With the right sign company, retail signage doesn’t have to break the bank. Instead, there are affordable and simple signage solutions that will best communicate your message without distracting from your other signs. There are four types of signage that every retail business should use to their advantage to promote sales, bring attention to their business and stay accessible to all potential customers.

Exterior Business Signs

Whether people are looking for your business or are simply driving by, an exterior business sign is imperative. Not only does it let people find the physical location of your store, it helps to bring in the local community. In general, people tend to shop within a five-mile radius of their home or place of work. This means motorists and pedestrian traffic is among the best demographic, as these are the potential customers already passing your business.

Informational Signage

From indicating where a department is located to a full navigation signage system, informational signage is vital for the performance of a retail space. These markers help customers and clients more easily find their way, leading to a better overall experience at your location. The easier you make it for customers to find products and what they need, the more likely they are to make a purchase.

ADA-Compliant Signage

Even more important than being compliant with the law, this type of signage ensures all are equally welcome and catered to at your location. The Americans with Disabilities Act aims to make public areas more accessible to those with visual impairments. From dressing rooms to parking lots, the right ADA-compliant signage can help make someone’s visit far easier to navigate.

Persuasive Signage

By using attractive images and the right type of messaging, persuasive signage can influence how shoppers behave in your store. This type of signage is helpful for products that haven’t been selling well or a new promotion that needs to be communicated with those that walk in.

If you are short of some needed retail signage, contact us today. We have experience helping local businesses from start to finish with their retail signage needs.

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Catch Them Outside

You know the buy-me signs at the gas pumps? They feature an aluminum metal frame with a vinyl-covered printed insert that advertises the product in living colors. It encourages the consumer to “come inside” and “be refreshed.” These signs appeal to shoppers on the gut level. They remind of a need that the store can fulfill. You do not require a lot of spinning doodads to pull off this simple message. Instead, you only need the durable signage setup with a high-quality print that you change as often as you like. Go for the gusto by featuring a similar POP structure near the advertised product on the inside.

Take Them to the Right Destination

Of course, when you really want to make it easy on the shopper, simply bring them to the location of the advertised products. Floor graphics are an easy and budget-friendly method of accomplishing this task. In an upscale setting, a number of welcome messages in a broad range of languages draw in shoppers to the product display. In a pet supply store, the use of cute paw prints achieves the same. Footprints or images of the products placed like breadcrumbs along the floors make it easy for interested buyers to not only end up at the right shelf but also notice complementing products along the way.

Show it in Living Color

Of course, you can never go wrong with spelling out the “buy me” message of the quintessential old-school POP sign. That said, you do not have to rely on outdated technology to get it across. Attractive trade show banner stands double as well-designed POP signs that put shoppers in the mood to treat themselves. Place the stands near the product displays with a message that entices the customer to reach for the merchandise. Something as simple as “dessert first” can have a significant impact on the number of dessert items you sell.

Choosing the Right Point of Purchase Advertising Products

Which option is right for you? Our graphic artists gladly visit your location for a site survey that lets us give you suggestions based on measurements, overall atmosphere, and branding. As a general rule of thumb, consider that the size of the POP sign needs to be in keeping with the scale of the product. A pack of gum does not need an oversized banner display, but a floor to ceiling dessert wall does. We typically recommend freestanding signs simply because they give you the freedom to rotate displays as you see fit.

In fact, call us to schedule a consultation appointment today!

The post Old School Point of Purchase Advertising is Still the Best appeared first on Black Dog Sign Company.

Combine Form with Function to Appeal to All Visitors

In the hospitality trade, there are frequent changes to room uses. Dividers adjust room sizes, which results in door signs being more or less accurate. How do you deal with this problem against the backdrop of compliance with the law? More importantly, how can you make these signs functional for all visitors and staff members? Easy!

• Choose a slot design. Insertable slot plugs let you display the names of the events that you host in the rooms and suites of your venue. Remove them as needed and replace them with updated information. Because these portions of the sign are always changing, they do not have to meet ADA standards.
• Select a primary brand color. The sign directing visitors to the various breakout rooms, however, must comply. Choose the main brand color you use. Next, we help you pick out another brand color that represents the perfect contrast tone. A cast plaque is your best selection because it allows for the display of raised room numbers and directional arrows.
• Feature a matte texture. We always recommend a matte finish because it prevents the glare from artificial and natural illumination that makes light colors difficult to read.

