Voter contact – promotional materials

• How to Choose Design Colours for a Political Lawn Sign
• Large Signs
• Political Lawn Signs – Design
• Political Lawn Signs – Type of Signs
• Sign Design
• Yard Signs

Awhile back a claimed that a yellow background with black lettering was the best colour combination for a sign for attracting attention. In the packaging industry “red” is the favoured attention getting colour down the supermarket aisle. So there you have it! The experts agree to disagree.
So what colour is best for your sign? Answer: Take your pick as to what suits ‘you’ best. In addition to not picking your opponents colours, here are some other helpful suggestions as to what not to do.
Consider Colour Value
Never use a low value colour (light colour) with a low value colour. For example, pink lettering on a white background will not show up. All pastels (e.g. pale blue, yellow, pink, light green) will not contrast against white backgrounds. Interestingly fluorescents, though appearing very bright, will not contrast on white. Choose a dark (high value) colour (e.g. black, navy blue, burgundy, red, forest green)
Similarly never use a high value colour with a high value colour. For example black lettering on a navy blue background will not show.
Lettering and background must always be of contrasting value in order to be readable.
Consider Environment
First remember white is the principal base stock colour – and it is free. Red (or for that matter blue, green, orange, etc.) lettering on a white background is a one colour print. So also is white lettering on a red background a one colour print. The red is printed as what is referred to in “reverse”.
Green backgrounds can get lost in more lush territories and/or seasons, as yellow signs can against arid backgrounds. For a sign to be recognized it has to be a colour that is “out of place” in its environment. Avoid khakis, grey and brown background colours for that reason. For standard ink colours consult a screen printer’s ink colours gallery.
Two Colours vs. One Colour
There has never been a one colour design that can not be improved by adding a second colour. Remember white, as a base stock colour, is free. Two colour printing to produce a yellow/black sign or a red/white/blue sign or a fluorescent green/navy will always stand out with greater impact.

Just by their size they say, ‘hey, this person is important’ People just aren’t used to seeing individuals in advertisements. The one exception being a major personality. Obviously, that’s not bad company in which to be viewed!
Regardless of what material a person might choose to make their billboards, they are going to need massive support. This is why it’s really not necessary to use heavy duty, corrugated plastic. Standard can be glued, stapled, nailed, screwed or bolted to affordable plywood. It’s light, easily shipped and easier to handle for installs (especially if you need to attach it to a fence or building face). Because it isn’t so porous, it prints more beautifully than wood. It will last longer and it doesn’t require you to have an artist on your staff.
One of the saddest things I see is a candidate spending a fortune for great print ads, flyers, yard signs, but trying to paint their billboards by hand. They look cheap by comparison. Because they are so visible, they make a person’s entire campaign appear cheap, like it’s on its last legs. With what large, corrugated plastic signs sell for these days, there really is no excuse for this. Spend a few extra dollars, save your volunteers a whale of a lot of time. Buy professionally lettered or screen printed billboard signs. You’ll be glad you did.
More impressions or a greater impact, the decision is really yours. Either works well, with different types of campaigns and locations. Certainly, any campaign needs them for their candidate to be taken seriously.

The blossoming of political lawn signs prior to an election is as predictable as day follows night. The reason is simply that signs have proven themselves as an effective way for candidates or causes to promote their image or position – and Win!
Not all signs are effective, and some could just as well have spared the candidate his/her money and committee’s time. Though designing an effective sign is not rocket science, failure to pay attention to some basics could fail to get your campaign “off the ground”.
Here are a few tips to keep in mind as you embark on this process.
(1) Importantly consider The Who (your name) and The What (the seat you are running for).
The Who – The length of your name must be considered. Suppliers of the fold-over sign can accommodate both long and short names.
The What – The position you intend to hold after the election is important. Make certain it shows as a recognizable position. For choices of effective fonts for signs, consult a screen printer’s font gallery.
(2) Extras – If you are being re-elected, inclusion of RE-ELECT can be a plus as it distinguishes you as the incumbent. Words like VOTE and FOR and dates, MAY 8th, are used with caution as they are not necessary and can detract from your principal mission – presenting The Who and The What.
(3) Slogan – A slogan is great for signs placed at stop lights, but most viewers of signs are going by at 50 plus kilometres per hour with little time to read what you stand for.
(4) Symbols – In this age of icons, who can not recognize the appropriateness and symbolism of a town hall, a court house, a government building, or a flag. These can help.
(5) Disclaimer – Last, but most important, don’t forget your “Authorized by…” or whatever the exact wording and size and position is as dictated by your local, state or federal electoral office. It is the candidate’s responsibility to find out the regulations and make this known to the printer.
With computer technology, successful designs are not just for the deep pocket candidates. Try on styles that suit your image – then run to Win!

