Entice customers and boost business, with Window Graphics

Businesses, establishments or spaces that offer services or products require branding in order to attract visitors or potential customers. While there are several ways to brand your services or products to capture the attention of the target audience, you can be certain that the space will have a door and a minimum of one window in it. These doors and windows provide tremendous visibility from a brand perspective and are a powerful tool for marketers to consider.

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Types of Window Graphics and Lettering

According to research by Werremeyer, an award-winning creative communications agency, over 50% of customers learn about your business or services from in-store or on-premise branding or signage. And window graphics and lettering are an integral part of such on-premise branding.

Popular types of window graphics and lettering:

·   Vinyl: Cut-vinyl lettering are a good low-cost option for branding and offer multiple colours with white being the predominant color. Perforated vinyls have little holes to allow people on the inside to look out.

·    Frosted Effects: These offer an extremely elegant look with film or letters. They give an etched-glass look allowing light to enter but at the same time are not see-through.

·   Cling: Cling films come in white and clear and are most commonly used by car service or car washes to stick on the back of a car window. These are ideal for short-term needs.

·    Digital Prints: Digital prints give you the freedom to use graphics or images with relative ease. Coupled with cut-vinyl, these can be very striking in terms of imagery and boldness of letters and colors.

·   Window wraps and murals: Wraps can transform any window into a billboard with high-quality displays. Use these to make a statement with intricate designs and complement your text.

How to use window graphics to enhance your premises?

Depending on the type of window graphics being used, various materials are used to affix the graphics onto windows or doors.

In the signage industry, window stickers are referred to as window decals and are generally a one-time use material. Decals are more permanent and once fixed cannot be repositioned. Window decals have adhesive that is used to stick to the window or door surface. These adhesives are industrial-grade and resistant to water, heat and other elements making them long-lasting. Once you stick the decal onto the surface, you can make minor adjustments to position it immediately. However, once left for longer than 20 mins, they become extremely hard to move as the adhesive’s effect kicks in.

Clings, on the other hand, do not have adhesive to affix to the surface. They stick to a surface through a static charge between the cling film and the window. The advantage with this material is that it can be repositioned and moved as and when needed, giving room for change.

Conclusion

Window Graphics and Lettering offer a powerful way to attract visitors and customers to premises. These can be in various forms such as window decals of various types or cling films of various types. Depending on how often these need to be changed, marketers can determine their choice. While decals are more permanent, clings give you the freedom to change often, as they are stuck through static charge as opposed to an adhesive. Either way, window graphics are an essential tool for businesses to communicate and attract walk-incustomers. 

Channel Letter Signage enhances your Brand Recall

Signage is an indispensable component in a commercial enterprise. Done correctly, signage can entice customers even from far, and complement the Marketing efforts. Signage also helps in memory recall, which is an important parameter in branding. This is why there are various signage options available to business owners in the US today. Among these, Channel Letter Signage has emerged as the most popular option in recent times.

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What are Channel Letter Signs (CLS)?

Channel Letter Signs derive their name from the fact that aluminum channels are used to fabricate the letters, numbers or symbols (collectively called ‘letters’) that make up the signage. Further, each letter has its own source of light for illumination, and appears like a channel of light. These signs provide a 3–dimensional effect and are hence also called as Dimensional Letter Signs. Further, Channel Letter Signs are quite flexible by design, and so you can experiment with different fonts, colors and sizes.

Channel letters are primarily made up of:

·    Face: this is a translucent sheet of acrylic, if there is a desire to illuminate the letters. Else, the face is an aluminum plate which can be painted in the desired colors. 

·   Trim cap: This is a mechanism to clasp the face to the body of the letter, usually made of a durable plastic.

·     Return: The sides of the letters, made of aluminum which is bent using CNC machines.

·      Back: Usually closed with an aluminum plate if it is regular illumination of the letters; else, if a halo effect kind of illumination is desired, the back is a translucent sheet of acrylic.

·      Lighting: LED lamps fitted inside the letters are the most popular option.

Types of Channel Letter Signs

·    Front-lit:With a LED-lamp inside, and a colored acrylic face outside, light emanates towards the viewer, making the letters glow.

·    Open-face: Instead of an acrylic face, the front is covered with plain plastic to keep pests away. As a result the interiors of the letter as well as the lamp are visible.

·   Reverse-lit: The face is a dark-colored acrylic or an aluminum sheet painted in a dark color. The back is a colored, translucent acrylic sheet, so that the light emanates out towards the background creating a halo effect around the letters.

·   Front-Reverse combine: When the signage has many letters and is fairly large in size as used on the top of multi-storeyed buildings, a combination of front-lit and reverse lit is used. In this case, both the front face and back are made of translucent acrylic sheets. 

