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How to design big signs 0689
How to design
Big signsThe key to designing big
is to think small.
The manta ray (Manta birostris) is the largest species of the rays. It ranges throughout tropical waters of the world, typically around coral reefs. Mantas display curiosity around humans and swim among divers. Mantas breach the surface and launch into the air. Mantas feed on plankton, fish larvae and the like, filtered from the water passing through their gills as they swim. | Wikipedia
Manta rays frequent cleaning stations where small fish such as wrasse, remora (above), and angelfish swim in the manta’s gills and over its skin to feed, in the process cleaning it of parasites and dead tissue.
The Largest Rays
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How to design big signs 06892 of 16
How to design big signsWhether trade-show banners, billboards, wayfinding signs or wall posters, the key to designing big is to think small.
Big signs are everywhere — along freeways, on storefronts, at trade shows, in museums — but no matter how big they are, they have a paradox in common: at normal viewing dis-tance, they appear small. The key to good design, therefore, is to treat a big sign the same as a tiny one — one image, few words, simple typefaces, no overlaps (because you need clear silhouettes) — and keep it simple, because it’s often surrounded by clutter.
Here’s how that works:
Before Your sign looked good when it was alone on your computer (upper left), but hanging from the trade-show rafters (above), its finely tuned details disappear in the visual noise. And note how small it seems! This design has too many words, colors, overlaps and general complexity to withstand such a busy environment.
Bright lightsDark ceiling, white walls
Faces Different colors Foreground signs Products
Background signs
Finally, consistent sound quality at any volume
Come check it out in Booth 12
Audyssey Dynamic EQ. Big sound, quietly.
®
How to design big signs 0689
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Edit your messageEdit your message to its essential minimum, and think white space — in a busy room you need to clear a stage so your message can be seen.
Big sound, quietly.audyssey dynamic eq
After What a difference! It’s the same photo — even the same size — but with few words in simple typefaces and colors, it’s now clearly visible above the trade-show floor! Hoist this banner to the rafters (right), and customers will head your way!
What’s interesting is that despite its large size, this is the same technique you’d use to design a tiny sign.
Several things are going on:1) The biggest element is the white, which contrasts sharply with
the dark ceiling and creates a stage for the message.2) Her face is more visible and natural-looking because it flows into
the white background. Before, it was boxed by black.3) The short phrase is in bold, simple lettering that’s actually big.4) Black and red are the most powerful colors, and on white they
can be seen clearly.
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Start with a short headlineOne to three words are ideal. The fewer words you use, the bigger they can be, and the more easily they can be read and understood at a glance.
LeopardSeeing spots! What
makes a leopard special.
Quick! What does the sign say? The one-word sign on the right is instantly readable, while on the left, two sentences, even short, tight ones like these, require a longer, harder look and can be read comfortably only at close range. On a freeway billboard, a long look is not even possible. Think short and simple.
Leopard
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Add a clear imageA clear image is a familiar object with little detail and a distinctive silhouette.
LeopardLeopardLeopard
Natural silhouettes
Quick! What’s on the sign? (Above) The leopard on the left in its natural environment is difficult to see, while the leopard on the right is clear. In this case, the silhouette was created artificially by masking, but many imag-es have natural silhouettes (left). The clearest have no background at all, and high contrast.
Not these: These:
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Design for close-up readingMost big signs will also be seen up close. For this distance, add a detailed reading level; it can include smaller type and more complex graphics.
Design your small material much like you’d design a small page. How small? To be read comfortably about three feet away, we’ll typi-cally set our text between 48 and 60 points. It’s a good idea to print full-size test pages
— at least the text portions — and read them while standing up.
Detailed Up close, the viewer has space and time to see the leopard in its natural environment (left). Even at this range, however, think minimum. Note that Africa has been simplified to a silhouette and colored to recede.
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Establish a lookA series of signs — in a museum, for example — look best when they look alike. Pay attention to size relationships.
The eagle sign is different from the leopard in shape and
size, but the components are the same — single-word head, same
typeface, same colors, same small detail, same clear silhou-
ette. Key is to retain the size relationships — BIG headline, BIG
silhouette, small detail, always in similar amounts (below); if
the detail starts getting big or the image and head smaller, the
look will change enough that the sense of a series will disappear.
