design your own signs - Signage Compliance, Design Tips & News

June 14, 2019June 22, 2020

Signs Every Business Needs

There are many aspects to making sure your business runs smoothly and effectively. Advertising, finance, and customer service are just 3 of the many roles that serve a huge part in your business’s success. While these are all essential duties, making sure your customers have a pleasurable experience may be the most vital task. Clearly displayed business hours, designated parking spaces and handicap accessible restrooms show customers that you care. By installing signage inside and around your building, you’re telling your customers they can trust you.

Here is a list of signs that every business should display:

Grand Opening

Once your storefront has come together, you’ll want to let customers and clients know you are open for business. Personalizing a grand opening banner can inform onlookers that you are up and running. Drive customers in with creative designs, a custom logo, and opening promotions. You will want to include your company name, phone number, location and web address. Give your hard work the recognition it deserves and make sure you implement enough advertisement to bring in excited customers.

Parking Spots

After attracting the customers to your store, make it easy for them to park and walk in. Depending on your location you may have storefront parking, a stand-alone lot, or street parking. Show customers you care about their convenience and display signs for your business’s designated parking spots.

You can get creative and design your own parking sign or order a pre-made template. Before installing a sign, find out if you are authorized to make those changes. Whether you need to contact the city or the owner of the complex your store is in, take the time to get the information you need.

If you can’t hold certain spots available, you can display a sign informing future customers where available parking lots/spots are for those who wish to enter your business.

Hours of Operation

It is wonderful to gain repeat customers and loyal clients! While you and your staff work hard to keep your store up and running, you can only stay open for so long. Displaying a sign that solely contains business hours is essential. Clings and decals can be placed in the window by the front door, or you can hang a sign for optimal visibility. If hours are flexible or you just opened and are figuring out your hours of operation, you can display a reversible open/closed sign. You can hang it next to your hours of operation sign and flip it depending on if your store is open or closed.

Restroom Signs

Whether you serve food, goods, or service, you most likely have restrooms for your patrons. It can be hard to spot the bathroom if you do not display signage. You can help point them in the right direction with a directional sign. You’ll be surprised how helpful a simple arrow sign can be to a customer who is unfamiliar with your building.

Once they get to the designated restroom, make sure you distinguish the type of lavatories provided. Are your bathrooms for men and women, family, and/or handicap accessible? Show it!

Depending on your establishment, you may or may not be required to provide a washroom for customers to use. Make sure to check your state and local laws when finding a place for your business.

In Case of Emergency

While you should be taking the proper precautions to prevent any emergencies from occurring, accidents still happen. If a problem does arise, it is imperative that you have had emergency signs placed to ensure staff and customer safety.

Mark the proper doors as emergency exits and use a directional sign so people can locate the fire extinguisher. If your place of business has multiple floors, make sure to use a sign that states using the stairs in case of an emergency. For any tripping hazards, you should use a caution watch your step sign.

Keep your business running safe and effectively by displaying the proper signage. This is both a courtesy to your customers, but will also help protect your business from liability. Customize signs or order templates to make sure you convey important information to customers, clients, and staff. For all your sign and plaque needs shop our online store at Customsigns.com.

March 22, 2019June 16, 2020

Get Creative with Vinyl Banners

Vinyl banners are an exceptional marketing tool – they’re affordable, eye-catching, portable, and reusable. And best of all, they’re completely custom and are ideal for promoting everything from farmers markets to political campaigns to the newest business to join your community, and everything in between. Let your creativity be your guide!

Vinyl Banners Are an Ideal Advertising Tool

Whether you’re promoting a one-time event or focusing on long-term marketing strategies, vinyl banners are an ideal medium for marketing your business (or event!) to the masses. Made of high quality vinyl, banners are cost-effective, lightweight, durable, easily portable, and reusable. Available in a variety of sizes, personalized text and custom designs, vinyl banners are a tried and true marketing tool that works.

We’ve compiled a list of our favorite innovative uses for vinyl banners that will get your creative juices flowing:

Bands, Stages, and Backdrops

Whether you’re promoting your up-and-coming indie band or you’re headed out on tour, vinyl banners are a terrific option for easily portable, eye-catching custom signs for outdoor venues, stages, and even as custom backdrops for wherever you’re playing your next gig.

