What Good Is a Sign if You Can’t Read It?

And, more importantly, if your customers can't read it!

An effective sign is one of the most important things your business can invest in, so prioritizing readability is key during the design process.

Letter visibility is just one of the factors our designers consider when creating your signs. There are three important factors to consider when talking about letter visibility:

Letter height, this is the size of your letter in inches, measured based on the letter X. This is your starting point.

Distance for maximum impact, this is approximately how far a person must be from the sign for it to be most effective. This is generally estimated as 10 times the letter height in feet. So a 3 inch letter generally has maximum impact at 30 feet away. A 4 inch letter would be at 40 feet, etc.

Maximum readable distance, this is the furthest away someone can be and still read your sign.

We have attached a portion of the same chart we use to determine letter visibility below. Check it out the next time you're planning a project! Remember, these numbers are based on the assumes that the reader is a person with 20/20 vision who is standing still on a clear day.