Yard signs are a popular form of outdoor advertising used by businesses, political campaigns, real estate agents, and even homeowners celebrating special occasions. 

They effectively communicate a message to passersby, whether it’s to advertise a product, support a candidate, sell a house, or announce a community event.

Here we provide a quick and easy guide on how to make a yard sign with our easy step-by-step process.

How to Design a Custom Yard Sign with Yard Sign Plus

Step 1: Choose Your Size

The visibility of your signage depends largely (pun intended) on its size.

Choosing the right size for your yard sign is crucial for its visibility and effectiveness. The size of your sign will depend on the amount of content you want to display and the distance from which it will be viewed.

At Yard Sign Plus, we have 10 sizes available from 24”x18” to 6”x18” (width x height, inches). 

Our best seller is the 18”x24” which is easily seen from a distance, making it ideal for high-traffic areas or locations where viewers will be farther away.

You can also order custom shapes and sizes. The largest size sign we can print is approximately 48”x96” with a few inches to spare for margins.

Step 2: Choose Your Design

Keep it simple and focus on the message. Yard signs have limited space, so prioritize clarity and conciseness. Don’t use too many words as people driving or walking by will only have a few seconds to take it in.

Less is more. Avoid cluttering the sign with too many images, fonts, or colors. This can overwhelm viewers and make the message hard to understand.

At Yard Sign Plus, we have several options for you to choose your design. You can:

• Upload your own artwork. Upload your artwork or design and we’ll take care of the placement and alignment for you. You can also download optional templates in your desired size to create a mockup of your sign. On the template, simply insert your designs on the corresponding side and desired spot within the provided outline and upload your PDF template to the site.

• Request help with artwork. We can create the design for you or offer free expert design customization assistance. Simply leave a comment and submit your order.

• E-mail your artwork later. Select this option to place an order for your sign and send your artwork via e-mail later. Accepted files are PNG, JPEG, JPG, Ai, and PDF. Files must be less than 50 MB in size.

• Use a template. Browse through our extensive selection of templates to make your signage. We cover everything from contractor signs and business ads to event invitations and protest signs.

Whichever option you choose, we will email you a free digital proof in 1 hour. Once you approve, we begin production on your yard sign.

We are more than happy to revise the proof we send you if you are not satisfied with how it looks before processing your order.

Step 3: Choose Your Sides

Much like a good Thanksgiving meal, you get to choose the sides. You can choose between single-sided printing or double-sided printing.

Single-sided printing offers a smooth, embedded, and vibrant finish on one side of the sign. Single-sided printing is good for yard signs in placements where the back won’t be visible.

Double-sided printing offers a smooth, embedded, and vibrant finish on both sides of the sign (front and back). Choose this option if you want your sign to be visible on both sides.

Step 4: Choose Imprint Color

Imprint colors refer to the different colors present in a design or artwork.

You can choose 1 or as many imprint colors as you need for the text, numbers, and design of your yard sign. Choose contrasting colors to make the sign pop.

Your order includes one imprint color at no additional cost. White is included for free, so select as many imprint colors according to the total colors present in your design or artwork (excluding white).

Step 5: Choose Your Grommets

If you want to be able to hang your sign instead of staking it in the ground, get grommets.

The grommet is a ⅜ inch hole. You can choose no grommets, a top center grommet, top corner grommets, or four corner grommets.

Our grommets come in three colors: silver, black, and gold.

Step 6: Choose Your Frame

You can choose to hang up your sign, prop it up against a wall, or stake it in the ground. 

Select between no wire stake or a 10”x30” wire stake.

Our metal wire frames and stakes are 9 gauge and 3.4 mm thick, so you can be sure that your custom yard signs stay upright wherever you stake them. 

Step 7: Choose Your Delivery Date

We have the fastest turnaround time in the nation. 

Standard industry turnaround is 7 to 14 business days for production and 3 to 7 additional business days for shipping. However, with us, our turnaround time including production and shipping is 1 to 5 business days. 

You may choose the preferred delivery date before submitting your order. The turnaround time including production and shipping is considered after receiving payment for the order and the approval of the proof or preview image we send you. 

Step 8: Review Order Details

At this step, you will see the cost breakdown of your custom lawn sign and your shipping cost.

We do not have any hidden fees. Our company is transparent on exactly what we charge to our customers. Your total will be displayed to you multiple times throughout the checkout process before you confirm your order. You will not be charged anything besides what your order total states.

DIY Yard Signs

Designing and printing DIY yard signs at home requires specific equipment and materials. Here’s how we can help you with your yard signs:

Designing: Instead of paying a subscription for graphic design software such as Adobe Illustrator, let our artists take care of your yard sign’s design. 

We offer free expert design customization assistance. This includes free custom artwork creation and free proofs.

Choosing Material: Yard signs are typically made from corrugated plastic. You can purchase blank Coroplast sheets online or just order a sign from us. We even help you with the design for free.

Printing: To print a yard sign at home, you’ll need a large format printer that can handle the size of your sign and the thickness of the Coroplast material.

At Yard Sign Plus, we guarantee advanced printing methods to ensure your yard signs are visually stunning and durable. 

We print your designs directly onto sturdy, weather-resistant, 4mm thick corrugated plastic. The ink is instantly cured onto the corresponding plastic via UV light, leaving a smooth, seamless, embedded, and vivid finish.

Cutting and Finishing: If your sign is not the right size, you’ll need to cut it down using a utility knife or a table saw.

At Yard Sign Plus, you can get a well-made, professionally designed 6” x 18” sign UV-printed on weather-resistant materials and shipped to you for less than $10. 

Summary

The most effective signage is simple, clear, and direct. An effective yard sign communicates clearly and catches the eye of passersby.

Creating an effective yard sign involves careful consideration of various factors including font selection, sign size, image use, color choice, and design layout. At Yard Sign Plus, we make the design process easy for you.

Whether you’re a small business owner, campaign manager, or any creative individual looking to spread awareness, we can help you create effective and eye-catching yard signs.