Yard signs can be found anywhere—at school events, in your neighbor's yard, outside your favorite restaurant, at the entrance of that neighborhood you passed yesterday, and outside of stores—and for good reason. They're low-cost, custom signage that builds brand awareness, drives responses, informs your target audience, directs traffic, boosts supporter engagement, and so much more. And when designed effectively, they catch the eye of everyone passing by, resulting in amazing results.
If you're interested in creating a successful yard sign campaign, check out these 10 yard sign design tips now:
10 Tips for Designing an Effective Yard Sign
1. Choose the Right Yard Sign Size
The yard sign size you choose should be based on your goals and the location where you'll place it.
For example, if the goal is to catch people's eye across the street or direct drivers in a specific direction, a larger size, 24" x 18" or 36" x 24", will ensure your sign is visible and legible. On the other hand, if your goal is to inform visitors of a promotion as they enter your business, a large yard sign may overcrowd the entranceway, in which case an 18" x 12" or 24" x 18" sign will promote your message more effectively.
2. Keep It Simple
The goal of signs is to catch the eye of your audience and deliver your message immediately. Because of this, you need to keep your messaging and design simple and straight to the point.
For example, a headline that tells your audience exactly what your sign is about at first glance, your logo, contact information such as your phone number or QR code, and directional design elements such as an arrow, if applicable, are more than enough. If there are too many details and design elements within your yard sign design, your audience won't pause to read and begin to understand it; instead, it needs to take them only a few seconds to fully comprehend what your sign is about.
3. Make Your Headline Stand Out
The headline of your yard sign is the main focus and tells your audience what you are promoting and what you want them to do. Because of this, it needs to be large, bold, and easy to read from a relatively far distance.
Avoid making your font height any less than 4" and keep the font size proportional to the overall dimensions of your sign. Typically, font 5" to 7" tall is ideal for increasing readability and effectiveness.
In addition, like the tip above, the headline must be short and straightforward. For example, "Now Hiring," "House for Sale," and "Free Tire Change" tell the reader exactly what they need to know in just a few words.
4. Select The Right Font
While the headline and all font within your yard sign design must be large enough to read, they must also be easy to understand.
Avoid cursive and hard-to-read fonts. Fonts like Arial, Calibri, Impact, or similar fonts are typically easy to read at first glance and at far distances.
In addition to choosing an easy-to-read font, make sure you choose one that aligns with your brand.
5. Use High-Contrast Colors
Yellow font on a white background and black font on a dark blue background can become impossible to read, resulting in less-than-desired response rates.
When designing your yard sign, include high contrast throughout the entire design to ensure your sign stands out and is legible. For example, keep all light text and design elements on a dark background and dark ones on a light background.
6. Use a Yard Sign Design Template
Whether you're a professional designer or new to designing signage, using a yard sign template in your desired size will help ensure your design is set up perfectly for printing. To take advantage of a yard sign design template, select your size below to download a template. The following templates, in each size, include an InDesign file set up with the correct dimensions, a customizable InDesign template to inspire you and help make the design process seamless, and an annotated PDF template that includes guides for where to place design elements and that you can place within your desired design platform.
Use our free yard sign design templates for your selected yard sign size:
7. Consider Both Sides of Your Sign
Depending on where your yard sign will be placed, it may be beneficial to print on both sides so that your message is seen no matter which direction traffic is coming from. Luckily, double-sided yard sign printing is only a few dollars more than single-sided printing.
If your yard sign will be placed near sidewalks or roads, you should consider printing on both sides so that your audience can view it from either direction.
8. Don’t Forget Your Brand
When designing a sign for your company or organization, you must include your company name or logo and brand colors. By doing so, you spread brand awareness and build strong brand recognition.
For example, a lawn care company may place a yard sign in a customer's yard with its company name, logo, and contact information to spread awareness in a specific neighborhood. A political candidate will also use this same tactic by creating yard signs that include their name in bold to drive potential supporters to vote for them.
9. Keep It Clean with Negative Space
Negative space, or places within the design that are left blank, is key to any good design. You should leave around 40% of your sign blank to break up your content, increase readability, and draw attention to your sign.
When you have too many design elements and text within your sign, it becomes overwhelming and hard to read, resulting in people ignoring or misunderstanding your sign.
10. Include a Clear Call to Action
Suppose the goal of your yard sign is to get a response, whether that be someone contacting you to learn more, voting for you, applying for an open position, or making a purchase. In that case, you must include a clear call to action with relevant contact information.
For example, if your goal is to have your audience contact you to request a quote for your window installations, include a message that says "Request A Quote Today" with your phone number in bold so it's easy to take the next steps and contact you.
By following the above 10 design tips, you can create a successful yard sign in no time. Once your design is complete, make sure to find a yard sign printing company that will help you bring your sign to life affordably and with the highest quality.
At Conquest Graphics, we're experts in yard sign printing and can even help you with the design. If you're interested in custom yard signs, click below to get started on your project today, or give us a call at 800-707-9903.
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