How Built Up Letters Can Make You Stand Out

There’s a good reason that built up letters are so popular for everything from shop signage to commercial business signs. These 3D letters are designed to really pop, giving your brand instant and powerful visual appeal. Striking and distinctive, they’re also totally bespoke and the processes involved in their manufacture are the most complex in the industry. When you’re looking for a sign company in Littlehampton who can give your premises the wow factor, checking whether they can produce high quality built up letter signs is critical.

3D letters: get the effect

Obviously, the kind of standing 3D letters you see outside commercial organisations have the most wow factor, but you can achieve a similar effect on a budget if you explore some different options – a good sign making company will be able to advise you on the smart choice for your shop signage.

Flat cut aluminium and acrylic letters can both be attached to a backing board to create a very subtle and cost effective 3D effect. Both are lightweight materials that can be effectively painted to match your branding colours. Acrylic can also be pigmented, so it doesn’t peel or rust.

Foamex letters are another affordable alternative that can be wall mounted or raised on a stand-off of your choice. Foamex comes in a range of widths, so you can play with perspective. Coated with an acrylic or dibond, you can create a robust and premium feel for your retail signage. They have a high strength to weight ratio and can stand up to all but the harshest weather conditions.

Polystyrene letters can also be a savvy choice when you need something temporary that makes a strong and dramatic impact. These types of letters are gaining a lot of currency at events where the ability to create a great social media photo opportunity is factored into your marketing strategy.

New and innovative products are emerging in the market all the time. Your sign making company will be up to speed with new technologies and materials as they emerge, in order to give you the widest range of options available.

The premium choice: channel letters

True built up letters are known as channel letters and are created using a channel letter bender machine. However, once the machine has finished its job, that’s just the start of the process. This is when the finishing touches are added to your letters, making the difference between full on impact or disappointing damp squib.

It’s at this point that your letters can be wrapped in various films, given a distressed look, or fitted with different types of LED lighting. Stainless steel lettering, either used alone or in combination with other materials like perspex, gives a really strong architectural look, while powder coated aluminium can replicate any RAL corporate colours for letters that are robust, weather resistant and lightweight, for use just about anywhere.

Standout signage: current trends

While polished metal letters continue to be hugely popular for creating that premium association between your shop signage and your brand, distressed letters and those with an aged patina are becoming incredibly popular, particularly across the hospitality and leisure sectors. Effects like verdigris can add real star quality to your standout letters. In the heritage sector, letters crafted from bronze and copper add a weighty, traditional feel.

Illuminated letters continue to increase in popularity, either front, open or halo lit. The uptake is being driven by low cost LED lights that last for years with low maintenance. They are infinitely customisable in terms of colour, brightness and warmth.

Light up your signs: the Halo effect

There’s a reason why halo illuminated letters are becoming more and more popular. A halo illuminated sign is distinctive, stylish and really comes alive at night to give a stunning iridescent effect to your shop signage. A halo LED sign is the perfect way to differentiate your business from the competition.

Halo or reverse lighting doesn’t illuminate the face of the letters. Instead, the lighting is directed onto the wall behind the letters and then reflects back, giving the distinctive halo effect. If you’ve invested in 3D built up letters, then this is the most effective way to light them and create a real sense of depth for a sense of drama. Halo illuminated letters can also be seen from a greater distance, boosting the impact and the legibility of your 3D sign.

Best of all, by using low energy LED lighting, you can create a wide range of effects, highlighting different parts of the sign with different colours, while driving down your energy bills.

Get the effect for your business

There’s no doubt that built up letters and illuminated signs can really take your signage to the next level. When you’re looking for a sign company in Littlehampton to take your designs from conception to installation, you’ll need to think not just about reach and impressions, but the return on investment from your 3D signs.

At the Sussex Sign Company, we’re experienced in helping our clients get the best value for their investment, whether that’s in vinyl car wraps or built up letter 3D signage. If you want to see how a combination of clever signage design and LED lighting can give your signage and displays the ultimate wow factor, contact us via phone or email today and our friendly and knowledgeable team will be happy to help.

Finding The Right Sign Company To Create Your Killer Illuminated Signs

The right illuminated sign can give your business massive visibility – literally. An illuminated sign not only adds real impact to your brand, but it keeps it visible even when darkness falls. Develop the right signage strategy and find the right sign company to implement it and you’ll boost recognition and return on investment.

Why do I need an illuminated sign?

Illuminated signs are versatile and flexible, keeping your brand in the public eye 24/7. They’re an effective advertising medium that can take advantage of those passing by after hours to get your name out there in a surprisingly cost effective way, particularly if you use energy efficient LED lighting.

But simply having an illuminated sign is not the same as having an effective illuminated sign. You need to make some strategic decisions about the environment where your sign will be displayed and the type of lighting you’ll use, in order for your sign to be as effective as possible.

What’s your lighting environment?

Take a look at your premises after dark. Is the lighting environment a soft and ambient one, with no harsh street lighting or bright competing signs, or are you in a busy location with headlights, neon lights and bright street lights?