The size relationships don’t have to be physically identical, but
they must feel the same.
Repetitive detail Note on both signs that the detail consists of photo circle, map silhouette and color, and that they overlap. Relative positions are different, but the look is the same. This is key; don’t change it arbitrarily.
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Super-size wall display (right) con-sists of a high-resolution photo and two short blocks of 90- and 75-pt text, sized to be read comfortably from three to 10 feet away. Ultra-light headline style pro-
claims “Manta” without overpowering the design. Underside view of the manta
is ideal here, because the viewer is lit-erally looking up. Note that the design
resembles a magazine page.
White and dark text can both be read against the mid-blue back-
ground, which yields pleasing differentiation and depth.
Informational signsInformational signs are for up-close reading, not for attention-getting, and can be designed pretty much like oversized pages. The manta ray (Manta birostris)
is the largest species of the rays. It ranges throughout tropical waters of the world, typically around coral reefs. Mantas display curiosity around humans and swim among divers. Mantas breach the surface and launch into the air. Mantas feed on plankton, fish larvae and the like, filtered from the water passing through their gills as they swim. | Wikipedia
Manta rays frequent cleaning stations where small fish such as wrasse, remora (above), and angelfish swim in the manta’s gills and over its skin to feed, in the process cleaning it of parasites and dead tissue.
The Largest Rays
Smoke-free campus
Smoking is not permitted inside or on the grounds of any Kaiser Permanente facility
Need help quitting?Call (916) 746-4369
One typeface, one color (white), aligned left, neatly links the two colored fields.
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How to design big signs 0689
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Sales signsSales signs — the kind you’d see at the mall — get attention and sell at the same time. Most are seen mid-distance and close-up.
Design for your audience Type atop a photo is not generally
a good idea,* but here it conveys a fashion-magazine look that’s immedi-ately familiar to its audience. Futura Bold type is unusually simple, which
minimizes the busy-ness. Bottom white panel “clears the stage” so effectively
that the store name in its ultra-light logotype is easily visible without resort-
ing to a bigger size or image-busting heavier weight or all caps.
*Type and photo will conflict where overlapping shapes and spaces have
similar size, width, color and value, as they do
in the inset. Type that’s much different from its background
works better.
Shapely sign works at all but the farthest distances because fork, salad, typeface and colors are simple and do not overlap. Every element conveys light weight — the tall, thin fork, the thin type, the white background (light and minimal) and the faintly hourglass shape. Great sign for a food-court diner.
ann livingstoneat point west
ann livingstoneat point west
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How to design big signs 10 of 16
3’ x 41⁄2’ sign is suit-able for floor or easel, ideal at a conference. Big headline announces the session, and the photo is functional, wordlessly conveying that the training is for home (not pro) audio.
Signs can seem plain. If you have the urge to angle your type (below), resist; it usually looks contrived, and on a page that you can’t turn in your hand, it’s not easy to read.
Focus on the headline You won’t miss this sign at the student bookstore! Key are the three bold words in industrial-strength type, big and densely packed. Analogous orange-yellow color range softens the look; for more intensity, use red (left). The photo is a decorative option.
cashforbooks
December 13–17Monday–Friday9 a.m.–5 p.m.
Hornet Bookstore. Come early. Student ID required.
Announcement signsAnnouncement signs are designed for quick, brief attention and are usually seen at mid-distance and up close.
Installer Training
Become an Audyssey EQ Certified Installer
Audyssey will host demos and training sessions for Installers
throughout CEDIA EXPO 2010. These sessions are free and
will be held on a walk-in basis each day from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
in the Red Light Room at the Curtis Hotel less than 5 minutes
by foot from the EXPO. Appointments are not necessary for
CEDIA EXPO attendees.
®
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How to design big signs 11 of 16
Wayfinding signsWayfinding is about giving direction; it includes everything from billboard-size highway signs to the hotel arrow pointing to the lobby. Think distance.
Highway signs are huge, but the type must be set as though it were tiny, because at a long distance, it is tiny! Key here is to use a simple, clear typeface and spread it out — as far as 200% of its normal letterspacing — which adds enough air between letters to easily distinguish one from the next (below).
Indoor signs must be read easily but can be more decorative; here, the funky typeface reflects its surroundings. Space normally.
