Built for the long haul
Where a plastic yard sign lasts a season, an aluminum sign lasts for years outdoors. Choose .040 aluminum for parking and property signs on a post, .080 for large signs and windy spots, and 3mm ACM (aluminum composite, flat and light) for storefronts, building and office signs; 6mm ACM stays flat at the biggest sizes. Print one side or both, keep the corners square, round them, or cut the sign to shape.
Sizes and reading distance
- 12" × 18": the standard parking and property sign, read at 25 to 35 feet.
- 12" × 12": POSTED signs, no soliciting, small notices.
- 18" × 24" and 24" × 24": hours, rules and real estate panels.
- 24" × 36" up to 48" × 48": building, farm and development signs.
Mounting holes usually go half an inch to an inch from the edge, so the templates keep words clear of the corners and the top and bottom center.
Rules signs
For park rules, dumpster rules and field rules, keep to seven short lines at most, each at least an inch tall on an 18" × 24" sign, and let the town or owner supply the wording. Private signs must not imitate traffic signs, so every template is a rectangle in plain colors.