Layering Creates an Eye-catching Appeal

When you layer metal on metal, you create an attractive visual display. But when you layer metal and acrylic, you might just be showing a work of art. Precision-tooling bronze, brass, or aluminum makes it possible to achieve the crisp lettering the ADA requires while also bringing background images to life. Add custom colored acrylic to the mix for a display that is eye-catching and visually stunning. At the same time, it fully complies with the ADA.

Superior Print Quality Turns Room Labels and Suite Signs into Wall Art

Niche-specific images are something you would typically display as parts of a vehicle graphics package for branding purposes. Why not bring them inside and use them for room labels or suite signs? For example, a school’s music department might feature an instrument as a Giclee print on a tooled metal plaque that features the raised room number and functional description alongside the Braille II dots. The colorful image is not part of the actual display, which shows white on black for ideal color contrast, and therefore complies.

How to Buy Metal ADA Signs in Alpharetta GA

We routinely work with business owners who have a vision for bringing the beauty and sophistication of metal to their companies’ interiors and exterior while communicating their brand messages. Compliant ADA signage is one step toward achieving this goal. Because compliance is an exact science, we recommend working with our business sign experts on these projects. Not only do they know how to achieve the color contrasts and font designs you need, but they can also provide you with the artistic know-how to bring your brand message to life in the process.

Call us today to schedule a consultation appointment!

The post The Secret to Branding with Metal ADA Signs in Alpharetta GA appeared first on Black Dog Sign Company.

Repeat the Presentation of a Building Sign

When you decide to repeat the colors, lettering, and overall brand message of a building sign with your awning, you emphasize its appearance. Doing so is an excellent option – particularly in three distinct situations:

1. Color contrast with the façade. When the bold colors of your corporate palette create a visually pleasing contrast to the venue’s current wall color, capitalize on the hue selection by doubling the appearance.
2. Smaller building sign. For the business owner who replaced an oversized building sign with one that aesthetically works better but is smaller, the doubling of the brand message creates an interesting effect.
3. Non-lit façade marker. Repeating the marketing and branding messages is a surefire way of catching the attention of consumers when lighting does not support your signage.

Show off Company Colors and Niche Explanations

Sometimes, business owners use their awnings as extensions of their niche presentations. The color scheme continues the building sign’s look. The notations they ask us to imprint on the awning fabric may repeat messages the company displays with window graphics or posters. You frequently see this trend with bakeries and assorted quick meal – not necessarily fast food – venues. Diners are another group of hospitality venues that like this look. Because the combination of niche explanation and color scheme reinforces the overall branding, it creates a great mnemonic device.

Create a Visual Counterpoint that Features a Brand Message

Colors are an integral part of your corporate brand message. Depending on your ability to publicize your use of them, you can succeed in having consumers recognize your corporate persona with little more than a font and color display. We recommend creating visual counterpoints for your façade that capitalize on this understanding. Present the color as well as the lettering with a product that shows at maximum size.

The trick here is to ensure that the overall look and feel fits in so perfectly that passersby accept the presentation of the awnings as though they had been part of the building since you opened. Because our professionals specialize in the customization of canopy sizes so that they take on the ideal shapes as well as the sizing you need to make an eye-catching impression, invite them out to take some measurements.

Commissioning Custom Storefront Awnings

Are you curious to find out what your location could like with a set of custom awnings? Our business sign experts gladly put together sketches that present you with the different awning styles, which could be suitable for your company’s building front.

Call us today to schedule a consultation appointment!

The post Introducing the Simple Way to Brand with Custom Storefront Awnings appeared first on Black Dog Sign Company.

Three Basic Display Options

Typically, business clients choose one of three design directions.

1. Brick and stonework. Rebar, mortar, bricks, and stones are the primary elements of this construction. Business customers like this option when their companies are setting up shop inside a building that has a brick or stone façade with an obvious appeal.
2. Foam. Do not let the name fool you. This foam construction is robust and withstands even high winds. Durability is measured in years. These products typically come pre-formed, and you select the layout elements that appeal to you the most. They are less expensive and quicker to assemble than a custom stonework product.
3. Metal. A contemporary twist on the monument is the metal display. Choose from a column style setup, a triangular post, or a cube. Other products feature a thin metal structure with push-through acrylic letters. Illumination is built in, which makes this is a highly desirable product for industrial settings, warehouses, school as well as medical campuses, and shopping centers.

