I’ve been asked to create slides for an older LED sign- 1080 x 1920. Sounded like fun. Well, it was (and is fun) but what wasn’t so much fun is discovering that many of my slides couldn’t be used.
Some of the problems we ran into:
*the images look different on the LED sign than they do on the computer screen.
*white backgrounds caused too much of a glare at night. People complained that the sign was blinding them as they drove by.
*certain fonts weren’t legible
*small or fine details got lost- for example, the details in small flowers or a small image of a group of people
*colors showed up differently than they did on the computer
*some of the slides were too wordy since people only had a few seconds to read the sign as they drove by. It was decided that we shouldn’t use more than 5-7 words. Now that’s a challenge.
*others were wrong because I didn’t know or even consider the target market
But I’m learning. I did some research and asked for input from the people who are in charge of keeping the sign updated. I asked questions. I wrote down what I learned and thought I’d share my tips for working with an older LED sign:
*Know what your purpose and goals are in using the sign. Keep it simple. For a business, it might be to remind passing traffic that you exist and what services or products you offer or let them know about a current sale that’s going on, or simply how to find your website.
*Know who your market is. Who do you want to reach? As you create designs keep your target market in mind
*Whatever your message is, make sure it’s readable. Avoid fonts with thin strokes and use thicker ones like Arial regular or bold or Helvetica. Another option is to duplicate the text and offset it to make it thicker.
*Space letters/words appropriately. If they’re too close together, they’ll be illegible to people zooming by in their vehicles.
*Use video clips, or animations to catch peoples’ eyes. If it’s moving, people are more apt to notice it.
*Video clips should be no longer 6-10 seconds long.
*Use short sentences. It’s recommended to use no more than 7-10 words, depending on where your sign is placed and how much time people have to read it as they drive by. Simplicity is key, so stay with one idea or concept.
* Create hierarchy. The most important element(s) can be made more prominent through the use of size, color, or placement.
*Use strong contrasting colors—for example, a dark blue background with white text.
*Avoid using complementary colors together such as orange and yellow- because, from a distance, they blend together.
*Change your content regularly. Keeping the same content up for weeks on end is likely to cause viewers to ignore your message.
*Use the right images- quality photos that aren’t too small and don’t have too many fine details.
*Use images that are relevant. For example, if you’re advertising new store hours, using an image of a clock rather than an image of a cute dog with sunglasses will help reinforce your message.
*Keep it very simple. For example- one big image or background, a brief headline, and maybe a logo.
So there you have it, my tips for working with older LED signs. If I missed something or if you have any other tips to share with us, please leave the comment section below.