
Indoor signs
8/11/2021
You may have a great-looking sign, but it won't matter how attractive your signage is if your customers can't see it. Ensuring that potential customers can view and understand your message is vital to the long-term success of your business and your brand.
Below is a chart that advises on the appropriate letter height for readability at certain distances. This can be used for both indoor and outdoor signs.
Letter Height |
Distance For |
Maximum Readable Distance (feet) |
---|---|---|
3" |
30' |
100' |
4" |
40' |
150' |
6" |
60' |
200' |
8" |
80' |
350' |
9" |
90' |
400' |
10" |
100' |
450' |
12" |
120' |
525' |
15" |
150' |
630' |
18" |
180' |
750' |
24" |
240' |
1000' |
30" |
300' |
1250' |
36" |
360' |
1500' |
42" |
420' |
1750' |
48" |
480' |
2000' |
54" |
540' |
2250' |
60" |
600' |
2500' |
A high-color contrast factor will improve legibility. Here are the best combinations, ranked in order of legibility from a distance.
If your branding happens to have a combination of colors that don't contrast well, don't worry! Weak color contrasts can be strengthened with an outline or drop shadow. For outdoor signs especially, this can also help maintain contrast in spite of fading, weathering and other adverse effects.
Whether you're creating a banner, post and panel sign or monument sign, the size of your outdoor sign will depend on a number of factors, including:
Where is the sign positioned and who is likely to see it? If it's for drivers on the freeway 20 feet below, you may need some large 3D letters or a pylon sign for proper visibility. If you're communicating to pedestrians just a few feet away, then a simple a-frame or window graphic will suffice.
Pedestrians can usually read signs easily at walking speed. However, if there's vehicular traffic moving 50 miles per hour, your sign will need to be big enough for them to notice and read clearly - and fast. For these situations, a large vinyl banner is an ideal temporary choice, while a monument sign or post and panel sign can act as something more permanent.
If your sign is one of many competing signs - such as in a shopping center or at a busy trade show - you'll probably strive for something bigger and better than your competitors. If, on the other hand, you're posting a lone yard sign on an otherwise empty green, you can scale back on size assuming, the sign is legible.
If you already have a specific sign type in mind for your outdoor sign, here are some size variations for common sign types:
To learn more, check out our Outdoor Signs infographic.