When to Use

·     As one can imagine, Open-face is the most inexpensive and is ideal for smaller shops or eateries which do not require too much advertizing.

·  Front-reverse combination is costlier and is ideal for large companies, with offices in multi-storeyed buildings. The signage is typically atop the building or on the face of the building at a good height.

·    Front or Reverse lit signs cost in-between the above 2 types and are ideal for every other type of commercial enterprise.

Conclusion

Channel Letter Signage is more sophisticated looking compared to older types of signage, and can be a game-changer for small businesses. Engage the right agency and you can have a neat job done within your budget and timelines. 

The Power of Digital Signage for Brands

In what is otherwise a relatively-low innovation industry, the signage or display advertising industry has seen a lot of innovation in recent years. The past few years have witnessed tremendous transformation and innovation in signage since the time they hit the mainstream market in the 1950s.

Digital signage goes a step further and has completely changed the way marketers and brands seek to promote their products or services. It has become an integral part of marketing strategy and as per Grand View Research, a market research and consulting company, the global digital signage market is expected to gross USD 20.03bn by 2020.

Types of Digital Signage

Whether it’s replacing your poster or hoarding with an LCD screen, utilizing a touch screen kiosk or ordering your food via a touch screen at a restaurant, digital signage is ubiquitous. They vary in size and are determined by their use.

·  Indoor signage: Theseuse HD screens which can be controlled by computers to choose the display content. These are prevalent in office buildings, malls, stores and restaurants.

·  Outdoor signage: Thesehave tougher and larger screens which can weather the elements and are far more eye-catching, given their use.

·  Then there are posters, wall-mounted displays or stand-alone displays which can be placed in almost any location,while also being durable.

Marketers can choose from these broadtypes of digital signage based on their need and budget.

Advantages of Digital Signage

·  Real-Time Content- One of the biggest advantages of digital signage is that you have complete control of your content on a daily basis. Marketers can push latest information to customers making their marketing efforts far more relevant, which in turn could lead to higher conversion rates.

· Low Creative Development Cost- It is far easier to get new ads or content created for digital signages than it is for posters. The turnaround time is faster for the designer, while the upload time is almost instant, making it a very simple process to keep pushingnew creatives.

·  Reduced ‘Perceived Wait Times’ - When customers are waiting in line or when you are trying to keep customers engaged, digital signage can be made dynamic and used to keep them fully engaged. Whether it’s pushing the latest offers at your store, or sharing information on upcoming products, your customer will not realize the time they have spent waiting for you to attend to them.

· Interactive Signages- Digital signage can be made interactive which further enhances customer experience. Customers will spend more quality time at your establishment through engaging interactive solutions. These would not only keep them enthralled but being extremely informational,would also address their needs.

Conclusion

As marketers across the globe find innovative ways to grab their customers’ attention, digital signage will continue to play an immense role in the marketing mix. The ease-of-use and the ability to target customers with good content in real-time, make Digital Signage a compelling solution inmarketing strategy.

Digital Signage Trends to Look out for in 2018

Digital signage is becoming increasingly more prevalent as cutting-edge technology continues to drive innovation. Market research firm Markets and Markets, pegs the global digital signage market to grow to approximately USD 32.84 billion by 2023. Tinhis is a steady 7.4% increase from the USD 19.6 billion which it was in 2016. North America constitutes the majority of this market and will continue to be the driving force. Of course, this market size includes everything from digital signage products to software/hardware services and applications. That is why it is useful to know the trends for the coming year.

Types of Digital Signage and their Uses

So, what exactly is classified as digital signage? While kiosks, menu boards, billboards, signboards etc. all come under digital signage,for ease of understanding we broadly classify digital signage as:   

      ·     Indoor Signage- Using HD screens to display service related information, live updates, ad sand so on. These are often used in restaurants, office buildings, malls, stores etc. 

     ·   Posters- Somewhat identical to regular posters, these wall-mounted slim screens allow high-quality graphics to be displayed. 

       ·     Stand Alone Displays- These can be floor mounted, wall mounted or simply placed on top of any surface. Whether it’s a restaurant menu with the latest happy hour deals, to real time promotions and stock updates at a store, these can be connected to a network or left to stand alone.

       ·     Outdoor Signage- These are generally larger screens or surface areas that are well-encased to keep them protected from the elements as well as from theft. Naturally, given the size and the level of sophistication, these are higher on the cost side, but ideal for larger companies looking to capture several eyeballs.

Trends in Digital Signage

         ·         Slimmer and Sleeker- Screens will get wider and slimmer with the resolution and pixels getting even sharper. With significant innovation in reflective displays being made, we can expect to see full-color e-paper displays, which behave like real paper, by reflecting light. Video walls will become ever so prevalent and an increasingly more popular choice for customers looking to increase the use of digital signage in their marketing.