Wine Tasting Sidewalk CaféWine TastingWine Tasting
Wine Tasting
Normal spacing is too tight.
Beach Access Elevators Lobby
Tiki Bar Lounge Sidewalk Café
Wine Tasting
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How to design big signs 12 of 16
Typefaces
1 Century Old Style
2 Univers Black
3 Gotham Ultra
4 FF OT DIN Bold
Images
Images: iStockphoto.com
5 (10621663)
6 (10907799)
7 (9672154)
8 (5820614)
9 (9570194)
Related articles
0668 | 0662 | 0659 | 0649 | 0641 | 0631 0629
Article resources
Colors
C0 M3 Y12 K3
C30 M10 Y50 K70
C0 M0 Y0 K30
C0 M80 Y100 K0
C4 M67 Y100 K0
C0 M38 Y100 K0
11
13
12
14
10
11
12
15
1
8
9
14
15
12
13
2
1
6
3 4 47
cashforbooks
December 13–17Monday–Friday9 a.m.–5 p.m.
Hornet Bookstore. Come early. Student ID required.
5
10
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How to design big signs 068913 of 16
How to design big signs 13 of 16
Smoke-free campus
Smoking is not permitted inside or on the grounds of any Kaiser Permanente facility
Need help quitting?Call (916) 746-4369
The manta ray (Manta birostris) is the largest species of the rays. It ranges throughout tropical waters of the world, typically around coral reefs. Mantas display curiosity around humans and swim among divers. Mantas breach the surface and launch into the air. Mantas feed on plankton, fish larvae and the like, filtered from the water passing through their gills as they swim. | Wikipedia
Manta rays frequent cleaning stations where small fish such as wrasse, remora (above), and angelfish swim in the manta’s gills and over its skin to feed, in the process cleaning it of parasites and dead tissue.
The Largest Rays
Typefaces
1 Helvetica Neue Extended
2 Myriad Pro Roman
3 Interstate Bold
4 Interstate Regular
Images
5 (Photo courtesy of Jim Merk www.audyssey.com)
Images: iStockphoto
6 (9387901)
7 (9227413)
Article resources
Colors
C71 M15 Y11 K0
C100 M92 Y8 K4
C0 M0 Y0 K100
C0 M100 Y85 K0
C0 M0 Y0 K80
C38 M0 Y100 K0
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1211 133 4 7
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ann livingstoneat point west
Typefaces
1 Futura Bold
2 OL Round Gothic Light
3 Interstate Thin
4 Copperplate Light
Images
Images: iStockphoto.com
5 (9120960)
6 (842279)
Article resources
Colors
C12 M93 Y0 K0
C100 M92 Y8 K4
C100 M0 Y65 K0
C10 M34 Y73 K0
C0 M84 Y74 K0
C69 M3 Y100 K0
C0 M0 Y0 K100
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How to design big signs 068915 of 16
How to design big signs 15 of 16
Beach Access Elevators Lobby
Tiki Bar Lounge Sidewalk Café
Installer Training
Become an Audyssey EQ Certified Installer
Audyssey will host demos and training sessions for Installers
throughout CEDIA EXPO 2010. These sessions are free and
will be held on a walk-in basis each day from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
in the Red Light Room at the Curtis Hotel less than 5 minutes
by foot from the EXPO. Appointments are not necessary for
CEDIA EXPO attendees.
Typefaces
1 Oz Handicraft BT
2 Helvetica Neue Black
3 Helvetica Neue Heavy
4 Helvetica Neue Light
5 Copperplate Gothic Bold
6 Interstate Bold
Images
Images: iStockphoto.com
7 (2779642)
8 (8929472)
Article resources
Colors
C0 M50 Y80 K70
C0 M18 Y80 K0
C0 M0 Y0 K100
C0 M30 Y100 K5
9
10
11
12
2
4
3
7
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How to design big signs 0689 16 of 16 | Printing formats
How to design big signs 16 of 16
Before & After magazine Before & After has been sharing its practical approach to graphic design since 1990. Because our modern world has made designers of us all (ready or not), Before & After is dedicated to making graphic design understand-able, useful and even fun for everyone.