Artists and Arts Festivals

The perfect ‘canvas’ for promoting artists and local arts festivals, vinyl banners are the perfect artistic avenue for drawing attention to arts, crafts, and other one-of-a-kind handmade goods made by talented artisans from near and far.

Farmer’s Markets

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, there are more than 8,000 farmer’s markets across the US offering a variety of organically grown produce, select meats, fresh seafood, artisan cheeses, local honey, and more. A brightly colored backdrop to showcase your local farmer’s market, a design-your-own vinyl banner is a vibrant venue for advertising the best your community has to offer!

Small Businesses

Whether you’re a brand new corner café or coffee shop or a local hardware store that’s been in the community for generations, vinyl banners are a professional, polished way to advertise to everyone passing by, inviting them to stop in and see what’s new!

Sporting Teams and Local Sponsors

From colleges to high schools and even grade schools, sports teams are everywhere! Whether you’re supporting your local football, baseball, basketball, volleyball, or other school sports team, custom vinyl banners are a popular and effective way to secure sponsorships while economically advertising local goods, services, and small businesses. A win-win for everyone!

Local Running Events

What better way to promote your local running event – from 5k’s to marathons and everything in between – than with custom banners? Flying high above the crowds, banners will easily show runners where to find registration, pick up running packets, and, most importantly, cross those start and finish lines with ease!

Political Campaigns

Name recognition is the name of the game! Political campaigns work tirelessly to make their candidates known and this grassroots method of promoting a nominee to the masses is an economical way to get the word out. Designing eye-catching, reusable political banners will rally voters to the booths every Election Day.

Holiday Events

Bring on the holiday cheer! Give your storefront a merry makeover or promote your local holiday celebrations with a richly colored, festively designed vinyl banner or two. Whether you’re promoting seasonal sales or your community’s annual winter wonderland extravaganza, your ho-ho-holidays are sure to be filled with merriment.

Whether you’re designing a banner for your local festival, a community extravaganza, or your small business to use all year long, Customsigns.com makes it easy and fun to create vibrantly colored, high quality banners that are made to last. Start from scratch or choose one of our templates. With our custom design tool, your perfect banners are just a few clicks away. Our Customer Focus Team is here to answer any questions you may have. Simply email us or call (877) 251-9444.

February 8, 2019November 10, 2020

Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle Those Plastic Yard Signs

Recycle Plastic Yard Signs

Table of Contents
Recycle Yard Signs
Perils of Plastic
Where to Recycle
Ideas for Reuse

Whether yours is a red state or a blue state, help turn your state green by responsibly recycling the thousands of corrugated plastic election signs that sprout up everywhere each campaign season. No matter who wins at the polls, we all win by recycling!

The Perils of Plastic

Tons of plastic and metal crowd our landfills each year, where they remain for thousands of years before breaking down. Additionally, landfills are limited to specific sizes, so once they’re full, new landfills must be created.

Because they are entirely recyclable, those corrugated yard signs most commonly seen covering yards and street corners during election season are one less thing we can send to landfills by using a bit of ingenuity.

Recycle Those Yard Signs

Many local curbside recycling programs do not accept campaign yard signs or their metal stakes and frames; fortunately, they are completely recyclable elsewhere. Specially designated recycling drop off centers are designed to wash, shred, and melt these plastic boards (or convert them to plastic pellets), which are transformed into useful items including trash cans, beach chairs, toys, or other things made of heavy plastic. The metal stakes and frames can be taken to locations that accept metal, including local businesses that often pay for scrap metal to be used in future projects.

Creative Ways to Transform Election Signs

Repurposing those post-election season yard signs is an inexpensive, useful way to keep them from loading up landfills while enjoying a bit of creative fun during the process. These are some of our favorite ideas:

Keep those yard sale signs off utility poles and market your message to the masses. Spray paint the signs and stencil away. Include your address, the day and time of your sale, and even a few of the items bargain hunters may find!
Get creative! Spray paint those yard signs for celebrating lots of wonderful events, including baby’s arrival, birthday parties, graduations, open houses, lemonade stands, and more.

Wintertime fun! Larger corrugated yard signs are perfect for sledding down snow covered hills and are lightweight and easy to carry back up the hillside for even the smallest sledding snow bunnies.
Season’s greetings! The metal stakes, also known as H-stakes, used to hold yard signs, are perfect for anchoring holiday yard décor and keeping your favorite decorations from being blown over (or away!) by those blustery winter winds.
Mark those milestones! Prime your yard sign with bonding primer, grab some chalkboard paint, and create your own custom chalkboard. Perfect for marking first days of school or practicing those math facts or handwriting skills over and over again.
H-stakes also make sturdy props for supporting your growing vegetable, plant, and flower gardens.

