Why Hire a Designer for Your Custom Signs?

The right sign will invite customers into your business and make passersby aware of your presence. Creating your sign may be difficult if you aren’t familiar with the sign design process. Luckily, you can seek the help of a sign designer. If you don’t know why you should hire a designer for your custom signs, we’ll outline the cost of trying to create your signage and the benefits of hiring a sign designer.

With the help of a custom sign designer, your business can gain more traction. A custom sign will lead customers right to your door and let them know about your business in ways like these.

1. Advertising: Get the word out about your business with a custom sign. Customers will see the name of your business on your sign, and it will stick with them if you order a high-quality custom sign.
2. Finding the location: Using a sign for your business will guide potential customers to you as they drive around. You don’t want your business hiding among other storefronts that have eye-catching signs, so tell customers exactly where you are.
3. Finding directions: Signs will also guide customers inside your business after they’ve gotten out of their cars. Tell them how to get to your front door or your location in a larger building.
4. Understanding the type of business: Give customers an idea about what you offer with the right sign. A custom sign will better convey the tone of your business to potential customers.

Knowing how you can use a custom sign is one part of the equation. You’ll also need to know if your industry will benefit from custom signage.

What Types of Businesses Benefit From Custom Signs?

Any industry can benefit from custom business signs. If your business has a storefront, lobby or other physical locations, you can draw in customers with a custom sign. Some businesses that we at Integrated Sign Associates service include:

• Banking
• Property management
• Construction and contracting firms
• Corporate
• Architectural
• Education
• Small businesses

While custom business signage helps the above industries, any company with a storefront should use some variety of signs. You may be looking at your building wondering where a graphic sign could go. You have a lot of options when it comes to placing custom signs throughout your business, all of which will benefit potential customers in some way.

Where Can You Put Custom Signage?

When you imagine a sign for your business, you may picture one on the storefront with your business’ name. While that’s certainly an option, there are plenty of other uses a sign can have. To implement these uses, you can hang a graphic sign indoors or outdoors. Indoor options include the following.

1. ADA signage: The Americans with Disabilities Act implements rules for business signs. While the inclusion of Braille is part of these rules, there are other regulations such as minimal glare, high color contrast and easy-to-read fonts. Signs that must meet these requirements provide directions or information about a room or building, among other details, and are known as code signage.
2. Directories: Most commonly located inside a lobby, directories tell visitors to your business where to go. Custom directory signs can guide visitors to the floor they need in multistory buildings or to a room in a larger facility. Without a directory, your potential customers won’t be able to find you.
3. Lobby and reception signs: Give your business’ lobby a professional touch with reception signs. Display the name of your business with a decorative and stylish sign in your lobby or behind the reception desk.

Of course, to see your indoor signs, you’ll have to encourage customers outside to enter. Custom outdoor signs to draw customers in include:

1. Blade signs: These signs mount from the side of a building or storefront and will drive foot traffic into your business. Blade signs come in lit or unlit varieties and are one of the most popular custom sign options.
2. Monument signs: A monument sign is perfect for buildings not directly on a main road. Alert potential customers of your presence and let them know where they can find you with these grand signs.
3. Neon signs: For a vintage look, choose a neon sign to light up the outside of your storefront. A professional sign designer is the best choice to create a custom neon sign, given the complexity of the materials involved.

Above are some examples of the professional and high-quality signs you can get when you work with a designer. With so many graphic sign possibilities, it can be hard to choose what to get for your company. When you do decide what’s best for your business, you’ll need to know why you should choose a professional sign designer to create your custom product.

What Are the Advantages of Hiring a Custom Sign Designer?

You could try to design and create a sign for yourself using a print shop, but you’ll miss out on what a sign design company can offer. With a custom sign designer, you will get these benefits and more.

