The value of signage is all around us, and it can help transform businesses. The history of sign-making illuminates the impact of signs on society and how the industry continues to evolve to adapt to changing business needs and norms. Our company embraces the new technology in the industry in our sign designs, and we also love to pay homage to our forerunners who made signs so integral in human lives around the world. Make your business seem more professional with a custom sign design.
Why Advertising Matters
Signs are part of advertising because they make your business look official and show people why they should stop in (or drop by your website) to see what you are all about. With so many other businesses, you have to do whatever you can to show why you are different and can solve customers’ problems with your solutions.
The Start of Signage
Signs have been around for a long time. In fact, even 14th-century tavern owners were required to have signs outside their shops in England. Landlords and innkeepers also had signs to denote their businesses. Additionally, signs for businesses were found in ancient Rome and Ancient Greece. In Rome, a red and white pole was used for those who cut hair! We still recognize the red and white pole as a sign of a barber.
Signage continued to be important through the Middle Ages. Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, advances continued to make signs for businesses important. Hundreds of years since the first signs were used, companies still use signs to showcase what they offer and make themselves stand out.
Electric Signs
When signs started being electric, they became viewable at night and during the day. Incandescent bulbs gave people a chance to add to their signage capabilities. As the light bulb became popular, so did lit-up signs. Neon tubes and fluorescent tubes were also important types of lights that people started using for electric signs that were bright and eye-catching.
Power of Plastics
One of the most transformative sign materials was plastics. Plastics in signs made signs cheap and easier to make. Signs could be lit up and be more complex. With these materials, signs were also a lot easier to maintain. Plastics gave people new opportunities to make striking and durable signs.
Today’s Industry
Today’s industry uses many components that forerunners have used. However, it uses even more efficient materials, such as LED lights, which are more cost-effective, safer, and last longer. The signage industry is worth billions of dollars, showing how important it is for modern businesses, even with many businesses running predominantly online.
Let 3-in-1 Design Help You
Understanding the rich history of signage has helped us create signs that honor the history of custom made signs while also embracing the newest technology that allows companies to reach audiences in new, powerful ways. Signs are still highly effective means of communicating what your business stands for and attracting customers. We want to give you the best custom made signs for business, so contact us with your business needs today, and we’ll help you decide what kind of sign is best for you.