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To choose the right digital sign for your business, work out where it will go, who needs to read it and from how far, whether it should be single colour or full colour, and whether it needs one side or two.
No two businesses need the same sign. A cafe on a busy footpath, a car yard on a highway and a football club on a country oval all want to be noticed, but by different people, from different distances, saying different things. Choosing the right LED sign comes down to a few practical questions.
Where will the sign go?
Start with the spot. A sign in a shop window or on a counter is read from a few metres away by people standing still. A sign on a pylon by the road is read from a moving car. A sign on a wall or roof has to be seen from across a car park or down the street.
Outdoor signs also have to handle the weather. Ours are built for sun, wind, rain and frost, and are bright enough to read in direct sun. See our outdoor LED signs and pylon signs and indoor LED displays for the options, and our guide to where to put a digital sign if you are still deciding on the spot.
Who needs to read it, and from how far?
The size of the sign, the size of the letters and the pixel pitch all depend on how far away people will be and how fast they are moving. Pixel pitch is the gap between the lights, in millimetres. A smaller pitch looks sharper up close, and a larger pitch suits signs read from a distance.
Our guide to pixel pitch explains it in plain terms, and the pixel pitch planner lets you try different sizes and pitches on screen.
Single colour or full colour?
Single colour signs, usually red, show text, numbers and simple graphics. They are the classic LED message board: easy to read and lower in cost. Full colour signs show logos, photos and video, and suit businesses that want to show off their products.
If your messages are mostly words, single colour may be all you need. Read more in single colour or full colour LED sign?
One side or two?
If traffic passes in both directions, a double-sided sign means everyone sees your message. Each side can show its own content and be scheduled separately, for example to suit the traffic at different times of day.
A few examples
- A shop or public venue: a free-standing full colour sign out the front, showing photos and short videos of products and services. Our projects include signs for IGA.
- A pub, hotel or restaurant: a sign on the building or along the roof line that catches passing drivers, with tonight’s meals and events. See LED signs for pubs and clubs.
- A sports club: a scoreboard that also shows sponsor ads and club messages between games. See electronic and LED scoreboards.
Every one of these signs can be run from a laptop or phone, so the message stays in your hands.
What should you look for in a sign company?
The sign is only part of the job. Look for a company that will help you choose the right size and pitch, build a quality product, install it properly and give you a clear warranty.
As a Perth LED sign maker, we design and build every sign at our workshop in Welshpool, and our own team installs it and shows you how to run it. Our town planning service helps with council approval at no extra cost, and our warranties run from 1 to 5 years, depending on the product.
The right sign makes a real difference. When Catalano’s Seafood in Bassendean started trading on weekdays with one of our signs at the front of their building, their takings doubled each week at first and kept growing after that, with no other advertising. You can read their words, and other customers’, on our About page.
Tell us where your sign will go and what it needs to show, and we will suggest a size and a design and send you a free quote. Get in touch, or call Aaron on 0416 053 335 or the office on (08) 9335 7944.