Facing Choices Underscore a Brand

Unless you order a metal design with push through lettering, you still need to decide on your monument’s facing. Once again, there are plenty of options open to you.

• Dimensional letters. PVC and acrylic are popular choices. Metal is another good alternative. We can mount these products directly to the monument’s exterior or install them with standoffs, which allows for a little shadow play.
• Sandblasted HDU panels. For a rustic appearance, we recommend the use of sandblasted high-density urethane (HDU). This material can mimic wood with the right background texture and color. Unlike wood, it neither rots nor falls victim to insect damage.
• Routed, carved, or imprinted panels. Choose a shape that suits your brand message. Frequently, our clients prefer oval shapes, but you may select something entirely different. Materials include acrylic, HDU, or metal.

Monument Signs with Lightbox Cabinets

Another favorite selection is the monument that combines a stand with an electrical cabinet. This signage solution is something you frequently see mounted to poles or the side of a building instead of channel letters. When used with a monument setup, it is an easy marketing and branding opportunity. This kind of construction is also ideal for the incorporation of changeable reader boards. You control the message that scrolls across the screen. Depending on the reader board technology you invest in, some products allow you to play TV-quality commercials.

If we have piqued your interest in learning more about the design, manufacture, and installation of a monument sign in Norcross GA, call our experts. We gladly schedule a consultation appointment to show you options and pinpoint the ideal brand presentation of your company in this setting.

The post Need a Monument Sign in Norcross GA? appeared first on Black Dog Sign Company.

1. Dimensional Letter Lobby Signs

Do you have a taste for a gorgeous dimensional letter copper sign for your lobby? Is your budget not quite there yet? Sign foam may be the ideal solution. When our technicians meet with you, they gladly take height and width measurements and offer suggestions for a perfect display. We can then construct a sign consisting of letters with these dimensions. After painting the style elements, we can add a thin metal (or acrylic) laminate to mimic the presentation of a solid metal or acrylic product.

2. Dimensional Letter Building Signs

Building signs can be a significant investment. But they do not have to be budget busters. In fact, we can create dimensional letter building signs by following many of the protocols we use for letter lobby signs. Some business owners have found that adding an imprinted vinyl overlay can result in the display of rainbow-colored lettering. Of course, the addition of laminates (or only paint) is another choice.

3. Sandblasted Building Plaques

Sandblasted plaques make great building signs. They also work well as wayfinding markers and directional products. By applying maskings to the areas you would like to have stand out, the remainder of the material gets eaten away during the sandblasting process. Adding a decorative background texture at that time lets you mimic the appearance of wood. Once painted, the product can create the illusion of an old-World wood sign.

4. Routed Business Signs

Routing sign foam is a lot like engraving metal. It creates grooves that spell out the message. We typically fill the lines with paint for a heightened visual appeal. These signage solutions make great suite and wayfinding signs. They also provide display opportunities as point of purchase (POP) markers.

5. Pre-formed Monuments

Our full-service sign shop works with the widely recognized authority in pre-formed foam monument signs. Doing so allows us to assist you with finding the ideal product solution for your business property. Because of the material’s versatility, you can ask for added embellishments that look like rocks, bricks, and even stucco. We work with you to find a design that not only passes muster with the zoning board but also suits your landscape design perfectly. We handle the installation and facing. Why opt for a material combination that you do not like as much when you have this option?

Order Your Custom 3D Foam Signs in Norcross GA, Today!

If we have piqued your interest in learning more about sign foam and its various applications, contact our business signage experts for assistance. We help you to narrow down your need, pinpoint the right presentation and put together an attractive visual layout. Call us today to get started on the project!

The post Top 5 Uses for Custom 3D Foam Signs in Norcross GA appeared first on Black Dog Sign Company.

Contemporary Monument Signs Combine Metal with Acrylic

Typical monuments consist of bricks, rebar, and mortar. They might feature dimensional letters for their facings. The next product solution that took the business community by storm was the pre-formed sign foam monument. Presenting in a broad range of sizes and shapes, these products are quick to put up, allow for fantastic brand enhancements, and withstand damaging winds. Now, metal is quickly gaining in favor.