John McWade Publisher and creative directorGaye McWade Associate publisherDexter Mark Abellera Senior designer Before & After magazine323 Lincoln Street, Roseville, CA 95678 Telephone 916-784-3880 Fax 916-784-3995E-mail [email protected] www http://www.bamagazine.com
Copyright ©2010 Before & After magazine ISSN 1049-0035. All rights reserved
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fter | w
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big
sign
s 06890689
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sign
s
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efore&
After
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mag
azine.co
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iX
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sign
s 0689
How
to design
Big signsT
he key to d
esignin
g big
is to thin
k small.
The m
anta ray (M
anta b
irostris)
is the larg
est species o
f the
rays. It rang
es thro
ug
ho
ut
trop
ical waters o
f the w
orld,
typically aro
un
d co
ral reefs. M
antas d
isplay cu
riosity
arou
nd
hu
man
s and
swim
am
on
g d
ivers. Man
tas breach
th
e surface an
d lau
nch
in
to th
e air. Man
tas feed o
n
plan
kton
, fish larvae an
d th
e like, filtered
from
the w
ater p
assing
thro
ug
h th
eir gills as
they sw
im. | W
ikiped
ia
Man
ta rays frequ
ent clean
ing
station
s wh
ere sm
all fish su
ch as w
rasse, remo
ra (above),
and
ang
elfish sw
im in
the m
anta’s g
ills and
over its skin
to feed, in
the p
rocess clean
ing
it o
f parasites an
d d
ead tissu
e.
The L
arg
est R
ays
Con
tinu
ed
®B
efore&
After
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azine.co
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How
to d
esign b
ig signs
Whether trade-show
banners, billboards, wayfi nding signs or w
all posters, the key to designing big is to think sm
all.
Big sign
s are everywh
ere — alo
ng freew
ays, o
n sto
refron
ts, at trade sh
ows, in
mu
seum
s —
bu
t no
matter h
ow b
ig they are, th
ey have a
parad
ox in co
mm
on
: at no
rmal view
ing d
is-tan
ce, they ap
pear sm
all. Th
e key to go
od
d
esign, th
erefore, is to
treat a big sign
the sam
e as a tin
y on
e — o
ne im
age, few w
ord
s, simp
le typ
efaces, no
overlaps (b
ecause yo
u n
eed clear
silho
uettes) —
and
keep it sim
ple, b
ecause it’s
often
surro
un
ded
by clu
tter. H
ere’s how
that w
orks:
Be
fore
Your sign looked good when it w
as alone on your computer (upper left),
but hanging from the trade-show
rafters (above), its fi nely tuned details disappear in the visual noise. A
nd note how sm
all it seems! This design has too m
any words,
colors, overlaps and general complexity to w
ithstand such a busy environment.
Be
fore
Your sign looked good when it w
as alone on your computer (upper left),
but hanging from the trade-show
rafters (above), its fi nely tuned details disappear in the visual noise. A
nd note how sm
all it seems! This design has too m
any words,
colors, overlaps and general complexity to w
ithstand such a busy environment.
Bright lights
Dark ceiling, w
hite walls
FacesD
ifferent colorsForeground signs
Products
Background signs
Finally, consistent sound quality at any volum
e
Come check it out in Booth 12
Audyssey D
ynamic EQ
. Big sound, quietly.
Be
fore
&A
fter | w
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.bamagazine.com
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efore&
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How
to d
esign b
ig signs
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Ed
it you
r me
ssage
Ed
it you
r message to
its essential m
inim
um
, and
thin
k wh
ite space —
in a b
usy
roo
m yo
u n
eed to
clear a stage so yo
ur m
essage can b
e seen.
Big
sou
nd
, q
uie
tly.A
UD
YS
SE
Y D
YN
AM
IC E
Q
Afte
r What a difference! It’s the sam
e photo — even the sam
e size —
but with few
words in sim
ple typefaces and colors, it’s now
clearly visible above the trade-show fl oor! H
oist this banner to the rafters (right), and custom
ers will head your w
ay! W
hat’s interesting is that despite its large size, this is the same
technique you’d use to design a tiny sign. Several things are going on:
1) The biggest element is the w
hite, which contrasts sharply w
ith the dark ceiling and creates a stage for the m
essage.2) H
er face is more visible and natural-looking because it fl ow
s into the w
hite background. Before, it w
as boxed by black.3) The short phrase is in bold, sim
ple lettering that’s actually big.4) B
lack and red are the most pow
erful colors, and on white they
can be seen clearly.
