A sign can be visible but not readable. A competent sign company can help you make sure your sign is read and remembered by your customers but there are some basics that will help you determine if you are designing an effective sign –one where your customers get your message loud and clear from a distance.

The three elements you want your customers to “get” from your sign are who you are (brand recognition), what you DO for THEM (not how great YOU are), and how to contact you – phone number and/or web address.

From a distance, getting this information across can be a challenge especially if the reader is in a moving vehicle. Three factors affect the ability of a customer to view and absorb the information on your sign from a distance: readability, read time, and contrast.

Readability and readable – If you google “readability” you get a wealth of information on how to make text easily understood. There’s a science to it! Studies have been done on this subject for decades. The underlying theme in all of it is “keep it simple”.

If you enter “readability” in Merriam-Webster’s site here’s what you get:

read·able

adj \ˈrē-də-bəl\

Definition of READABLE

: able to be read easily: as a : legible b : interesting to read <a highly readable novel>

— read·abil·i·ty \ˌrē-də-ˈbi-lə-tē\ noun

— read·able·ness \ˈrē-də-bəl-nəs\ noun

— read·ably \-blē\ adverb  

So how does this apply to signage? Basically, keep your message simple and interesting. Focus on a few keywords your customers relate to. Give your customers concise information they need and want – who you are, what you can do for them (not how great YOU are), and a way to contact you!

Size  matters! The size of the graphics (pictures, logo, etc) and the letters is critical to the readability of your sign. They may recognize your logo but you want them to “get” your company name and message on the first pass.  Your phone number and web address are important but with the internet they can search your company name if they believe in your message. 

The size of the letters and graphics (pictures, logos, etc) on a building sign, banner, tradeshow display, vehicle wrap, or sidewalk sign will determine the overall size.

Here’s a guide to the legibility (readability) of letters from a given distance:

Letter size                                           Readable distance

10”                                                         up to 40’

20”                                                         up to 75’

30”                                                         up to 105’

40”                                                         up to 150’

60”                                                         up to 300’

Timing is everything! Studies have done to determine how much time customers in moving traffic have to read a sign. In general, each 1” increase in letter size results in an additional 50’ of readability. The figures below represent the time from which letters first become readable until one passes by the sign. They are maximum. Traffic conditions and safe driving concerns restrict the amount of time a driver can dedicate to reading your message. The recommendation is to allow the driver more time to read your message with larger letter sizes.

Duration of Readability (Time in Seconds)

Letter size           4”           6”           8”           10”

MPH                      Seconds to read

25                           5.5          8.2          10.9        13.6

35                           3.9          5.8          7.8          9.7         

45                           3.0          4.5          6.1          7.6

55                           2.5          3.7          5.0          6.2

Contrast is critical! To be memorable, i.e. for the image to stick in the customer’s mind, your message must jump out at them. Strongly contrasting colors can make that happen. Dark letters on a white / light background or vice-versa works best visually from a distance. You can google "color contrast" to find more information but you can also do some simple tests in Word by changing the font color and the background color (using the highlight feature).

Differentiate your sign! Look around at the signs in your area be it a mall, a business park, a street, or a tradeshow. See how can you set your sign apart from the others: Size of the sign or the graphics & letters; shape – round, oval, flag, sidewalk vs window; different color combinations?

Make your sign GRAB your customers' attention from a distance!

• Use a clear and simple message about how you can help them.
• Use the right size graphics and letters to ensure readability.
• Use strongly contrasting colors so your message "pops".