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3 Reasons You Should Winterize Your Signs

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The new year is almost upon us, and advertisements will be everywhere telling you it’s time for a “new you.” Believe it or not, it’s also an important time to make some changes to your signage. You may not need to “slim down” your signage or do a “budget overhaul” to make it work,  just make time for some “self care” with small adjustments, like the suggestions below. A resolution to update your signage to the season will have a big impact in 2023.

Three Reasons Your Signs Need Winterizing

Increased Visibility for Outdoor Signs

In cold weather, the foot traffic around your business decreases dramatically. An A-frame on the sidewalk suddenly impacts fewer and fewer potential customers–the pile of snow along the road from the plow blocks it from view, and most people are staying indoors anyway. The majority of people passing by are in vehicles, so you don’t have much time to attract their attention. You need big, bold, colorful, and quick messaging. Consider an illuminated channel letter sign on your building, or a colorful window graphic. Window vinyl can be applied “second surface” or on the inside surface facing outward, to protect it from the elements!

New Product Offerings Need Custom Design

Do you have a special on down-filled weatherproof jackets this week? Have you created a brand new Instagram-worthy secret-menu latte drink? Do you carry a new brand of winter tires that you’d like everyone to know about? You’d better check your signage and make sure you aren’t still marketing bathing suits, or frozen fruit drinks, or air conditioning system tuneups. When your product offerings change with the seasons, it’s crucial that your signage does too. Update your window signs, in store displays, even your vehicle graphics to feature your most up to date product lines.

Changing Business Hours for Entrances and Door Signs

No matter what business you’re in, your hours can be affected by the seasons. Outdoor recreational facilities may need to change their closing hours because it gets dark earlier. Even if you posted your holiday closures on your website, make sure they’re easily found by customers who show up to your physical location as well. And we know too well in 2022 that staff shortages due to illness can lead to early closing or late opening, and it’s important that you keep your clients aware to avoid frustrations and lost business. Flexible signage options include LED message signs that can be mounted inside your window to be viewed from outside, or a changeable letter sign.

Signwave is ready to do a signage evaluation for your facility to make sure you’re winterized! Call us at 631-761-9292 or fill out the contact us form, and we’ll get started.

Vehicle Graphic Roundup

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Let’s take a closer look at a few of our most recent vehicle graphic projects, from full wraps to simple door vinyl. If you’re ready to take on more business and get more name recognition, Signwave will help you create a mobile marketing “employee” that pays for itself in no time!

High Coverage Spot Vinyl

The following vehicles are not completely wrapped in full coverage vinyl. Each graphic is a separate printed, laminated, and contour cut piece that is precisely applied. But because of the density of the graphics you get the impression of a full wrap.

Box truck printed vinyl wrap

Full Coverage Vehicle Wraps

All these work vans are plain white, but when transformed with a custom-designed commercial wrap they catch the eye and spread your branding message everywhere you go.

 

Cut Vinyl Door Graphics

The most basic of vehicle graphics, door vinyl is often required and neglecting it (and the regulations regarding it) can lead to costly tickets. We create door graphics that are both compliant and beautiful. Remember: no ugly signs!

 

Let Signwave Help You Spread the Word

On a job site, parked in your driveway, or heading to a sales call, your vehicle is seen hundreds of times a day. Let Signwave help you turn this blank canvas into a mobile marketing powerhouse. No matter your budget, there’s a solution for you. Check out our gallery to see even more examples.

Vehicle Lettering Regulations

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Sometimes figuring out what state and federal regulations mean in real terms for your business can be a struggle. When it comes to required DOT information, marking your commercial fleet correctly is important for both safety and budget because tickets for noncompliance can be steep.

What do federal regulations say?

printed cut vinyl truck doorsThe relevant Code of Federal Regulations 49 CFR 390.21 states that the vehicle must bear the name of the operator, which generally means your company name (many also include the address), along with your DOT number preceded by “USDOT”. The letters must:

  • appear on both sides of the vehicle
  • contrast with the background color, and
  • be visible in daylight from a distance of 50 feet when the vehicle is stationary.

At Signwave we generally use black vinyl on light backgrounds and white vinyl on dark backgrounds, but we can also use custom logo colors if the contrast is appropriate.

What do NY State regulations say?