®B
efore&
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How
to d
esign b
ig signs
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4 of 16
Start w
ith a sh
ort h
ead
line
On
e to th
ree wo
rds are id
eal. Th
e fewer w
ord
s you
use, th
e bigger th
ey can b
e, an
d th
e mo
re easily they can
be read
and
un
dersto
od
at a glance.
LeopardSeeing spots! W
hat m
akes a leopard special.
Qu
ick! W
ha
t do
es th
e sig
n sa
y? The one-word sign on the
right is instantly readable, while on the left, tw
o sentences, even short, tight ones like these, require a longer, harder look and can be read com
fortably only at close range. On a freew
ay billboard, a long look is not even possible. Think short and sim
ple.
Leopard
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How
to d
esign b
ig signs
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Ad
d a cle
ar imag
eA
clear image is a fam
iliar ob
ject with
little detail an
d a d
istinctive silh
ou
ette.
LeopardLeopard
Leopard
Com
plexN
atural silhouettes
Qu
ick! W
ha
t’s on
the
sign
? (Above) The
leopard on the left in its natural environment
is diffi cult to see, while the leopard on the
right is clear. In this case, the silhouette was
created artifi cially by masking, but m
any imag-
es have natural silhouettes (left). The clearest have no background at all, and high contrast.
Not these:
These:
®B
efore&
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azine.co
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How
to d
esign b
ig signs
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De
sign
for clo
se-u
p re
adin
gM
ost b
ig signs w
ill also b
e seen u
p clo
se. For th
is distan
ce, add
a detailed
read
ing level; it can
inclu
de sm
aller type an
d m
ore co
mp
lex graph
ics.
De
sign
you
r sma
ll ma
teria
l much like you’d
design a small page. H
ow sm
all? To be read com
fortably about three feet away, w
e’ll typi-cally set our text betw
een 48 and 60 points. It’s a good idea to print full-size test pages
— at least the text portions —
and read them
while standing up.
Fo
r rea
din
g le
vel, design like you w
ould a printed page, w
ith smaller type and m
ore com
plex graphics. How
small? B
igger than you think. Figure out your typical view
ing distance —
say three feet — and print test
pages. This poster, scaled to fi ve feet wide,
has a 470-pt headline and 60/100-pt text.
De
taile
d U
p close, the viewer has space and tim
e to see the leopard in its natural environm
ent (left). Even at this range, how
ever, think minim
um. N
ote that Africa has been
simplifi ed to a silhouette and colored to recede.
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esign b
ig signs
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Estab
lish a lo
ok
A series o
f signs —
in a m
useu
m, fo
r examp
le — lo
ok b
est w
hen
they lo
ok alike. Pay atten
tion
to size relatio
nsh
ips.
The
ea
gle
sign
is different from
the leopard in shape and size, but the com
ponents are the sam
e — single-w
ord head, same
typeface, same colors, sam
e sm
all detail, same clear silhou-
ette. Key is to retain the size relationships —
BIG
headline, BIG
silhouette, sm
all detail, always
in similar am
ounts (below); if
the detail starts getting big or the im
age and head smaller, the
look will change enough that the
sense of a series will disappear.
The size relationships don’t have to be physically identical, but
they must feel the sam
e.
Re
pe
titive d
eta
il Note on both signs that the detail consists of photo
circle, map silhouette and color, and that they overlap. R
elative positions are different, but the look is the sam
e. This is key; don’t change it arbitrarily.
Big
Small
Big
Big
Small
Big
Big Sm
all Big
Big
Small
Big
Leopard
®B
efore&
After
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azine.co
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How
to d
esign b
ig signs
8 of 16
8 of 16
Su
pe
r-size w
all d
ispla
y (right) con-
sists of a high-resolution photo and two
short blocks of 90- and 75-pt text, sized to be read com
fortably from three to 10
feet away. U
ltra-light headline style pro-claim
s “Manta” w
ithout overpowering
the design. Underside view
of the manta
is ideal here, because the viewer is lit-
erally looking up. Note that the design
resembles a m
agazine page.
White and dark text can both be
read against the mid-blue back-
ground, which yields pleasing
differentiation and depth.
