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How To Create Lawn Signs That Get Noticed

Though there are dozens of uses for custom-printed lawn signs, the end goal is the same for all of them — to get noticed and motivate your audience to respond in some way. So whether you’re advertising a tag sale, stumping for your favorite candidate, or celebrating a recent graduate, there are rules of thumb you should follow to make sure your signs command the attention they’re supposed to.

Follow Basic Principles of Good Design

You don’t need to be a graphic designer to create attractive and effective lawn signs as long as you keep the following in mind:

Fonts

  1. Choose easy-to-read fonts. In most cases, it’s best to stick with simple serifs or sans serifs, rather than scripts. Script (or cursive) lettering can be hard to read, especially in the short time a person sees it as he or she drives by.
  2. Make sure your text is large enough to read at a distance while driving or walking.
  3. Choose a font color that stands out well against the background. 

Information

  1. Less is more. Communicate what you need to as succinctly as possible — remember a person will only see your lawn signs for a few moments as they go by.
  2. On the other hand, include enough information for your audience to understand what your sign is for and what action (if any) they should take. 
  3. Include an address, phone number, or website to lead your audience to take action or find out more.

Graphics/Photos

  1. A great picture can communicate so much more than text alone, so consider combining graphic elements with your text to make your lawn signs look professional.
  2. Coordinate the colors of your text and background with your logo for a pulled-together look.
  3. Balance the size of your text with your visual elements, so each is large enough to be seen and read clearly.
  4. Using a photo or image as a background can be tricky to pull off well. If you do, make sure the image is transparent enough to keep the text legible.

Choose a Prime Location 

Where you put your lawn signs is critical to getting them noticed. If you plan to post them on your own property, decide what location is the most prominent and receives the most traffic. Place them away from trees, bushes, or other landscaping that may obscure them from view, keeping in mind your signs should be visible from both directions of traffic.

If your location doesn’t receive much traffic, consider placing your signs on a busier street, at intersections, or near shopping centers. Just make sure your neighborhood or town allows that, so you don’t risk getting fined and having to remove them.

Use a Quality Printing Company 

A good printing company will have several options of sizes and materials you can choose from and print your lawn signs in a high resolution with weatherproof inks. If you don’t want to create your sign from scratch, you can work from one of the many templated designs they offer. And, if you’d rather hand over the entire job to a professional, many printers also have graphic designers onsite to work with you to create exactly what you need.

At Minuteman Press of New England, we can help you get your message out there and get it noticed, with fast turnaround times and quality that can’t be beaten. Contact us for a quote today!

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Everything You Need To Know About Floor Decals

If you’re ready to employ a little creative marketing or artistic flair at your business, school, church, or home, look no further than floor decals to beautify your space and command attention. Floor graphics can be used for a wide variety of applications and are durable, long-lasting, and removable — making them an economical choice with a big return for your investment. Here’s what you need to know as you consider why, where, and how you want to use them.

Types of Floor Decals

Decals are essentially giant removable stickers that are durable enough to withstand regular foot traffic. They are made of vinyl or aluminum and consist of three layers: the base layer on which your design is printed, an adhesive layer to make it stick, and a non-slip laminate coating that protects your design from scratches, scuffs, and fading. Floor decals come in indoor and outdoor applications, are printed in full color, and can be cut into any shape (regular or irregular) that you desire.

Indoor

Vinyl floor graphics are best suited for hard, non-porous surfaces, such as tile, hardwood, laminate, and indoor concrete. If you want to install your decals on carpet, a different type of vinyl is used that is made especially for carpeting. Not all carpets are good candidates for decals, however. They must have a very tight weave and a short nap — commercial or automobile carpeting, for example — so they are generally not suitable for residential applications. Both floor and carpet graphics have a non-slip, non-skid surface that is safe to walk on and holds up well for up to 2-3 years on floors and 3-6 months on carpeting.

Outdoor

Outdoor floor decals are made with an aluminum foil base and are best used on concrete sidewalks and asphalt. The non-slip protective layer is also waterproof, making it durable enough to handle various weather conditions in addition to regular traffic for up to 4-5 years.

Uses for Floor Decals

You can use custom-designed floor decals to provide instruction or direction, advertise, attract attention, or even just add beauty and design to a bland or unattractive floor. Whether utilitarian or creative (or both!), there are endless possibilities for their use. Here are few ideas to get you started:

  • Social distancing guides
  • Traffic pattern guides
  • Sale advertisements
  • Designated “selfie spots” (social media advertising)
  • Wedding and event photos, text, or logos
  • Decorative, non-slip designs for bathroom floor tile
  • Logo designs for churches, schools, gyms, or garage floors
  • 3D art or advertising 

How to Design Floor Decals

No matter how basic or creative you want your floor graphics to be, good design is important. For informational graphics, choose a font that is easy to read. Not only is the typeface important, but also the size and color of your text and background. There are some color combinations that are difficult for people with color-blindness to read, for instance. It’s also important that your design is the correct size and resolution, so your text and graphics are crisp and clear.

