Common Sign Ordering Questions.
So you've decided upon getting some custom signage to brand, advertise or market your company, business or personal venture. Now you need to find yourself a reputable sign company that can help bring your vision to fruition and create a custom sign that fits your needs on time and within your budget. When embarking on a journey to price your sign there are some basic questions that most sign companies will ask to determine if the sign you want is actually the sign you need. Knowing the answer to these five simple questions before contacting a sign professional or requesting an online sign quote will greatly decrease back-and-forth questions and increase your chances of getting a quick response and pricing.
You should be able to answer most all of these questions before ordering or pricing any custom signage, but if not, don't worry...that's what your sign representative is there for. They can help guide you into purchasing the perfect sign for your needs.
1. What type of sign are you looking for?
Simple, yet complicated, depending on the type of signage you are looking for. There are literally hundreds of different types of signs in our industry. This question helps define exactly what sign product you are looking for, or better yet, what sign options are available to you. Do you need a digitally printed banner? Do you need dimensional lettering for your office lobby? Do you need do-it-yourself vinyl lettering for personal project? These are all different sign types that we typically field questions about everyday and then some. If you aren't sure what kind of sign you need, or how you would describe the type of sign you are looking to produce, you can always snap a picture of a similar sign! Pictures are worth a thousand words and go a long way in giving your sign specialist a good idea of exactly what you are looking for. This particular question will also require relative knowledge of what size sign you'll be needing. But if you are not sure about size make sure to ask your sign specialist for their input on a proper size for your sign project.
2. How will you be using the sign?
What sign companies gain from the answer to this question is monumental in directing the customer in the right direction for choosing a sign that will live up to their expectations. For instance, you are ordering a digitally printed vinyl banner, but this particular banner is going to be hung over a road. Over-the-street banners typically require special hardware and may need to adhere to strict regulations and requirements set forth by the city or county where it will be displayed. If you just order a standard digital banner or an over-sized digital banner without answering this question, you may end up buying a banner that the city won't allow you to hang up, because it's not built to the correct specifications or doesn't have the proper hardware to display the banner safely.
3. What type of artwork do you have?
Most all sign pricing is calculated by assuming that the customer has print-ready artwork available. Simply put, print-ready artwork is a complete file, that when opened is ready to print "as is" without any modifications or alterations. If your artwork consists of various bits and pieces of artwork, that need to be compiled, then your artwork is not print-ready. Sign companies ask this question because there may be additional fees or custom design services that will be necessary to get your vision print-ready for print production.
4. What kind of budget are you working with?
Most consumers are always looking to get a great product, at a fair price, and keep their signage costs down. The questions listed above, also factor into this particular question, when it comes to material, artwork, sign type and how the sign is being used, installed or hung. So let's say you want a dimensional sign utilizing metal letters or logos. When you inquire about metal letter pricing you may be surprised at the high dollar amount putting your sign dreams out of your price range. But if your sign company asks what kind of budget you are working with, they may be able to suggest different sign options that will result in the same look you desire, but at half the cost. In this instance, instead of metal letters, your sign specialist might suggest plastic lettering or foam letters that are painted to simulate metal lettering or have a metal facing applied to the top of the lettering. Both options are cheaper and possibly may work better for your needs while still generating the sophisticated look of real metal lettering.
5. What's your location?
There are a lot of sign products that can be ordered online, from anywhere in the country, and shipped to your door for do-it-yourself installations like magnetic signs and decals, etc. But there are other sign products, like custom vehicle graphics and dimensional lettering, that are best ordered from a local sign company offering professional installation of their products. If your sign is not free-standing, and requires some sort of installation, your sign company of choice may need to be determined by it's proximity to your location to make sure the application process goes smoothly. As a rule of thumb never purchase signs online from one company, only to have another company, install your sign as this could lead to problems if they botch the installation which could end up costing more money to replace the signage and to have it re-installed properly.
The more you know about ordering your sign, the better your chances are of getting the exact type of sign you had envisioned, or at the very least getting a comparable sign product that meets your needs and fits your budget. And don't ever be afraid to ask your sign specialist any questions you may have about sign suggestions, other sign products or cheaper alternatives. Any good sign company will be happy to provide their clients, or prospective customers, with the proper knowledge and information necessary to make the right choices when ordering a custom sign.