There are many sign companies. Why should I buy from First Sign Corp?ANSWER: At First Sign we value your business and we use premium materials: Traffic signs are 3M Reflective HIP, and DG for road signs and Engineer grade is used for Parking Signs. 3M premium high performance vinyl lettering is used, and we stock a wide variety of bright, vivid colors. We have been graphic specialists since 1983 with 1000's of satisfied customers. Our facility uses state of the art computerized cutting equipment. Our new Latex ink HP Printer is "green" environmentally friendly, used for durable outdoor vinyl prints, vehicle graphics and banners and can print up to 16.7 million colors. Made in America. We are a member of the ISA (International Sign Association) SSA Southern States Sign Association and Greater Pompano Chamber of Commerce.
I am located in South Florida. Can I pick up my order?ANSWER: Yes, local Customers can pick up orders at our facility in Pompano Beach, Fl. We are open 8AM- 4 PM Monday thru Friday (excluding Holidays). Our address is: First Sign Corp. 2085 N. Powerline Road Suite 1, Pompano Beach, FL. 33069. Please see our "driving directions" linkfor more detailed description of our location.
Florida customers - should choose UPS Ground shipping -usually 1 day within Florida
I am tax exempt and want to order online- In Florida please create your customer account - Email your tax exempt certificate to info@firstsign.com and we will update your tax number and let us know you wish to order online
Is your web-site secure? ANSWER: YES, our shopping cart is PCI compliant, protected by a Secure SSL connection. An "https://" prefix in the URL and a key or padlock icon in the browser's status bar indicate that a Web site is secure. An SSL-encrypted session usually starts once a visitor signs in to a secure area of a Web site. Our shopping cart and your order is protected by SSL. We are also Paypal verified and PCI compliant. If you have any questions about our secure site you can call us at 1-800-393-7221
When will my order ship?Stock items are usually shipped 24-48 hours after the order is placed, very often same day if order is received before 10 am. Completion times on custom orders vary depending on the weekly workflow. In some cases items may be out of stock. In this case, you will be notified that the order may take an additional 3-5 business days. If you would like to cancel your order please notify us with in 24 hours. After your order is placed you will receive a order confirmation e-mail with your order details. If you do not receive a confirmation e-mail, please contact us to make sure your order went through. At First Sign Corp. we strive to process you order in a timely manner.
Will my custom color match my artwork? Color matching can be challenging - especially photographic art. Computer monitors do not show accurate colors because each monitor shows colors differently due to their settings. Some colors cannot be created by our digital printer. For these reasons, we cannot promise a color match on internet orders. We can only promise to do our best to match your colors to the artwork you provided.
How long will my sign last? Our aluminum signs never rust. 3M, the manufacturer of our vinyl Lettering gives the products we use a life span of 5-7 years. Depending on sun exposure and weather conditions a sign can last much longer. Some of our signs have been up for 10-20 years and are still readable.
I have small bubbles in my sign or vinyl lettering. Will these go away? We guarantee our 3M letters will not come off for 3-5 years or longer on our metal sign products. If you notice small bubbles, this is characteristic with vinyl and usually will disappear after being in the sunlight for a couple days.
Do you provide custom artwork or logo design? Yes, we are a full service sign shop, we have in-house graphic designers to meet your needs, please contact us for a quote on custom work. Basic signs with a small amount of copy will not require artwork charges. Customers may send us their logo and sign copy for a quote.
What kind of files do you need for my artwork or company logo? We prefer vector files such as .eps or .ai but can also use .jpg or .gif as long as they are large enough and have a high enough resolution. High resolution files are needed if you are going to enlarge your image for large format printing. If you have had professional brochure or letterhead printing in the past, you may be able to get your artwork from your printing company. Artwork can be given to us on a disk, attached to an e-mail or dropbox or other service - fax is usually poor quality and is not acceptable.
