Signage Basics
Draffin Street Furniture offers many signage options. But what makes a sign effective? The basic idea of a sign is to communicate important information clearly and quickly.
Whether for safety, or instruction, directions or place marking, or even retail purposes, the idea behind the sign is for it to be as clear as possible so the reader can quickly view the sign and and have the information they need to move on.
Waypoints
Signs almost always have an area or vicinity that the information they provide is relevant to and will act as a mental waypoint for most people. A reminder that they are to perhaps perform or behave a certain way when in this area in which they see the sign. Signs can also present a destination, such as a road, place or building name.
Symbols
Symbols are the most efficient way of communication on a sign. The use of symbols instead of words makes the sign easily readable by people of any nationality, whether they can read or not. Safety precautions relevant on the road or in the workplace can be quickly and clearly communicated using symbols. The same or very similar symbols are used worldwide, further aiding their efficiency.
Logos
Logos are useful to convey that you have arrived at a relevant place or destination that can provide you with what you need. Organisations and businesses use logos to give them an identity that can set them apart from other similar places.
Size
The size of the sign is very important. Of course, a very large sign, like a billboard is very noticeable. But most of the time, it only needs to be viewable by people who need the information promptly, therefore generally relates directly to how quickly the person is passing by the sign. i.e. a rubbish bin waste type is not relevant to a passenger on a bus, so a billboard or poster sized sign is not necessary. Alternatively an A4 “garage sale” sign is too small for people driving past in their car. A great demonstration of this: next time you are in a car, observe the size of a 40km or 50km speed limiting sign in town, against a 100km speed limit sign on a freeway.
Colours
Over time, humans have devised different colours to generally purvey the purpose of the sign. For instance, red usually indicates urgency or danger, yellow and orange for safety, green and blue for care and assistance. Studies have shown that colour is very important when selecting the correct sign to use.
Contrasting colours allow the sign to be easily read either at a distance, or by people with impaired vision. A high-colour contrast factor will improve legibility. Arthur & Passini explained in their book “Wayfinding” from 1992 a reliable calculating method, to calculate the contrast difference between two colours. First they determined light reflectance (LR) readings in percentages for each of the two colours involved. By subtracting the darker colour from the lighter colour, divided by the difference by the lighter, and multiplying by 100, we get brightness differential. If the brightness differential is 70 percent or higher the legibility is assured. When the differential is less, the legibility cannot be assured, and those colours should not be used in that combination.
It’s a complicated process, and thankfully it’s already been worked out for us. For your convenience, here are the best combinations, ranked in order of legibility from a distance.
A guide to Draffin Street Furniture’s signage options
We offer a range of signage options that start with what can be found on this guide:
Click to download the guide
These generic decal designs are fit for most applications on our products. Standard A4 and A3 sized weatherproof decals are generally the right size for pedestrian traffic. They can be applied to the bin directly over powder coated and stainless steel surfaces. Below are just a few of the designs that can be found in the guide.
Alternatively, a backing plate can be used if the surface you need the decal applied to is not decal friendly. (i.e. timber battens or zinc galvanised finishes), or if you just want the sign mounted on a separate surface. Backing plates are removable/replaceable should you wish to change the sign at any time.
Another signage option, is to have the sign laser cut into the product. This option looks great and is a simple process of adding the signage pattern into the laser cutting process for the panels. There are a few standard laser cut options available, and some are at no additional cost. A coloured backing plate can be added to make the laser cutting really “pop”.
Design your own signage
Whether you choose decals or laser cutting, if the standard signage options do not fit the application or perhaps you are after a more custom design, we can cater for you too.
Custom Artwork
Send us your designs in professional imaging formats, or perhaps even sketched ideas, and we can estimate a quote for the work to be carried out.
Your artwork can be professionally printed on the same weatherproof/UV resistant medium we use for our standard range of signage.
Or if you have a specific design you want laser cut into the products, send us your artwork and our engineers will modify the design so it is fit for laser cutting, ensuring the design will remain intact for many years to come.
Other options available are laser etching, paint filled etching, vinyl wrapping etc… the list goes on. Our engineers and skilled floor staff have the know how and experience to arrange any type of signage you need for your project. If you can dream it, we can make it.