You may have wondered if you could make your own signs and banners without hiring the services of an expert. The answer is yes! Your final designs will depend on several factors. The first factor that plays a key role in your success is your own personal taste. If you’re an adventurer at heart, your personality will probably show in your sign designs. If you are a calm and homely person, that will also be reflected in your designs.

While almost anyone can easily get into graphic design, some people are much more skilled at it. It is not necessary to have any official education in graphic design, sign engineering, or any other field that may seem appropriate. You shouldn’t have any difficulty designing a good sign or banner if you just follow some of our tips below.

1. Avoid information overload! One problem many people have is putting too much detail on a sign. You can do more harm than good by including too much text and design elements. The next time you’re on the road and pass a billboard, pay attention to the few words on the sign. Take a lesson from that and reduce the wording in your own sign design.

2. Choose colors that don’t mix and lean in the direction of mixes that contain effective visual appeal. For example, putting gray letters on a white or tan background is not a very good choice for a readable sign. Of course, if those are your company colors, go for it! But otherwise, there are better and more readable options. Just remember that by choosing such similar variations, you are sacrificing the legibility of your sign or banner. One trick here is to think about adding an outline to your words in the color white to help break up the darker colors and better draw the eye. A poorly designed color scheme will create an unreadable sign, which is generally a bad thing. Obviously, that means you will lose business! In general, the easier it is to read your ad from a distance, the better it is for you. A good choice for signs is the color yellow. Try yellow words on a black background. That will really show up and be easy to read. A safe choice for signs is white. You can use it as a color for the text (if you have a dark background) or as a background (if your colors are darker overall). Pair white with any darker color and you’ll usually have a good design. White letters on a purple background would look awesome. Again, consider using a color wheel to help you choose colors that work together effectively.

3. Take advantage of the Space: Take advantage of the space that you have available at your disposal. Now, that doesn’t mean you should go overboard and fill every square inch of the sign with information! That might be hard to see. Larger letters are easier to read from farther away, so make sure the largest text is on the sign first. Those are the most important elements to consider. Once the text is in place, you can get creative with the remaining empty space to make the sign more attractive and eye-catching. A sign with a blank space (or “negative” space, as it’s sometimes called), can be even more attractive than a design filled to the last square inch with something to read or look at.

4. Fourth, choose the shape of your sign. The shape of your sign is a very important choice. It can either strengthen or deter the message, so choose wisely. For example, if your banner is going to have numerous rows of text, then you may want to select a rectangular banner that will fit the entire set of words. Square or block signs have their place, but you don’t get the similar flexibility with all the wording that you would with a rectangular sign design. There is no “absolutely correct” option here. Just think about the layout of all the elements you want to include. Rectangular and square signs are the most favored options, however, you can also make oval signs, signs with rounded corners and other shapes as required and also depending on your entire design concept. You should also consider contacting a local sign professional for further guidance on what is appropriate for your particular application.

5. Incorporate Images – Photos, graphics, borders and colors will further add your unique impact to your structure. Dare and experiment with the inclusion of some of these components to see what the result is; you will most likely enjoy the end result. If you’re not sure how to add these types of elements to your sign, contact an established sign company for some additional suggestions.

6. Visual Alignment – ​​One of the ways you can get out of the “hobbyist” look is to pay attention to the overall alignment of your text and overall layout. For example, if your layout has elements that need to be left-aligned, make sure they are actually left-aligned. If you have parts that need to be centered, make sure they are centered in the design. If you intentionally stayed away from aligning design elements, the audience should be able to guess that that was your intention. They shouldn’t look at the billboard and say, “Were you drunk when you made this billboard?” If you don’t pay attention to the left, right, and center alignment of your design, it will be obvious.

7. Last but not least, “steal” the best. The truth is, when it comes to sign design, very little is truly “new and original.” Most designers borrow ideas from other people. So this is your chance to do the same! What do you notice about the use of color and text in the signs you see in everyday life? Examine how the design is structured and try to discover what makes it effective. Then work on adding those types of elements to your own signs. While we emphasize in this article that you create your own sign designs, sometimes it helps to turn to a professional for new ideas and inspiration.

Summary

Follow the general design tips listed above and you will increase the chance of creating a sign that has visual appeal. Of course, this article cannot make you a sign design expert. If you still feel like you need help designing your next sign, I recommend contacting a professional. The biggest challenge with designing your own signs is that it can take a long time to come up with a really good design that you’re proud of, especially if you’re a novice. So don’t be embarrassed to call in a professional for help. Most professional sign companies want to do a good job because they know you might be a repeat customer or give them a good reference. So, they want to do a good job. Get in touch with your local experts and let them help you create something exciting and engaging!