Those small yard signs that you see at the intersections usually advertising a fair, church function or some sort of liquidation sale are so crammed full of information that you can’t even read it when you’re at the stop light 10 feet away. So, it got me thinking that perhaps some tips on effective sign and display design would be a good topic for my next blog post…
Signage is a very affordable means of advertising. There is a lot more to designing both indoor and outdoor signage than sometimes meets the eye. Most people don’t realize that there are many questions and factors that should be taken into consideration before and during the design process.
The following design principles are used by graphic professionals to create attractive, high impact signage that is readable, appealing to the eye and carries the most impact:
Keep it visible and legible – Less really is more. By keeping your message short, your sign is easier to see and read at a glance. Signs come in every shape and size, so make sure you have chosen a size that is appropriate for the distance you expect your sign or display to be viewed from. Consider where it will be located and what obstacles may be in the way. Visibility is the most important part of your signage.
Avoid clutter – Successful signage communicates a message concisely. The message should be conveyed in as few words as possible to your target audience. Crowding your sign with too many words or lines of text makes it harder to read from a distance.
“White-space” is the area of a design that is left uncovered by either text or graphics (white space can be color). The empty space surrounding text and graphics is just as important as other design considerations. There is a tendency to want to “fill up” the available area with as much copy as possible. But when text is crowded, it becomes harder to read. Thirty-to-forty percent of the sign’s face area should be left as white space for optimal readability.
Type and fonts – In general, clean, crisp, easy-to-read type styles should be used for maximum legibility. Most professional fonts have varying weights, ranging from regular to bold, black, extended, etc. Use these to your advantage by giving priority or preference to certain parts of your message.
There is a misconception that exists that since ALL CAPITAL LETTERS are “larger” than lower case letters, they must be easier to read from a distance. However, visual tests have concluded that Upper And Lower Case Text is more legible from a distance than all upper case letters. Since viewers may only have a few seconds to get your message, increase the readability of your sign by not over using capital letters.
As a general rule of thumb, never use more than two different fonts in a single design. Choosing two fonts that complement each other can make your message stand out. Most importantly, use fonts that are clearly legible when viewed from a distance.
The following chart is from the United States Sign Council (USSC) and will help you to determine what size type is needed for your sign: https://amsigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/USSCSignLegiRulesThumb.pdf Click here for local copy. (19 pages)
Images and graphics – Adding a border can increase reading speed by up to 25 percent. Borders are often recommended whenever automobile traffic is the intended audience. They tend to cause the eye to focus on the message. In addition, full-color digital photos can be incorporated into designs to add greater impact. Logos, artwork and other graphical elements can also be added to visually enhance the design and layout.
Foreground/background colors – When choosing a background for your design, don’t use anything that will make it difficult to focus on the main message. Black contrasts well with any light color, and white works well with colors having a dark value.
The greater the contrast, the more legible text is from a distance. Colors that are closer together like a Kelly green letter against a royal blue background won’t contrast as well and therefore will be more difficult to read.
Visibility of different color combinations – These 15 color combinations for lettering were tested for readability at a distance by the Outdoor Advertising Association of America (OAAA). The results ranked in the sequence shown, with #1 the most legible and #15 as the least legible.
1. black on yellow 2. black on white 3. yellow on black 4. white on blue 5. green on white 6. blue on yellow 7. white on green 8. white on brown 9. brown on yellow 10. brown on white 11. yellow on brown 12. red on white 13. yellow on red 14. red on yellow 15. white on red
https://identitypr.com/blog/tips-on-how-to-create-effective-signage/
Colors subconsciously evoke emotions from people.
https://thelogocompany.net/psychology-of-color-in-logo-design/
1. Colors Matter
Choosing contrasting colors is best practice. Some examples of contrasting colors might include:
Really, any color combination that's light and dark will work well and allow your message to be pronounced and crisp when your audience reads it. For consistency, it's a good idea to match the colors of your LED sign with your branding and logo.
2. Location Matters
It's important to make sure your sign is as close to the street as possible to maximize exposure. After all, your outdoor digital LED sign is important real estate, and we all know what Realtors say: location, location, location! Choose the proper shape and size to ensure there are no obstructions blocking the view of your sign. The last thing you want is to invest in an incredible sign nobody can see because there's a tree standing in the way! It's a good idea to view your sign's potential final destination from a different angle; drive by a few times with your eye on the prize to see if other passersby will have easy access to your message. If you're on the fence, chances are, it may not be the right place to position your outdoor LED sign. Pro tip: Aim high for maximum exposure!
3. Size Matters
It's extremely important to make your sign as easy to read as possible. Your font should be big enough to read from any side of the street. Here's a good rule of thumb when it comes to sizing your outdoor digital LED sign: for every 10 feet of viewing distance, your letters need to have one inch of height. For the easiest read, go for a mixed-case sign, incorporating capital and lower-case letters, as opposed to all caps. The amount of "white space" you have on your sign is also important. For most outdoor digital LED signs, you want to leave about 30 to 40 percent of the sign untouched (whitespace); this ensures the sign is free of visual clutter and easiest to read.
