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4109 Lee Blvd., Lehigh Acres, FL 33971
(239) 369-3433 Fax: (239) 369-3433 |
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Signs in One Day offers all types of
signage. Each one is custom made for you when you place the
order. Below are some examples of common signs along with some
materials and signage design references. Once you have decided on
what you need just contact us for a quote, or simply contact us
and we will be happy to help you decide what you need.
Common
Sign Types
Real Estate Signs
Real estate signs follow a few common
design elements. Most are made of aluminum sheets in a metal
frame. These are also referred to as "job site" signs. The
lettering and graphics on these signs are made from vinyl, digital
prints and sometimes paint. The most common type of signs are 18"
tall and 24" wide, with vinyl lettering showing the name of the
company, agent and the telephone number. Some agents also have
their pictures on the signs via a digital print. Materials
include Aluminum (thin .024 and thick .060 - thin bends easily and
requires a frame while the thicker metal is stiffer and does not
require a frame), Corex, Wood and Sintra.
Special Event Signs
Special event signs can be almost any
design. One of the most common types are made from a material
called Corex. Corex is a corrugated plastic material.
Lettering and graphics on these type of signs are usually done in vinyl
or even screen printed directly on the plastic. This type of sign
usually uses a thin wire frame and are considered temporary
signs. They are also very inexpensive compared to other types of
signage.
Banners
Banners are available in almost any
length. Common sizes are 3'x6', 2'x4' and 4'x8'. Banners
can be full color digital prints or one color vinyl designs, or
anything in between. All of our banners have brass grommet
reinforced mounting points and are seemed on the edges for a finished
and professional touch.
Contractor and Development Signs
This type of signage is usually made
of wood and mounted on 4"x4" wooden posts. There are several
types of wood available as well as metal and other materials. The
signs are painted with a base coat color or your choice and then have
the lettering and graphics applied with vinyl or digital prints.
This type of signage is more expensive than some other types, but also
last a very long time. It is best suited to permanent or
semi-permanent signs.
Store Front (Commercial Signs)
We offer a full range of marquee and
commercial sign services including re-lettering and complete store
front signage. We also do window lettering and portable signs.
Contact us for a custom quote for your business signage needs.
Sand Blasted Signs
Sand blasted signs are 3-Dimensional
signs that have a carved appearance to them. They are made from a
foam material that is sand blasted to remove material, leaving only the
design intended. The sign is then painted in whatever color(s)
necessary. The final result looks quite similar to wood that has
been carved and is relatively light, but very durable. This type
of sign is best for permanent signage.
Sign Backing Materials
Here is an overview of some common sign
backing materials (the material that the wording or graphics is applied
to, reffered to as the substrate.) This is not a comprehensive
list. If you would like a sign made on a different type of
material just let us know, we will do our best to accommodate your
needs.
| Material |
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Advantages |
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Disadvantages |
|
Primary
use |
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| Aluminum (.024) |
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Light and durable, handles all weather well. Long
lifespan.
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Cannot support it's own weight, so it needs a frame. |
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"Job site" signs with a metal frame. e.g. Real
Estate signs. |
Aluminum
(.060) |
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Thick and rigid. Very strong. Does not need
a frame. |
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Heavier than .024 |
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Standalone signs that need to be strong with minimum
support. e.g. Road Signs.
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| Corex |
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Light and handles weather well. Does not need
additional support.
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Not as permanent or durable as metal. |
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Special event signs such as sales, fairs etc. |
| Wood |
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Durable, and long lasting. Offers permanence and a
professional look.
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More expensive than other materials and much heavier. |
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Contracting and developer signage. |
| Sintra |
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Light, Flexible, and durable. Offers a long
lifespan with little weight. Comes in a variety of thicknesses
including 1/16" (very flexible) and 1/8" (slightly more rigid)
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Requires supporting structure. Will not stand
alone. |
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Wall signs. e.g. elevator signs, directions, etc. |
| Banner Material |
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A plastic woven material with a smooth surface.
Very flexible, can be rolled up when not in use.
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Cannot stand alone. Must be mounted on a
supporting surface or between posts. High winds can damage
banners. |
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Special Events such as birthday parties, sales, etc. |
Colors and Graphics Materials
Vinyl
Vinyl is the most common material for
applying text and graphics to signs. Almost any design or text
style, in many different colors, can be applied to a sign with
vinyl. This is the most economical way to letter your sign.
Vinyl lasts up to 5 years and can be changed much easier than paint or
other types of lettering materials. Below are just a few of the
common colors we offer in vinyl lettering and graphics.
