Menu

Large Format Printing

Print signage and digital signage

How to Choose Between Digital and Print Signage

, ,

Using signs can help create a strong and cohesive image for a business. Print signage, such as posters, banners, and brochures, is a cost-effective way to communicate with customers and convey important information. In contrast, digital signage can offer the same brand messaging but with a different price tag. Let’s explore each option to determine the best fit for your business goals and budget.

What is Digital Signage?

Digital signage typically uses LED or LCD screens to display digital content such as images, videos, and multimedia. Displays can connect to a centralized management system, which allows for remote control and updating of the content displayed. Digital signage gets used for advertising, promotional or informational purposes in public spaces like retail stores, airports, or public transportation.

What is Print Signage?

Print signage is a traditional form of advertising and information distribution created by printing designs or messages onto physical materials such as paper, cardboard, vinyl, corrugated plastic, or other substrates. You can find these signs in public spaces, such as store windows, billboards, or events. Print signage does not require electricity or electronic components, so it’s a low-maintenance option for advertising and promotion. It can be produced in various sizes and formats and convey as much information as digital signs.

The Advantages of Using Digital Signage

Using digital signage gives you advantages such as dynamic and attention-grabbing content, affordability, quick updates, increased interaction, and the capability to reach specific groups of people.

  1. Increased Engagement and Interactivity: Digital signage can grab the audience’s attention with dynamic visuals and interactive content.
  2. Customizable and Updatable: Digital signage can be easily updated and customized in real-time, allowing quick changes to be made to content as needed.
  3. Increased Reach: Digital signage can attract more people, especially in busy shopping centers, airports, or transportation hubs.
  4. Cost-Effective: In the long run, digital signage can be more cost-effective than traditional forms of advertising, as it eliminates the need for printing costs and offers more flexibility.

The Drawbacks of Using Digital Signage

Digital signage tends to be more expensive, and someone has to keep it going and troubleshoot the sign if there is a problem.

  1. High Initial Costs: The cost of digital signage systems gets high, especially if you want to implement a large-scale solution.
  2. Technical Complexity: Setting up and maintaining digital signage can be technically complex and require specialized knowledge.
  3. Fragile Hardware: Digital signage hardware, such as displays and media players, can be fragile and susceptible to damage.
  4. Limited Audience Targeting: It can be challenging to target specific demographics with digital signage as it is usually placed in public areas and seen by many people.

The Advantages of Using Print Signage

You can get printed signage for the front of a store, for billboards, for a road sign, for areas inside the store, etc., without busting the marketing budget.

  1. Cost-effective: Print signage is often a more cost-effective option for short-term advertising campaigns or events, as it does not require investment in electronic hardware or technical maintenance.
  2. Durability: Print signage materials, such as vinyl or cardboard, are generally more durable and weather-resistant than electronic displays, making them suitable for outdoor use. There are ways to maintain your print signage when not in use.
  3. Easy to Produce: Print signage can be made quickly and easily and does not require specialized technical knowledge or equipment.
  4. Customizable: Print signage can be customized to meet specific needs and requirements, such as size, shape, and design.
  5. Wide Reach: Print signage can be displayed in various public spaces, such as store windows, billboards, or events, making it accessible to a broad audience.

The Drawbacks of Using Print Signage

The disadvantages of print signage include the need for physical updates, potential fading or damage over time, limitations in design and customization options, and higher upfront costs than digital signage.

  1. Design Limitations: Depending on the printing method and materials used, it may be difficult to produce certain types of effects or finishes, or to create signs that are highly interactive or dynamic.
  2. Updates: Updating or changing print signage requires new materials and printing, which can be costly and time-consuming.
  3. Installation: Print signage can be more difficult to install and maintain particularly if it is large or needs to be placed in a challenging location.
  4. Maintenance: Physical signs require regular maintenance and cleaning to maintain their appearance and visibility. If signage is not properly cared for or protected from environmental factors such as weather and normal wear and tear, it can fade overtime.

How to Choose the Right Type of Signage for Your Business

It’s crucial to weigh the advantages and drawbacks of digital and print signage to make an informed decision. But ultimately, the best option will depend on your business’s specific needs and goals.
Get the guidance you need by speaking with an industry professional. The knowledgeable team at Bishop Image Group will assist you in designing and determining the best signage solution for your needs. Don’t wait, reach out to us today to embark on your signage endeavor.

