Custom Signs

What are the Best Fonts for Custom Signs?

ShieldCo doesn’t just provide your home or business with a beautiful sign; it provides a work of art for your space. ShieldCo works with you to craft a custom metal sign you’ll love, but you might be wondering what the best font styles are.

There is no straightforward answer to that because the question of which sign font styles are the best comes down to where your sign will go and what type of purpose it will have. Sans serif fonts are popular for business signs but not necessarily for decorative signs. While script fonts can be harder for readability at a distance, they can be eye-catching for personal signs in the home or office.

Choosing a great font isn’t hard, regardless of where you’re displaying your signage. Our designers at ShieldCo will help every step of the way.

Sign Fonts for Readability

In a nutshell, the perfect font styles for your sign differ depending on where the sign will go and what you want it to convey and say. Font psychology dictates that different sizes, styles, colors, and sign usage affect emotions, thoughts, and behaviors.

Certain sign fonts matter if you’re looking to make a bold statement. Sans serif font categories are a great choice for large-scale text that will catch your eye. Elegant and lowercase letters may work for more subtle signs, like in your office or home.

Best Font Size for Large Displays

Creating a custom metal sign with a great message requires some thought about font sizes. ShieldCo offers a lot of design options with colors, backgrounds, and even lighting options.

Naturally, where your sign goes dictates the font size. Large signs will require larger letters and larger fonts. Smaller sign fonts are more beneficial for indoor spaces.

For example, if you’re looking to choose lettering for a monument sign or to create a sign advertising your business, you’ll want a sign design that can be seen from a distance. Sans serif font sizes are ideal as they can be easily viewed at a distance.

Examples of Sans Serif Fonts Include

• Helvetica
• Arial
• Verdana
• Calibri

Smaller Fonts

ShieldCo’s custom metal signs aren’t only for your storefront, but we make gorgeous works of art that you’ll be proud to display in your office, your mancave, or even your living room.

Clients love their ShieldCo signs, reflecting their brand and company. Walking into a professional setting and being greeted by a ShieldCo sign will elevate the whole area.

The best fonts for closer viewing include simple serif fonts such as Times New Roman or Georgia. Wide open fonts like Tahoma also work as well. Futura, a geometrically shaped typeface, has small print and lowercase letters that can still easily be read.

Brand Guidelines and Consistency

Brand guidelines and a consistent message align with your company. Creating logos is something the design team at ShieldCo can help you out with if you don’t already have one. You may be wondering what this has to do with font style.

The largest recognizable brands typically don’t change their signage often. Keeping your design consistent with your brand helps people distinguish it from your competitors and maintains a professional appearance.

The best fonts are ones that keep design choices in line with brand guidelines and company identity. A suitable design needs to reflect the company. For example, a law office wouldn’t use Comic Sans, and a sports bar probably wouldn’t use a cursive script.

Material and Readable Signage

Once you’ve got your logo ready and your signage style set, you’ll want to think about which type of material and lettering you’ll want on your sign. ShieldCo offers plenty of different ways to meet your signage needs.

Aluminum, steel, and corten are three popular choices and work for both small and large signs. Lighting options are also available, and our powder-coating finish adds bright and vibrant colors that last way longer than paint. Our precision lasers cut metal within 1/1000th of an inch, allowing for incredible readability and intricate sign font styles in various sizes.

Gothic, Letterform, or Sans Serif Font?

Making sure you convey the right message is important when it comes to designing the best sign. We’ll make sure that the sign you want not only has a great font but is a beautiful piece of art you’ll want to display proudly.

In the fast-paced business environment, where a sign often has only a few seconds to make an impact, visibility is a critical factor in standing out. This encompasses not just the frequency with which your signage is seen but also its size and clarity. Selecting the appropriate size of your custom sign or branding, along with clear and concise letters, is essential for catching the eye, conveying your message, and converting potential customers into actual ones.

The effectiveness of your sign largely depends on those fleeting moments when it grabs someone’s attention, especially for those driving by, even at average speeds. In such scenarios, a bigger sign with easily readable text becomes significantly more effective, as it can be spotted and understood quickly from a greater distance. On the other hand, in areas with fewer cars and slower speeds, you might have more leeway to experiment with different sizes, lettering styles, and fonts. Ultimately, the ideal dimensions and right size for your company sign should be a balance of clarity, location, and its capacity to capture attention quickly, ensuring that it leaves a lasting impression in just a few seconds.

“Good signage can be responsible for up to half of a store’s foot traffic. Different types of signage, such as monument, pole, and larger storefront signs, can drive sales increases of 9.3%, 15.6%, and 7.7%, respectively” – source

How Big Should Your Business Sign Be?

