For many sign clients, it’s hard to imagine what size lettering they need on their sign for it to be legible at the distance it will be read from. Excessive copy forces the designer to use smaller letter sizes, hurting the readability of the sign. Reading from a moving vehicle also requires larger, more legible lettering.
Tired of trying to explain all this to clients, Larry Williams, Gulf Breeze, FL, created a simple chart that he output at actual size—about 4 ft. tall overall—and mounted it on the far wall of the shop.
“I point it out to the customer,” says Larry. “then tell them the distance they are reading it from. It works better than a 15-minute explanation of legibility—in a few seconds.”
Larry also provides it as a printed handout. It includes a legibility chart, and at the bottom teaches them a little about type styles. Click here to download the chart.
“I find it’s best to teach a client the basics, so they can make an informed decision based on measureable truth. Signmaking is a science as well as an art. I find that as the teacher, I become an 'expert' in the client’s eyes. It is a precarious position, because once you are viewed as an expert, you actually have to be an expert! It’s not impossible—it is just the opportunity to be honest and share your knowledge to help them get the best value for their advertising dollar.”
Veteran sign designer Ken Millar gave some great tools for both sales and design in Designing for Legibility in the Jan/Feb 2011 issue of SignCraft. Click here to get this excellent article.