Info
rmatio
nal sig
ns
Info
rmatio
nal sign
s are for u
p-clo
se readin
g, n
ot fo
r attentio
n-gettin
g, and
can b
e design
ed
pretty m
uch
like oversized p
ages. Th
e man
ta ray (Man
ta biro
stris) is th
e largest sp
ecies of th
e rays. It ran
ges th
rou
gh
ou
t tro
pical w
aters of th
e wo
rld, typ
ically arou
nd
coral reefs.
Man
tas disp
lay curio
sity aro
un
d h
um
ans an
d sw
im
amo
ng
divers. M
antas b
reach
the su
rface and
laun
ch
into
the air. M
antas feed
on
p
lankto
n, fish
larvae and
the
like, filtered fro
m th
e water
passin
g th
rou
gh
their g
ills as th
ey swim
. | Wikip
edia
Man
ta rays frequ
ent clean
ing
station
s wh
ere sm
all fish su
ch as w
rasse, remo
ra (above),
and
ang
elfish sw
im in
the m
anta’s g
ills and
over its skin
to feed, in
the p
rocess clean
ing
it o
f parasites an
d d
ead tissu
e.
The L
arg
est R
ays
Sm
oke-free cam
pus
Sm
okin
g is n
ot p
erm
itted
in
side
or o
n th
e g
rou
nd
s of any
K
aiser P
erm
ane
nte
facility
Ne
ed
he
lp q
uittin
g?C
all (916
) 746
-43
69
One typeface, one
color (white), aligned
left, neatly links the tw
o colored fi elds.
Be
fore
&A
fter | w
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w to
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sign
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sign
s
®B
efore&
After
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azine.co
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How
to d
esign b
ig signs
9 of 16
9 of 16
Sale
s sign
sSales sign
s — th
e kind
you
’d see at th
e mall —
get atten
tion
and
sell at the sam
e time. M
ost
are seen m
id-d
istance an
d clo
se-up.
De
sign
for yo
ur a
ud
ien
ce
Type atop a photo is not generally a good idea,* but here it conveys a
fashion-magazine look that’s im
medi-
ately familiar to its audience. Futura
Bold type is unusually sim
ple, which
minim
izes the busy-ness. Bottom
white
panel “clears the stage” so effectively that the store nam
e in its ultra-light logotype is easily visible w
ithout resort-ing to a bigger size or im
age-busting heavier w
eight or all caps.
*Type and photo will confl ict w
here overlapping shapes and spaces have
similar size, w
idth, color and value, as they do
in the inset. Type that’s m
uch different from
its background w
orks better.
Sh
ap
ely sig
n w
orks at all but the farthest distances because fork, salad, typeface and colors are sim
ple and do not overlap. Every elem
ent conveys light w
eight — the tall, thin
fork, the thin type, the w
hite background (light and m
inimal) and the
faintly hourglass shape. G
reat sign for a food-court diner.
an
n livin
gsto
ne
at
po
int
we
st
an
n livin
gsto
ne
at
po
int
we
st
Co
nta
ct Us
1-800-745-56788:00 am
–9:00 pm EST
Monday–Saturday
®B
efore&
After
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azine.co
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10
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How
to d
esign b
ig signs
10
of 16
3’ x 4
1⁄2’ sign
is suit-able for fl oor or easel, ideal at a conference. B
ig headline announces the session, and the photo is functional, w
ordlessly conveying that the training is for hom
e (not pro) audio. Signs can seem
plain. If you have the urge to angle your type (below
), resist; it usually looks contrived, and on a page that you can’t turn in your hand, it’s not easy to read.
Becom
e a
n A
udysse
y EQ
Certifi e
d In
stalle
rA
udyssey will host dem
os and training sessions for Installers throughout C
ED
IA E
XPO
2010. These sessions are free and w
ill be held on a walk-in basis each day from
8 a.m. to 6 p.m
. in the R
ed Light Room
at the Curtis H
otel less than 5 minutes
by foot from the E
XPO
. Appointm
ents are not necessary for C
ED
IA E
XPO
attendees.
Fo
cus o
n th
e h
ea
dlin
e You w
on’t miss this sign
at the student bookstore! Key are the three bold w
ords in industrial-strength type, big and densely packed. A
nalogous orange-yellow color range
softens the look; for more intensity, use red (left).