To determine effective business signage, a good guideline is to design your sign letter sizes that are at least one inch tall for every 10 feet of viewing distance for optimal reading clarity. For example, a typical store is set back from the main road, separated by a parking lot. If the average space from the roadside to your storefront is about 300 feet, then the letters and words should ideally be 30 inches tall.

Something else to consider is that maybe you’ll want a sign inside your building. If you decide that you want a ShieldCo to create an indoor piece for your building then the parameters will be different than one that goes outdoors. Most people or customers will likely see it rather up close so the size of the letters matter a little less and more attention can be paid to other details. 

Line Height Visibility Chart

In this chart, the “Distance for Readability Recommended” column is calculated based on the guideline that for optimal reading clarity, the letter height should be 1-inch height for every 10 feet of viewing distance. The “Maximum Readability Distance” is approximately 33.3 times the line height, rounded to the nearest whole number. This provides a range of visibility for different letter heights, from optimal to maximum readable distances

It’s All About Location

The ultimate rule of real estate also applies here because, quite frankly, your sign will be taking up some degree of real estate. 

Different environments call for different elements and different sign sizes. First, it’s important to determine where your sign will go. For example, if you’re placing your sign along a busy street with plenty of cars going by at an average speed, easily visible letter size at a distance is paramount. 

By contrast, if your sign is in a high pedestrian area, letter size and font have a little more creative freedom because people will have more time to read the letters, which isn’t the case if you’re moving fast in a car.  

Letter Height and Zoning Rules

Before determining your sign’s size, it’s important to know the local laws in your area regarding zoning regulations. Cities and municipalities often have specific guidelines regarding the dimensions of commercial signage. 

For example in New York City, a sign must comply with regulations outlined in the New York City Construction Codes, the New York City Zoning Resolution, and the Rules of the City of New York. These regulations dictate the permissible size, location, projection over a sidewalk, and illumination of a sign. For instance, in certain zoning districts (like C1 and C2), the maximum surface area for an individual accessory sign is 150 square feet, with a maximum height above the curb level of 25 feet.

Standard Commercial Business Signs

Standard commercial sign sizes typically include larger dimensions to maximize visual clarity, message, and impact. Common sizes for these signs are 36″ x 120″, 36″ x 144″, 36″ x 192″, 48″ x 120″, 48″ x 144″, 48″ x 192″, 60″ x 120″, 60″ x 144″, and 60″ x 192″. These sizes are designed to ensure that the signage is noticeable and readable from a distance, suitable for commercial settings where attracting attention is crucial

Budget Considerations

ShieldCo’s works range in price from $1,500 to $3,000 to $7,000. Naturally, bigger signs with bigger fonts and more colors will increase the cost. Always consider choosing the right size and letters when investing in a sign. For less expensive options, check out our partners at Hudson Laser.

Enhancing Visual Impact

Strategic placement and lighting are crucial factors in maximizing visual impact. When considering placement, aim for the highest point that is still within the line of sight of your target audience, such as above the storefront or along a busy road. This ensures maximum exposure to both foot and vehicular traffic.

Additionally, the orientation of the sign should be considered; a perpendicular sign to the road can catch the eye of passersby more effectively than one that is parallel. Lighting plays a pivotal role in enhancing visualness, particularly during evenings and in low-light conditions. 

Well-lit signs not only become landmarks in their own right but also ensure that your message is visible and legible at all times, ultimately contributing to a stronger brand presence and customer recall.

Start Creating Your Custom Business Sign Today

Have a business with an office? That’s great! Odds are, you have a lot of things going on. Maybe getting a custom sign ordered is one of them.

When it comes to signs, there is such a thing as “the right sign” for you.

Maybe the sign you’re looking for falls into one of these categories:

• A bold sign that shows your customers where you are
• A “wow factor” piece that adds impact to your lobby or conference room
• Something that makes customers gravitate to you more than the nearby competition
• A sign that not only looks great, but matches your aesthetic

In these cases, opting for a more premium sign might be important to consider. Here are 4 specific ways that a premium sign can add to your bottom line.

1) It provides a lot of opportunity for organic promotion, especially on social media.

A sign that acts as a true centerpiece in your office (or outside) is not only impressive in the eyes of your clients when they’re in your office…

But gives you a chance to promote your business online!

When it comes to social media, eye-catching visuals command the most attention.

A well-designed sign not only turns heads, but gives your clients a reason to share your business with their friends and family online. Again and again.

We all know how powerful that kind of word-of-mouth can be for a business!

2) It supports your bold, memorable brand.

When you think about Apple, part of what made them successful is the attention to their specific aesthetic and quality, supported by the high performance of their products.

Apple is permanently stamped in the global consciousness for this reason…and your company can benefit in the same way.

If you have a bold, memorable brand with a striking aesthetic, using cheaper materials can sometimes take away from the brand image you’re trying to build – and compromise the perceived value that potential clients would have.

