Monthly Archives: May 2011
Lobby Sign
If you are considering the purchase of a lobby sign for your business, you may find the number of choices a little overwhelming. Should you use a foam, acrylic, aluminum, brass…? How about an illuminated lobby sign? Nearly all lobby signs will incorporate the company’s logo. It’s important to keep a consistent look throughout your office. Lobby signs will create a memorable theme for any visitor to your place of business.
All business signs have their place, and the important thing is to find a sign that presents the right image for your company. Foam letters are inexpensive but can look really nice and add a lot of dimension to your logo. Acrylic is probably the most common material used for lobby signs because it is versatile, easily shaped and can accept many different types of finishes.
More expensive options include aluminum, brass, stainless steel and Illuminated signs. If considering an illuminated sign you should be going with LED’s. The price has come down in recent years and the energy savings along with dependability makes them a winner every time.
Interior signs, custom signs, and lobby signs all require knowledge and thought about the many available options. Having been in the sign business since the 1960′s gives us at The Alphabet Shop an edge over the competition. We are always up to date with all of the machinery and material innovations related to the sign industry.
Give us a call today at (800) 882-3151 and we will be glad to send out one of our sales team to survey and photograph your space. Once we receive your company artwork, preferably in vector format, we will create a rendering of what the new sign will look like in your office. We can also provide full size paper patterns and sample letters for your approval.
Contact us today! The Alphabet Shop can provide a custom lobby sign and many other corporate or retail signs to meet your needs.
Business Signs – ADA Signs
The term “ADA Signs” has come into common use in the commercial signs industry with the advent of the Americans With Disabilities Act, or ADA. Unfortunately, it’s a misunderstood term. Most people think it’s synonymous with braille signs. Certainly, signs with braille and raised characters are the most visible manifestation of the law requiring access to the built environment, but the sign standards in the ADA Accessibility Guidelines, or ADAAG, require much more than just braille and raised characters on some business signs.
Let’s face it. ADA regulations don’t leave much wiggle room on most design elements. Here’s a little ADA 101 for you…Letters can’t be smaller than 5/8-inch or larger than 2 inches. All letters must be a minimum 3/32 inches thick for tactility. And, generally, you cannot use elaborate or decorative fonts. San Serif fonts, like Helvetica, are the staple of most ADA signs. It may sound restrictive, and it is at some level, but the goal is not to stifle creativity. The goal is to serve an intended audience.
While ADA guidelines define font size, contrast and other criteria, the law does not define specific design criteria as it relates to aesthetics. Letter height, Braille placement, font, and color contrast make only minimal impacts on the visual appearance. There are ways to make ADA signage more attractive while still adhering to the guidelines.
ADA-compliant materials are one way to make the difference between a boring sign and an attractive presentation. Sign frames with the ability to change printed inserts are another. Finally, understanding what the guidelines really say about color contrast and icons could give you more freedom than you thought.
Signs can be manufactured from an amazing variety of materials ranging from basic plastics to very elaborate designs of natural stone, woods or metals. Even new synthetic materials designed for counter-tops are excellent choices for this type of signage. We are finding new ways to add flexibility to the mix, though. New products, combined with color matching skills and ability to understand what the regulations do and do not mean can yield ADA signs fitting for even the most sophisticated settings.
Check out some of our ADA custom signage
For all your nationwide corporate branding and sign needs, visit our website www.alphabetshop.com