Obviously, what works in one situation may not work in the other, but it makes sense to match your lighting to the general scheme, so you don’t either overpower the street or fade away into a corner.

You’ll also need to consider the image you want to convey of your business – if you’re a pizza restaurant. you’ll want to convey a different image to a boutique hotel, for example. Getting it right with illuminated signs can make your business up to 35% more visible, so you need to find a sign maker that can walk you through the process from design to installation and who understand your particular lighting environment.

Light up your letters

Getting the right effect with an illuminated sign depends on several factors, including the way you choose to illuminate your sign. If you choose individual letters, then you’ll really make them pop if you illuminate them from behind with an LED halo effect. Hollow 3D letters are then wired with LEDs which cast their light onto the wall behind the letters, creating a silhouette or halo effect. You can play around with the colour of the LEDs to create different intensities.

LED light can also be used to illuminate the face of the letters, which produces a crisp look for your branding, or you could choose to have your letters created from acrylic, which can create a colourful and eye-catching display using different coloured LEDs.

You might also choose a debossed (stencil cut letters or logo) or embossed (slightly raised letters or logo) sign, which takes the form of a metal box with an illuminated acrylic panel.

You’ll need to find a company who can manufacture channel lettering to your specifications for improved day and night visibility and who understand the latest advances in LED technology, so they can create signs that have the wow factor you’re looking for. Your signage is your biggest digital asset, so take the time to get it right.

Ask the right questions

Finding the right sign company in Lewes can be the key to successfully lighting up your signage. Of course, you can look through the Yellow Pages or search Google, but the point of using a local company is to tap into their knowledge of what works in your area. Ask for recommendations from other businesses whose signage you particularly like and then draw up a shortlist of possible companies. Now ask them these questions:

What’s your track record? A well crafted illuminated sign should last you a long time and can represent a significant investment, so you need a company who’ll be there for you if anything goes wrong. The company you choose should have a long standing record creating signage that companies are proud of, so they should have no hesitation in putting you in touch with businesses they’ve worked for.

Can I see a portfolio of your work? A sign company may be offering everything you’re looking for, but you want to know that the sign they create will differentiate you in the marketplace. Ask to see examples of their work, so you can see the diversity of their designs. If they only seem to create one kind of sign, count them out.

Can I see what my sign’s going to look like? A good sign company will be able to mock up the final effect for you – there’s nothing worse than being excited by the initial designs and then disappointed by the final result.

Can you take me from design to maintenance? When you’re looking for a sign company in Lewes, it’s more cost effective to use one that can integrate all the services you need, from design to installation to programmed maintenance, to keep your sign in tip top condition – a real consideration with illuminated signs. Check that your company can undertake every step of the process for you and can deliver on time and within budget.

How will you find out what I want? The best sign companies will offer expert guidance through every stage of the process, including a detailed first briefing so that you both understand exactly what will be involved throughout the process and can create the best signage solution.

At the Sussex Sign Company, we can advise you on the most appropriate illuminated signs for your company, taking you through the entire process from conception to final installation and beyond, ensuring the best possible return on your investment and the biggest possible impact for your brand. Call or email today for more information.

The humble LED that’s lighting the way for marketing

The LED has come a long way since it illuminated all our simple on/off switches. Now LEDs power everything from printheads in wide format printers to a wide range of illuminated signs including backlit halo signs that create such a visual impact. But the next iteration of the LED is on its way – say hello to Li-Fi.

What is Li-Fi?

Li-Fi or Light Fidelity is a way of running visible light communications (VLC) at exceptionally high speeds, using common household LEDs to achieve data transfer speeds of up to 224 gigabits per second. Professor Harald Haas of the University of Edinburgh coined the term in a TED talk he gave in 2011, where he foresaw that the ability of LEDs to flash on and off instantly could act like a kind of wireless router using visible light.

By attaching a microchip to an LED and harnessing the power of binary, Professor Haas claims that we’ll be able to download an HD movie in just a few seconds. Because of the multiplicity of light sources already available, this technology could open up connectivity in tube carriages. Instead of us sharing limited bandwidth, it will be multiplied out through available lights.

Li-Fi has its limitations – the inability to pass through walls means that connectivity in the home depends on having LEDs in every room. However, for a large conference hall or an outdoor space, this new technology could prove limitless, leaving conventional Wi-Fi in the dust with double the connectivity for a fraction of the power.

Who’s using Li-Fi?

So far, there are two Li-Fi products on the market, a ceiling unit and a desktop unit, both of which provide both light and connectivity. The implications for the Internet of things are obvious, but this is also an interesting space for retail business, allowing savvy shop owners to transmit personalised data to a shopper’s mobile securely, rapidly and remotely. There are already rumours that Apple has plans to integrate LiFi into future iPhones.

Updating Piccadilly Circus

The iconic billboards at Piccadilly Circus were switched off in January and will remain dark for the longest single period since WWII. Illuminated lettering has been a feature of the Circus since the 1890s, with the first ever illuminated sign – advertising the French brand Perrier – erected in 1908. Since then, the billboards have always moved with the times, embracing the new technology of neon and then projectors in the 1990s.