Request a Quote Today

Designing Signage for Educational Institutions_ Tips and Tricks Featured Image

Designing Signage for Educational Institutions: Tips and Tricks

, ,

Educational institutions are places of order, learning and organization. They rely on a well thought out structure to function, and a part of that structure involves signage. In fact, educational institutions rely on signage more than many other organizations because it shows students where to proceed to the next class, cafeteria lunch hours, who teaches in what classroom and so on.

When it comes to school signage, the design and imagery must be straightforward for students, faculty, and visitors to decipher. Depending on the age of the students, the signs may need to convey meaning without using written words.

In this article, we will take a deep dive into educational signage, explore the use of popular signage types, and offer valuable insights on how to effectively integrate your institution’s branding in your signage design.

Factors to Consider When Designing Signage

Signage must work for the people who rely on it every day. In order for an educational institution to create truly effective signage, the following must be taken into consideration:

  • Target Audience. Educational institutions may have many audiences including small children, teenagers, their parents and other visitors. Each audience may have different requirements of their signage. For example, small children who barely know how to read or don’t know how to read at all may rely on graphics more than written signs in order to get around.
  • Branding and Messaging. Every educational institution has its own branding and every sign has its own messaging. Consider using your brand colors, logos or your mascot to add an original element that showcases your brand. The messaging should be simple and brief so it can be read and understood at a glance.
  • Location and Visibility. When considering the placement of your sign, there are several variables to keep in mind, including the purpose of the signage, the intended audience, and foot traffic. Here are a few key areas that should be considered: Near or above a building entrance, on a busy sidewalk, on the side of a building, in an auditorium, or on a vehicle. These options offer the potential for maximum visibility for your message to be read.
  • Materials and Durability. Some signs – particularly outdoor signs – are subjected to rain, snow and other harsh environments. These signs must be made from durable materials that will not deteriorate when exposed to UV rays, extreme temperatures and precipitation.

Tips for Effective Signage Design

Educational institutions can use the following best practices to create effective signage.

  • Keep it simple and legible. Use as few words as possible and use an easy to read font for your signs.
  • Use contrasting colors. Contrasting colors make signs easy to read because the contrast ensures that the words or pictures stands out well from the background.
  • Incorporate imagery and graphics. Imagery and graphics when combined with words ensure that your signs will reach a wide audience age range.
  • Use directional signs. Schools can be big places. Using directional signs helps students navigate schools to get where they’re going.

Tricks to Make Your Signage Stand Out

It’s important to make your signage stand out and attract attention. The more attention your signage gets, the more effective it will be.

  • Use interactive technology. Interactive digital signage personalizes the experience for the user. Users can use interactive digital signage to get directions to a classroom, find an academic building, or navigate their way off campus.
  • Utilize the latest design trends. Use design trends such as popular fonts to make your signage more attractive to the current population.
  • Implement wayfinding systems. Wayfinding systems help users find the location they need to reach. Some examples of wayfinding include: classroom numbers, floor maps and directories, directional arrows and footprints, braille signage, and stairs/elevator signage.
  • Use landmarks to create memorable locations. Creating memorable and easily identifiable locations will help students and visitors navigate with ease.
  • Utilize sight lines. Placing signage within sight lines will allow visitors and students to easily locate key buildings, facilities, and areas, improving their overall experience.

Use Bishop Image Group to Create Educational Signage

If you’re looking to create high-quality educational signage that effectively communicates your institution’s message and enhances your overall brand, consider working with Bishop Image Group. With their expertise in design and production, as well as their commitment to personalized customer service, they can help you achieve your signage goals with ease.

As a certified Chicago Public School vendor, Bishop Image Group is experienced and ready to tackle any job. Contact Bishop Image Group today to get started.

Creating a Cohesive Signage Strategy for Multi-Location Businesses

Creating a Cohesive Signage Strategy for Multi-Location Businesses

, ,

Good signage means good communication, and good communication is great for business. Business signage is most effective when it’s cohesive, well-branded and professionally made. However, maintaining a cohesive signage strategy for a multi-location business can present several challenges, including the cost of maintenance, a lack of branding strategy, uncertainty about signage needs, compliance with local regulations, communication difficulties, and other potential factors.

