Glossary

ADA signs – Signage compliant with the American’s with Disabilities Act (ADA). These signs give information to the disabled to help them find letters and Grade II Braille for the blind and people with low vision. Signs must adhere to ADA guidelines for letter height, type of contrast, and mounting location.

Architectural signs – Building signage that includes lobby signs, plaques, monument signs and storefront signs.

Awning sign – A projecting sign made of nonrigid material such as heavy canvas supported by a framework that is attached to a building’s substrate. The awning sign extends outward from the building and so provides shaded cover and protection from weather for customers and pedestrians. An awning sign will have lettering and/or graphics painted or screen printed on its exterior surface. It may or not be illuminated.

Banners and flags – Signs made from a long strip of cloth or vinyl bearing a slogan or design and hung in a public place. They can be used to advertise celebrations, church events, graduations, holidays, schools, and sporting events.

Billboards – Outdoor advertising structures found in high traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. They feature large ads directed at passing pedestrians and drivers. They offer the greatest visibility due not only to their size but because they allow creative customizing through extensions and embellishments.

Blade signs – A sign used to attract pedestrians or drivers who cannot see a storefront. Blade signs are usually illuminated both on the front and back with two faces. They can also be non-illuminated with a cut-out design. They are usually hung from ornate brackets.

Custom signs – Custom signs are signs the customer designs themselves. All types of business signs, banners, engraving, corporate awards, name tags, nameplates, and other engraved signs can be economically produced to match a customer’s exact preferences.

Digital printing – Digital printing refers to methods of printing from a digital-based image directly to a variety of materials, such as paper, poster board, or cloth. It usually refers to professional printing, where small-run jobs from desktop publishing and other digital sources are printed using large-format and/or high volume laser or inkjet printers.

Engraved plaques – Engraving is the practice of etching a design onto a hard, usually flat surface, by cutting grooves into it. Nameplates, plaques, brass plates, photo plaques, perpetual plaques, indoor signs, and personalized gifts are all examples of items that can be engraved.

Exhibit sign – These are signs used to advertise and play up trade show exhibits. Examples of these types of displays are retractable displays, panel pop-up displays, fabric tension displays, and tabletop systems.

Fleet Graphics – a vehicle graphic or wrap template applied to multiple vehicles operated by one company. A great way to build brand recognition and gain exposure while off-premise. A well-designed fleet can make a business appear larger and enhances its visibility in the communities they serve.

Graphics –A graphics file is a pixelated representation of an image used to convey visual information. Graphics files include photos, clip art, line art, digital art, icons, bullets, backgrounds, and image maps.

Graphics installation – The process of applying graphics to a vehicle or sign.

Illuminated signs – An illuminated sign is a sign that is electrically lighted. They serve a dual purpose: during the day, they serve as exterior building signs to identify a business using unique
colors and logo. At night, they are lighted so customers can see the sign in the dark.

Large format printing – Bigger than usual fonts applied to an extra-large sign or banner.

Mall signage – Attractive signs in malls to attract customers to a store and to help them find merchandise.

Posters – A tool for advertisers, a poster is any piece of paper designed to be attached to a wall or vertical surface. Posters typically include both text and graphics and are designed to be both eye-catching and informative.

Vehicle wrap – A vinyl sticker that covers the body of a vehicle to advertise a business, or to decorate a car, truck, boat or trailer without the expense of having an artist custom paint it.

Wall murals – Any piece of artwork painted or applied directly on a wall, ceiling, or another large permanent surface.