How to Make an LED Sign for Your Business: Tips and Tricks

Catching the attention of your customers during the day is one battle, but at night the fight is even tougher. One of the best ways to call out the presence and purpose of your business is to install an LED external sign that draws your ideal customers in like moths to a flame. But like all great signage, these LED signs only work if made right.

This blog post will touch on our best tips and tricks, guiding you through how to make LED sign technology that stands out in the dark of night and lets your customers know, “Ah, this is where I need to be”.

1. Simpler is Better

The fundamental job of any LED sign is to grab attention quickly by communicating a clear message, unlike printed signage – which customers can stop and read – LED signs need to be easily legible from a distance, usually at a glance.

The light is designed to attract people’s eyes automatically, so you only have a split second to get your message across. A cluttered or overly detailed design will be hard to read, potentially diluting your message enough to lose your customer (even if you’re exactly what they need).

When it comes to how to make LED sign tech work for your business, simplicity is always key. Prioritise readability with bold and clear fonts, stick to minimal words, and streamline your graphics to let the simplest details make their mark.

2. Your Colours Matter

Just like the shapes and words in your sign, your colours will tell a complete story. Colour psychology plays a pretty major role here! Something as simple as the shade of a particular hue you select can make or break whether your customer chooses to walk through your front door.

Adding the LED element only increases the complexity here. It’s important to choose high-contrast colours to make your sign as readable as possible, and to avoid overloading your customers’ senses with too many colours. Stick with a sweet spot of two to three main colours to avoid visual chaos, and consider what those colours say about your business.

For instance, warmer colours tend to grab attention faster (especially at night), but cooler colours are more likely to convey professionalism. How can you balance these two qualities to create the sign that’s right for your business? Experiment, try out different configurations in the early design process, and don’t be afraid to try things you aren’t sure of.

3. Think About Placement

Many people think hard about how to make LED sign technology work for their business, but don’t consider the placement of their sign. Here’s the truth: where you install your LED sign will impact how well it performs. The goal is to make sure it’s at the ideal height and angle for your customer’s view, so get creative.

Stand outside your business and view it from all angles. Consider which placement you’ll use for your sign, how far away your customers will be when they see it, and whether you’ll need to contend with any obstructions (like trees or other buildings).

When in doubt, larger and clearer LED signs get seen far easier than smaller ones (although if you’re running something like a speakeasy, the secrecy of a smaller sign can contribute to your overall brand).

4. Be Strategic About Motion

One of the most exciting things about an LED sign is the ability to introduce motion into the design. To break down how to make a sign with ‘motion’, you just need to think of it like an extremely simplified animation. Different frames are built into the sign and illuminated in a pre-defined cycle, creating the illusion of motion from a distance.

Not all businesses would benefit from a sign that has motion effects. These can be a fantastic way to grab attention, as both light and movement work together to draw customers in from a distance. If it suits your brand story, then you might want to consult a professional for creating more complex signs like these. If it doesn’t, then sticking with a static sign can be just as effective.

When in doubt, remember: subtlety is best! Avoid overdoing it on blinking and make sure all elements are always legible, as the primary goal is to attract the right customers, not turn them away.

5. Don’t Skimp on Compliance

For putting up an LED sign, you might need a resource consent. Depending on where your business is, there will be slightly different bylaws governing what kind of sign you can erect on your building (or how it can be displayed). Make sure to check out your local council rules and apply for signage early, so you can incorporate any requirements into the design process.

A custom sign is undoubtedly one of the most powerful tools in your arsenal for attracting customers and making your business stand out, especially when darkness falls. There’s an art to getting your sign design right, but by focusing on a high contrast design with clean, simple shapes and a well-considered placement, you can create something that easily captures attention.

As you can see, delving into how to make LED sign design work for your business can be complex. If you’ve never done this before, or you’re focusing on other aspects of your business, it helps to partner with an experienced sign maker to create an effective, long-lasting piece that will stay with your business for years.

Light up the night with an LED sign from Brave Design.

At Brave Designs, we haven’t found a problem we can’t solve yet. If you can think of a size, shape, product, or place to install it, we can tackle it with our team of experienced creatives.

We know how to make an LED sign that calls out to your customers no matter what your business does. Get in touch with us today for a quote on your external signage!