A premium sign, made with the right materials, should elevate your brand and show people you mean business.

3) You get remembered.

A standard sign serves an important purpose. It indicates who you are, and in many cases, is required by your building or landlord.

So why get a premium sign when you can get something that “does the job”?

One big reason – competition.

There are lots of businesses out there. Generating interest and building trust can be a long-term process when you’re first starting out. One of the most straightforward and immediate ways that you can get your business to stand out is with an eye-catching sign that looks different from the rest out there.

4) It lasts.

Odds are, you’ve heard the phrase “you get what you pay for”.

A standard sign works for many businesses, and that’s a great thing!

But sometimes, when costs are cut too much, and the right material was not provided based on the business’s needs, specific types of signs can fade or rust more quickly than anticipated.

When it comes to premium signs, “quality” doesn’t just mean it looks great the first week or month. It will continue to look great, year after year, with minimal upkeep!

ShieldCo Art is a custom metal sign fabricator based in Frederick, Maryland, USA. Our colorful metal signs are recognized internationally for their unique layered design. We are proudly American-made and veteran-owned with a dedication to great craftsmanship.

As we step into 2024, the landscape of business signage is evolving rapidly, driven by technological advancements and changing consumer behaviors. On the frontline of business signage, we’ve identified the top 12 trends shaping the future of signage for 2024. Among these, the rise of three-dimensional metal signs stands out as a game-changer for businesses seeking to make a lasting impression.

1. Three-Dimensional Metal Signs

The era of flat signs is giving way to dynamic 3D signage. Expansive signs add dynamic life to your branding, making your logo pop and catch the eye of passersby. 3D design allows each element of your logo to interact with your interior design and stand as a keystone of personality.

2. LED Lighting Integration

LED lights are not just energy-efficient; they add a vibrant touch to signs and showrooms, especially at night. The incorporation of LEDs into signage creates a captivating visual appeal that’s visible from a distance and resounds in your client’s memories. Best of all, the colors are customizable to achieve exactly the hue and saturation you need from season to season.

3. Powder Coated Finishes

Durability meets aesthetics with powder-coated finishes. These finishes not only extend the life of the sign but also offer a sleek, modern look.

The best part of powder-coated finishes is the versatility of colors and effects, implementing sparkling highlights, textures, metallic finishes, and chromatic shifts from various viewing angles.

4. Interactive Digital Displays

Signage is becoming more interactive, with digital displays allowing for real-time updates and customer engagement through touchscreens and augmented reality.

5. Eco-Friendly Materials

Sustainable practices are now a major consideration. Recycled materials and solar-powered signs are gaining popularity, reflecting a commitment to environmental responsibility.

6. Minimalist Design

Less is more in 2024. Minimalist designs with clean lines and simple color schemes are on the rise, emphasizing clarity and elegance. There’s a reason you see simple typeface versions of company names everywhere you look, from doctors offices to high fashion. Nothing say’s steadfast & dependable quite like the bold confidence of fully metal sign and lettering.

7. Bold Typography

Typography is the most subtle and psychologically impactful focal point of any design. With creative and bold fonts your business is able to make a statement, enhance brand recognition, and cement your identity.

Whether your searching for classical serifs, or dynamic san-serif fonts, nothing communicates your brand ideals better than artfully displayed typography of your name.

8. Dynamic Color Schemes

Businesses are experimenting with dynamic color schemes that change with the time of day or season, adding an element of surprise and freshness. Consider playing with color swatches and emphasizing high and low contrast pairings to stand out.

9. Integrated Landscaping

Signs are being designed to seamlessly integrate with the surrounding landscape, creating a harmonious and aesthetically pleasing environment.

10. Smart Technology

Incorporation of smart technology, like sensors and IoT connectivity, allows signs to interact with smartphones and provide personalized experiences. Subtle effects like animations and in app control are simple flairs that add considerable life to even the simplest of designs.

11. Cultural Elements

There’s no better way to celebrate the community that made your business what it is than to integrate key characteristics into the elements of your signage. Reflecting local culture and art in signage designs helps businesses connect more deeply with the community and stand out.

12. Vintage Inspirations

A nod to the past, vintage-inspired signs with modern twists are making a comeback, offering nostalgia with a contemporary edge. Celebrate your love of tradition by restoring traditions of the past, upgraded with rust proof aluminum and powder-coated finishes.

2024 is set to be a transformative year for business signage. The key lies in embracing these trends, especially the sophisticated allure of three-dimensional metal signs with LED lights and powder-coated finishes, to create signage that not only attracts attention but also tells a compelling story about your brand. As businesses adapt to these trends, they’ll find themselves at the forefront of an exciting new era in branding and customer engagement.