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signage laws and regulations

commercial sign

Your Old Commercial Sign May Be a Liability

Presenting a polished image is one of the most important parts of running a successful business – an old commercial sign just won’t cut it. Although the saying goes “don’t judge a book by its cover,” displaying a professional first-impression increases interest in your brand and attracts new customers. Choosing an eye-catching aesthetically cohesive signage strategy is one of the best ways to ensure your brand reaches a wide audience and maintains relevance for years to come.

Dilapidated, worn, and outdated signs present an unkempt image to interested prospects. You want the first impression of your business to encourage new visitors by providing up-to-date information and striking visuals. Old commercial signage might be holding you back from achieving your long-term business goals.

Recognizing Potential Liabilities in an Old Commercial Sign

Out of date signs aren’t only visually displeasing, they may lead to injury if left unattended and in deteriorating conditions.

Outdated Information

Old signs might provide a degree of vintage charm, but there’s nothing less charming than displaying incorrect contact information and old business hours. Signs are supposed to guide and encourage customers to visit your business, so it’s essential that they provide current information about contacting and / or visiting your establishment. When your signs present accurate information it’s easy for customers to engage with your company.

ADA Compliance

It’s common for ADA compliance requirements to shift over time. Older signs might not comply with ADA guidelines, so it’s essential to ensure your business is accessible to everyone by updating signs. ADA regulations include elements like sign size, font size, background contrast, and accessibility aids like braille.

Structural Issues

Tilting, leaning, cracking signs are a definite turn-off for new customers curious about your business. Not only do poorly maintained signs give off an air of neglect and carelessness, they may also present safety hazards if not maintained properly. Ensuring the structural integrity of your sign may entail replacing the sign entirely or rebuilding the support system so the sign is safely mounted on the building.

Wear and Tear

No matter how carefully maintained they are, all signs eventually succumb to routine wear and tear.

Here are a few common instances of wear and tear you might notice on your signs:

  • Burnt out lights: if you have a neon sign, it’s important to stay on top of replacing burnt out lights. After all, gaps in lighting may make your sign inadvertently advertise a totally different business!
  • Dirt and Rust: outdoor signs are more prone to the elements than their indoor counterparts. Prevent dirt and rust from building up by giving your signs a proper clean every now and then and retouching cracked or peeling paint.
  • Fading: Signs that are placed in direct sunlight may fade over time as the saturated colors are bleached by the sun. To prevent this from happening, try to position signs in a less-exposed location.

What are the Benefits of Repairing an Old Commercial Sign?

Before diving into a long restoration process, let’s talk about some benefits you might gain from updating your signs.

Increase Customer Interest

We’ve said it before but we’ll say it again: professional signs attract new customers. Repairing your old sign gives your business a fresh face, so you’re ready to take on new clients and stand out among the crowd. Successful signs should cohere with your branding, color scheme, and logo, while still maintaining a timeless quality.

Demonstrate Attention to Detail

Whether you’re selling used furniture, gourmet meals, or fly-fishing equipment, a professional-looking sign demonstrates attention to detail and shows that you care about the success of your business.

Enhance Brand Awareness

Well-designed signs increase brand awareness among customers by providing a clean, memorable visual to represent your company. An updated sign identifies your business, and can be a great centerpiece for spreading your brand image and engaging with prospects via social media.

Update Your Signs with Bishop Image Group

Bishop Image Group is a leading provider of high-quality signs and prints. With 20 years of experience under our belts, we are ready to take on any challenge that comes our way. Our ethos is that no job is too tricky or too rushed to tackle. With a high level of professionalism, a commitment to quality results, and an array of personalized sign options, we are dedicated to leaving you 100% satisfied with your sign solutions.

high rise signage

Requirements and Benefits of High Rise Signage

Every building tenet knows that signing the lease is only the first step when it comes to moving into their new space. For professionals moving into a high rise living or office space, one of the most essential considerations is posting adequate high rise signage in the facility. Building signs need to perform multiple functions including: providing wayfinding information, alerting visitors to safety features, and providing branding for the facility.

High rise signage includes two different types of signs: those for advertising openings in the building, and general requirements for any large building.

We’ve compiled a list of some of the requirements and benefits to consider when installing your high-rise signage. With proper wayfinding and building identification signage, visitors navigating the facility will have a positive and stress-free experience.

Requirements for High-Rise Signage

In general, high-rise signage requirements prioritize accessibility and safety. With clearly labeled exits, fire safety signs, and building identification signs, you can rest assured that guests will be able to navigate the building with ease.

Accessibility

Building a new facility entails including modifications to accommodate alternatively-abled visitors. Accessibility information signs may point to wheelchair-accessible entrance ramps, guide visitors to accessible restroom facilities, or ensure that visitors take an accessible elevator. The aim is to inform visitors of the building’s accommodations so they can navigate the space safely and comfortably.

Exit Signs

In case of fire, extreme weather, power outages or other unforeseen circumstances, it’s required to have clearly labeled exit signs visible to all visitors. Exit signs might indicate fire exits or alternative routes like stairways, and should efficiently lead visitors and workers to safety.

Control Room / Fire Hose Storage / Fire Doors

Some signs inform emergency responders of the location of vital equipment and resources. For example, all fire doors should be clearly labeled so visitors don’t obstruct important entrance points. Fire hose storage and fire extinguishers should be clearly labeled and in accessible locations for emergency response. Other integral facility features like electrical controls should be similarly labeled, so they are easy to locate in an emergency.