Since the WWII blackout, the lights have only gone dark for the deaths of Winston Churchill and Princess Diana, and the patchwork of screens have become a huge tourist attraction. The patchwork effect will remain, but the separate screens will be replaced by one massive state of the art screen, retaining the curved shape and with the capacity to be taken over by one company for short term promotions.

At 790 square metres, it’s the biggest screen of its kind in Europe and will reopen in the autumn. The new screen will also feature live streaming, social media integration and the capacity to personalise messages to respond to particular car brands or tourists’ cultures, adapting the language or advertising that appears. However, as Professor Haas argues, it could all be so much faster if the new screen was equipped with LiFi.

Using LEDs for advertising

Your business may not be in the market for screens and LiFi, but illuminated signs never go out of fashion, as Piccadilly Circus proves. In a visual landscape that’s crowded with competing signs, it’s the illuminated kind that catches our eye. LED has proved a popular alternative to neon, thanks to its relative stability and ultra low running costs. With a lifespan of anywhere up to 10 years, LEDs are the salesman that never sleeps, and LEDs are considerably safer than other forms of illuminated signage too, running at a very low temperature.

LED illuminated signs can also scroll through different colours and are easy to install. The overall lifetime cost of ownership makes this type of illumination extremely attractive from an investment perspective. There’s no limit to the kind of signs you can create, thanks to the flexibility of LED cables.

Create and differentiate

A well thought out LED halo sign will help you differentiate your business from the competition, by standing out from the visual clutter. Low cost LEDs can be illuminated 24 hours a day if necessary, meaning you’ll catch passing trade in the early morning and the early evening. If you need advertising that never sleeps, then LED is the savvy choice.

A well-designed LED sign communicates a sense of professionalism to your customers and can provide new touchpoints for engagement on the customer journey. Why be just another business, when a clearly thought out, well designed and well targeted sign can make your business a memorable standout?

Use the professionals

An illuminated sign works best when it’s professionally designed, installed and maintained, creating the optimum return on your investment. At the Sussex Sign Company, we’ll take your ideas and message and translate them into eye-catching signs that create instant impact. With our expertise, we’ll help you get everything right, from the message to the location, to create a bespoke illuminated LED sign that makes your business stand out.

If you’re interested in exploring the difference that a professionally designed and installed sign can make for your organisation, contact us today and we’ll be happy to help you put your name in lights, call us today on 01273 424900 or email us here.

Why Business Signage Is A Critical Communication Tool For Your Business

If you’re a marketing manager, then you’re in the business of communication. One of the most effective ways of communicating information about your business is with a sign. A sign can help a customer find your business, or help other businesses find you. You need signs when you start up and signs when you grow. They’re the single quickest way to say who you are and what you do, and they can create an impression of your business at a glance, without demanding a customer’s full attention.

Thanks to their ubiquity, it’s easy to overlook the importance of a business sign. They’re a form of mass communication that anyone can use – from a sign asking for information about a lost pet, to signs telling you to mind the gap or advertising a garage sale, anyone can use the medium. But how do you use it well, to differentiate your business from the competition?

The ABC of Business Signs

Attract new customers: If you’re aiming to attract new customers, your sign acts as an index of the commercial environment, so those potential customers can find you. Imagine being new in town, or simply passing through but in need of a particular item or service. A sign will communicate your exact location and the nature of your business with strong visual clues. No business aims to stand still, and just a 7% increase in sales could equal over 120% profit. Your business sign can be crucial in maintaining and growing your customer base for increased profitability.

Build your brand: Your business sign is also key for building the repetition that leads to top of mind awareness, boosting your brand and creating a ‘go to’ association with your business. Your sign needs to command visual attention, reinforcing your business branding and foregrounding your logo. A coordinated effort to build recognition and recall needs to embrace your business signage.

Create impulse buyers: Your sign should accurately reflect your business and be attractive enough to prompt buyers to pop in and purchase. In our time poor age, your business sign can do plenty of heavy lifting in creating the right conditions for an impulse buy, but this can be entirely dependent on great design.

What your sign can say about you

In a recent US survey of small businesses, 64% of millennial business owners (18-34) prioritise graphic design in their signage, while the baby boomers (55+) preferred simplicity. Whichever your preferred approach, a well designed sign can be the difference between your business being lost in a sea of generic signage and creating an instantly recognisable and attractive vibe.

Whether you’re an estate agent who needs eye-catching panel signs, or you want to create a splash with vinyl window signs for a big promotion, great design is the difference between creating a lasting first impression and seeing your potential customers steer clear. It’s the accretion of small signifiers that creates the impression of quality – the right colour palette and font, and the use of quality materials. Fonts should reflect the personality of your brand but retain legibility, which means employing a professional design service. Don’t skimp on quality materials or installation, as both count towards the impression your brand is trying to create.

Making an impact

In a recent survey of 100,000 American households, business signs ranked second only behind TV advertising as an effective way to drive sales. However, less is definitely more when it comes to creating a sign with maximum impact – high contrast colours and an easy to comprehend message will create the impression that your brand is trustworthy and truthful. Your sign is intended to get customers through the door, so keep the message simple – no more than 7 words – and keep the rest of the information for when they’re through the doors. That brevity will focus your sign on the USP of your business.

