Running a business is a complicated thing, and one of the hardest factors to decide on is what type of signs best suit your service. To help you make the right decision for your store, shop, restaurant, or service, AGC Signs has put together a list of 17 different outdoor sign ideas that you can use for research and inspiration.
Start scrolling to see all the different ideas, or click on the links below to be taken directly to that entry:
17 Outdoor Sign Ideas To Get Your Business Noticed:
Idea #1 - Backlit Signs
Backlit signs are a great way to ensure your sign stays clear and visible in gloomy weather or after the sun sets.
The picture above shows off the new sign AGC installed for JointAction Physiotherapy & Wellness Centre in Whitby, Ontario. To read more about our project with JointAction, click here.
Idea #2 - Channel Letters
Channel lettering refers to signs composed of individual letters, each placed on their own. They are a stylish, elegant choice when you need to decorate a living room, or perhaps a cozy backyard living space.
The sign above was installed by AGC for Wiltshire Homes in Ajax, Ontario. To read more about their experience working with AGC, click here.
Idea #3 - Light Boxes
As far as outdoor sign ideas go, light boxes are especially unique.
In addition to keeping your business visible in dim light, they bring a certain rustic flair to your storefront, perfect for businesses with exposed brick, piping, or a general industrial chic.
Neon signs look so unique because they actually contain neon gas that glows when a weak electrical charge is run through it. To learn more about the science behind it all, check out this great science article.
Idea #4 - Pylon Signs
If your business is nestled in a larger building, or perhaps part of a larger plaza or park, pylon signs can be placed near the main roadside to alert customers to your presence. This makes your business easier to find whether a customer was looking for you or not.
AGC Signs has plenty of experience installing durable, effective utility signs. Be sure to browse our gallery for some examples.
Idea #5 - Monument Signs
Monument signs fill a similar niche to pylon signs, however they are less jarring. Local communities, schools, or businesses that want to fit into the local atmosphere will often opt to install a clean, subtle monument sign.
From schools to lawyers to admin buildings, AGC Signs has installed monument signs of all different types.
Idea #6 - Canopies
Sometimes your outdoor sign ideas have a very practical purpose. In the case of canopy signs, it is to protect your entrance from the elements. But of course, why leave it at that? With some slick graphic design and unified signage, your canopy can be as much of a showpiece as any other type of sign.
Idea #7 - Window Decals
Window decals can be used practically as well, for example as a means to add privacy to a space by blocking visibility, or as an easy way to mute and diffuse sunlight.
But window signs are easy enough to install that businesses often use them as fashionable accessories to really make their business feel professional.
Idea #8 - Custom Banners
Custom banners are special in that they are immensely portable. Cheap to make, banners can be a variety of sizes, can display whatever you want, and can be rolled up and transport with minimal fuss.
A banner can be taken to a convention, a town fair, or set up outside to advertise for your company.
Click here to browse some of the many shapes and forms custom banners signs can take.
Idea #9 - Sandwich Signs
Sandwich signs, also called A-Frame signs, are useful in many of the same ways that banner signs are: affordability, customizability, and portability.
However, sandwich signs are typically more durable, as far as portable signs go. They can be made of tough plastic and filled with sand so they don’t blow away, or shaped out of stainless steel to provide the ultimate outdoor durability.
Idea #10 - Wall Signs
Don’t leave your walls bare! Don’t let all the different possibilities of unique outdoor sign ideas cause you to forget to decorate! Show off your brand, announce your slogan, or simply add some whimsy to your building, wall signs can be flexible to show whatever you need them to.
Wall signs are a great way to show off your company logo. And if you don’t yet have a logo in mind, there are many helpful resources out there to help you design the perfect image to represent your business.
Idea #11 - Temporary Signs
It’s easy to forget that when you see an event of people waving signs for a cause, that those signs had to come from somewhere.
Flags, cheap plastic signs, and thin temporary signs can be purchased en masse from your local sign shop, and will bring an element of care and legitimacy to whatever cause you aim to support.
Idea #12 - Utility Signs
Another practical idea: utility signs. This is a catch-all term for signs that provide safety or usability information to human traffic in the area.
Heavy machinery, dangerous chemicals, legal requirements, or even the location of the restrooms are all important features that benefit from having helpful utility signs installed in useful locations nearby.
You can always refer to your local government’s website for more info on what signs ought to be used in different situations. For example, this page lists the symbology used for traffic, emergency, and regulatory signs for the province of Ontario.
Idea #13 - Marquee Signs
As you can see from the above picture, marquee signs are a synthesis between lightbox signs, backlit signs, and channel letters. They concentrate light within the letters, giving a very distinct look, especially at night.
The label of “marquee” refers to how this style of sign is often used by theatres to pull in viewers for their “marquee” shows.
Idea #14 - Lawn Signs
Most often used for advertising, lawn signs stick into the grass with thin rods, making them incredibly easy to set up, and nearly effortless to remove, without damaging the sod beneath.
Lawn signs are ideal for showing your support for something like a festival, holiday, or political group because once those events are over you can remove the sign with minimal work.
Idea #15 - Portable Signs
Signs like the one above are built to be portable. For any application where you may want to remove, replace, or alter a sign, try to use something portable.
Banners can work for this, as well as sandwich signs or flags.
Idea #16 - Wood signs
Wooden signs can take a variety of forms. If you contact a craftsperson you may be able to have a one-of-a-kind sign commissioned to bring a country spice to your business.
Idea #17 - Billboards
Finally, billboards. To make the biggest statement and reach the biggest audience, nothing rivals billboards.
Fortunately you often don’t need to build them from scratch, and can often rent space on a billboard to have it show your ad for a period of time.
There is no one-size-fits-all solution to choosing the perfect signage for your business. With so many outdoor sign ideas, you have remarkable flexibility when it comes to choosing the perfect sign for you. Provided you work with a company that has lots of experience and is transparent about their process, you can have confidence that you will end up with a result you can be proud of.
Servicing THE GTA AND SOUTHERN Ontario, AGC Signs is the all-in-one sign shop you can trust.
No matter the style, AGC can take you from an idea to an installed and maintained sign for your restaurant or business.
Contact AGC Signs for a free quote today!
“AGC Graphics was absolutely professional in all aspects. Their work is exemplary, and their customer service is fantastic. I would highly recommend AGC Graphics to anyone looking for quality work and service.”
