Clothing brands have a signage problem most businesses do not. Your sign is not just
wayfinding, it is set dressing. It ends up in the background of product shots, behind the
counter at a pop-up, in the corner of a reel, and tagged in customer photos. It has to hold up
to a camera as well as to a customer walking past.
The project
An apparel company came to us with a two color mark, green and gray, and a wall that needed
to work as hard on camera as it did in person. We built the base as painted white rather than
a stain. That was the right call for a brand whose product photography leans clean and bright:
a stained base would have thrown warm tones into every shot taken in front of it.
The logo sits proud of the surface in two separately cut layers, so it throws a real shadow
under studio lighting. That shadow is what stops a sign reading as a flat decal in photographs,
and it is the whole reason to build in wood rather than print on vinyl.
What apparel brands need from a sign
- It has to photograph well. Matte finishes beat gloss. Gloss picks up every
light source in the room and blows out in flash photography. - Neutral base, brand color in the logo. A loud base competes with the
product. Let the garments carry the color. - Portable if you do pop-ups and markets. Under about 36 inches a sign is
genuinely transportable. Above that you are committing it to one wall. - Readable when cropped. Social crops to a square. A very wide sign loses
its ends in every vertical video. - Built to be re-hung. Brands move space more often than dentists do.
Sawtooth hangers are more forgiving than standoffs if the sign will be relocated.
Sizing by how far away people stand
Viewing distance drives the size more than wall size does. For apparel, add the camera as a
second viewer, because it usually stands further back than a customer.
| Setting | Typical size | Viewed from |
|---|---|---|
| Market stall or pop-up backdrop | 24″ x 12″ to 24″ x 18″ | 4 to 8 ft |
| Studio or photo wall | 36″ x 18″ to 36″ x 24″ | 8 to 15 ft |
| Showroom or retail feature wall | 48″ x 24″ and up | 15 ft and beyond |
| Behind a counter or till | 24″ x 18″ to 36″ x 18″ | 3 to 6 ft |
See sizes and options for rectangular signs
Frequently asked questions
Will a painted base look cheaper than a stained one?
No, but it looks different. Paint gives you an exact color and hides the grain. Stain keeps
the wood visible. For brands with a strict palette, paint is usually the right answer.
Can you match our exact brand colors?
Yes. Logo colors are hand mixed to match. Send your brand reference along with the logo file.
What file should we send?
Vector is best (.svg, .eps, .ai or a high quality PDF). A PNG or JPEG works, we convert it, and
very fine detail may need a small adjustment to cut cleanly.
Can we take it to events?
Yes. Smaller sizes travel well. Tell us at the quote stage and we will suggest a size and
mounting that survives being moved.
See yours before you commit
We send a free digital proof before anything is cut, so you can see your logo
on your chosen base at your chosen size. We are a small family run shop in California and every
sign is made here by hand.
Related:
salon and boutique signs ·
photography studio signs ·
signs for video backdrops
