How to Center and Hang Your Outdoor Signage

How to Center and Hang Your Outdoor Signage

Caution-Do Not Design or Install Your Outdoor Signs Without Referring To This Article

As any university student with a pocket protector can tell you, the mathematical center of a sign lies half way down from its top at the exact center of its 50% level. But surprising to consumers, the mathematical center in outdoor signage is in fact NOT the same as its optical center.  This anomaly unique to outdoor signs can cause problems in both the design of a sign and in placement.

The Optical Center

By the 'optical center' of an outdoor sign, I am referring to the area within the sign where the human eye naturally focuses. In outdoor signs, this optical center is a bit higher (by 4%!) than its mathematical center. This oddity causes confusion since the sign design can appear to be sitting low even though it is mathematically centered.

The Design Solution

It's for this very reason that professional sign designers typically adjust design elements upwards by 4% within the vertical space of a design. Raising these elements to a point slightly higher than the absolute center counteracts the visual imbalance we see if the design is mathematically centered. I have seen in practice just how noticeable the difference is from such a simple adjustment! I was skeptical the first time I heard about this technique--all the way back in 1987! I am now convinced of its effectiveness, though, after over 20 years of sign industry experience. (Just compare the side by side designs below and notice the difference.  The design to the left is at the "Mathematical Center" while the design to the right sits at the "Optical Center.")

Installing Outdoor Signs

It's not just a sign's design elements that are effected by this optical oddity! It relates also to the placement of outdoor signs centered on walls and buildings. (If the sign is supposed to be vertically centered on a wall, for example, the same '4% rule' we discussed earlier applies.) See the photos below for a side-by-side demonstration of what a visible difference this simple shift will make.  Again, the sign to the left is placed at the exact center of the wall and the sign to the right follows the "4% Rule."

Why This Matters

Having an outdoor sign that appears to be off center is more than a simple matter of cosmetics (or a business owner's daily irritation!) A misplaced sign may also to affect the public's perception of a business.

A sign appearing a bit low, for example, might convey to a potential consumer a company's lack of concern for attention to detail. It might lead them to wonder, “Why is their sign installed off center?” and 'Why hasn't this mistake been corrected?” These silent objections might flash through the customer's head so fast that they might not even be consciously aware of them.

It is for this reason that utilizing this easy, subtle centering technique is very crucial! Observing the '4% rule' in both the design and placement of your outdoor signage secures a level of professionalism in a business's signage that they—as well as their customers--can take pride in.

Highly Successful Business Signs

A modest 4% improvement in your design quality isn't all that much by itself. But when you use this thirteen point checklist, the difference in your signage can be dramatic! To discover other professional design techniques for your new signs, check out our special free report, "The Baker's Dozen."