Let’s start by breaking down how to determine brand identity ahead of making business signs, how to identify signage needs and implementation and maintenance of the signage itself.

Understanding Your Brand Identity

A clear brand identity is an important part of creating cohesive signage, especially when there are multiple locations for the business. You want your branding to be eye-catching and easily recognizable by your customers. If your business doesn’t yet have a plan for cohesive branding, this is something you should plan to discuss with your signage company.

Brand identity is determined by knowing your company’s goals, identifying your customers and creating a personality for your company. Once your company knows its brand identity, the colors and symbols on your business signage will fall into place. Some tips for creating a strong brand identity:

  • Perform market research to more thoroughly understand your company and its role for your customers.
  • Align your business with a marketing company that can help you perform this research.
  • Develop a story that supports your brand.
  • Create a brand promise, then ensure that your company makes good on that promise to your customers.

Identifying Your Signage Needs

When identifying your signage needs, keep in mind that some branches of your business may have needs now that other branches won’t have for a while. Assume that each location will eventually need each type of signage and plan for your signage to remain consistent across each location.

Conduct a signage audit of each location to determine their signage requirements. Ask business managers to fill out a questionnaire, or visit each location individually. Factors to consider when trying to choose the right signage for each location includes:

  • Location of the sign within the branch
  • Size of the sign required
  • Information to be conveyed with the sign
  • Purpose of the sign

Signage Installation and Maintenance

Maintaining a cohesive signage strategy is important because it helps create a relationship between different branches of the business while also conveying important information to customers and vendors. Good signage keeps businesses functioning.

Once your signage strategy has been professionally developed through a trusted partner, each location will need to know:

  • Where the signage will be located
  • How to best leverage your signage to inform customers
  • When signage should be switched out or updated
  • How to keep your signage in presentable condition, if maintenance is required

Create a best practices document for your business signage to ensure that staff at each location knows where and when to use signage. To ensure that your signage strategy will work across all locations, create a comment period and allow each location to provide comments, feedback and concerns about signage before setting the requirements in stone.

Having a plan that works across multiple locations will help ensure consistency at each location, however, to ensure that your signage plan works at each location, you must be open to accepting feedback and maintaining flexibility.

Consult with Bishops Image Group for Your Signage Needs

To ensure that your signs are consistent across multiple locations, it’s important to identify brand identity and signage needs, then you must create a plan and implement it. Creation of an effective signage strategy for multi-location businesses also starts with a team of experts. Bishops Image Group helps businesses achieve their signage goals by collaborating with you from the design phase through installation. Contact us today to bring your signage to life!

wide format printing

What Can Wide Format Printing Do?

,

Wide format printing is one of the newest printing methodologies, and has quickly grown in popularity – today, the global market for large format printing has grown to over $50 billion dollars.

Without the same printing constraints as earlier printing, wide format printing helps make your vision a reality at scale. Thanks to its versatility, these types of printers can be used for a large variety of applications, such as vehicle cling wraps, storefront signage, trade show graphics, and more. It has even been used for office graphics, and can double as a wall covering!

With so many options at your disposal, is wide format printing the right choice for your business? In this blog, we answer a few questions about wide format printing and how it benefits organizations of all shapes and sizes.

What is Wide Format Printing?

Wide format printing, also known as large format printing, is a type of printing with a maximum print roll width generally between 18” and 96”. Images are applied by a computer-controlled system that spray onto stock that is rolled out into a printer.

While printing in a wider format means more surface area is covered in ink, this type of printing is generally pretty fast and efficient, meaning that jobs can be completed in a relatively minimal amount of time.

Although the time it takes to print may be speedy, considerations should be made around installation. With more area to play with, installation for these types of jobs generally takes longer, and should be handled by professionals.

Design Choices for Wide Format Printing

Because wide format printing is considerably larger than other methods of printing, designers need to take careful consideration around the graphical elements pertaining to large formats.

Wide format printing generally uses UV inks that are bright, easy to read, and resistant to damage from sunlight and weather. The range of colors give designers a vast spectrum of options to play with, but with that freedom comes additional considerations that relate to both the viewer and installation.