You can design your own floor decals with a graphics program and upload them to your printer, use your printer’s templates or designs and customize them, or hire a graphic designer to create something for you. Many printers have designers on staff who can work with you to design exactly what you need. Whatever you choose, your design will be printed in full color on high-quality vinyl or aluminum and cut into whatever shape and size you want.

How To Apply and Remove Floor Decals

Whether indoors or out, the most important rule to follow in preparation is to make sure your surface is clean, dry, and smooth. Dust, debris, moisture, and cracks all compromise the adhesion of your floor graphics, shortening their lifespan and weakening their durability. Equally important is to use the correct material for your application — if you are unsure, your printing company can advise you on what to use.

To Apply:

  1. Peel off adhesive backing.
  2. Apply carefully from the center outward, using a squeegee to flatten and push any bubbles out the edges.
  3. Allow your floor decals to sit undisturbed for 8 hours (more for very large graphics) to ensure proper adhesion.

To Remove:

  1. Peel the graphic back slowly at a 90-degree angle. It should come off cleanly, but if it does not, you can use a heat gun and a thin, plastic scraper to assist in the removal. 
  2. Use your scraper to gently remove any sticker residue that remains, followed by citrus- or alcohol-based cleaner to thoroughly clean the floor underneath. Rinse and dry the area to ensure the floor is neither sticky nor slippery once you’re done.

Affordable, durable, and easy to install on nearly any surface, floor decals ensure that your ads, information, and designs will get noticed, particularly because people tend to look down when they’re walking or on their phones. Minuteman Press of New England can help you from start to finish on any design you can dream up — contact them today for a quote.

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5 Ways Your Company Can Use Custom-Printed Stickers

There’s something compelling about stickers. Do you remember how you felt when you earned one for a job well done as a child, or when you collected them to decorate your notebook, instrument case, or school locker as a teen? Even as an adult, you probably still wear an “I Voted” sticker on your shirt every Election Day, and maybe even have a few stickers on the back of your car. Whatever purpose they serve, stickers are fun, useful, and a fantastic way to promote your business. When you design creative, colorful, custom-printed stickers, they will undoubtedly command attention and make your business memorable.

Promotional Giveaways

Here are some popular ways to get your stickers (and your brand) out there for your target audience to enjoy:

  • At trade shows
  • At sponsored events
  • As a thank you gift with purchase
  • Inside business thank you or holiday cards
  • At your reception desk or front counter
  • As a thank you for filling out a survey
  • As a lead magnet for email subscription

Make sure your sticker has intrinsic value to its recipients so it won’t just be thrown away — your logo, graphic, or text should be well-designed, cool, and creative. Custom-printed stickers can be contour-cut in every shape imaginable, even with cutouts, if that’s part of your design. Take the time and energy needed to produce a quality product people will enjoy. Your sticker should look and feel like a little piece of art that begs to be displayed somewhere. 

Product and Packaging Labels

If your products or packaging need labels anyway, why not go with something beautiful or surprising? Besides your company logo, consider incorporating other elements that will make your label special, such as graphic embellishments, an inspirational quote, or your brand’s mission or vision statement. Going that extra step shows that you care about details and quality, and that your customers are worth the effort and a little extra expense. If you ship products that have paper or plastic packaging, sealing them with a custom-printed sticker will add a personal touch. Even better, include an extra one your customer can keep!

Vehicle Wraps

Did you know that vehicle wraps are just giant-sized, contour-cut vinyl stickers? Whether you want your company logo on the side doors or your entire vehicle wrapped in a colorful, eye-catching design, your company car can become a mobile billboard that advertises your business everywhere it goes, and even when it’s parked. Because it’s relatively inexpensive (usually between $1,000 – $4000) and lasts for multiple years, it can produce a higher ROI than just about any other type of visual advertising.

Floor or Wall Decals

Floor or wall decals can be as utilitarian as directional signs and promotional advertisements, or as creative as anything your imagination can conjure up. You can use custom-printed stickers as art for purely decorative purposes, for images and text that will inform, inspire, or make people laugh, or even for encouraging customers to take photos and share them on social media. It’s a great way to showcase your brand identity, your company culture, and your enthusiasm for what you do.

Cell Phone or Laptop Decals

Depending on your target market, larger contour-cut stickers may not be as desirable or cost-effective for you as tiny stickers. People of all ages use decals to decorate their phone cases, laptops, and desktop computers — just to name a few. Again, the cooler the design, the more attractive they’ll be, and the longer they’ll “stick around.” 

Minuteman Press of New England will turn your great design into custom-printed, contour-cut stickers of any size, shape, or application. Our printing experts will work with you to ensure you receive a quality product you’ll love and be proud to share with the world.