By all means, take inspiration from a great sign that you admire, but be very clear on whether that style conveys the right impression for your business. A sign is one of the first pieces of visual collateral your business produces, but don’t be afraid to change your sign as your business grows and changes. The impact that your sign creates must accurately reflect the nature of the products and services you provide, and this will impact on all the choices you make, from the logo to the type of sign you use.

Use customer profiles to assess the impact of your business signage. Is the sign appealing to the millennial or the baby boomer? Does it create the right conditions to encourage a potential client or customer to walk into your premises? Define your goals and the thought process will help you make the right decisions for your business.

Why signs work

For your real world premises, your business sign is the signpost that drives customers through the doors. Even if they’ve found you on Facebook, your sign needs to match their expectations. Likewise, you can use your signs to drive the online-offline connection that’s such an important part of the contemporary marketing mix.

Everyone reads signs. They’re inexpensive and easy to use and part of the landscape of visual communication that is familiar to every user of the commercial environment. You don’t need any special resources beyond a shopfront, and an electricity supply if you opt for an illuminated sign. Cost effective and with incredible reach and impact, business signs are a critical communication tool. At the Sussex Sign Company, we can advise you as to the most appropriate signage solutions, including illuminated and LED lighting systems, that will ensure the best possible return on investment for our clients. Call us today on 01273 424900 or email us now.

How The Sussex Sign Company can help if you are a Facilities Manager

Facilities Managers have to juggle a lot of things, whatever type of site or building they are overseeing. In order to do this job efficiently, you need to have the ultimate organisational skills to see everything is ticking over smoothly and the needs of the site’s employees are fully met. As well as seeing the grounds and premises are well maintained, the communications infrastructure is working well and onsite cleaning, catering and security are all well-managed, you probably spend a lot of time liaising with other companies to arrange a variety of other services.

As part of keeping your premises looking attractive and presentable, you probably have a good deal of signage, both internal and external, which needs to be updated and maintained. That’s where The Sussex Sign Company can really help. Signage is one of those things it’s all too easy to overlook when you’re constantly trying to keep on top of all the competing demands of facilities management, but your signage plays a major part in the life of your site.

What role does signage play?

Your signs are usually the first things which employees and visitors alike see when they approach your premises, so it’s vital that you make a good first impression. Well-made and well-maintained signs really do reflect the work you do as a Facilities Manager – taking pride in this initial calling card suggests you also take pride in every other aspect of your work, from the obvious things like seeing the grounds are kept neat and tidy to the underappreciated back-room work such as fixing loose wiring or changing the light bulbs.

Whether you’re a school caretaker with school signs to tend to or a Facilities Manager overseeing a retail outlet with large shop front signs, ensuring your signage is in top working order can make all the difference to how people view your company or establishment. Signs for schools, shops, restaurants, bars, gyms and other High Street outlets act as a beacon to draw customers in. Well-crafted and kept in top working order, they are an inviting and appealing prospect, but badly-designed and left to go to ruin, they don’t bode well and potential customers and visitors will find them a deterrent.

An overlooked asset?

We all know that familiarity breeds complacency. When you see something day in, day out, you can start to become blind to it and no longer notice it’s even there. Chances are you pass by your shop front signs, business site signs or school signs every day – so often, in fact, that they’ve simply faded into the background and ceased to make any impression on you.

Take a moment to step back and re-assess them with a fresh pair of eyes. Imagine you are a visitor to your site for the very first time – what do you see now? If your signage looks a little worse for wear or a little outdated and old-fashioned, the time might have come for an upgrade to give them a new lease of life. While they might be far down the agenda when it comes to firefighting tasks day-to-day, well-designed and well-made bespoke signs are a long-term investment that’s well worth making.

Other considerations

It’s also worth bearing in mind that as a Facilities Manager, you are the number one person when it comes to Health and Safety. Seeing that a building complies with all Health and Safety laws and regulations isn’t a choice, but a necessary legal requirement. Your signs play an important role here. Badly installed and poorly maintained signs can pose a major hazard to you, other employees and members of the public. Tragic cases of poorly-maintained signs injuring people and even causing fatalities are actually more common than most people realise, which is why fitting only high-quality signage and seeing that it’s kept safe is so crucial.

Taking out a long-term maintenance package from a professional sign company can take some of the weight off your shoulders if you’re a Facilities Manager, especially as it means you don’t have to keep reminding yourself about getting them seen to. It’s not simply about ensuring your halo illuminated signs are fully lit or giving your school signs a clean now and then. With an ongoing maintenance package, you can be confident that the fixtures and fittings are all up to scratch, guaranteeing that your signs are safe and you’re not running the risk of an accident or prosecution.

Deciding on a sign manufacturer

You should only ever work with a professional and exceptionally experienced signage company, such as The Sussex Sign Company. For more than two decades now, we have been working with Facilities Managers across the south-east and London regions to provide beautiful bespoke signage which stands the test of time.