There are principally three types of signs for political campaigns. These are:
Poly-Bag Signs, Corrugated Plastic Signs, or Fold-over Signs
Each can present an effective graphic as a sign for placement; there are characteristics, however, that can set them apart.
Poly-Bag Signs – Signs produced on plastic film take the form of white plastic bags or sleeves that can be slipped over U-shaped wires; the wire frames must be the same width of the bag in order to hold the bag taunt. Bag signs are normally printed by a web process which is cost effective only on high volume sign orders. The bags are low in bulk and weight.
Corrugated Plastic Signs – Fluted, corrugated plastic signs are very rigid and weather proof. They can easily be put up and taken down. Thus they are appropriate if a candidate runs year in and year out and is committed to the same message and look. As the medium is not completely opaque, two sided printed signs do have a “show thru”. As being the more expensive than the other types, replacement cost during the campaign, due to theft and damage, and after the election, due to being misplaced, should be factored into the total cost equation.
The typical H frames, which are welded when fabricated, with one or two cross braces, are more expensive than other bent type frames. A few suppliers do offer cheaper, single pole wires.
Fold-over Signs – The last type of sign is the plastic coated, paperboard sign. Quality printers use a water proof laminate – the interior being an all white, opaque, stiff, solid bleached, paperboard core which has been treated for water resistance. This stock is then extruded on both surfaces with a plastic film.
This sign is then printed, but on one side. A back-score allows the sign to be folded – and edges either stapled or glued to form what is referred to as a double sided, fold-over sign. The sign is slipped over a U-shaped wire frame, which because of the rigidity of the total structure, need only be 2/3 the sign width. Weather ability of this sign to wind and rain is excellent. There is no printing “show thru”.
Although selecting the type of sign for your campaign is not an easy process, it can be less formidable if you think about your priorities (e.g. price, quantity, re-use, image, etc), then let an experienced sign manufacturer walk you through the qualifying process of selection.

• The most significant impact a sign can have for a candidate is to help insure name recognition when the voter steps into the voting booth. In relative terms nothing else is very important.
  If we operate off of the above premise let’s take a closer look at the workhorse of political campaigning – the yard sign. Since most signs will be viewed by those in cars or other modes of transportation, you have a very short window to get your name across. Anything that distracts or limits the visibility of the candidates name should be avoided.
  In no particular order, we would like to offer some points to consider when developing your yard sign.
• What about party affiliation? Should your campaign involve a locale where party affiliation is even more important than the candidates themselves, the party symbol on the ballot itself will suffice. In this case nothing else is very important. Using party affiliation is terrific if the majority of voters are from the same party. Not such a great idea if you are in the minority.
• What about photos? They are nice, often flattering but take up valuable space and are often distracting. We have done some wonderful photos, but anecdotal research suggests that the potential voter remembers that great looking picture, but can’t tell you the name of the candidate.
• But we have a great slogan. Save it for direct mailing, television , radio, newspaper or other media that do not require visual and cognitive recognition in 3 – 5 seconds. If it is absolutely essential to the integrity of your campaign, make it large enough to be read by walkers or stopped traffic, but no so large as to comprise the visibility of the name. Remember, slogans are not on the ballot.
• What do we do with verbal imperatives? Re-elect, elect, retain, vote, keep, etc. View your sign as a resume. You are trying to get a job. Utilize those elements that establish your qualifications and avoid those that detract.
• I want to show that I am true believer. The most common colours we use on our products are red, white and blue. However, too much of a good thing can reduce the distinct nature of a custom sign. Don’t be afraid to mix and match colours.
• I can do some really neat things with my computer. Want to see? Not really. Remember, anything that compromises the ability to read the important elements of the yard sign should be avoided. Don’t be concerned if all of your campaign materials match. Be concerned that all of your media efforts are effective!
• Are there any legal loopholes I have to jump through? Disclaimers are required in all political jurisdictions. From Federal to local, the requirements are quite varied and specific. So make sure you read and include the small print if required by law. It can be a PR problem if you violate the law when preparing your signs.

Very few persons really know what their yard signs are supposed to accomplish. Because of this, we often get requests for signs with far too much information. There’s too much to be absorbed by the casual passer-by.
Yard signs have only two functions. They are to build recognition and credibility whether for an issue or a candidate’s name. It’s sad, but true, that most people will vote for the person or position they most recognize.
Photographs, slogans and messages distract the reader from the main objectives. So do complex graphics and bright, but illegible colour combinations. In fact, we often recommend that a candidate NOT spend the extra money for multiple colours, shadows or gradients (shades). These can make a sign harder to read. The same is true of bright colour combinations. The mistake most people make is thinking that because warning, construction and traffic signs are bright that they must be easier to read. On the contrary; they are more readily noticed, but the actual wording can give the optical illusion of being blurred!
Use the money you save to purchase more or better quality signs. Are you going to run again, even if you loose? On orders of less 500, you can count on getting enough back that it will be worth the extra money to buy corrugated plastic signs. They’re not only weather proof, but totally reusable and many times over. Corrugated makes sense for signs that will need to be up for more than 90 days as well.
Regardless of the style of sign you might choose, or the way in which you have it printed, one thing is certain. There is no more cost effective way to build recognition and credibility than with yard signs.