Corrugated yard signs make terrific yard helpers as makeshift dustpans for sweeping up leaves and other debris.
Corrugated yard signs are lightweight, sturdy, and easy to cut. Measure the bottoms of your reusable shopping bags and add your custom inserts for a bit of extra (and waterproof!) stability. The boards slide into your folded bags for easy storage.
Yard signs make ideal surfaces (or ‘drop cloths’) for spray painting smaller projects – by protecting patios, driveways, and yards from misting paint.
Design your own vinyl decal to cover your corrugated signs, an economical way to transform your yard signs and share a brand new message!

Whether you have a few yard signs or enough to spread throughout the whole neighborhood, transforming them into new signs or garden helpers is a terrific way to reduce, reuse, and recycle! Let your imagination lead the way!

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January 18, 2019November 9, 2020

Caution, Warning and Danger Signs Explained

Safety Sign Meanings

Table of Contents
Safety Headers
Safety Symbols
Sign Legends
Types of Safety Signs
▸ Caution Signs
▸ Warning Signs
▸ Danger Signs
▸ Notice Signs
▸ Instructional Signs
▸ Alert Symbols

Workplace safety signage is required by law. All organizations, from international companies to small businesses, are legally responsible for knowing the risks, effectively communicating these risks with all employees, and complying with all safety regulations, specific to their industries, as set forth by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) is responsible for setting the standards and guidelines for proper workplace safety signage that is enforced by OSHA. There are three key standards that specify the design and content of safety signs.

It is also important to understand what social distancing signs mean to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Caution, Warning, & Danger Signs

Here are the brief meanings of these types of signs:

Caution Signs: minor or moderate injuries may occur
Warning Signs: serious injuries or death MAY occur
Danger Signs: serious injuries or death are VERY LIKELY to occur

These signs all serve to remind everyone to take proper safety precautions to prevent injury or death in the appropriate degrees.

Safety Headers or Signal Words

A SAFETY HEADER or signal word, including danger, warning, caution, notice, or specific safety instructions, is determined by the degree of the potential hazard.

Safety Symbols

SAFETY SYMBOLS or pictograms effectively communicate across language barriers, providing visual alerts about hazards, precautions, or other necessary information.

Sign Legends

SIGN LEGENDS must accurately communicate the hazard the sign is warning of.

Types of Safety Signs

There are a variety of workplace safety signs and they each signify different hazard levels. With this comes a variety of questions. What does a Caution sign mean? What is a Warning sign? What do Danger signs indicate? Below are brief descriptions of the different types of workplace safety signs and what they stand for.

Caution Signs

These signs warn of potential physical injuries caused by slips or falls, harmful substances, or other unsafe practices. All caution signs must have a bright yellow background and yellow letters against a black panel.

What Does Yellow Caution Tape Mean for OSHA?

Much like how Caution signs identify potentially dangerous areas, caution tape also marks areas to be wary of. It may be used to label areas that may be entered but only with caution, areas that are no longer safe to enter, or sensitive areas such as crime scenes.

Warning Signs

‘WARNING’ text must be printed in black letters on an orange background. These signs may also include a bright blue graphic depicting a safety precaution that should be taken in a specific area.

Danger Signs

These signs should only be posted in areas where there is potentially deadly harm from dangerous equipment or other environmental hazards, such as radiation, high voltage, or hazardous fumes, among others. Danger signs must be red, black, and white, and include ‘DANGER’ printed in white lettering on a red, oval shaped background. OSHA requires that all employees be made aware that danger signs indicate immediate danger and extreme caution must be used in the area at all times.

Is Danger or Warning More Severe?

It can be easy to lose track of the differences between Warning and Danger. What it boils down to is this; Warning signs indicate areas where severe injury or death MAY happen, whereas Danger signs indicate a zone where injury or death is VERY LIKELY to occur unless proper precautions are taken.

Notice Signs

NOTICE SIGNS signify lower risk areas and can also promote safety in the workplace or other public areas.