1. Professional quality: You want to convey to potential customers that you are a serious and professional business. The first thing a customer sees before they enter your building is the sign on your storefront. Be sure that that sign has a high-quality design and durable materials, so it remains looking polished over time.
2. Branding your business: Whether you’re a new business owner or your current business needs an update, a sign designer will help you set the tone for your business. Customers will start to associate your business with the professional, artistic and high-quality sign style a designer creates for you.
3. Unique signs: Working with a custom sign designer ensures your product won’t look the same as other buildings on your block. Your business sign design will set you apart from other companies when your sign stands out from the rest.
4. Bring your idea to life: Maybe you know exactly how you want your sign to look, right down to the font, but you aren’t sure how to make it. Consult with a sign designer to turn your ideas into a reality.
5. Get an idea if you don’t have one: If you don’t have a direction for your sign’s appearance, a professional designer can help you. From colors to fonts to the layout of the sign, a graphic sign designer knows how to create the most eye-catching and professional signage, so you can brainstorm together.
6. Create a new logo: Similar to a sign company creating the design for you, they may also help you create a logo for your business. It may be challenging to choose an image to represent your brand on your own. Whether you need a logo for your new business or you’d like to update your current one, a designer can help.
7. Help for non-creative types: While a sign designer is willing to brainstorm custom signage designs with you, they can also take over the whole process if you don’t feel like you’re a creative type. They can offer a variety of sign design ideas for you to choose from so you can select an option that suits your brand.
8. Sign consultation: A professional sign designer will work with you to create the sign that’s right for your business. With a print shop, you would have to come up with the design concepts and mock-ups on your own. A designer will advise you on the best style for your company’s brand and provide examples to browse. Convey the right tone to customers with a designer’s help.
9. More options: A print shop or your DIY skills can only get you so far. A sign designer has access to different materials and tools to help you create monument signs, neon signs and others you wouldn’t be able to make yourself. A designer will take those options and narrow down what’s best for your business and location. Different materials work better in different climates and positions inside or on a building, and a design company knows what is appropriate.

Custom sign designers want what is best for your business, just as you do. A trustworthy designer will be one you’ll want to work with for years on other projects that come up for your business. If you’ve built a relationship with a specific design company, every project will be easier, since they already know about your business. To reach that point, you have to start the process of custom sign design with a company.

What Is a Sign Designer’s Process?

When you begin working with a sign designer, they’ll need a few pieces of information to help bring your sign to life. A sign design company may ask for:

• What your business does or provides
• The tone or branding of your business
• The purpose of your sign
• What the sign will say, preferably with seven words or fewer
• Where the sign will go
• The approximate size of the sign
• Your logo or an idea for your logo
• The address of your business
• When you plan to open, if you aren’t already

With the pieces of information above, a custom sign designer can provide a more accurate consultation. At Integrated Sign Associates, we ask for the information above to create your sign promptly. You’ll be happier with your results if you give as many details as you can and answer what the designer requests. From there, you only have to go through a few more steps before your sign is up and attracting customers.

1. Drafting the design: After your consultation, the designer will begin creating concept art for your sign before fabrication. From there, the designer may create a digital mock-up so you can visualize how the finished product will look on or in your building.
2. Selecting a design: A designer will help you make the best decision if you’re overwhelmed by the options. Choose a design and sign off on it so the designer can begin the sign fabrication process.
3. Obtaining permits: Signs must be up to your city’s code so they are not at any risk of falling or damaging your building. Some sign design companies will walk you through the permit process, and others complete the permit process for you to ensure your sign is up to code.
4. Installing the sign: Once the designer completes sign fabrication, it’s time for the reveal. If the design company is local to you, they’ll offer installation services. If the company ships the sign to you, you should find an insured installation company to put up your sign rather than trying to do it yourself.

The sign design process is straightforward with the help of a design company. If you still think your better option would be to get your signage through a print shop, consider the cost of not hiring a designer.

What Is the Cost of Not Hiring a Sign Designer?

DIY signage or going through a print shop to get your products may seem like the better, cheaper option at first, but the long-term costs aren’t worth the initial price. If you don’t hire a sign designer, you may have extra costs and less revenue down the line from factors such as the following.

1. Multiple signs: You may have to pay for numerous signs when the design doesn’t come out the way you’d hope. You won’t have to wait for a replacement sign if you work with a designer, meaning you’ll get the right sign first and on time.
2. Replacement signs and repairs: You’ll have to pay to replace the sign after a while, since print shops don’t use high-quality materials. A graphic sign designer uses the most durable materials available. A print shop’s signage will become outdated and won’t last long. Signs in disrepair convey negative messages about your business to potential customers and cost a lot to repair or replace, especially when you have to do it every few years.
3. Lower-cost design leads to a lower return on investment: On top of the extra money you’ll have to spend later on with a lower-quality sign, less impressive designs will leave your company’s profits falling short. Choosing impressive and slightly more expensive designs will encourage more individuals to become customers, increasing your profits and helping you see a return on the investment of your signage.

Since the quality of a sign designer’s product is higher, their price may be more than what you would pay a print shop. With all the benefits that come with a custom sign, however, you’ll save money in the long run and be happier with the results by choosing a professional graphic sign company.

Why You Should Get Custom Signs With Integrated Sign Associates

When you’re ready to hire a designer for your custom signs, Integrated Sign Associates is here to help. At ISA, we work with you to create signage that suits your business’ and your building’s needs. Our graphic sign solutions feature high-quality materials every step of the way. We use up-to-date software to create the most eye-catching product for you. Browse our range of custom business signage to choose what your company needs.

Contact ISA today at 619-579-2229 or with our online form to start your sign design process or receive a free graphic sign quote.