New York state regulations are basically identical to the federal regulations, with one small addition. The state regulations add that a minimum height of 2″ for individual letters is recommended. At Signwave we want to err on the side of caution, so we always create lettering that is 2″ or higher. If you operate in New York City we may even recommend a letter height of 3″ because enforcement is up to the discretion of the individual officer. Our designers are skilled at choosing fonts and placement to ensure both readability and aesthetic. Letters 3″ high can be overwhelming if not designed properly.

Custom vehicle lettering can be compliant

While compliance with federal and state regulation is always paramount, the open-ended wording of the code still allows for a little creativity. Signwave will design custom DOT lettering as part of your overall commercial fleet graphics program, keeping you on the road doing business across the island and beyond. Send us a message using the Contact Us form, or call us at 631-761-9292 to see how we can help.

 

 

3 Reasons You Should Winterize Your Signs

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It’s a new year, and advertisements everywhere are telling you it’s time for a “new you.” Believe it or not, it’s also an important time to make some changes to your signage. You may not need to “slim down” your signage or do a “budget overhaul” to make it work,  just make time for some “self care” with small adjustments, like the suggestions below. A resolution to update your signage to the season will have a big impact in 2022.

Three Reasons Your Signs Need Winterizing

Increased Visibility for Outdoor Signs

In cold weather, the foot traffic around your business decreases dramatically. An A-frame on the sidewalk suddenly impacts fewer and fewer potential customers–the pile of snow along the road from the plow blocks it from view, and most people are staying indoors anyway. The majority of people passing by are in vehicles, so you don’t have much time to attract their attention. You need big, bold, colorful, and quick messaging. Consider an illuminated channel letter sign on your building, or a colorful window graphic. Window vinyl can be applied “second surface” or on the inside surface facing outward, to protect it from the elements!

New Product Offerings Need Custom Design

Do you have a special on down-filled weatherproof jackets this week? Have you created a brand new Instagram-worthy secret-menu latte drink? Do you carry a new brand of winter tires that you’d like everyone to know about? You’d better check your signage and make sure you aren’t still marketing bathing suits, or frozen fruit drinks, or air conditioning system tuneups. When your product offerings change with the seasons, it’s crucial that your signage does too. Update your window signs, in store displays, even your vehicle graphics to feature your most up to date product lines.

Changing Business Hours for Entrances and Door Signs

No matter what business you’re in, your hours can be affected by the seasons. Outdoor recreational facilities may need to change their closing hours because it gets dark earlier. Even if you posted your holiday closures on your website, make sure they’re easily found by customers who show up to your physical location as well. And we know too well in 2022 that staff shortages due to illness can lead to early closing or late opening, and it’s important that you keep your clients aware to avoid frustrations and lost business. Flexible signage options include LED message signs that can be mounted inside your window to be viewed from outside, or a changeable letter sign.

Signwave is ready to do a signage evaluation for your facility to make sure you’re winterized! Call us at 631-761-9292 or fill out the contact us form, and we’ll get started.

Using color to identify subsidiaries in dimensional lettering

A Perfect Season for Interior Signage

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Wintertime is Interior Signage Evaluation Time

Why are interior signs important?

Outside all signs point to more cold weather to come, but inside it’s a perfect time to reevaluate your business’s interior signage. Attractive signs are much more than just bits of information to stick on a wall or door. After all, it’s not just your customers that use them as a visual marker. You and your employees and co-workers see them, walk past them, and work under them day after day. A drab, purely practical sign does nothing to inspire pride or productivity.

Cream and blue ADA sign reading "work room"

Do a site evaluation and make notes

Take a walk around your facility and see where you have a generic, off-the-rack sign, a piece of printer paper, or nothing at all to designate the different areas and offices. What message would it send to your employees and customers if you had a custom-made, coherent signage plan in place to increase visibility, decrease confusion, and create a harmonious work environment?

Where can we make improvement?

Consider these options:

  1. Signage in your company colors to designate workrooms, conference rooms, and storage areas
  2. ADA compliant bathroom signs that also sport your company’s logo
  3. Panoramic wall vinyl with photos depicting scenic areas in your town, or your products in action
  4. Cozy, welcoming signage in your staff dining areas
  5. Clear directional signage for your customers and visitors
  6. Custom nameplates for offices
  7. Long-lasting, custom made floor markings for social distancing and safety

Custom Motivational wallCustom Wall Graphics for Conference Room

There’s no better time than today

Right now is the best time to make those interior changes, before the warm weather calls us all outside again. Signwave can implement your vision, or start from scratch and come up with a full site signage plan to meet your aesthetic and your budget. Give us a call for a site visit!

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