Building Identification

Last but not least it’s important to identify your building for visitors. Building identification signs and address numbers should be placed in a visible location on the building’s façade, and may indicate the business housed within the building. For high-rises housing more than one business, exterior identification signs might only include the address of the building and businesses can post their specific information in a directory inside the lobby.

The Benefits of High-Rise Signage

There’s no doubt that safety is the highest priority when it comes to installing signage in your high-rise facility, but safety isn’t the only benefit of effective signage!

Increase Brand Awareness

For high-rises housing a single business, signs are a fantastic opportunity to promote your brand. Brand-oriented signs may include the logo, color-scheme, font, and name of the business, and should quickly differentiate your building from neighboring facilities. Including branding on large high-rises is an easy way to make a statement in marketing, advertising campaigns, and social media posts.

Make a Good First Impression

If your building includes a professional, well-designed identification sign, it makes your business seem more professional and legitimizes your presence. Think of building identification signs as a large-scale business card, they should be clean, elegant, and clearly identify your business for customers.

Indoor signs continue to make a good impression by providing information in an accessible, aesthetically appealing way. Whether visitors are looking for a conference room, restroom, or fire escape, their experience should be enhanced and aided by informative signage.

Provide Positive Experiences

It goes without saying that the clearer and more professional your signs are, the more easily your customers will be able to navigate your facility. When customers feel cared-for and at-ease in a professional setting, they are more likely to engage with your company again and will leave with a positive impression. Signage is part of what shapes a customer’s overall experience in your facility.

Outfit Your Facility with Signs by Bishop Image Group

At Bishop Image Group, we provide high-quality, innovative signage solutions at affordable prices. Our problem-solving skills, critical-thinking, and creativity allow us to find solutions for even the most last-minute sign orders.

We know that finding the right signs for your facility is time consuming, so Bishop Image Group aims to provide all our clients with a stress-free and professional experience. Contact us for your consultation today!

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ada compliant signage

ADA Compliant Signage: Rules, Regulations, Installation

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When buildings are created, laws exist to ensure that they remain compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Designed to protect the rights of those with disabilities, this complex series of laws applies to everyone involved in the design, construction, and maintenance of buildings, and applies to architects, general contractors, and more. New construction and alterations to buildings must all comply with the requirements inherent in this act. This includes ADA compliant signage to ensure that those with disabilities are able to adequately navigate a space.

Failure to comply with ADA rules can result in heavy fines or lawsuits, so ADA compliant signs should be taken seriously. However, it may be more helpful to think of these signs as being of benefit to employees, customers, or visitors. You want to make sure people know where they are going to ensure that operations run smoothly in your building.

When you’re planning ahead on a new construction, design is just as important as guidance. Before you break ground, consider how ADA signage plays a role in your building, and find qualified signage experts that can work on your schedule.

What is ADA Compliant Signage?

ADA Compliant signage applies to any and all signs that are relevant to people experiencing disabilities. Types of signage covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act include:

Several features distinguish ADA compliant signs from other types of signs. We examine several of those features below.

Braille Text

Including braille on signage allows those with reduced vision to navigate a building with greater ease. It points them towards where they need to go, and confirms they are where they need to be.

Federal guidelines around braille text on signage include:

  • Dot base diameter between 0.059 and 0.063 inches
  • Distance between dots in same cell between 0.090 and 0.100 inches from center to center
  • Distance between dots in adjacent cells between 0.241 and 0.300 inches from center to center
  • Dot height between 0.025 and 0.037 inches
  • Distance between corresponding dots from one cell directly below between 0.395 and 0.400 inches
  • Grade 2 braille should be used on all ADA compliant signs

Non-Glare Finish

For those with visual impairments, non-glare finishes are required on all ADA compliant signs. This means that the background and characters cannot create any glare, usually done by applying a matte or eggshell finish. This rule is specific to indoor ADA compliant signs, and is not required for garage signage.

High Contrast

To ensure readability, a high level of contrast is required between the characters and the background of ADA compliant signage. Contrast levels are not specified under the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design, but a contrast of 70% is typically considered standard.

Font

The Americans with Disabilities Act specifies certain fonts that are easy to read be used in all ADA compliant signage. Sans serif fonts should be used (fonts with straight edges without decorative elements), and should not be in bold or italics. Several fonts that are permitted under ADA compliance standards include Arial, Calibri, Century Gothic, Franklin Gothic, Futura Std, Helvetica, Myriad Pro, and Verdana.

All characters on a sign should be in uppercase, to add consistency and make it easier to read. Character height should be a minimum of 0.625 inches and no larger than 2 inches. While other specific rules exist around spacing, letter thickness, and letter proportions, it is generally easy to select a pre-approved font or rely on signage experts to make decisions on your behalf.

Accessibility

ADA compliance standards don’t only account for meeting signage guidelines, but their installation as well. In order to read braille, signs need to be placed at an appropriate height so that the visually impaired are able to reach the sign and read the braille. Keeping signage at this height also makes it easier for visitors to know where to look for signs.

Partnering With Signage Experts Makes ADA Compliant Signage Easy

With so many rules existing around ADA compliant signage, it may seem difficult to follow all of the guidelines without getting fined. Thankfully, signage experts understand these regulations in advance, and take these considerations into play before printing begins. Partnering with a signage company like Bishop Image Group ensures that you will remain ADA compliant while helping people with disabilities get to where they need to go.

Do you need a signage expert that understands ADA sign compliance? Bishop Image Group is a professional signage company that gets the job done on your timeline. Contact us today for more information about our services.