Our team of highly-skilled and highly-qualified designers, signwriters and installers work together to create tailor-made signage solutions which will gives the premises you manage a whole new lift and ensure they’re looking their best for all the employees and visitors who regularly use your site. What’s more, by taking out one of our long-term maintenance packages, you can enjoy the peace of mind which comes with knowing your signs are spruced up and inspected on a regular basis, keeping them in the best working condition for many years to come.

For more information on the services we can provide, please don’t hesitate to contact a member of our friendly and highly experienced team today on 01273 424900 or email us now.

How The Sussex Sign Company can help if you are an architect

Need signage, we can help.

While it may not be your top concern when you’re designing a new building or redesigning an existing one, signage has an important part to play in architectural planning. Both internal and external signage needs to fit seamlessly into the building to be at its most effective, while developing wayfinding signs with a professional sign company can have a huge impact on how people navigate and use a space.

If you’re an architect undertaking a new project, then working with The Sussex Sign Company to develop the highest quality signage solutions could greatly enhance your work. With more than two decades’ experience under our belts, we have all the knowledge and expertise you need to help you get the most from your new signs.

The benefits of wayfinding signage

Any architect worth their salt thinks long and hard about how large groups of people might use the internal space of a building, whether it’s a restaurant, office or retail outlet. Avoiding log-jams in smaller areas such as lobbies, foyers and corridors is essential, so steps must be taken to ensure that people are kept moving and circulating, so they don’t end up crowded.

Wayfinding signs have a very significant role to play in helping people navigate their way around a building. In public buildings such as hospitals, police stations and community centres, they can help direct people towards specific wards or departments, enabling them to get to their destinations by the fastest and most direct route and keeping a free flow of incoming visitors.

In shops, bars and restaurants, they can be used to guide people to specific product aisles or let them know where the checkouts, fire escapes, toilets or changing rooms might be found. Creating wayfinding systems which work and help people get from A to B makes a vast difference to how people feel about a building, avoiding frustration and ensuring the space is used as efficiently as possible.

External signs

Factoring signage into the design of a new building really should be high on the agenda if you’re working on a new architectural project. Most business owners will say that signage is a priority for them – it is, after all, a form of advertising and one of the most effective ways of promoting their business and catching the eyes of potential customers.

If, for example, you’re designing a new retail unit, then it makes sense to incorporate shop front signs into your earliest designs. There needs to be space for shop signs to be prominently displayed on the façade of a building, so this may need to be factored in when thinking about the positioning of doors and windows.

Schools and universities often need educational signs positioned somewhere highly visible too, so incorporating the school’s signage into the design of a new-build could play a big role in dictating the overall external appearance. Similarly, hospital signage tends to be large and may need to be displayed in multiple locations, depending on the site.

Internal signs

The signage inside a building is just as important as the signs over the door. When planning the internal space of a building, it’s critical to factor in where important signs might be positioned. Signage in lobbies and foyers often has to be fairly large, to make it easy for newly-arrived visitors to find out where they need to be and how to get there.

When planning things such as lighting, door and window positions and even wall socket positions, you probably need to factor in internal signage, as large expanses of wall may be needed to accommodate sign boards and wayfinding signage. A professional sign company will be able to advise on the best place for internal signage to be installed, which means opening up discussions early on in the design process could be key to getting the most from a building’s internal space.

Other factors

The types of signage you need will be largely dictated by the nature and purpose of the building you are working on. The size, shape and appearance of the signs required will often be influenced by the type of building they serve, which is why signage can never be an afterthought when it comes to building design.

Factoring signage into your initial plans is critical if you are to ensure there is enough space to accommodate them. Retrofitting signage and trying to cram it in at a later date simply won’t work, so it needs to be high on the agenda for any architect working out how best to design the appearance of a building’s façade or make use of a building’s internal space.

How can we help you?

The Sussex Sign Company has been working with architects across the London, Sussex and the South East regions for many years, and we’ve had a helping hand in a wide variety of new-build and redevelopment projects. Having created signage solutions for multiple retail complexes and public buildings, we understand precisely how signage can be used to enhance a building’s design.

With expertise in internal and external signage, illuminated signs and wayfinding sign systems, we can come on board at the very beginning of the design process and work with your architectural practice throughout your project, to ensure you get the very best signage solution, tailored to the building you are working on and suited to its purpose.

Our professional team of highly-skilled and exceptionally well-qualified designers and installers can work closely with you from day one, crafting the highest quality bespoke signage to give your project a real boost. For more information on the services we can provide to your architectural practice, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us today.

Top tips for planning your shop signs

How to choose your sign company

You have decided that the time is right to invest in new shop front signs, which is great news, but how do you know where to begin? Planning your shop signs can seem like a daunting task if you know you have little in the way of graphic design knowledge or think you lack an artistic eye; however, with a little planning and the help of a professional sign company, you could get the perfect signage solution for your business.

There are lots of things you will need to consider before you approach the signage company of your choice. To get you thinking, here are a few top tips to follow when planning your new shop signs.

What do you need to include?

