Booth Sign Information

Jewelry Discussion
1

I am trying to find any regarding signs outside of
booths at outdoor shows. I currently have a couple of banners, but
in the past, I have seen some artists displaying a sign that hangs
outside of their booth with their business name on it.

I am looking for dimensions of signs, materials that they are made
from and how to attach them to the canopy. I know I don’t want a
flexible material that will flap in the breeze, nor do I want
anything that will hit someone in the head as they walk by.

Does anyone have any or sources on this? Any help would
be appreciated.

Thanks.
Francesca Anatra

2

Sintra an expanded PVC sheeting the same stuff that is sold as faux
bone/ivory from here

http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/search.asp?search=Sintra&x=14&y=4

Can be used with the computer generated lettering or art work or
painted. you can use grommets to line the holes to prevent tearing in
the material. If real thin stock is used. You can bend up brackets
that hang over the frame under the canopy fabric, with the sign
mounted to the legs on the outside of the booth and the other legs
over the metal frame a sort of modified flattened Z shape.

Having spent 25 plus years in signs. I will tell you if you are real
good art lettering, spacing and lay out. Go to a shop and
geter-done. Nothing is as bad and will turn off customers as a poor
or badly done sign. KISS is the operating guide Keep it Simple St****
you can fill in your favorite.

Stay away from cursive writing as most people can not read it easily
at a glance.

If you have to have it, pick a font that has a good weight to height
ratio. Readability, No thin tall artsy stuff, or with all the curly
cu’s and loops at the ends.

Not to many colors, two maybe three at the max on a base color. Make
sure they compliment each other. Busy is bad, keep what is called
white space around the body of the message.

Don’t try to have your life story artistically on the sign. Like Sgt
Friday used to say "Just the Facts "

The name of the biz, or the tag line of the biz. They can see what
you are selling you don’t have to list everything you sell.

Don’t put your address, phone number or email on your sign. As
almost 99% will not write it down at outdoor fairs. Get and keep a
stock of handouts or biz cards.

Hand outs should be around 3"x5" no larger it will fit in the pocket
or purse easier than an full sheet of paper. also make sure they are
on card stock or heavy weight paper. 16 pound bond will need to be
folded and and crumples to easy. So people tend not to pick up or if
they do will trash it next time they reach in to the bag for
something and it gets in the way.

The last thing is people, tend to make judgments on bad signage.
Because it kicks you in the eyes first. Surveys have been done on it
people will not pick a restaurant with a sloppy hand did signage.
Not the soup of the day kind but name ect. Or marker on cardboard or
poster board. It denotes temporary, the other thing is you are
selling handcrafted art work or jewelry. Probably not cheap items.
Cheap looking signage will send a message that you can’t change.

Whether it on your both or building.

glen
been there done that !

3

I don’t know what kind of tent you have, but if it’s an EZ-Up, you
can get a detachable sign holder. Mine came with it, but if yours
didn’t, I think you can get it separately. It attaches to the two
front legs, right under the roof line, and then points up. Two bars,
with a piece stretched between that has a clear front on it,
basically a big sleeve into which you can put a sign, maybe 12" high
and about 10’ long. I made mine with a foundation of foam core. You
want it to be stiff enough to stand up on its own. The one error I
made was not to make sure it fit snugly in the sleeve from top to
bottom. I meant to, but made some calculation error, and it ended up
a couple inches shorter. Since it’s not tight, the whole thing tends
to sag a bit. I used some binder clips to help remedy that, but I
really need to remake my sign. If you don’t have the EZ-Up and can’t
get a holder made for your tent, you could try the same basic
concept. Get two long rods & strap them securely to the two front
tent legs, protruding up a foot or so (depending how tall your sign
is), making sure they are bound well enough that they will stay
strongly upright. If you get a sign that is of outdoor fabric
itself, you can just make sure it’s long enough, and with a pocket at
each end, so that the ends can slip down onto the rods. If not, use
similar fabric, including clear plastic, to make a long sleeve that
attaches that same way, but allows you to put your sign (made of
cardboard, or whatever) into it.

I’ve seen people use a banner made of some waterproof fabric, with
their printed directly on it, then use big clamps to
attach it to the front of the tent, across where the roof comes
down. I’ve never had one made, but I think I’ve read that Kinkos
makes them. I don’t much like the look of those clamps, but I like
the idea of the banner stretched across the tent front. So long as it
doesn’t extend below the roof line of your tent, you shouldn’t have
to worry about people hitting their heads on it.

Lisa
Designs by Lisa Gallagher

4

Go to Kinkos and talk to them. Most of the artist signs you see with
photographs of art work are from Kinkos.

hth
Carla

5

Glen,

Thank you for such an informative email. I will be doing more
research on this and have someone lined up to do the graphics for me.
I appreciate the time you took to respond to my questions.

Francesca

6

Hi Lisa,

I have a Finale canopy. Thanks for responding to my questions.

I already have a couple of banners that stretch across the front of
the tent. Like you, I don’t like the clamps that hold it in place,
but they work. I was just trying to find a shingle type sign to hang
from one of the legs. Again, I am unsure of the size so it’s not too
large and just the right size to be seen.

Thanks for taking the time to respond.
Francesca