External and Directional signage dimensions can be huge, Here, signage design and production is radically different from creating company adverts and brochures, where the dimensions and overall design layout can easily be printed to scale for review in an A4-sized printed format. Signage specifications are initially formulated and then grafted into a visual design spec for review of sizing and design, as signage designs are usually installed and viewed from an angle and with added height dimensions to consider.

Anas and Sandre decided their exterior signage would be produced as Perspex panels, with vinyl lettering, all encased in an aluminium, powder-coated frame, to give a more durable exterior finish than conventional paint.

Once Sandre had completed the initial signage design layout and reviewed the visual design spec, she then began matching the CMYK design colour specifications to the Pantone Colour Swatch equivalents for professional production. Next, laminate samples of the signage design panels were created, along with coloured frame corner samples, so that the overall design, colours, text, size and framing overlay aspects could all be assessed and correctly applied, when encasing the signage.

The next stage saw the Pantone colour specifications matched to their correlating Metamark vinyl and RAL paint colour shades for the sign maker to produce the design panels in the required format and materials.

This was followed by a set of A3-sized ‘pre-flight’ perspex and vinyl samples being produced, so that the colours of text, backgrounds and motifs could be compared with the laminate versions, to ensure the closest match possible. Once all was agreed, the signage panels were produced to Sandre’s exact design specifications and The Oriental Rug Gallery Ltd’s exterior signage was installed.