An obvious starting point is to plot out what sort of information your signs need to convey to potential customers who might walk past your business premises. Naturally, you will need to incorporate your company name and logo, and to use your company colour scheme to ensure your signage matches the other strands of your branding to create a unified look across your marketing material. You might also want to include contact details, such as your address and telephone number, and directions to your website and social media pages.

What is your budget?

There is no two ways about it – signage can be expensive; however, you really do get what you pay for. Attempting to cut corners and scrimp on your shop signs could spell disaster. Not only will they look cheap, tacky and unattractive but also they will probably need more maintenance in the long-run to ensure they stay intact, well-lit, and do not pose a safety risk. Stretch your budget to high-quality signs and they will more than pay for themselves long-term, especially if you invest in a maintenance package to keep them in tip-top condition.

Prepare to be flexible

It is always good to enter a process such as this with a rough idea in mind, but be prepared to be flexible and heed advice. If you work with a top-quality professional sign company, its graphic designers will be experienced, highly skilled and extremely well trained, so trust in them and listen to what they have to say. They will always take your ideas on board and work with them, but they may be able to suggest alternatives or find ways to improve on your initial thoughts.

Location, location, location

Think about where your signs need to be positioned for maximum visual impact. There is no point investing in high-quality signage only to tuck it away somewhere passers-by might struggle to see it. You want your building sign to occupy a prominent position so it is directly in people’s eyeline as they walk down the street. Take a few steps back from the façade of your premises and see where your eye is naturally drawn, which may not be the same position your old signage currently occupies.

Think size, shape and scale

Once you have decided where your signage needs to go, you will be able to tell your signage company how much space they have to play with and how large your signs need to be. Too small and people will either ignore or find them difficult to look at, too large and you risk detracting from window displays or other attractive elements of your shop front. Signs do not have to be limited to boring square or rectangle shapes either – there is plenty of scope to experiment and create something unusual!

Bright ideas

Illuminated signage is definitely the way to go if you want to make the biggest visual impact on passers-by. Push through letters backlit with LEDs, halo illuminated signs or traditional fluorescent tubing can all work wonders on your shop front signage, with a well-lit sign impossible to ignore. Illuminated signs act as a beacon come rain or shine and stand out from a mile off. When people see the glow of a shop sign that stands out, they are far more likely to be drawn towards your business.

Choose your sign company with care

It is vital that you choose your sign company with care. Not only will they help you to create your new signs but also you might be entering into a long-term partnership if they take on a maintenance contract from you. The best sign companies employ experienced and talented graphic designers in addition to installers who know the trade inside out. Check out previous examples of their work and perhaps look at a few projects in person. Make use of other customer reviews to gain a better picture of their work and ensure it fits your own vision for your signs.

Here at The Sussex Sign Company, we have been crafting beautiful bespoke signage for well over two decades, helping local businesses across London and the South East to find the perfect signage solution. We employ only the most skilled designers and installers in the industry and have all the experience and technical know-how to produce the very highest quality signs, tailor made to suit your company.

We can take your initial spark of an idea and work with you to convert it into the perfect signage solution. For more information on the services we provide, simply get in touch with The Sussex Sign company today and let us help you to plan your next signage project.

LED lighting: how to choose the right signs for you

LED lighting comes in all sorts of shapes, sizes and colours, so how do you know which type is the best for your business? Whether you are looking for new shop front signs, signs for schools, estate agent displays or signage for a bar, gym, restaurant or café, finding LED lighting that works for you and shows off your premises is vital.

Technological advances mean that LED lighting is now more advanced and more sophisticated than ever before. Here we look at the various types of signage solution you could choose from and assess the benefits of each for your high street premises.

Push through letters

One of the most effective forms of illuminated signs, push through lettering is crafted from acrylic or built up stainless steel and back-lit to make the text or images glow. This type of illuminated sign is fantastic if you want to achieve a clean, crisp lighting effect and is the perfect choice for an external sign.

As they are so bright and eye-catching, this sort of LED sign is a great option for those who run businesses that stay open late. Bars, restaurants, takeaway shops and convenience stores could all benefit from a push through letter sign; in addition, they can be a great choice for shop signs.

Fluorescent tube lighting and neon plus lighting

Fluorescent tube lighting has been a popular choice for decades and shows no signs of disappearing any time soon! A simple yet attractive form of lighting, fluorescent tube lights look good as shop front signs, proudly glowing above the front door of your premises.

You could also choose the sleek, sophisticated and ultra-modern neon plus lighting, which is a more contemporary take on the traditional Neon Signage. Again, it is a great choice for any shop, restaurant or takeaway outlet because it is so modern and appealing to the eye.

Powder coated letters and halo effects

One of the most visually stunning forms of illuminated signage, the halo effect that can be created with powder coated lettering is a thing of beauty. LEDs are situated behind the letters and emit a warming glow that makes your signs really stand out. This type of illuminated sign is great for both external and internal displays, particularly in places in which you want to create a specific atmosphere or ambiance.

Used indoors, the halo effect can really change the mood of a place. Imagine this type of LED illuminated sign adorning the wall behind your bar, for instance, or on the wall of a restaurant where it can become a piece of artwork and a conversation starter in its own right! The possibilities really are endless and there is plenty of room for you to flex your creative muscles when designing your signage.

