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Introduction
Signs are expanding communication mediums that respond to our
mobile lifestyles. Signature buildings such as the widely
recognized McDonalds restaurant building designs are signs. A
facelift to a building such as the old western village false
storefronts is also considered a sign. Thoughtful use of the
visibility features of your business site expands your ability to
communicate with passersby. Regardless of the type used, your
signage must be appealing to your customers and the message must
be readable.
When faced with the task of reviewing the many choices of signs
available, it helps to approach it by first looking at the three
primary locations in which you will typically use
on-premise signs:
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Building Mounted signs
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Freestanding signs
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Interior signs
Many of the sign types fall into more than one of the
above location-based categories. For example, Channel letters can
be either building-mounted, freestanding, or even an interior
sign. As you review this section, keep in mind that there are
dozens of possible sign options and configurations, each as unique
as a business' needs. We present in this section, the most
commonly used types of signs.
Here are some generalized points, as
an intoduction to sign types:
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Building
mounted
on-premise signs may be attached to the roof, parapet,
marquee, or building fascia. These signs may be either
parallel or perpendicular to the building surface.
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Freestanding
 on-premise
signs are generally supported by a structure attached to or
cast in a foundation. . The structure and attachments to the
foundation may be concealed with a decorative covering.
Freestanding signs can be further enhanced by landscaping.
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On-premise
signs  can
be either internally or externally illuminated. For retail
businesses, on-premise signs should be illuminated to
accomplish communication with potential customers during
nighttime hours.
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Sometimes a building itself functions
as a sign. This occurs most often with franchise and chain
retail operations, where standardized (or
"signature") buildings and colors, as well as
traditional on-premise signage, announce the presence of the
business.
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Buildings also may be fitted or retrofitted
with "trade dress" to design a theme.
Retrofitting of a building-façade is often described as a
"face lift." Both building and freestanding signs
should be designed to echo the theme or trade dress.
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Changeable copy boards or electronic
message centers enhance a sign's effectiveness by providing
space to advertise time dependent messages. Such sign or sign
additions can be electronically controlled (the electronic
message center), or changed manually (the changeable copy
sign).
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Interior on-premise signs are those
that advertise the location of businesses located in a common
building such as a mall, office building, entertainment
complex etc. They have two major purposes: (1) to influence
buyer choices and encourage certain "point of
purchase" transactions; and (2) to provide guidance
in a safe and efficient manner, as required by local
regulatory authorities (such as the Fire Marshall) and federal
law, particularly the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
.
In summary...
Primarily, there are building mounted, freestanding and
interior signs, within which are many types of signs.
Carefully reviewing the many types of signs, and considering how
well they will meet your location and business' needs, will enable
you to select the kind of signs you need for your greatest
business success.
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