4. Creativity Matters
Try using your imagination when creating unique messages on your outdoor digital LED sign. This is your opportunity to spur warm feelings with kitschy sayings that resonate with your audience. You only have a few characters to make a big impression, so let your creativity guide the way! Boring messages are for everybody else. You've got thought-provoking messages in your mind; now is the time to unleash your wordsmithing powers! Remember, you can change your LED sign's message at a moment's notice, so go crazy, and let the creativity flow free.
5. Length Matters
The number of words you use on your sign will matter. On average, an adult can read about 250 words per minute (or four words per second). When crafting messages, be clear, concise, and to the point. Aim to keep the headline around three to five words. It's a trying task, but successful organizations know the fruits of these alphabetic labors! The more concise your message is, the more success you'll have. Edit your copy to the point it makes sense without using unnecessary words.
6. Benefits Matter
Of course, you know the message you're delivering is awesome, but why should anyone else care? People today don't have a ton of time or patience; they need to know what you're offering, how your organization can benefit them, and why they should want to learn more. Use your outdoor digital LED sign's real estate to appeal to your audience by using words that resonate with them while keeping your organization's values in mind.
7. Urgency Matters
If you really want to get people's attention, create a sense of urgency. Need some ideas? Try:
Your outdoor digital LED sign has all the elements necessary to create a sense of urgency.
8. Context Matters
Use logos and phrases relevant to your industry, company, or pop culture to bring awareness to your messages. Context helps people understand messages quickly; your audience is more likely to act when it can relate.
9. Personalization Matters
Use words like "you" and "your" in your messaging. Second-person narrative speaks directly to the reader, helping your organization relate more intently to your audience.
10. Boasting Matters
Why is your organization the best choice for your audience? Why would someone want to act on your offers? Make sure you boast about your competitive advantages. After all, that's what makes you stand out above the other guys. Tell people about your ratings; share your designations; boast about your ability to bring people a positive experience.
https://www.stewartsigns.com/blog/10-tips-for-outdoor-digital-led-signs
5. Know Your Audience
As with any other type of advertising, fully understanding the audience you’re targeting can go a long way towards the effectiveness of your sign. You’ll want to specifically target the demographic that you’re company needs most, without alienating your core customers.
Usually, LED signs are effective along roads and major highways. However, you’ll want to take into consideration traffic stopping points and speed limits in order to best determine how to design your LED sign. It can also be helpful to perform “drive-by” tests to learn the effectiveness of your signs timing and visual appeal. This way, you’ll have a better idea of what your audience is seeing, and you can improve on your displays from there.
4. Know Your Message
The main goal of business signage of any type is to provoke your customers into action. Whether you are looking to get more people in the door, or simply informing your core consumer base of upcoming specials and offers they may be interested in, LED displays can help get the message across better than traditional signage.
First, you’ll want to determine a single primary message. What exactly do you deem as the number one piece of key information as it pertains to your business? Try to come up with a simple but effective message that effectively communicates that information. Then, ensure that that message is displayed at least once per minute via your sign. In doing so, you’ll be able to communicate directly to your audience and keep the right people coming in the door.
However, remember not to overload your graphics with superfluous info, as this can have the opposite effect.
3. Design Your Signage Well
This may seem obvious, but many people may have trouble determining how best to design an LED sign, especially if they aren’t familiar with the principles of graphic design. As you can probably imagine, an eye-catching design is the key to a successful display. The perfect design will stand out from the competition, inciting more people to visit your business location.
After your designer of choice works up an awe-inspiring design, you’ll want to make sure to test your content on the actual display itself. You personally, or someone you dictate, should review your LED sign each time a new design is displayed. Seeing your sign how customers see it will provide an essential perspective and help you create the right experience each and every time.
2. Utilize Your LED Sign’s Full-Motion Capability
The best way to ensure that your sign is attracting attention is to use motion. This is especially true if your display is located among a crowded visual landscape. Luckily, LED signs are particularly adept at displaying full-motion designs.
All LED signs are capable of simple animations and transition effects, and some can even display high-definition video clips. All of these things can really help capture your audience’s attention. After these animations attract the eye of your customers, immediately follow-up with your message.
1. Constantly Update Your Sign’s Message
The true beauty of LED signage is that they allow you to constantly change your message based on new offers and incentives. This is part of what makes LED displays far more cost-effective in the long run than traditional signage, which cost money every time they need updating, either by paying someone to physically change it, or by buying new signs entirely. LED signs eliminate this problem.
With that in mind, make sure you are updating your LED signs with new messaging each time you debut a new offer. While LED displays are eye-catching, they can go stale quickly if the are not updated with frequency. No one wants to see an expired offer displayed on their sign, as this can make your company seem disorganized, out-of-touch, or lazy.
Always make sure your LED sign software can be accessed on-the-go for last minute changes, and if your software allows it, set a designated start and end date for each promotion, then just pre-load these offers in advance.
https://www.bartush.com/design/5-tips-for-displaying-the-perfect-led-sign/
Capital City Christian Church