What to Consider When Putting Your Logo on a Sign

As you approach lettering and logo design for your new office signs, you’ll want to make sure you’re familiar with the design process and what to expect when you select a company for design and installation. This starts with an onsite survey and includes color and lettering selection. After all, you want your logo sign to have the same aesthetic and coloring as your business brand logo and existing signage. 

Script Fonts Versus Sans-Serifs and Serifs

If you are currently using a logo design that uses a script font, this typeface has flair. Script typefaces closely resemble cursive used in handwriting. While logos using calligraphy style script works, that flair can end up looking a bit too much on exterior signage. The issue is that script font can blur or run together. When you have people driving by at 50 miles per hour, you need them to see your sign quickly and clearly. 

Most of the time, you want a bold, solid font that is sans serif without tails and loops. However, with all logo sign designs, there are exceptions. Find a sign design partner that will help you come up with a modification of a logo that can use script font but in a seamless manner. Other considerations are whether to go with a sans-serif or serif font.

Sans-serif is the most popular style and includes:

• Arial
• Impact
• Trebuchet
• Verdana

These letters do not have what looks like a little tag attached to letters as you find with serif fonts. 

The most common serif typefaces include:

• Times New Roman
• Courier New
• Georgia
• Palatino

Here you have a blend of script and typed lettering. The mix is typically

just enough flair to give a logo sign pop without being overly distracting. Also, having a sans-serif font is good for readers with low vision issues. This type of font can reduce reader visibility especially at dusk or in overcast conditions. 

Lettering Thickness Versus Thinness

Whether you have a minimalist logo design or otherwise want to go with thinner lettering, consider lettering thickness. Thin letters are not as visible from the roadway. In addition, letter strokes need to be a minimum of 1 1/2 inches—the minimum requirement for fitting an LED light inside channel letters. Also, think about how well the customer will be able to see the sign if you are going with too thin of lettering. Look for just the right thickness in lettering for your logo to stand out from the skyline and maximum visibility.

Focus on Proportions

Another issue that often comes up with designing office logo signs is proportional sizing for the name and the logo. We have seen sign designs where the company logo is overshadowing the name of the company. Here you have to focus on a couple of factors. If your company is Nike or Apple—yes, you can get away with just showing your logo in large-scale on a logo sign. 

However, for the majority of brands and businesses in the US, this is not the case. You want to make certain that customers are able to connect your logo and business name. This comes from having customized logo signage that is designed to evoke emotion. As customers see your brand logo and name equally displayed, they will start to affiliate the two. The goal here is to provide enough marketing prowess that your logo can eventually be interchangeable with your company name--so that you can be associated with the silhouette of a swoosh or piece of fruit.

Get That Color Going

The color choices for your office logo signs will do more than just contrast or compliment your building exterior. These colors will evoke emotion and catch the attention of the reader while aiding in readability. The common problem is that businesses want to go with a color scheme that may not be as conducive for a logo sign. Let us help you make the right decision here with the color palette that will be most striking without striking out. You also want to have a color choice that offers enough contrast. What we commonly see happen is that there is simply a lack of contrast. 

Our Spectrum Sign team in Blaine, MN are here to support your sign design solutions. We will ensure that your sign has the right color scheme and design elements to stand out. Contact our team today to get started with the design process for your outdoor logo signs.