Explore Metro Sign & Awning’s latest blog posts, expert advice, news, and commentary. Learn more about the features of our innovative blog here.
3D printing is adding a new dimension to signage

Many companies and brands rely on signage with channel letters to catch the attention of customers. This failsafe marketing method’s been used to display brand names or logos on building sides, in shopping malls, at trade shows, and more. But with the average American exposed to an estimated 4,000 to 10,000 advertisements daily, companies are looking at how to maximize their marketing against a whole lot of increased noise.
Large format 3D printing technology has added flexibility and freedom for design. Now signage manufacturers can produce cursive words, a complete logo — or just its graphic elements, and more. This technique is also faster than traditional methods, and because it reduces manual elements of the production process, production errors also decrease.
Read the full article at: wideformatonline.com.au
Discover the Best Materials for Laser Cut Logos

Because of its versatility, laser cutting offers businesses — and signage manufactures — an opportunity to work with many materials for laser cut logos, signs, and other branding resources. Choosing the right material makes a difference. End use often dictates the best material choice, among which are acrylic, mirror acrylic, wood, and paper/ cardboard.
Read the full article at: themonticellonews.com
How to Create ADA Compliant Signs

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has laid out clear rules for designing signage that enables persons with sensory disability to read and understand them correctly. ADA compliant signs in public spaces must include a pictogram, tactile text, Braille, or a combination of these to ensure that people with disability can navigate the area easily and safely.
Inclusivity matters. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 has become one of the most comprehensive civil rights laws that guarantees the rights of people with disabilities and protects them from discrimintation. In 2020, the ADA updated its standards for accessible design to include signage rules and requirements.
Signage companies like Metro follow this guidance for all our ADA signs. Best practices include designing signs with a high contrast ratio and non-glare finish. Easily read serif or sans serif fonts, braille, and symbols are all important elements of ADA signage, too.
Read the full article at: www.accessibility.com
Where is my car? Examining wayfinding behavior in a parking lot

Shopping malls are one of the most ubiquitous spaces of modern capitalist cities. It is calculated that in the United States alone, more than 2,000 shopping malls exist, accounting for nearly 75% of all non-automotive sales in this country.
You’d think that navigating a parking lot doesn’t require an advanced degree, right? And yet many parking areas — whether lots, decks, or garages — lack clearly legible signs, have few entrances to help people orient, and generally complicate a driver’s ability to navigate.
A study of a parking lot owned by one of the latest shopping malls in Santiago, Chile, mapped and analyzed the trajectories of about 500 people. The study concluded that despite their apparent simplicity, parking lots aren’t uncomplicated after all. These complex settings require users to — consciously or not — adopt different strategies to reach their destinations. Having a good signage package in place definitely helps to lower frustration — and endlessly circling drivers.
Read the full article at: www.scielo.br