Good Signage

 What Is good Signage?

What does good signage look like? Good signage looks different depending on your business. However, good signage has some consistency regardless of what business it is for. 

The consistent characteristics that make signage good are: Size, positioning, content, and legibility. Starting with the size of your sign. Obviously you want you sign to fit the size of your business. If your sign is to small, it becomes virtually impossible to draw customers in. If your sign is too large it can be off putting and take the attention away from your actual business.

The positioning of your sign is extremely important as well. Your sign can be responsible for half of the traffic that comes into your business. If your sign is placed in bad location, your business is likely to see less traffic. If your sign is place in an optimal location your business is likely to see way more traffic. 

The content of your sign is another important component. Signs are there to look pleasing, it is important that they catch the eye of your consumers. You want to make sure your sign conveys a good message for your business. It has to entice people to enter you establishment. 

Last, but certainly not least legibility. The whole point of your sign being there is for people to read it. If your sign is not legible it does not serve a purpose for your business. It can in fact be off putting to consumers. Entering a business with an illegible sign, makes the business look bad. 

So let HQ Signs help you find what works for your business.

Remember "A business with no sign, is a sign of no business."

 

 Why is signage so important for your business?

Signage can do so many things for your business. whether you are just starting out or trying to rebrand your business, signage adds a sophistication to your business. The point of having signage in its simplest form is so people can know that your business is here and ready to help customers with what they need. 

Signage is responsible for creating traffic to your stores. How many times have you seen a sign on a storefront and been interested to go inside and take a look. I can personally say that is how I discover some great stores. In a study that Fed Ex did they found that 67% of customers will go into  a store and buy a product simply because a sign caught their eye. 

Signage can help your business develop a strong customer base. When businesses first start out they don't immediately have a customer base. So, business owners display signage on their store fronts and around town and those pieces of signage are usually responsible for about 50 percent of their customers. 

HQ Signs can help you discover the best uses for Signage in your business!

Remember " A Business with no sign is a sign of no business."

 SUBLIMATION 101

What is Sublimation Printing?

        Sublimation printing allows businesses to create customized and personalized full color products on demand. Sublimation printing has been around for decades, but it wasn't until recently that it became an economical and practical way to decorate a variety of products.

     Sublimation definition: when a solid material turns into a gas without going through a liquid stage. This means that the artwork is transferred to an object in a gas state by using a high temperature heat press during the dye sublimation printing process. It differs from traditional printing methods because it bypasses the liquid step. There are no inks drying to the printed object.

 How It Works:

        The image is first infused onto the source printing paper, leaving little mess and making the whole process quick and easy for dye sublimation printing. Heat is then utilized to transfer the image from the sublimation paper to an object.

                Businesses use this style of printing when creating graphics on clothing, as       well as signage, home decorations, company exhibits, and personal items such as coasters, coffee mugs, and keyrings.  

Advantages of Sublimation Printing:

Compared with other common printing techniques, dye sublimation printing has a number of advantages:

•Continuous tone – Each and every dot of ink in sublimation printing can be a different color. For this reason, sublimated graphics appear high-resolution and have amazing color fidelity, even under a microscope.

•No dry time – Sublimation printing on fabric means you can be fold or wear the garment immediately after it leaves the press without having to worry about smearing the ink.

•Fewer moving parts – Presses are simple machines, and the thermal print head doesn’t need to move back and forth over the print media. This means sublimation printers are less likely to break down.

•No mess – No liquid ink means no spills and no clean up.

•Fade-free – Sublimated dye impregnates and becomes part of the plastic. It will not fade or degrade the plastic, and the colors will not run if exposed to water.

•Seam-to-seam printing – Sublimation printing can work for even the most intricate shapes, allowing you to print the entire fabric of a garment.

 

High Resolution Images

High Resolution Images

There is nothing more dissapointing than viewing a brand new sign with low resolution images.  Since 2009 this has been a main issue with clients.  Sometimes it is acceptable to provide a cell phone picture for your project, but if you intend on print an image larger than 12 inches, you should seriously consider having your photographs taken by a professional.  This will not only ensure that your image is high resolution but the images provided by the professional can be used for all of your marketing material.

An image is high resolution (or high res) at 300 dpi. Anything 300 dpi or above is considered high res and anything under 300 dpi is considered low res. 72 dpi is the standard for low resolution or “screen resolution.”

High resolution as described by the dictionary is a display or a photographic or video image showing a large amount of detail. There is a difference between lo- and hi-res. It can determine whether your company logo looks fuzzy vs. crystal clear.

Lower resolution images can be used for web. It is important to begin with the highest resolution and image dimensions you can get. You can always reduce size without losing quality.  No, you cannot change a low resolution to be high resolution in graphic design. There is no way to add pixels to a low resolution image.

Now since you have had an overview of high resolution vs. low resolution, always send the send the highest quality file.  When in doubt, just give us a call and we will be happy to walk you through the process.