These signs generally display rules such as ‘please wash hands’ or ‘keep this area clean’. Notice signs also are used for distinguishing areas designated as ‘employees only’ and other low risk designations. Notice signs are blue and white.

Safety Instruction Signs

SAFETY INSTRUCTION SIGNS are used to relay general instructions and suggestions as they relate to safety measures. Safety instruction signs must include a green panel with white letters and a white background. All letters printed on the white background must be black.

Safety Alert Symbol

The universal SAFETY ALERT SYMBOL is a yellow triangle, outlined in black, containing an exclamation point. This symbol is only used on caution, warning, and danger signs, labels, or tags.

CustomSigns.com is your resource for ready made or design your own workplace safety signs. Our Customer Focus Team is here to answer your questions and help you determine proper signage needs for your organization.

For more information about workplace safety, please see our related blog posts:
The Importance of Understanding OSHA and Displaying Proper Signage for Workplace Safety
The Importance of OSHA Signs for Construction Sites
OSHA’s National Youth Safety Initiative

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December 6, 2018July 21, 2023

Create Custom Signs & Banners with our Online Design Tool

Not sure how to create your custom signs? Our design wizard is perfect for quickly and easily creating your own custom signs, banners, name plates, stickers, and more. Here, we share our most frequently asked questions and answers to get you on your way to easily designing and placing your order!

What is the Customsigns.com Design Wizard?

Our design wizard is a tool that allows you to design your own custom products, including signs, banners, name plates, license plates, stickers, and more. Customers are able to choose from a wide variety of custom options (depending upon the product) including size, personalized text, font type, color, size, and style, and the option to upload custom art, images, photos, or company logos.

What kinds of files are best for uploading logos or images?

PNG and JPEG files are best for uploading logos or other images because they produce clear, accurate results. PDF files are not recommended since this format produces low quality images and inaccurate colors. For a precise color match, please include exact color codes.

Design Tip – If a white background appears behind the uploaded logo or other image and you have chosen a different background color, be sure to upload an image with a transparent background. If you don’t have a file with a transparent background, simply request, in the special instructions section, that the white background be removed. If using vector art, be sure to convert it to a PNG file. Some design your own products include an option to remove the white background. To do so, click the “remove white box” button on the options tab of the design wizard.

What is the best way to enter multiple lines of text on one design?

To add text, click the “add new text box” from the text tab in the design wizard. As text is entered, it will appear on the design template on the left. For multiple lines of text, use a separate text box for each individual line.

Can duplicate items be created from a single template in the Design Wizard?

Once an item has been designed and added to the shopping cart, simply select “order a new design based off this design” and a duplicate product is created. Simply edit the text and/or image(s) needed and add to shopping cart. Don’t forget to use the design wizard’s “save” button to conveniently save individual designs to your account for future use.

To easily make changes to your text, select each individual text box, then edit the text in the design wizard on the right. We recommend using the backspace button for removing text. The delete button will reset the font.

What is the Bulk Item Wizard and how is it used?

The “bulk item wizard” button allows duplicate products to be created once an original has been designed. When the original design is complete, choose “show bulk order form” (green button below design field) to view the “bulk order builder”. Simply insert new text and/or image for each new design, as shown in the image below. This is an efficient way to ensure that each individual item contains the appropriate text and/or image.

Reordering saved designs is as easy as 1-2-3!

To reorder a previously saved design, simply log into your account and choose “my saved designs” from the bottom of the list shown on the left. Choose “order design”, make any desired edits, and save changes. When the new order is submitted, your new design will be created. If you would like to save this new design, remember to select the save button.

November 15, 2018June 23, 2020

Choose the Best Materials to Make Your Signs Work for You

Have you ever considered how many times a day signs affect your life? Road signs, menu board signs, entrance, exit, and restroom signs, grocery store signs, storefront signs, election signs, movie marquis, the list is endless! We continually look to signs for information and guidance, often without being consciously aware. According to NVISION, a supply chain management organization, 90 percent of the information transmitted to our brains is visual, and most people are 6.5 times more likely to recall visual information after three days than auditory information. Well thought out signs are ideal for relaying messages that you want or need others to know and remember.

Once you have developed your message, displaying that message on the appropriate sign is equally as important. Materials matter. Quality custom signage is a worthwhile investment that is most likely to return dividends far beyond its initial cost. Here, we’ll answer some key sign questions that will help you make informed, effective decisions about which signs will best meet your needs.

