For a store sign or outdoor banner, formulate one clear offer. Make it the main headline and place a call to the customer’s next action where it is easy to notice. Choose the letter size for the distance from which people will read the message.
Before ordering the print, inspect the display location, check whether the draft is readable, and compare the production file with the printer’s requirements. The steps below are recommendations for preparing a layout and do not guarantee advertising results.
Formulate the main message
Write down the offer that the customer should understand at first glance. Use it as the layout headline. Check whether the headline conveys the main idea without requiring the reader to read all the text.
Formulate the customer’s next action separately. Make this call to action noticeable: it should be part of the main message and easy to find.
Choose letter size for the viewing distance
Before ordering a banner, visit the place where you plan to display it. Determine where customers will read the sign from. Use this distance as a guide when choosing letter height.
Check the text before production: reduce the layout on screen or print a draft and step away from it. See whether you can read the headline and call to action. This check helps assess readability, but it does not set a universal font size for every sign.
Make the text high-contrast and separate the elements
Use simple fonts and text that is large enough and contrasts with the background. Check this combination in the finished layout.
Leave empty space between the headline, other text, and images. This helps distinguish the elements in the composition. When checking the draft, see whether the main message is easy to find among the rest of the content.
Check the file against the printer’s requirements
Before sending the layout into production, obtain the technical requirements from the printer you have chosen. Check that the prepared file meets every item on those requirements.
If the file does not meet the requirements, make changes before approving the print. Use the technical specifications provided by the particular manufacturer.
Review the final layout before approval
Carefully check spelling, contact details, and colors in the version you are sending to print. Review the layout again after making corrections.
- The main offer is clear from the headline.
- The call to the next action is noticeable.
- Letter height takes the reading distance into account.
- The text contrasts with the background, and there is empty space between elements.
- The display location has been inspected and the draft’s readability has been checked.
- The file meets the printer’s technical requirements.
- Spelling, contact details, and colors have been checked in the final layout.
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