A business’s storefront should grab attention and accurately represent the brand. Signage dresses up a space similarly to how furnishings and curtains dress up a home. Good, bold, informative signs, including quality window graphics, will be inviting to customers.
A store or organization’s signage often makes up a significant part of the marketing budget. Signs are vital for any business in making an impactful first impression. Utilizing window graphics is a cost-efficient and effective way to build brand awareness and attract new business.
Not just any window graphics will do, however. Displaying poor-quality, dull, or inappropriately sized decals will detract from a visitor’s or customer’s experience. Here are some tips to help your business put its best window forward.
Window graphics, window stickers, and vinyl window decals are signs to promote a business, product, or service. They come in different materials and textures and are used for product displays, logos, and more.
Displaying signs and decals in your window utilizes space, attracts attention and increases brand recognition. Storefront window graphics are self-adhesive and applied directly to your windows. When designing a window decal or sign, you should take as much care as in designing other important marketing materials.
How do you decide on the look of your retail graphics? Thought should be given to the design of your decals and stickers for the best first impression impact.
What are you looking for your graphics to convey? Will you simply be displaying your organization’s logo and branding? Or will the decal be in promotion of a new product or feature? Is the graphic purely informational displaying regular store hours? Or will it focus on changes, including new reduced pricing that will be of interest to your customers?
Whatever the message, you will want to consider it in the design. Make sure the information you’re trying to get across is easily and quickly understood. The design should be clean and clear and void of unnecessary details.
Another important consideration in decal design is the quality of production. Your graphics, when printed, need to be sharp and clear. A fuzzy and hard-to-read message will look cheap and unprofessional.
When it comes to window signage color, bold is nearly always best. You want high contrast and striking colors to catch the eye of the viewer. Neutral colors may fade into the background and not get you the results you are looking for. The only time neutral colors may be the more appropriate choice is when they align with your company’s branding. In this case, be sure to use high contrast complementary colors, imagery, and design.
When printing text onto a decal with a clear background, white is the best and most commonly used option to contrast with the dark look of the glass. If white does not work for your branding, light warm colors like yellow are also good options.
If your decal design includes images, be sure that the photo is very clear and easy to take in at a glance. You will also want the photo to include very eye-catching, bold, and high-contrast colors.
With window graphics, you want your decal to be big enough to grab attention. Too small and your graphic won’t be noticed.
You also want to consider the functionality of the window. Do you want to leave space where passers-by can look into your store? Or do you want the graphic to cover the full space?
Choosing your decal’s transparency will depend on the design and functionality of the graphic.
Clear
Clear transparency is perfect for storefront signs and doors that require visibility in both directions. These will also still allow light through. It’s important to stick with white or light lettering and high-contrast color choices with clear backgrounds.
Opaque
Opaque backgrounds will block visibility and obscure some of the sunlight wherever the decal or graphic is placed. Use these on windows that require an amount of privacy. With an opaque background, any colors chosen in your design will stand out better.
Frosted
Popular on doors, frosted vinyl will give you the look of etched glass. This option can enhance the appearance of your windows along with displaying your messaging.
Perforated
Perforated decal design allows for visibility on one side of the window and clear graphic messaging on the other. You’ll be able to get the attention of passersby while still seeing out of your windows. This is the most popular material used for window graphics.
Font choice can say a lot about a business, as well as play a huge role in readability. First off, you need to make sure that any lettering is large enough to be quickly read. The biggest you can manage in a space is typically best.
Any designer knows that different fonts project different personalities and meanings. Fonts can be serious, whimsical, comical, or professional. If you are unsure of what messaging your font selection gives off, consult with a graphic designer before finalizing your design.
Window graphics can catch the eye and give a great first impression. Windows provide excellent signage real estate for important and updated information. It’s important to remember that window graphics will increase brand awareness and recognition, so it is important to be deliberate in their design and to keep in mind the messaging you want your decals to project.