• Built-in illumination. LEDs make it possible for the sign to light up. You no longer need to maintain landscape spotlights that may or may not work all the time. LEDs are inexpensive to operate and last for a long time.
• Push-through acrylic letters. Rather than presenting the typical dimensional letter setup, it is now possible to push these elements through the metal during the manufacturing process. This appearance is modern and appeals to the younger consumer generation.
• Durability. There is little doubt that metal is among the most durable material selections you can make for your business signs.

A Dimensional Letter Lobby Sign Fashioned from Metal Underscores the Endurance of Your Brand

By far the most common metal choice for lobby signs is brushed aluminum. Other finishes include polished aluminum or a variety of colors and metal hues. When aluminum is not to your liking, consider the use of copper, brass, or stainless steel. By the way, when you are thinking of joining the backlit lobby signage movement that is sweeping the nation by storm, metal is the ideal material.

Advertise, Brand, and Inform with Attractive Metal Post and Panel Signs

The post and panel setup is ubiquitous. One, two, or three column configurations accommodate hanging, flush-mounted, and elevated boards. One to three panels may feature information placed on the metal with a direct imprint or via an imprinted vinyl overlay. The preferred metal selection is aluminum composite. When treated with an anti-graffiti coating, you discourage taggers from pursuing their “art” simply by wiping off the scribbles when you discover them.

ADA Plaques Combine Compliance with Great Looks

Because signs complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) need to be touchable, ideal material options focus on acrylic and metal. However, when you want to add pizzazz to the product’s appearance, consider the display of cast metal plaques. The lettering is raised, as specified, while the Braille II dots look great against the textured background. Choose stark color contrasts that not only comply but also highlight the beauty of the metal.

How to Stand out with Custom Metal Signs in Duluth GA

Who knew that metal could be so versatile and instrumental in displaying your brand information? If we have piqued your interest in finding out more about metal business signs, contact our product customization experts today!

The post Deepen Brand Awareness with Custom Metal Signs in Duluth GA appeared first on Black Dog Sign Company.

Design Specs Adjust to Your Needs

The typical box cabinet sign takes on a rectangular shape. But if you want something different, our experts can help. Because the sign’s body consists of an aluminum frame, we can shape it into any form you like. Some companies have excellent success with selecting the appearances of their logos. Others opt for niche-specific presentations.

To enhance the attention consumers pay to the product, you have three distinct facing choices.

1. Flat face. We use a flat acrylic sheet to close off the cabinet’s front. The edges of the product are flush with the structure’s front. We can imprint your information directly onto the material or use a vinyl overlay that features your details.
2. Pan face. In this setup, the material adds a depth of a little more than an inch that protrudes over the cabinet’s edge. Doing so is ideal if the LEDs inside the cabinet would be too close to the acrylic surface.
3. Embossed pan face. For a more prominent three-dimensional display, we recommend the use of a pan face that features embossed style elements. By presenting raised letters and logo presentations alongside a custom paint job, you succeed in catching the consumer’s eye and creating a favorable impression.

Mounting Options and Accessories for Electrical Cabinet Signs

The standard installation is flush mounting the product to a building’s wall. The cabinet advertises the business and adds illumination to the mix. However, not all of our clients need this type of display. Another option is the pole mount. For this scenario, we recommend a double-face presentation because consumers approaching your business from two directions can now see the information. This setup benefits companies near highway off-ramps and those with little traffic going past their locations.

Integrate a box cabinet into your monument sign. There, it serves as a lit signage solution that beckons to motorists.

By the way, did you know that you could combine a box cabinet construction with the message capabilities of a changeable reader board? Known as LED reader boards, these signs let you change the messages remotely from your computer. Opt for scrolling text and, depending on the board’s specifications, add graphics to the mix. When integrated into a box cabinet, you achieve effective brand communication alongside proactive marketing. That said, conventional reader boards are still a thing, and you can pick one of these if the idea of the LED scroller just does not appeal to you.

Buy Lightbox Cabinets for Your Building

When you want to put the branding and marketing capabilities of an electrical cabinet to work for your business, contact the backlit signage specialists at the Black Dog Sign Company. We serve the business communities in and around Lawrenceville, Duluth, Alpharetta, Norcross, Suwanee, Milton, Cumming, Johns Creek, and Sugar Hill, GA. Call us today to discuss the design of your building sign!