The photo is a decorative option.
ca
sh
fo
rb
oo
ks
Decem
ber 13–17M
onday–Friday9 a.m
.–5 p.m.
Hornet B
ookstore. Come early. Student ID
required.
An
no
un
cem
en
t sign
sA
nn
ou
ncem
ent sign
s are design
ed fo
r qu
ick, brief atten
tion
and
are u
sually seen
at mid
-distan
ce and
up
close.
Installe
r Train
ing
Becom
e a
n A
udysse
y EQ
Certifi
ed In
stalle
r
Audyssey w
ill host demos and training sessions for Installers
throughout CE
DIA
EXP
O 2010. These sessions are free and
will be held on a w
alk-in basis each day from 8 a.m
. to 6 p.m.
in the Red Light R
oom at the C
urtis Hotel less than 5 m
inutes
by foot from the E
XPO
. Appointm
ents are not necessary for
CE
DIA
EXP
O attendees.
Be
fore
&A
fter | w
ww
.bamagazine.com
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de
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s 06890689
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w to
de
sign
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s
®B
efore&
After
BA
mag
azine.co
mU
iX
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w to
de
sign
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s 0689
11
of 16
How
to d
esign b
ig signs
11
of 16
Wayfi n
din
g sig
ns
Wayfi n
din
g is abo
ut givin
g directio
n; it in
clud
es everythin
g from
b
illbo
ard-size h
ighw
ay signs to
the h
otel arrow
po
intin
g to th
e lob
by.
Th
ink d
istance.
Hig
hw
ay sig
ns a
re h
ug
e, but the type must be set as though it w
ere tiny, because at a long distance, it is tiny! Key here is to use a sim
ple, clear typeface and spread it out — as
far as 200% of its norm
al letterspacing — w
hich adds enough air between letters to easily
distinguish one from the next (below
).
Ind
oo
r sign
s must be read
easily but can be more decorative;
here, the funky typeface refl ects its surroundings. Space norm
ally.
Win
e T
astin
gSidewalk Café
Win
e T
astin
gW
ine T
astin
gW
ine T
astin
g
Norm
al spacing is too tight.
Beach AccessElevatorsLobby
Tiki BarLoungeSidewalk Café
Win
e Tasting
®B
efore&
After
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mag
azine.co
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iX
Ho
w to
de
sign
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s 0689
12
of 16
How
to d
esign b
ig signs
12
of 16
Type
face
s
1 Century O
ld Style
2 Univers B
lack
3 Gotham
Ultra
4 FF OT D
IN B
old
Ima
ge
s
Images: iStockphoto.com
5 (10621663)
6 (10907799)
7 (9672154)
8 (5820614)
9 (9570194)
Re
late
d a
rticles
0668 | 0662 | 0659 | 0649 | 0641 | 0631 0629
Article
reso
urce
s
Co
lors
C0
M3
Y12
K3
C30
M10
Y50
K70
C0
M0
Y0
K30
C0
M80
Y100
K0
C4
M67
Y100
K0
C0
M38
Y100
K0
11
13 1214
1011
12
15
189
141512 13 216
34
47
ca
sh
fo
rb
oo
ks
Decem
ber 13–17M
onday–Friday9 a.m
.–5 p.m.
Hornet B
ookstore. Come early. Student ID
required.
5
10
Be
fore
&A
fter | w
ww
.bamagazine.com
7 of 8
Ho
w to
de
sign
big
sign
s 06890689
Ho
w to
de
sign
big
sign
s
®B
efore&
After
BA
mag
azine.co
mU
iX
Ho
w to
de
sign
big
sign
s 0689
13
of 16
How
to d
esign b
ig signs
13
of 16
Sm
oke-free cam
pus
Sm
okin
g is n
ot p
erm
itted
in
side
or o
n th
e g
rou
nd
s of any
K
aiser P
erm
ane
nte
facility
Ne
ed
he
lp q
uittin
g?C
all (916
) 746
-43
69
The m
anta ray (M
anta b
irostris)
is the larg
est species o
f the
rays. It rang
es thro
ug
ho
ut
trop
ical waters o
f the w
orld,
typically aro
un
d co
ral reefs. M
antas d
isplay cu
riosity
arou
nd
hu
man
s and
swim
am
on
g d
ivers. Man
tas breach
th
e surface an
d lau
nch
in
to th
e air. Man
tas feed o
n
plan
kton
, fish larvae an
d th
e like, filtered
from
the w
ater p
assing
thro
ug
h th
eir gills as
they sw
im. | W
ikiped
ia
Man
ta rays frequ
ent clean
ing
station
s wh
ere sm
all fish su
ch as w
rasse, remo
ra (above),
and
ang
elfish sw
im in
the m
anta’s g
ills and
over its skin
to feed, in
the p
rocess clean
ing
it o
f parasites an
d d
ead tissu
e.
