SIGNS & MORE, INC. BLOG - Sign, Banner & Vehicle Graphics Facts & Information

Sitting here looking at all the snow covering the greater Atlanta area and outlying cities, I got to thinking of how a company can use the occasion to promote its services and products. Atlanta, like many other areas in the south, comes to a standstill when a little snow hits the ground.  This is understandable since we get so little snow so few times. Atlanta does not store a great number of snow plows and does not have the capacity to spread gravel and rock salt as cities in colder climates such as Boston or Minneapolis. So we get stuck at home (hopefully) and wait it out.  This is where a banner promoting an event may come into play.

Did you know colors bring out different emotions? Different colors create a different reaction from our subconscious. We use colors to get the message across on the signs in order to grab attention. The attention we desire begins at the subconscious level of our brain and the conscious part takes over to make sense of why we feel the emotion of the moment. In order to market anything, the first concern is to grab the public’s attention.  Of course the colors are the beginning of the design process. So which colors do we use and what do they do?

Have you looked at your wrap lately?  Is it faded, cracked or peeling?  How long has it been on the vehicle?  Many factors go into your decision to redo your wrap.  The most important decision is the question, “What image am I portraying?”

Have you ever looked at a picture and asked “Is that a photo or a painting”?  With today’s Photoshop and other editing programs, anything is possible to create the illusion the artist wants to portray.  Today’s graphic designer has many more tools at his/her disposal than ever before.

Have you ever wondered what determines the cost of labor in a sign price?  Sometimes the labor cost can be as much or even more than the sign itself. Let’s take a look at what may go into the labor of installing a sign.

As a salesman, I love talking about vehicle wraps. To me, a vehicle wrap is a no brainer. When looking at per thousand exposures, the wrap is a very inexpensive investment ($.38 / 1000 exp.) compared to the next less expensive form of advertising, the billboard ($3.27 / 1000 exp.). Wraps are also some of the last un-regulated signs available.

Many times we get a call for a custom sign that needs to go up for a grand opening or an important event or show that is coming soon. Let’s look at a few reasons why a sign would not go up the day after we get a request. You call the sign company and ask for a quote, the sign salesman comes out and gets your information. (What type sign, size, location, installation needs, permit requirements, etc…) Now is the time for our design department to go to work. After the design is laid out, our design department will send a proof for approval. After a few tweaks and changes, the final proof is agreed upon. During this period, we are preparing the quote based on colors, size, materials, installation, etc.

Going south on Interstate 75 just south of Cartersville, there is a bill board that has a beautiful lady standing off to the left side of the sign. There is some text at the top of the sign. As I zoomed past the billboard I could not read what the text says. Not because I was speeding. Not because I am nearsighted. I could not read the sign because the text is way too small for a billboard, much less one on the side of the expressway where everyone is moving at 70 mph.

As a new business, you know you need a sign to get your image in front of your customers. You will want an overhead sign to be seen at a distance, but what about the other signs. What other signs? Let us tell you.

You have decided to install a sign and need to get a few sign companies to bid for the work. You contact them to get a bid. Do you send them your information about the type and size of sign you want? When you get the bids back there is quite a bit of difference between them. Should you automatically take the cheapest?