Black |
Dark Grey |
Lt. Grey |
White |
Silver |
Metallic Silver |
Chrome |
Gold |
Metallic Gold |
Yellow |
Dark Yellow |
Brown |
Burgundy |
Red |
Blossum |
Magenta |
Purple |
Navy Blue |
Saphire Blue |
Vivid Blue |
Olympic |
Teal |
Kelly Green |
Dark Green |
Vinyl Appropriate Designs
Vinyl graphics are cut from rolls of
vinyl by our plotters. While our equipment is cutting edge, there
are some things that vinyl just can't do. These includes things
such as photographs and anything with continuous tone gradients.
Also there are some things that just don't turn out well, such as very
small text (less than .25") and designs with very small detail.
In situations that are not appropriate for vinyl,
Digital Prints are available. Here are some examples of good
vinyll designs and not so good designs:
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GOOD
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NOT SO GOOD
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You can see the difference in
the above images. The picture on the left has definate borders
where one color stops and another one starts while the one on the right
is smooth shaded. Both images could be put on a sign, but only
one in vynil.
Digital Prints
Digital Printing is a full color
solution for signage. Digital Printing involves printing your
sign graphics directly on a full color decal. Almost anything can
be put on a digital print, from photographs to small text. The
material used to print on is self-adhesive and can be applied to any of
our sign backings.
Mounting and Stands
Several different types of mounting
types are available for our signs. The exact type of mounting
depends on the purpose and type of sign.
| Mounting
/ Stand |
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Description |
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Primary
Use |
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| T-Bar |
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A simple metal bar with a cross piece at the top. |
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Small stand alone signs.
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| Wire Stand |
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Light h-shaped wire |
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Corex special event signs.
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| Job-Site Frame |
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Steel frame with spikes on the bottom for inserting into
the ground.
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Real Estate signs and other stand alone aluminum signs.
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| Wooden Post |
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2"x2" or 4"x4" wooden posts, with or without
"toppers". Can be used singly or in pairs.
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Wooden signs or traffic signage. |
| Traffic Rail |
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Metal railing with holes in the center for mounting
traffic style signs.
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Traffic and parking signs. |
Some signs are attached
directly to another surface. These types of signs are application
specific and are the responsibility of the purchaser. Please
review the building codes and permit restrictions in your locality.
Design
Guidlines
Below are some basic sign design
guidelines, like how to choose the right colors, fonts and text size
for your application.
Sign Elements
Visibility
The sign should be the right size for
the intended purpose, and audience. Styling is also an important
element in visibility.
Stand-out or "Pop"
The sign should be designed so that
it stands out from it's environment. The color, size, fonts etc.
all play an important part in this.
Legibility
The sign should be very
readable. The intended audience should not have to squint to read
the sign. Also text and graphics should be chosen so that the
reader can understand it easily. For instance, lots of small text
on a sign designed to be read by those driving by, is not a good idea,
as the drivers will not have time to read it.
Colors
The right color for your signage is
important for overall impact. Some colors have a higher
visibility than others due to contrast, etc. Always try to have
the greatest contrast in your sign, so that the intended audience will
be able to read the sign easily.
As you can see in the above graphic,
some colors contrast better with others. For example, white and
black or yellow and black are very good sign colors, so are red and
blue on white.
Type Style
We have many different fonts that we
can use for your sign. We usually stick to a select few however,
as they tend to work best for most circumstances. We can also use
your fonts of choice. You always want your sign to read clearly
and quickly depending on the application and intended audience.
Helvitica fonts (similar to Arial for
windows users) or Sans Serif is one of our primary fonts. It is
very readable at large sizes because it is very clear. At smaller
sizes or in large amounts however it is not as readable.
Times (Times New Roman for windows
users) or Serif is another font used quite regularly. Times is
not as readable in large sizes as Helvitica, but is very easy to read
at smaller sizes or in large amounts.
Display Fonts are special fonts
designed to have a certain style that compliments the intended
message. They are not good for large bodies of text and are
mostly for logo names and headings.
Script Fonts are fancy fonts designed
to look like hand writing or similar styles. They are good for
headings, titles, names etc. but are not good for bodies of text.
The exact font for your sign is a
matter of choice, but should match the intended environment, audience,
content and size of your sign.
Type Size
The size of the text on your sign is
important. If the text is too small, it will be difficult to read
at long distances or when the intended audience is moving
quickly. If it is too big, you may not have enough room on the
sign to say what you want. Here are some distances compared to
type sizes:
|
Letter Height
(Inches) |
Distance For
Best Impact |
Maximum Readable Distance |
| 3" |
30' |
100' |
| 4" |
40' |
150' |
| 6" |
60' |
200' |
| 8" |
80' |
350' |
| 9" |
90' |
400' |
| 10" |
100' |
450' |
| 12" |
120' |
525' |
| 15" |
150' |
630' |
| 18" |
180' |
750' |
| 24" |
240' |
1000' |
| 30" |
300' |
1250' |
| 36" |
360' |
1500' |
| 42" |
420' |
1750' |
| 48" |
480' |
2000' |
| 54" |
540' |
2250' |
| 60" |
600' |
2500' |
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