         ·         Interactive& Responsive- It’s not just about touch screens with multiple options in them. Displays will get way more intelligent and responsive, with voice recognition and programmed display based on the behavior and data fed into it by users.

        ·       Intelligent & Adaptive- Increasingly, more digital signage will be adaptive to external factors driven by data. For example, if a certain area of a mall is over-crowded, an intelligent sign will be fed this information and will automatically direct people to stores in a different direction. Or if the temperature is cold outside, the sign will change to show a promotion for hot cappuccino at the nearby café. With Artificial Intelligence (AI), Virtual Reality (VR) and a mix of the two, or Mixed Reality (MR), we will see a seamless blend between the physical world and the digital world.

Conclusion

The Digital Signage market is expected to grow significantly over the next five years driven largely by innovation. Wtyoe can expect to see wider and slimmer screens which offer more intelligence and interactivity for users. With the current advances in AI (Artificial Intelligence) we can expect a considerable amount of real-time data being fed into digital signage touch points which are beneficial to marketers and customers alike. 

Design Considerations for a Professional Billboard

Billboards and large-scale banners are perhaps one of the most widely used forms of communication to speak to a wider audience. However, they too require in-depth research and a deep knowledge about the target audience before the design process begins.

With increasing reliance on digital processes for all advertising needs, crucial design inputs are necessary for developing anything for print. Listed below are some of the vital factors a designer must keep in mind when starting a print signage campaign.

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The message

As with all forms of advertisement, knowing the customer is integral to designing it. Once this is done, the carefully formulated message determines the design and makes the banner. Questions like the following are helpful in this regard.

Is your banner going to share new information, or reinforce what they already know? Is it part of an ongoing campaign or a one-time promotion? Is it about the product or a special service? Where is the banner to be located? What is the viewing distance? The answers to each of these questions can help fine-tune the most effective type of design.

Configuration of graphic files

          v  Viewing distance: Large-format digital printing requires specific configurations compared to other types of printing. If the viewing distance is 10 feet or less, some of the details must be legible. In such a case, its good to go with 100 ppi (pixels per inch) or more, and lesser if the viewing distance is less. This is because, the dots per square inch is relative to the eye:  the closer the viewer is to the image, the smaller the dots appear, and the farther the viewer moves, the larger the dots appear. 

         v  Colour mode: The preferred colour mode must be RGB “Red, Green, and Blue” as it has many advantages over CMYK “Cyan (blue) Magenta (red) Yellow and Kent (black)”. RGB offers a wider range of mixing of colours, is supported by more graphic design softwares, and are 25% smaller in size; moreover, the files are web ready without the need for conversion. 

          v  Canvas size: The canvas size must be set to the full size of the signage/banner at the start. The final digital work must be saved as a PSD (PhotoShop Document) file with all layers flattened to a single layer at 150 dpi (dots per inch) or more. 

 Images and fonts

A ‘good’ graphic design – or ‘creative’ in Ad Agency parlance – must have an optimal mix of image and text. When it comes to images, vector graphics (PDF, EPS, AI) are the preferred format for printing.

They are determined by mathematical curves, allowing even a small graphic to be expanded easily for large-scale prints, without losing clarity. They also tend to have smaller file sizes when compared to their bitmap equivalent. They are different from bitmap image formats such as JPEG, TIFF or PNG.

Readability is the crucial determinant, when it comes to the choice of fonts and their sizes.  The basic guideline for choosing the height of the letter is that it should approximately be one inch per ten feet of viewing distance (10 in for 100 ft). Other factors to focus on are the readability of font type, thickness of letters and the white space around the text.

Executing a successful marketing campaign that features billboards or large-scale banners demands thorough research. It forms the basis of tactful design and clarity on how much to say to your intended audience.

Engage a reputed creative agency, which has the necessary experience and expertise: you can surely turn your hoarding into a  high-impact asset that yields high returns from your campaign.           

The Importance of Property Management and Real Estate Signs

Walk or ride down a residential or commercial neighborhood in any city or town worldwide, you are bound to come across at least one signboard along the way. Signage is still one of the leading ways for promotion of businesses, cities and even property owners to advertise products and services, or simply communicate with their stakeholders. 

Image courtesy: https://www.pexels.com/photo/architecture-building-business-buy-259098/

Outdoor signs

High-quality outdoor signs leave on passersby a lasting impact. Innovation in the signage industry heralded with a bang high-resolution graphics, which could be printed on a variety of surfaces ranging from cloth and canvas to vinyl.

Durability and resistance to the elements are two key factors that determine the choice of the right kind of material for making a signage. The material for high-quality outdoor signage must be tough enough to withstand constant UV radiation from sunlight. It also needs to be durable enough to weather rain, heavy gusts of wind and vast changes in temperature.