Three Best Outdoor Sign Materials

What is Sintra Board?

Sintra Board is one of the best sign materials for withstanding extreme weather conditions and maintaining its integrity through long term exposure to the elements. This rigid, weatherproof, non-flexible paneling material is made from PVC (polyvinyl chloride), resists warping or bending, and does not break easily. Sintra Board effortlessly absorbs color and has a low gloss, matte finish. Often used for permanent outdoor signage, Sintra Board also is ideal for real estate and yard signs.

What is Coroplast?

The brand name for corrugated plastic, Coroplast is also referred to as plastic cardboard. An ultra-lightweight zigzagged Coroplast sheet is placed between two smooth sheets of plastic to form signs of various shapes and sizes. While Coroplast is durable, waterproof and weather resistant, it is an economical option best used as temporary outdoor signage, for example, election signs, holiday special signs, car wash signs, open house signs, or custom neighborhood yard signs, just to name a few. Coroplast is easily affixed to H-Stakes or mounted into frames for ready-to-go use.

What is Dibond?

Dibond is an aluminum composite that is made by filling two aluminum sheets with a polyethylene core. Exceptionally durable and resembling the structural integrity of metal, Dibond can be cut into a variety of custom shapes and sizes, perfect for creating signs that stand out from the others. This lightweight, rigid material is weather resistant, noncorrosive, available in a multitude of colors, and can be made with a matte, glossy, or mirrored finish. Because of its versatility and appeal, common uses include outdoor signage and temporary setups such as kiosks or exhibition stands.

The Best Indoor Sign Materials

What is Gator Board?

Commonly used for temporary yard signs, Gator Board is a firm, lightweight material ideal for permanent indoor signs. Manufactured from a dense foam interior placed between two wood fiber veneers, these veneers superbly absorb vivid, full color inks and images that will stand the test of time. Water, scratch, and dent resistant, Gator Board is known for its structural integrity. Gator Board also is used for mounting posters and photographs and makes attractive conference or temporary kiosk displays.

What is Foam Core?

Best for indoor and temporary uses, foam core is made of a dense piece of foam placed between two layers of thick matte paper. With its low glare finish and versatility, it is often used for classroom projects like science fair displays. Foam core also works well for presentations or temporary store displays.

What is Ultra Board?

Because Ultra Board is made with a covering of polystyrene plastic, it is considered one of the most durable indoor sign materials. This material is scratch and warp resistant and is able to be cut or folded to support its own weight, for example freestanding life size Ultra Board cut outs that often feature celebrities.

At Customsigns.com, our Design Your Sign From Scratch page is the ideal starting point for creating signs that will perfectly fit your needs. Follow our link to get started today!

Can Yard Signs be Recycled?

Most yard signs are recyclable! If your yard signs are made of corrugated plastic (Coroplast) and metal H-Stakes, simply separate the stakes from the signs and place them in your recycle bin or drop them at your nearest recycling center. Polypropylene, a main component of most plastics, is not biodegradable. Therefore, recycling is a much better option than making a long term contribution to your local landfill.

What Other Signs or Sign Components are Recyclable?

Recycling guidelines vary widely within counties, communities, and other municipal jurisdictions. To help you determine whether your specific signs (or parts thereof) are recyclable, contact your local recycling facility. In addition, below are the most common recycling symbols and the materials they represent.

1 – Polyethylene Terephalate Ethylene (PETE)

Soft drink, juice, water, detergent, cleanser, cooking, and peanut butter jars.

2 – High Density Polyethylene (HDPE)

Milk and water jugs, bleach, detergent, and shampoo containers, plastic bags and grocery sacks, motor oil bottles, household cleansers, and butter tubs.

3 – Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)

Window cleaner, detergent bottles, water jugs, cooking oils, and peanut butter jars.

4 – Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE)

Plastic bags and grocery sacks, film packaging, and some bottles.

5 – Polypropylene (PP)

Syrup bottles, yogurt tubs, caps, straws, and film packaging.

6 – Polystyrene (PS)

Egg cartons, meat trays, plates, flatware, carry out containers, and clear trays.

7 – Other

Resins or plastic combinations.

For more information on how to make custom signs work for your business, please see our related blog posts:

Tips for Designing Visually Effective and Interesting Signs

Making Temporary Signs Work for You

Political Yard Signs, What You Should Know