Wide format printing is big and bold, meaning that it should emphasize the graphical elements of a sign. Printing in a wide format should take advantage of images that speak to an audience, as opposed to signs that rely on language alone to convey a message.

The larger size means that greater attention should be taken to eliminating visual makes in design files. For instance, some files can become pixelated when they are blown up from a smaller file. While this may not be noticeable from a great distance, it can look unprofessional when seen up close.

Additionally, because it is a larger type of printing, installation should be handled carefully to ensure that it is applied to surfaces properly. Errors tend to be more pronounced with the larger amount of surface area.

Applications for Large Signage

As printing technology has evolved, so have the options for new surfaces to print on. Where once advertising was relegated to billboards and print ads, wide format printing allows a much larger array of options for getting your message out into the world.

Large format printing is often used for store signage that covers the windows and invites guests into an establishment. Advances in materials can allow for some interesting applications, such as being able to look out without viewers being able to look in. It can also decorate the interiors of buildings, adding a pop of visual flair that can inform and instruct visitors to any given establishment.

Because of the scale of large format printing, printing jobs like trade show signage can now be blown up to make an even louder impact. It can cover surfaces that aren’t flat, like the exterior of a vehicle. Large format printing means that you don’t have to restrict your message to two dimensions.

Printing or Installing for a Large Project? Think BIG

Are you looking for large format printing? Look no further than Bishop Image Group!

While we’re based in Chicago, we handle clients from coast to coast, delivering top-notch signage and installation at an incredible speed. We’re best known for our high quality and ability to deliver results quickly.

Are you ready to see the BIG difference? Contact us today for more information about our services.

real estate sign

Real Estate Sign Installation Provides 4 Unreal Results

,

Advertising on the front of real estate buildings is a great way to see returns on developing properties – real estate sign installation can help. Outdoor real estate signage develops interest and generates community awareness for upcoming or existing real estate developments and listings.

Effectively using realtor signs enables people to know about real estate changes in their neighborhood. These signs prove to be an effective tool used for informing prospective buyers about important information and key dates. Real estate signage can be used over the long-term to draw attention to your business, serving as an effective strategy for netting an ROI on your real estate development.

As a real estate developer, you should incorporate a realty sign strategy into your marketing mix to make sure your property is on the radar of prospective buyers. Still not convinced about the importance of real estate sign installation in front of your development? Here are four reasons that’ll convince you why to start seeing real estate signs as a powerful marketing tool.

Why does real estate sign installation make sense?

Even though real estate marketing has made strides in digital marketing strategies, signs are still integral to attracting buyers to any development. According to the National Association of Realtors, in spite of the lockdowns imposed in the wake of COVID-19, nearly 6 percent of buyers purchased a home only after seeing its real estate sign.

Alone or used in conjunction with other marketing techniques, real estate signage is a budget-friendly, simple, and effective method of advertising real estate developments. Besides putting your real estate in front of prospective buyers, here are the top benefits of using custom signage:

Displaying Contact Information

Real estate signage should have the name of your company along with contact details including a phone number, email address, a URL to your website, or any other relevant information that prospective buyers need. When the sign includes accurate contact details, it’ll allow buyers to reach out to you quickly. That means real estate signage will save your prospects the hassles of digging through multiple listing sites to find your contact details.

Helping you with word of mouth

Up to 80 percent of customers still rely on word-of-mouth recommendations and reviews. That means when you go with real estate sign installation, you have the opportunity to tap into the benefits brought by word of mouth. Signage helps both your neighbors and your community learn about your real estate’s sale. Even if your neighbors aren’t interested in purchasing your real estate, it opens up the possibility for members of their network, whether that be family, friends, or business colleagues, about the property in question.

Reusability

Most marketing materials you see today are somewhat disposable – after using it for one project, it has served its purpose and is generally discarded. However, signs like banners have longevity and durability – unlike conventional marketing collateral, signage can be used for multiple sites as long as the sign carries your current contact details and accurate business information. For budget-conscious marketing, this can serve as a major boon.

Budget-Friendly

Signs are inexpensive when compared with other ways of marketing your real estate. Unlike digital marketing campaigns, a sign doesn’t require software, salespeople, or large-scale ad budgets to implement – you hang up the sign, and it does the advertising work for you. More, it can give prospective buyers a sense of the space that you are looking to advertise – a building’s exterior doesn’t always indicate what it will be like on the inside.