Up-lights and down-lights

Another very simple yet effective form of illuminated signage involves up-lights and down-lights, which are good for both external and internal displays. These work particularly well if there is something you very much need to draw attention to – a signboard displaying your café’s menu, for example, or a sign containing your company’s contact details.

For shops or places serving food and drink, this sort of simple lighting effect is a good way of grabbing the attention of passing trade and directing this attention to something you particularly need to highlight. Installed cleverly and professionally, up-lights and down-lights can create a very attractive display that will get your premises noticed.

Why choose LED illuminated signs?

Arguably, there is little point investing in new shop front signs if nobody pays them any attention! Your signage is your introduction to the world; therefore, maximising its visibility and getting people to take notice of you and your business is crucial in capturing passing trade and inviting people over the threshold of your front door.

Illuminated signs are not only pleasing on the eye but also a visually impressive way of announcing your presence to the world. What’s more, they work as advertising for you day and night, 365 days of the year. With LED bulbs now much more advanced, they are greener, cheaper to run and do not get hot, meaning you can leave them on around the clock without having to worry that they will pose a fire risk to your business premises.

Even when you have shut up shop for the evening, your illuminated signage glows away all night to let people know about your company. You may not be open for business in the wee small hours; however, if people can see your signs even in the depths of a winter’s night, they are more likely to remember you and return when you are ready to serve them.

Work with the professionals

LED lighting is a great choice for any business; however, it must be professionally designed, installed and maintained to be effective. Letting the lights go out on your signage is a big no-no and really puts customers off.

If you want to get the most from your illuminated signs, working with a professional sign company such as The Sussex Sign Company is important. We have spent many years providing local businesses with the highest-quality bespoke illuminated signs and we are confident that we are the experts in this field.

Work with our team of highly-skilled and qualified designers and installers to get the most from your new illuminated signage. For more information on the services we can provide, simply get in touch with The Sussex Sign Company today, call us on 01273 424900.

Halo illuminated signs

Sign Illumination.

You might not have noticed that it had even started, but summer is now over for another year. With the start of September and the new school term, thoughts are inevitably turning to the chilly mornings, falling leaves and darker nights of autumn, and – for those with a High Street presence – the lull which usually comes around this time of year, before the Christmas sales begin in earnest.

If you own a shop, restaurant, bar, estate agents, gym or any other establishment which needs to attract custom from the High Street, how do you ensure this slack early autumn period doesn’t see sales and interest tail off? One of the best ways to draw customers to your business is through clever signage, and investing now could see you generating more interest at just the moment when you need it most.

Put your name in lights

While we may enjoy the autumn colours and the warming satisfaction of comfort food, not many of us enjoy the cold, wet, windy evenings which the autumn and winter months tend to bring with them. Few people want to hang about on the High Street when the weather is so miserable, which means that capturing the attention of those who are passing becomes all the more important.

One of the easiest and most effective ways to catch the eyes of potential customers is with halo illuminated signage. Halo illuminated signs are made from powder coated aluminium, backlit with LED lights to create a beautiful halo effect – precisely the sort of warming glow which draws people in when everything around them seems so dull and gloomy. Used externally on your business premises, they can act as a glowing beacon to tempt passersby to pause or come in, whilst indoors in a restaurant or bar, they can create an incredible focal point and really help set the atmosphere.

If your shop front signs need replacing, this is the perfect time of year to think about getting illuminated signs. Few things you can do for your business will make such a tangible and immediate difference, and putting your name in lights not only boosts brand awareness and increases footfall, but illuminated signs bring a whole host of other benefits.

The advantages of illuminated signage

Halo illuminated signs are a great way of making a bold and beautiful statement, but they can also be a key part of the marketing and advertising strategy for your business. Once you’ve paid the initial cost of having them designed and installed, illuminated signs really can pay for themselves and become the gift which just keeps on giving.

Think of your shop signs as a permanent advertising slot. If you have illuminated signs, people can spot them from a much greater distance than they would a traditional, unlit sign board, and they’re visible both day and night. They stand out in a positive way – how many people could resist the attraction of an LED sign outside a café, for instance, when it seems to offer the promise of a hot cup of tea to take the chill off?

They’re also advertising for you around the clock and around the year, so that even when you’ve turned in for the night, your signage is still hard at work. Even late at night in the depths of winter, you’ll still get people passing by your business premises, and if they can see your signs and your illuminated signage makes a lasting impression on them, they’re likely to return. Even if your shop or café isn’t open at that particular moment, the impact made by your shop front signage could mean potential customers store the knowledge of your presence away and come back at some point in the future.

Halo illuminated signs are the perfect choice for places which do tend to stay open late. If you own a restaurant, bar, takeaway outlet or 24/7 convenience store, it’s important that people are made aware that you’re still open even in the wee small hours. With illuminated signage, you can announce to the world that you’re still open for business, and with any luck, you’ll persuade them to stop by en route to wherever they’re going late at night.