Traffic Signs - Which types of Reflective Traffic Signs are available? Reflective Traffic sign grades are available in the materials below, the longer life products are often specified on the print or plans for DOT, State and County sign projects. You will see pricing is higher on the longer life products, but over the longer period of years, the sign is actually less cost per year, and there is less often replacement labor. The higher grades are also Brighter as well as more durable. Be sure to check your print on projects, and check local city or county specifications.
Reflective Material Grade descriptions:
Engineering Grade Reflective Sheeting ASTM Types I - Expected Life 7 years Retroreflectivity (0.5º, -4º) 30 cd/lux/m2
High Intensity Prismatic III, IV, X Reflective Sheeting - Expected Life 10 years Retroreflectivity (0.5º, -4º) 200 cd/lux/m2 3M DG3
Diamond Grade 3M DG3 Reflective Sheeting - Expected Life 12 years -Retroreflectivity (0.5º, -4º) 400 cd/lux/m2
What materials are used for Traffic Signs?
First Sign Corporation uses .080 Aluminum that has been alodine treated for standard Traffic Signs.
Aluminum is rust free, has a long life, and is completely recyclable at the end of its useful life. All signs are drilled for a standard traffic post mount.
3M Reflective materials are used for the sign face, and 3M long life ink is used for printing most standard sign faces.
Our reflective materials are EGP Engineer Grade Reflective used for Parking signs and some Regulatory. HIP High Intensity Prismatic, is used for Stop Signs and Regulatory Traffic Signs. Diamond Grade Reflective is also Available.
In some cases, such as for one of a kind signs, and less often requested signs, example: Construction zone signs, 3M premium vinyl lettering is used for lettering. This is approved for highway signs and is a very durable product, tested and warranted by 3M.
Can Special Traffic Signs be made for Community Directional Signs and Parks?Yes First Sign can make custom reflective aluminum signs for use within a community or Park. Building or address directional signs, or indicating arrows to Clubhouse, Golf Club, Pool, are some examples of signs we can make.- Important Note: Be sure to check with your county, community or city for permits before mounting signs on right of ways or road ways. Signs posted for Drivers should follow the MUTCD (Manual on Uniform Traffic Control) example: It is very important that your signs do not mount on a post with an existing traffic regulatory sign, or block vision.
BASIC DESIGN - What are some basic requirements for a good sign layout? Basics for Sign Type style and Design
Simplicity
- Signs that are readable from a distance or moving vehicle should be Simple
and to the point.
Legibility
-Readable Letters: In most cases, choose a simple Bold Font (or typestyle).
Block
style letters are easier to read, medium or bold letters may read better
than thin letters. An Example:Helvetica Typestyle is
highly ranked for readability and often used for Airports and Public
facilities.
Bold
Block or simple type styles will get attention – and will be
more readable than decorative scrip type styles. Test your typestyle by a
typing a word in several typestyles and tape it up on a wall and view it from
across the room
White
space - is the open area around your sign message. A crowed sign
layout does not attract viewers. 60% white area and 40%
copy may be a good rule of thumb. This gives your sign breathing
area and gives your lettering a contrast to the background.
Colors
and contrast -Strong
contrast between Background Color and Lettering Color is essential for a
good sign layoutColors –
Strongest color Contrast combinations -Rated in order of legibilty from a
distance: Black on Yellow, White on Black, Yellow on Black, Black copy on
White, Blue on white, white on blue, blue on yellow, Yellow on blue, Green on
white, White on Green, Red on White, White on Red, Red on Yellow, Yellow
on Red.
Location of Sign. – Consideration when designing your
sign:
Example A:· Sign
used on building or along a road (100 ft from road)– Traffic speed will affect
readability, example : A car passing a sign with 6” letters at 25 mph, 6”
letters will be legible for 8.2 seconds. At a faster speed of 45 mph, 6”
letters will be legible for only 4.5 seconds.
Example B: Indoor
signs in a Mall or building:
1” letters can be read by most viewers at 10 ft –
(30 ft if 20/20 vision)
5” letters can be read by most viewers at 50
ft – (150 if 20/20 vision)
Distance
Chart for Copy sizes (credit to Gemini Products, Cannon Falls, Mn.)