One of the most important components of building your business identity is branding. Cohesive signage helps customers get a sense of what your organization is all about, and reinforces your brand. Logo lobby signs are a great way to present your brand to your customers and visitors. With the right design and materials, that presentation of your brand will surely get a nod of approval from your clients and guests.
To say that you have plenty of choices with materials would be an understatement. Acrylic, aluminum, steel, metal laminates, PVC, foam and formed plastic are a few of the materials you can choose from. There are also the choices of more organic materials such as aged wood, weathered metal, glass and even stone.
But this doesn’t mean that the process has to be complicated. Working with one of our professionals to guide you through the process makes the end product even more rewarding.
Below are a few tips to help make the process seamless and easy.
- Do your homework
Know where the sign is going and the type of sign you need. Try to formulate the content or message you want on your sign. Company name/logo, address, tenants if applicable. You may not have all the information but these are the basic things you need to know before calling.
- Research the type of signs so you can narrow down your choices
It will help you communicate any preferences and identify the type of sign to be quoted. Possible types are dimensional letters & logos, Acrylic panel floating off the wall, Backlit sign, vinyl graphics, the list goes on and on! If you find a picture of a sign you like that is even more helpful!
- Provide Artwork
If you have ever printed company forms, logos or business cards, you or your printer should have a vector file of your business name and logo. The file format should end in .eps, .ai or .pdf. When enlarging a small image like a logo to the size of a large lobby sign, the vector file will not distort. You may send a JPG for quote purposes but it is not suitable for producing a sign.
- Take pictures of the sign location.
Whenever possible it is beneficial to provide a picture of where the sign will be located. One trick that is very helpful is to place an 8-1/2″ x 11″ piece of paper in the photo for scaling purposes. This allows the designer to scale the art to the picture for a more proportional appearing art proof. Provide the wall dimensions so the sign can be properly sized proportionally. It is helpful to be able to recommend colors, sizes and determine the complexity of the installation which should be included in the quote.
- Make color and Material choices.
Color choices usually follow your brand guidelines if you have that formalized. Otherwise it is best to have the colors identified when requesting a quote – PMS values are ideal if they are known. The most common materials are Foam, PVC, Acrylic, and Aluminum. Each material has certain properties that fit certain applications. In terms of durability, they follow the same sequence and also price!
- Discuss Timelines to account for lead times.
Be sure to communicate your timeline. Custom signs take a few weeks so make to ask about production lead times.
- Be aware of any preparation work required for installation.
Make sure you identify if there is a sign or other obstruction currently on the wall that you may need help removing. This needs to happen prior to the sign installation day since typically there needs to be patch work and paint that needs time to dry prior to the new sign installation. If you want your sign company to perform this work they will need to know this when quoting your project.
- The importance of a ‘proof drawing’ and signature approval.
The proof drawing allows you to visualize how the sign will look on the wall before producing the sign. It is critical that you review this drawing thoroughly. It is expected that you sign this drawing noting that you have reviewed thoroughly and accept responsibility for any errors, misspelling etc. It is part of our quality process that our production team must have a signed drawing in front of them that qualifies this as the final version going into manufacturing. Your signed drawing will be the production drawing going forward so.
Though the process of getting the perfect logo sign for your lobby can seem overwhelming, the more you know the more we can help! The professionals at Paramount Signs will help you work through the process to create a sign that suits your business best! Are you opening a new location and need a new sign? We can help. Are you looking to rebrand? We are a full service sign company from logo design/ branding through sign installation. We look forward to hearing from you!
As always, getting you noticed is PARAMOUNT. Contact us today for a free quote!