Work with the best

Of course, illuminated signage is only effective when it is properly designed, installed and maintained. If you work with a professional and experienced signage company, then you’re likely to get the best results. Professional signwriters know how best to translate your ideas into an eye-catching illuminated sign, and where and how it should be positioned for it to make the greatest visual impact.

Designing illuminated signage is an art. Your signage should do more than simply announce your presence to the world, it should reflect what your company stands for and tell your brand’s story in a clean and succinct way. Signs might include your company name, logo, contact details and colour scheme, which, when laid out in an aesthetically pleasing way, can really speak volumes about what you and your company do. Gorgeous illuminated images adorning the walls of your bar or restaurant are a decorative feature in their own right, but only when they’re professionally crafted.

Here at The Sussex Sign Company, we’ve been creating bespoke illuminated signage for many years and we know how to get the best from LED signs. Working with our team of skilled and highly experienced designers and installers, we can help you turn your ideas into the perfect signage solution for your business, whatever trade or sector you’re in.

For more information on the services we can provide, simply contact our friendly team today and we’ll help you put your name in lights this autumn.

Choosing the right sign illumination

Get your business seen in the dark

If you want your company premises to pack a visual punch both inside and out, there are few more effective tools than illuminated signage. An illuminated sign can not only convey all the important information you need to get across to your customers, but correctly installed in a prominent position, it can act as a decoration and a focal or talking point in its own right.

They’re eye-catching, beautiful and clearly on-trend, and more and more people are recognising the value of an illuminated sign. There are now multiple types of illuminated sign to choose from, so how do you know which will work best? Read on to find out more about how to choose the right illuminated signs for your business.

Halo illuminated signs

One of the most appealing and beautiful of illuminated signs, the halo effect provides a soft and subtle warming glow, which really draws people in and makes them feel good. Halo illuminated signs are made by back-lighting powder-coated letters, creating a pleasant radiating light which is less harsh than neon.

Signs with halo illumination work particularly well in establishments where you want to create a certain atmosphere, especially if that involves low lighting elsewhere. A halo illuminated sign behind the bar of a club or glittering off the glasses of a cocktail bar can really enhance the mood of the place, while strategically positioned on the wall of a restaurant, they can add to the relaxed ambience.

This type of sign can be used both indoors and outdoors. Used externally, the warming glow will always be a welcome sight for potential customers during the cold, dark and often miserable weather of the autumn and winter.

Neon letters

Neon letters can certainly be used to make a bold statement, and for that reason, they work particularly well on shop fronts or the façades of bars, restaurants, clubs, gyms and estate agents. There are few sure-fire ways of announcing your presence to the world than by putting your company name up there in neon lights, so consider this type of sign illumination if you want to really grab the attention of passing trade.

Neon letters are far from an outdated form of signage, with more advanced technology and ultra-modern Neon Plus lighting making this a very trendy choice at the moment. The crisp, clean effect of neon makes these signs a real statement piece, whether used indoors or out.

LED lighting

LED lighting is a very cost-effective and environmentally friendly choice, and the low energy bulbs used in such signage means you can leave it on 24/7 without racking up huge electricity bills or risking a fire hazard. LED lighting works particularly well in window displays where the aim is to draw attention to a particular product or piece of information. Estate agents display windows, for instance, could benefit from LED signs which shine a spotlight on the top properties you have on your books, providing an understated yet visually impactful display.

LED lights are used in all sorts of illuminated signage to achieve a particular effect, so get expert help in deciding what sort of LED signage to go for. Some will be better suited to indoor rather than outdoor use, but wherever it’s situated, LED signage can really enhance your premises.

Spot and flood lighting

Spot and floodlit signs can really make an impact on passersby. Often incredibly bright and eye-catching, spotlights and floodlights built into your signage ensure that everyone can see and read your company name, logo and contact details with ease, and they’re very difficult for people to walk past!

These types of signs work particularly well for pubs and schools, where traditional signage can be enhanced with illuminations. Signs for schools need to be clear and uncomplicated, while the much-loved pub sign can greatly benefit from having a bright but simple spotlight thrown on it.

Due to their intensity, spot and floodlit signs really only work outdoors, where the bright lights are needed most and customers are less likely to be dazzled. Particularly during the autumn and winter, this type of signage acts as a beacon for your business and draws people in for a closer look, whether that’s studying your shop front signs or getting up close to inspect a menu or price list sign.

Before deciding on the type of illuminated signs you want, ask yourself a few basic questions about what you want to achieve with sign illumination. Is it for use indoors or outdoors? Is it purely for displaying information or for a more decorative purpose? Is your main concern your energy bills or making a really bright, bold visual statement with stronger lights?

You might want to seek further advice from those in the know before making a final choice on the type of illuminated sign you want. If you’re not sure which variety will suit your business and your needs, then speak to a professional signage company, such as The Sussex Sign Company for guidance and more information.

The Sussex Sign Company has been crafting bespoke illuminated signage for many years, and we know which type of sign illumination works best in any situation. Our experienced designers and installers are able to work with you to create tailor-made illuminated signs which perfectly reflect your company and will enhance your business premises immeasurably. For more information on the services we can provide, simply contact our expert team today.