greatsigns

the good guide to

An InItIAtIve of

The IconIc SIgnage ProjecT is an initiative of the arts CounCil of new orleans in partnership with Broad Community ConneCtions and the generous support of the national endowment for the arts.

for more information, please visit: www.iConiCsignageprojeCt.Com

feBruary 2011

Broad Community ConneCtionsjeff schwartz

arts CounCil of new orleansmorgana king

open air projeCtcatherine burke

mit department of urBan studies & planningstephen kennedy

signage typologieslighting methodstips & teChniques

123

sign typologies 2

The IconIc SIgnage ProjecT is an initiative of the arts CounCil of new orleans in partnership with Broad Community ConneCtions and the generous support of the national endowment for the arts. for more information, please visit: www.iConiCsignageprojeCt.Com

The niTTy-

griTTy

Broad street was recently designated as an inner City urban Corridor dis-trict, a new zoning district type of the City of new orleans created with the goal of improving the visual appeal and pedestrian accessibility of major inner-city street corridors.

the new zoning district establishes a set of guidlines for commercial sig-nage. the good guide to great sig-nage provides local businesses and signage artists with a visualization of the zoning guidelines.

inner-City urBan Corridor distriCt

wall projeCtinggrand projeCting

CalCulating sign area

Canopy

10.3A.6.3a

Each business shall be limited to one (1) at-

tached wall or projecting sign. The sign shall

be limited to one (1) square foot per linear

foot of building width or tenant space to a

maximum of seventy (70) square feet. Exte-

rior attached signs shall not project above the

first floor of a building.

10.3A.6.3c

A maximum of two (2) canopy signs shall be

permitted for each business but their area

shall be counted in the total allowable sign

area for the business.

10.3A.6.3e

Only one interior window sign per business

shall be permitted within four (4) feet of the

interior face of any window of a building and

shall be counted in the total allowable sign

area for the business.

10.3A.6.3d

The sign may be illuminated but shall not

flash, blink or fluctuate. The backlighting of

awning containing signage shall not be per-

mitted.

projeCting signs are cantilevered signs

which are structurally affixed to the building

and oriented perpendicularly to the building

facade.

wall signs are located on, and parallel to,

a building wall.

grand projeCting signs are tall, larger,

versions of projecting signs. the primary dif-

ference is that they will extend above the first

floor or roof line of the building.

sign area is the maximum size of the sign(s) a business is allowed to display (up to 70 ft2).

it is calculated using the width of the building or tenant space (shown as a in the diagram be-

low). if a building is a ft wide, then sign(s) can be as large as a ft2 .

Canopy signs are attached to or hung from

the underside of a canopy or a marquee.

zoning ordinanCe

seCtion 10.3a.

10.3a.1.

purpose of the distriCt.

signage typologies

• limit of one (1) wall or projecting

sign per business.

• Cannot project above the first floor. • limit of one (1) wall or projecting

sign per business.

• Cannot project above

• the first floor.

• limit of two (2) canopy signs per business.

signage area

exerpts from

zoning ordinance

section 10.3a

signage area signage area signage areamaximum area maximum area maximum area maximum area

70 ft2 70 ft2 xx ft2 70 ft2

a deConstruCtion

of the new orleans

zoning ordinanCe.

The IconIc SIgnage ProjecT is an initiative of the arts CounCil of new orleans in partnership with Broad Community ConneCtions and the generous support of the national endowment for the arts. for more information, please visit: www.iConiCsignageprojeCt.Com

sign typologies 3

lighting methods

various ways

to light up your

signage.

exposed inCandesCent illumintation

the illumination of a sign by incandescent

bulbs which are mounted directly to the face

of the sign.

internal illumination

the illumination of a sign by projecting light

on a translucent panel from a light source lo-

cated inside of an enclosed sign.

Channel neon tuBe illumination

the illumination of a sign by neon tubes

which are mounted inside channel letters.

this creates an internal-glow effect inside

the letters, which are often painted the same

color that is emitted from the neon tubes.

external illumination

the illumination of a sign by projecting light

onto the face of the sign from a light source

located outside of the sign, such as the

“gooseneck” lamps shown above.

halo illumination

the illumination of a sign by projecting light

behind an opaque letter or emblem. this

results in the appearance of a ring of light

around the letter or emblem.

exposed neon tuBe illumination

the illumination of a sign by neon tubes

which are mounted directly to the face of

the sign.

inCandesCent

this form of light uses electrified, luminous

tubes that contain neon or other gases. neon

lighting can come in a variety of colors and

are especially effective at creating outlines

of words or images.

Light-emitting diodes (LeDs) are often used

for displays. they can be used to create

fields of light, but LeDs are often not bright

enough to illuminate signs individually.

this is the traditional form of lighting used

in most of our homes. the exposed form of

the bulb is often the most unique feature of

incandescent lighting. Incadescent lighting

is slowly being phased out as newer, more

efficient lighting is developed.

fluorescent lights come in two forms: the

familiar tubes and compact versions that

look similar to regular bulbs. the initial cost

of fluorescent lighting is higher than other

forms, but is offset by lower energy costs

during use.

neon fluoresCentled

Lighting is what brings signage and streetscapes to life. Although the neon signage industry has declined in the past several decades, neon signs are still prevalent in new orleans. Illuminated signs are im-portant indicators of the return of economic activity in areas around the city, bringing life back to post-Katrina darkened streets. In addi-

tion to making signs more readable, they also make our streets safer at night.

this section of the Good Guide to Great Signs provides descriptions of various lighting types as well as methods for illuminating signs.

sign typologies 4

The IconIc SIgnage ProjecT is an initiative of the arts CounCil of new orleans in partnership with Broad Community ConneCtions and the generous support of the national endowment for the arts. for more information, please visit: www.iConiCsignageprojeCt.Com

Beat sign area limitations!

make it memoraBle:the power of the iCon

the meyer sign makes use of the entire

building facade. since the sign area is

only calculated as the envelope around

the letters (see diagram to the left), the

use of the wall and a frame makes the

sign appear much larger.

icons can be one of the most efficient and

effective ways to convey business offer-

ings and services to the general public. a

good icon will come to mind at the men-

tion of a business’s name or become a

place’s most recognizable landmark.

for iconic signage, the design may not

even need to incorporate the name of

the business. in the same way that a pic-

ture can speak a thousand words, an ob-

ject or mascot can successfully convey

the business’s primary message.

tips &teChniques

Creative typography is just as impor-tant as color and iconography in the design of unique signage. don’t be afraid to play with scripts (continous fonts that are similar to handwriting) and slabs (unembellished fonts that primarily use thick, straight lines). ex-amples of both are found in the signs to the right.

although neon is a very fluid, form-able medium for creating type, many manufacturers will limit you to several standard sets of fonts. however, feel free to suggest using a more contem-porary style, the font the business uses for its branding, or even a cus-tom font of your own!

a great sign is effective at all times. it should advertise your business day and night, and in all lighting situa-tions. to achieve this, different tech-niques may need to be incorporated into the design.

the iconic sign above displays the nominal Chanticleer rooster painted in full-color during the day. when the sign is lit at night, the rooster ap-pears in neon outline form.

tuning up yourtypography

sCripts,

slaBs,

& everything

in Between

day & night