The post Lightbox Cabinets Deliver Superior Brand Recognition appeared first on Black Dog Sign Company.

How are ADA Signs Different?

The Act affects primarily wayfinding and safety signs. Geared toward the needs of the visually impaired, these products must make it possible for someone to find the desired location independently.

• Notable color contrast. No matter what color palette you favor with your interior décor, the color difference of a compliant ADA sign must be about 70 percent. A good example would be the color pairing of navy blue and orange.
• Touchable components. Wayfinding signs need to feature raised numerals, lettering, symbols, and Braille II dots. For a blind consumer who reads information in this way, the dots must clearly communicate the same message as the lettering.
• Mandated installation locations. The Act spells out where and how your compliant signage must display. The instructions are so detailed that they feature the exact height measurement from the bottom of the sign to the ground.

It is fair to say that compliance is not something you leave to chance. Eyeballing the display locations and moving a sign from right to left simply to make it look nicer is not acceptable. We recommend working with our specialists to schedule a walkthrough that lets us inventory your compliant signs and note products you are missing.

Marketing and Branding Message Communication with ADA Signage

There used to be a time when standardized signs from big box office supply stores would be the beginning and end to compliant signage. Clashing with interior decorating schemes and color choices, ADA signs have been the bane of many a company owner’s existence for years. Fortunately, you no longer have to make do with generic signs. In fact, it is possible to integrate your corporate color palette into the design of the products and present markers that are legal and look great in your space!

For example, did you know that cast metal plaques are ideal ADA signs? Durable, paintable, and visually attractive, they add chic and style to any setting. The use of metal instantly emphasizes the pizzazz of your office, store, or campus. By adjusting the material selection, cast metal looks at home in a minimalist setting as well as in traditional surroundings. Additionally, metal fits in almost anywhere. We integrate a corporate color and then use the ideal contrast feature to comply.

Acrylic is another excellent material option for this purpose. Its durability allows for constant touching while the versatility of the material lets you combine multiple colors, raised characters, and style elements. For example, envision the use of a soft image vinyl overlay that features your corporate logo. We present the ADA-compliant lettering with the proper color contrast and allow you to communicate a room’s function or a wayfinding direction while also adding a branding message.

Do not ignore compliance or mar your setting’s good looks with lackluster generic signs; order custom ADA signs. The experts at the Black Dog Sign Company can schedule a compliance walkthrough or consultation appointment today!

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Understanding LED Signs

To many business owners, digital signs are newfangled products that turn a decent company into a Vegas-style circus. This assumption is not valid. The technology employs LEDs that are inexpensive to operate. Choose the resolution of the images by picking out the pixel pitch that suits your need and budget. You control the images that your customers will see. If you like a Vegas look with flashing colors and plenty of action, you can make the display happen. If you instead favor a monochrome look or scrolling display, you are in control of the signage. We recommend using larger signs for video features and instead relying on smaller signs for lettering content.

Examples of LED Signage that Attracts Attention

Time displays. You typically see the LED marker featuring an alternating time and date display built into a monument sign. There, the product’s changing information catches the eye of the consumer and offers a value-added display that enhances the company’s corporate name and logo exhibit.

• Announcements. These products look great on a pylon or monument. Announce the start of the next class, the special of the evening, room openings at hotels, or mortgage interest rates at a real estate professional’s office. Because the presentation informs the customer, which consumers like, it is not considered an annoyance.
• Scrolling signs. You see these signs frequently in the windows of mini-marts, gas stations, and similar venues. There, they encourage consumers to buy lottery tickets, take advantage of buy-one-get-one offers, or try the latest line of products. Choose single or triple color displays.
• Digital signage. Appeal to a captive audience. Examples include shoppers standing in line at the customer service desk to discuss layaway items or product returns, motorists waiting in the tire shop’s lobby to get their vehicles back, and banking clients who wait for the next available teller. Offering diversions in the forms of digital screens is a fun way to make the wait less frustrating. But rather than showing canned movies, feature your current promotions, introduce new products, and offer simple how-to tutorials that capture the interest of your customers.

Ordering the Right Product

When you are ready to give LED signs a closer look, get in touch with our experts to talk through the display options. We show you examples of what these products look like, how you can incorporate them into your already existing advertising setup, and how these items can make your brand stand out like never before. Contact us today to get started on the project!

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