Sign Design
Serving the West Michigan area including Grand Rapids, Holland, Grand Haven & Muskegon, MI
A sign works for your business 24/7, attracting customers, reinforcing your brand, and shaping first impressions. A strong design makes a sign effective. A weak design wastes money.
A sign should work at first glance—not require effort to understand. Poor contrast, awkward placement, or the wrong font can make even the most expensive sign ineffective. To ensure visibility and impact, businesses must consider how design influences customer perception.
At Grand Rapids Sign Company, we design signs that command attention and drive results. To help you make informed decisions, we’re answering the five most common questions about sign design.
FAQs About Sign Design
What Makes a Sign Easy to Read?
A sign that can’t be read is a sign that fails. Readability is the most important factor in sign design, yet many businesses get it wrong.
Font choice is critical. Overly decorative or narrow fonts may look stylish, but they reduce clarity, especially from a distance. Sans-serif fonts, bold strokes, and clean spacing improve legibility.
Contrast also matters. A dark background with dark lettering makes a sign disappear. A high-contrast design—like black text on white or white text on deep blue—ensures visibility in all lighting conditions.
Size determines how far a sign can be read. A small sign with tiny letters won’t attract customers driving by at 40 mph. Proper letter height ensures your message is clear from the right distance.
A well-designed sign should communicate its message in three seconds or less. If people need to stop and decipher it, the design needs improvement.
What Colors Work Best for Sign Visibility?
The right color choice makes a sign pop. The wrong color choice makes it disappear.
Bright, high-contrast color combinations grab attention. Think yellow on black, red on white, or bold blue on white. Muted colors or pastel tones may look appealing up close, but they lose impact at a distance.
Lighting conditions also affect color visibility. A sign that looks great in daylight might be unreadable at night without proper illumination. Weather and background environment play a role too. A blue sign against a blue sky? It blends in. A red sign against greenery? It stands out.
A great sign uses color strategically to direct the eye, highlight key information, and ensure legibility in all conditions.
How Do I Choose the Right Size for My Sign?
Size isn’t just about aesthetics—it’s about function. A sign needs to be large enough to be seen before a customer passes it.
A common mistake is choosing a sign that’s too small for its placement. A street-facing sign needs larger letters than a sign in a small lobby. A highway sign needs to be read in seconds from a moving vehicle.
Letter height matters. A general rule: Every inch of letter height equals 10 feet of readability. That means a sign with 10-inch letters can be read from 100 feet away. If your sign needs visibility from 200 feet, the letters should be at least 20 inches tall.
A well-sized sign gets noticed before a potential customer drives past it, not after.
What’s the Best Placement for a Sign?
Even the best-designed sign is useless if people don’t see it. Placement determines how well a sign performs.
For outdoor signs, height and angle are key. A sign mounted too low gets blocked by cars and landscaping. A sign placed too high might miss pedestrian eye level. The best placement considers who needs to see it and from where.
For interior signs, traffic flow dictates placement. A directional sign should be in the exact spot where a visitor needs guidance. A lobby sign should be placed directly in view upon entry.
Visibility isn’t just about position—it’s about obstacles. Trees, power lines, and even parked trucks can block a sign from view. A professional consultation ensures placement maximizes exposure.
How Does Lighting Affect a Sign’s Impact?
Lighting determines whether a sign gets noticed 24 hours a day or only when conditions are perfect.
Illuminated signs work harder. Front-lit channel letters provide bold visibility at night. Halo-lit signs create a sophisticated glow. Backlit monument signs ensure readability from a distance.
Lighting also enhances design. Shadows and glare can either boost a sign’s appearance or ruin visibility. Signs placed in direct sunlight need anti-glare finishes to prevent fading and distortion. A well-lit sign doesn’t just shine—it works when your business does.
The Right Sign Pays for Itself
A well-designed sign isn’t an expense—it’s an investment. It brings in foot traffic, strengthens brand identity, and ensures customers notice your business first. A poorly designed sign, on the other hand, is money wasted. At Grand Rapids Sign Company, we specialize in creating high-impact, results-driven signage for businesses in Grand Rapids, MI. Call us today to start designing a sign that works for your business.
Why Choose Grand Rapids Sign Company
At our Sign Company, we pride ourselves on delivering exceptional customer service and high-quality products. As a local business, we’re committed to serving our community with integrity and care. All our signs come with a satisfaction guarantee and a comprehensive warranty, ensuring your investment is protected. Trust us for reliable, long-lasting solutions.
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CONTACT US
It's easy to get in touch with us, either fill out the form on the left or for a faster response, send us an email or call us.
(616) 862-0974
info@grsigncompany.com