When was the last time you took a good, long look at the signage in your Raleigh parking lot?
If you’re like most business owners, it’s probably been a while since you've checked your parking lot signage. After all, seeing the same signs every single day can inadvertently cause them to blend into the visual background noise of everyday life. Your parking lot signage is not only required by law but is also a reflection of your business. Old and outdated signs could cause people to think your products and services are just as antiquated. Read on to learn more about various parking lot signage tips, requirements, and options available to Raleigh business owners.
ADA Parking Signs
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) provides instructions on parking lot signage requirements. Having proper ADA signage can not only keep you in compliance with the law but provide customers from all walks of life with easy parking access to your business. At AlphaGraphics of Downtown Raleigh, we’re the ADA signage experts. We’ve helped countless local businesses design and create ADA signage for their parking lots. We can even advise you on exactly what you’ll need to ensure compliance.
Keep it Readable
The lettering, contrast, and amount of text on your parking lot signs can make them highly useful or cause people to get confused. The standard rule of thumb is that the lettering height should be no less than three inches tall. Otherwise, motorists will find themselves straining their eyeballs to read it. Look at the contrast of the sign design as well. Low contrast designs are much harder to read than high contrast ones. For example, yellow text on a white background makes it nearly impossible to read. The amount of text on your sign should allow people to glance at it and instantly understand the message in a fraction of a second.
Perform a Sign Audit
Immediately after reading this blog post, take a few minutes to walk into your parking lot and perform a sign audit. Look at each sign carefully and inspect them for readability, damage, and effectiveness. Rust, dirt, and faded lettering can make parking lot signage almost impossible for motorists to read. Now is also an excellent time to reach out to AlphaGraphics of Raleigh if you have any questions about the ADA signage requirements. We’ll sit down with you and go over the necessary elements to help you get into compliance. There’s another underlying reason why you should get new signage designed and installed—the subconscious first impression that your customers get when they pull into your parking lot. If your signage is showing its age or there’s apparent damage, it can reflect negatively upon your brand and business.
Consider Color Schemes for Multiple Lots
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If you manage multiple parking lots in such areas as malls, airports, fairgrounds, or other venues where large groups of people gather, consider adding a color-coded signage scheme to each lot. It will allow people to quickly find their car in “Lot B” rather than having to think back to where they parked. It will also enable emergency responders to quickly find the location of trouble after a “911” phone call.
Are Your Signs Well-Lit?
If you think the parking lot overhead lights are enough to light up your signage, think again. Bushes, trees, and buildings can cause that artificial light to scatter into the wind and make your signs as dark as the night sky. If your parking lot signs aren’t adequately illuminated at night, you can always have a few created that run on their own power, whether connected to an outlet or by solar panels. This can also light up the parking lot and provide a safer atmosphere for your customers. You can also use reflective materials and paints that will enable your sign to catch every last ray of light that shines down from the overhead parking lights at nighttime.
Parking Lot Signage Help in Raleigh
Updating the signage in your Raleigh parking lot will help keep you in compliance with the ADA and provide your customers with an excellent first impression as they make their way from their car through your front doors. If you have any questions or need help designing a sign, give us a call. To learn more about how AlphaGraphics of Downtown Raleigh can help with your sign and marketing needs, you may email us, request a quote, or call us at (919) 832-2828.