The L
arg
est R
ays
Type
face
s
1 Helvetica N
eue Extended
2 Myriad P
ro Rom
an
3 Interstate Bold
4 Interstate Regular
Ima
ge
s
5 (Photo courtesy of Jim
Merk
ww
w.audyssey.com
)
Images: iStockphoto
6 (9387901)
7 (9227413)
Article
reso
urce
s
Co
lors
C71
M15
Y11
K0
C100
M92
Y8
K4
C0
M0
Y0
K100
C0
M100
Y85
K0
C0
M0
Y0
K80
C38
M0
Y100
K0
8911
101213
112 26
1211
133
47
5 8910
®B
efore&
After
BA
mag
azine.co
mU
iX
Ho
w to
de
sign
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sign
s 0689
14
of 16
How
to d
esign b
ig signs
14
of 16
an
n livin
gsto
ne
at
po
int
we
st
Type
face
s
1 Futura Bold
2 OL R
ound Gothic Light
3 Interstate Thin
4 Copperplate Light
Ima
ge
s
Images: iStockphoto.com
5 (9120960)
6 (842279)
Article
reso
urce
s
Co
lors
C12
M93
Y0
K0
C100
M92
Y8
K4
C100
M0
Y65
K0
C10
M34
Y73
K0
C0
M84
Y74
K0
C69
M3
Y100
K0
C0
M0
Y0
K100
10 1211
13
7891011
1213
36 31 51 124
108
97
11
Be
fore
&A
fter | w
ww
.bamagazine.com
8 of 8
Ho
w to
de
sign
big
sign
s 06890689
Ho
w to
de
sign
big
sign
s
®B
efore&
After
BA
mag
azine.co
mU
iX
Ho
w to
de
sign
big
sign
s 0689
15
of 16
How
to d
esign b
ig signs
15
of 16
Beach AccessElevatorsLobby
Tiki BarLoungeSidewalk Café
Installe
r Train
ing
Becom
e a
n A
udysse
y EQ
Certifi
ed In
stalle
r
Audyssey w
ill host demos and training sessions for Installers
throughout CE
DIA
EXP
O 2010. These sessions are free and
will be held on a w
alk-in basis each day from 8 a.m
. to 6 p.m.
in the Red Light R
oom at the C
urtis Hotel less than 5 m
inutes
by foot from the E
XPO
. Appointm
ents are not necessary for
CE
DIA
EXP
O attendees.
Type
face
s
1 Oz H
andicraft BT
2 Helvetica N
eue Black
3 Helvetica N
eue Heavy
4 Helvetica N
eue Light
5 Copperplate G
othic Bold
6 Interstate Bold
Ima
ge
s
Images: iStockphoto.com
7 (2779642)
8 (8929472)
Article
reso
urce
s
Co
lors
C0
M50
Y80
K70
C0
M18
Y80
K0
C0
M0
Y0
K100
C0
M30
Y100
K5
91011
12
24 37
910 1
56 86
11
12
®B
efore&
After
BA
mag
azine.co
mU
iX
Ho
w to
de
sign
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sign
s 0689
16
of 16 | Prin
ting form
ats
How
to d
esign b
ig signs
16
of 16
Be
fore
& A
fter m
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e
Befo
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ractical app
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esign sin
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After is d
edicated
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aking grap
hic d
esign u
nd
erstand
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Joh
n M
cWa
de
Pu
blish
er and
creative directo
rG
ay
e M
cWa
de
Asso
ciate pu
blish
erD
ex
ter M
ark
Ab
elle
ra Sen
ior d
esigner
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ag
azin
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