SIGNtology – The Study of Signs

SIGNtology is the study of signs. This article shows some of the results from the many surveys and research done on business signage. Some of the topics of interest to marketers, consumers, and business owners are how signs impact a business, cost / benefit analysis, and effective design. 

Compare the cost of a $50.00 / week print ad vs $1200.00 sign.  This chart clearly shows the cost effectiveness of a business sign over a newspaper ad. Typically, exterior business signs will last 7 – 10 years or longer. Even using the lower end of the range for the life of a sign it is obvious that the sign costs far less than a printed ad – and try to find print advertising for $50.00 a week! Not likely!          

    versus                      

 

 

 

                                   Newspaper ad        vs      Sign

7 years                  $16,800.00                      $1,200.00

1 year                    $2,400.00                        $171.00

1 month               $200.00                             $14.00

 

The chart below shows the time you have to read a sign in a moving vehicle. It’s not much! This is why the size of the letters on a business sign is so important. And why experts recommend the maximum number of words on an exterior sign be limited to 3-5.  

 

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         

 

 

A Signtronix survey of 7,203 first-time customers asked respondents “How did you find us?” Here are the results – you’ll be surprised! When a business owner realizes that almost half their new customers come into their business because of their sign they’ll be more likely to make an appropriate investment in their business signs.

  46% Sign

38% Word of mouth

7% Newspaper ad

6% Yellow Page ad

2% Radio ad

1% TV ad

 

Below is an excerpt from a research article “The Science of Signage” by the Signage Foundation. This chart gives some guidelines for selecting color combinations for signs / banners that work well – or don’t work. Keep in mind there are many variations of each color when you change tones, intensity, or shades. For instance, black on a bright yellow background is far less readable than black on a muted yellow. Trust a professional sign company to know and understand the subtle differences.

 

Color Combos in Order of Legibility From a Distance		Color Combos to Avoid
Black on Yellow Black on White Yellow on Black White on Blue Yellow on Blue Green on White Blue on Yellow White on Green White on Brown Brown on Yellow Brown on White Yellow on Brown Red on White Yellow on Red Red on Yellow White on Red		Red & Green Red & Blue Orange & White Black & Purple Green & Yellow

Spot-On Signs & Graphics is here to help guide you through selecting the right sign for your business. Contact us at (530) 295-8285, info@spot-on-signs.com or visit our website www.spot-on-signs.com to request a quote or view our gallery.

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