Chapter 1: What are Pylon signs?
Chapter 2: Benefits of a Pylon Sign
Chapter 3: When Is a Pylon Sign a Better Choice Over Other Sign Options
Chapter 4: Pylon vs Monument signs
Chapter 5: Pylon Sigs FAQ
Chapter 6: How to Design the Best Pylon Sign
Chapter 1: What are Pylon signs?
Pylon signs are freestanding signs that are usually supported by either one or two poles. They are commonly made with an aluminum or steel frame with a rigid or flexible face.
The typical structures include:
Single pole mount:
A single pole mount consists of one central pole that holds up your sign.
This is a popular and classic construction for a pylon sign.
Source: Unsplash - Jethro Carullo
Double pole mount:
A double pole mount uses two poles on either side of your sign to hold it up.
This type of structure is more stable than the single pole style, so it is a good choice for larger, heavier signage.
Source: Unsplash - Joshua Lewis
Covered pole mount:
A covered pole mount design simply covers the poles so that you don't see them.
This is a good choice if you want a more solid looking or blocked-shape look to your sign.
The covering will extend to the ground hiding the poles.
Source: Pixabay - F. Muhammad
Illumination:
You can choose to either have your pylon sign lit up or not.
Often pylon signs will be a customized light box that are lit up with interior LED lights.
They can also have a digital portion that is illuminated.
Source: AGC Signs
Double or Single Sided:
Depending on where you have your pylon sign installed, you can choose to have your message displayed on one or both sides.
If your sign can be seen from two directions, then a double-sided version makes the most sense.
Chapter 2: Benefits of a pylon sign
There are many great benefits to installing a pylon sign for your business, including:
1. Provide High Visibility:
Because they are so high and large, pylon signs can be seen from a great distance giving you high visibility. This means your business will be more visible to passing traffic.
Due to the higher visibility, your sign will be able to reach a wider market for you making it an effective form of advertisement and a great tool for grabbing peoples' attention.
2. They Are Attractive:
Because pylon signs need to be so big to be seen, they also provide you with a larger canvas to work with than you would have with other types of signs.
The extra space means you can showcase images, logos, and text while still having enough "white space" (also referred to as negative space) to make your design very attractive as well as easy to read and uncluttered.
Want to learn more about why white space is so important? Check out this video.
3. Help Customers Find You:
If your actual building is difficult to see from the road, then simply having a storefront sign won't give you the best exposure. Installing a pylon sign along the road is a great way to help customers know where you are located.
For this reason, pylon signs are an excellent tool for pointing out your business to potential customers who are passing by.
3. Promote Brand Awareness:
Pylon signs can also help you build your brand. In order to do this, make sure that your sign complements and promotes your brand image by using the same colour scheme, design elements, and messaging as the rest of your signage and marketing tools.
Chapter 3: When Is a Pylon Sign a Better Choice Over Other Sign Options
Here are some situations when you should choose to install a pylon sign rather than another type of signage option:
If your business can’t be seen by potential customers looking for you because it is obstructed by something like another building, trees, etc.
If your business is set too far back from a main road to be clearly visible
If your business is located next to a highway, then installing a pylon sign along the highway will help passing motorists see it from a distance
If you have a large parking lot in front of your building
If you want to clearly mark the entrance to your business so customers don’t miss you as they go by
If you want to attract extra traffic coming off of a nearby highway
If your business is in an industrial area where there are great distances between plants and warehouses, so that motorists can find your easier
If other neighbouring businesses have pylon signs already, it will help you to compete with them
Chapter 4: Pylon vs Monument signs
People often use the terms pylon and monument signs interchangeably however even though they have some similarities, they are two different types of signage. Here is a quick comparison of these two.
1. Pylon signs are higher:
The main difference between a pylon and a monument sign is their size. Pylon signs are much higher and often larger than monument signs.
2. They Have a Similar Location:
Pylon and monument signs are however very similar in that they are both located away from your main building and placed at the entrance to your property or along the road so that customers can find you more easily.
Monument Sign
Pylon Sign
3. Monument Signs Suit Mixed Zoning Areas:
Monument signs are usually no more than about 5 feet high and are designed to display your message at eye level and to blend in nicely with your surrounding landscape.
For this reason, they are often found in mixed zoning areas that have a combination of residential homes, condo buildings, offices, and storefront businesses. If your business is located in this type of area then you might want to choose a monument sign so that your signage fits in better with the character of your neighbourhood.
4. By-laws Will Often Dictate which type you choose:
The by-laws in your municipality will often dictate whether you choose to have a pylon or monument sign. This is because local by-laws will often restrict the height and placement of signage, so it is a good idea to check out your local regulations before choosing your sign.
Here are some links to various municipal bylaws in Ontario:
Chapter 5: Pylon Signs FAQ
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Pylon signs can also be referred to as:
Freestanding signs
Pole signs
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The support structure of a pylon sign can be made from brick, stone, metal, concrete, or heavy-duty plastic.
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Pylon signs are quite expensive due to their size. They can range anywhere from about $8,000 to $200,000 or more depending on their design, dimensions and location.
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Pylon signs can range anywhere in height from more than 5 feet to over 100 feet high.
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Even though pylon signs do a great job at attracting potential customers to your business, they should be used in conjunction with other types of signage such as storefront signs, banners, interior signs, etc. to best promote your brand.
Chapter 6: How to design the best pylon sign
When designing the perfect pylon sign, you need to consider the following:
1. Colours:
Colour is extremely important to the overall look of your sign. You can to choose colours that will evoke the perfect feelings or emotions you are trying to portray. For example, blue is a great choice for businesses that need you to trust them and red is a colour that will get people excited.
2. Fonts:
The fonts you choose are almost as important as the colour. They should be easy to read and portray your message clearly. You also want them to be large enough so that they can be read from a great distance.
3. Images:
If you are going to include images or a logo on your sign, make sure that you use ones that best represent your business. You also want to try and keep a good balance between the size of you images and fonts and make sure that you have enough white space so your sign isn't cluttered and confusing.
If you have limited design experience, then it is best to get a professional to help you. It is a good idea to choose a company that will be with you through all the stages of making your sign including designing it, making it, installing it, and servicing it.