Real estate and property management signs

Whether it is for a commercial or a residential building, a clear and captivating sign goes a long way in giving information about the property along with a call to action, if possible. Irrespective of the need or the utility, these signs are generally outdoor displays; primarily, they have to grab attention, and secondly they should be durable enough to weather the elements.

Commercial signs are generally larger as they target a larger audience. Most often, they are characterized by larger letters or numbers and are less graphically inclined. The idea here is to give core details of the property such as seller information and possibly showcase a few offers or salient features to spur buyer interest.

Residential signs are often more temporary: essentially, they need to communicate information about the property and its seller. These signs can even have directional symbols to indicate precise location; often they carry graphic images of the property itself.

  

Materials used for indoor and outdoor signs

The most common materials used in the signage industry are aluminum, corrugated plastic (coroplast), and medium-density overlay panels (MDO) made from plywood.

Aluminum composite panels available in several colors are extremely durable and they grab instantly your attention. Owing to their eye-catching nature and ability to endure UV radiation and harsh weather conditions, they are an ideal solution for long-term signage.

Coroplast is more cost-effective, durable, sturdy, light and resilient in nature. These corrugated plastic sheets are waterproof and can weather the elements reasonably well. They are ideal for residential properties, temporary signs, or offers, as they are easy on the pocket.

Medium density overlay panels are made of plywood and work well both indoors and outdoors; they suit well non-illuminated signage. They are UV-treated, resistant to fair amounts of weathering and can support a variety of graphics on their surface.

Irrespective of the type of property, commercial or residential, signage must be durable, eye-catching and cost-effective to the extent possible. Depending on the budget, marketers can choose from a variety of options such as aluminum composites, corrugated plastics or medium density overlays on plywood, to suit their realty advertizing needs.

Why Digital Vinyl Banners?

Outdoor advertising has seen tremendous innovation over the years, from basic signs, posters and billboards, which dawned city scapes in the late 1800s, to the immensely popular vinyl hoardings and luminous boards that we see today. Whether it is businesses, events, announcements, instructions, guidelines or festive offers, outdoor advertising is perennially compelling and a part of our daily lives.

Outdoor banners

Before the digital age, outdoor advertising and banners were largely made of cloth, heavy grade paper or in some cases even cardboard. However, as marketers or businesses discovered soon, these materials were not durable and given to tremendous wear and tear even over short periods.

Another major challenge especially to outdoor signage is the capacity to handle long periods of exposure to UV radiation from sunlight. Ordinary banners hand-written or even printed on paper or cloth would fade away quickly under the harsh sun. This is where the digital age changed the game for outdoor advertising forever.

Vinyl banners 

One of the most cost-effective ways to win the attention of a passerby, leaving a lasting impact is the use of vinyl banners. Numerous banners these days at trade shows, outside businesses and office spaces, sales etc., are printed on vinyl. The versatility, durability, cost effectiveness and multi functionality of vinyl make it ideal for advertising.

One of the most cost-effective ways to win the attention of a passerby, leaving a lasting impact is the use of vinyl banners. Numerous banners these days at trade shows, outside businesses and office spaces, sales etc., are printed on vinyl. The versatility, durability, cost effectiveness and multi functionality of vinyl make it ideal for advertising.

Why digital vinyl banners?

Before digital printing, marketers and advertisers had to be satisfied with heat pressing onto vinyl. This restricted the creativity and aesthetic appeal of the banner, producing only heavy or blocky text, limited artwork and very basic signs; it impacted obviously the visual appeal even though the vinyl material could withstand the elements.

With digital printing, vinyl banners can be as much creative as a marketer desires. Professional high quality banners are now digitally printed onto vinyl to include any number of visual graphics, fonts, shapes and sizes for winning all attention. They are ideal for outdoor or indoor settings and can weather any amount of rain, shine, or wind.

Types of banners

Today, marketers or businesses have options of several types of banner materials. Vinyl is an immensely popular choice owing to its versatility and cost effectiveness. However, there are other materials available for consideration. Mesh banners are effective in windy conditions, while cloth or fabric banners are suitable for aesthetic-looking banners for indoor settings.

Block out banners are generally double-sided and made of high-grade PVC material. They can be as opaque as one would require for displaying information on either side. Lightweight feather banners or teardrop-shaped banners are also gaining popularity for outdoor settings, as they are largely resistant to the elements and extremely lightweight for logistical ease.

Vinyl banners are probably the first choice, irrespective of the type of banner a business or marketer chooses to use. Digital printing on vinyl has ensured high quality, creative, cost-effective and extremely durable solutions for outdoor and indoor advertising needs. It is best to consult a reputed signage company for all your banner requirements.