Bishop Image Group: Chicago’s Leading Real Estate Sign Company

Whether your real estate projects are residential, commercial, or industrial, real estate is an expensive investment that requires future tenants to net profits. Real estate signage may provide an easy method of finding tenants, but to truly achieve success, your signs need to be memorable and stand out from the sprawl to direct the attention of people around you.

The best real estate signage companies understand that success is measured by creating a memorable viewing experience for passersby. Will people be reading these signs in their cars, or as pedestrians? Is the information easily readable, or is it cluttered with unnecessary graphics? Will people be genuinely interested in what your sign has to offer, or will it blend into the background?

At Bishop Image Group, we understand that signage isn’t just a fancy way to cover the front of a building – it needs to spark questions and conversations. While we operate primarily out of Chicago, we have helped clients from coast to coast, and have achieved outstanding results.

Looking to advertise your real estate? Contact us today to learn more about our offerings.  

Loyola banners

Large Format Printing: 3 Ways to Make Your Business Pop!

What makes your business different? You might be a restaurant with a hot take on fast casual, or a furniture shop that sells innovative luxury-brand designs that aren’t available elsewhere. You know what makes your business special. But do your customers?

Walking down a retail strip, the goods or services that you offer might look identical to the competition. Driving traffic can often come down to having an image that makes your business stand out. It’s worth your money to consider not only what you have to provide, but how you frame it looking from the outside, and there’s no easier way to do this than having a banner or sign that signals this at the front door.

What is large format printing? It’s the process of creating documents in sizes A3 and beyond. The capability to print in large sizes has helped businesses outshine the competition that’s stick with mainstream regular printing methods. It is done on non-paper substrates including canvas, acrylic, or vinyl, and its versatility makes it applicable for a variety of applications.

The use of this type of printing goes beyond retail spaces and storefront signage. From performance venues to real estate, and even the sides of cars, virtually every type of business can get their image out into the world. Billboard advertising may still be a common method of advertising, but as printing technology has developed, the reach of this kind of advertising has expanded to virtually every surface that one can imagine.

In this blog, we’re covering three of the ways that businesses use large format printing to get their brand into the world beyond the front of your store.

Large Format Printing Offers Clarity

Your brand depends on a level of professionalism. Your printing must clearly and concisely declare its values and conveys meaning to viewers. Printing high-resolution images that depict this accurately is an easy way for customers to retain knowledge of what it is that you have to offer. Simplicity is key.

Images are a fantastic tool for teaching. Around 65% of people are visual learners, meaning that any information that they gather this way is more likely to leave an impact than if they hear about your business by word of mouth. By pairing compelling visuals with attractive text, you can speak volumes about what it is that your business offers by simply showing rather than telling.

With the help of a specialist in large format printing, you can create vivid images that will help make your business stand out. Unlike a conventional desk printer, specialized printers won’t smudge the pictures.

Scale

Who says size doesn’t matter? Some of the most impactful visual ads are done at scale. Big print jobs are a great way to do this. Consider trade show printing. In a crowded room filled with different booths, people get confused. With signs that speak at scale, their decision becomes easier to make. While the end result often boils down to how you pitch your product, bigger can be better for attracting customers.

Variety

Billboards aren’t the only public place you can use to get your brand into the world. Part of the success of large format printing comes from where you can print your image. The most unexpected places can often leave the largest impact on a viewer. Whether you’re using an empty window, a car wrap, or even the side of the El train, large format printing lets you turn a large variety of surfaces into ad space.

Bishop Image Group: A Leader in Large Format Printing

Bishop Image Group offers end-to-end large format printing solutions that range from consulting and designing to printing and installation. Whether you’re looking to install banners, signage, tradeshow window graphics, large posters, or retail communications, BIG does it all. There’s a reason we call ourselves the printers of the impossible. Regardless of your printing challenge, we’ve probably already done it!

We’re not afraid to take on complex printing projects with tight time constraints. While we may be a Chicago sign company, our scope is national. From coast to coast, we’ve made a name for ourselves on both quality, efficiency, and being easy to work with. Contact us today for more information about how we can make your company the talk of the town.