Avoid These Design Mistakes When Making A Banner

Creating a successful sign or banner can be more difficult than you might imagine. There are a number of common design mistakes that first-time sign makers tend to make; even people who have experience making banners and signs can fall victim to these or other design problems. The experts behind custom signs have a few tips to help you avoid common design mistakes and vault your next banner to even greater levels of success.

Give Yourself Plenty of Time to Work

Good design takes time; trying to create a sign in an evening or a weekend does not give you adequate time to experiment with different options and identify the most successful choice. Rushed design is obvious to observers; mistakes in spelling and grammar get missed, pictures are poorly chosen, and technical corners are cut in order to meet the deadline.

To avoid this mistake, begin work well in advance of the production deadline. Remember that the production deadline is not the same as the event date. Your production deadline should fall 7 – 10 days before your event to give the printer enough time to produce the signs. This window of time will also allow for last minute setbacks; remember that you still have to hang and distribute the signs. Depending on what type of sign you need made and how many you require more or less production time may be required. Talk with your printer to determine how much production time will be required. This will help you identify the deadline you need to aim for.

Use Design Tools Appropriate to the Task

Anyone with a modern computer and standard software options has access to a range of image editing tools, desktop publishing programs, and word processors. Each of these programs has their own strengths; you have to select which program is most appropriate to the particular design you are working on. There are certain standard file formats that printers use; you can speak with your preferred custom sign creator for information on what file formats are needed for successful sign creation.

If you use a program that is not appropriate to the particular design task you wish to accomplish, you will be unsatisfied with the results. It will be much harder to finish your work and there may be problems with production as well.

Teamwork Pays Off

Design work tends to be a solitary task but you can save yourself a lot of trouble by working with others. A design partner can identify problems you may have missed and can offer solutions you may have not considered. A fresh pair of eyes can bring a new perspective to any design.

Remember the Basics

If you still find yourself unsatisfied with the appearance of your sign, try changing one or two basic elements. These include:

– Background and font color

– Font face

– Image size

– Image placement

– Text alignment

– Page orientation

Changing these elements can yield surprising results.

Common design mistakes can be avoided by implementing these basics tips. You will have a greater chance of a satisfying design experience if you have a realistic time line, the right tools, and a supportive team. And if all else fails, just revisit the basics of design.