After two decades producing and installing signs for businesses across Greater Manchester, we’ve seen every type of sign mistake imaginable. Most are avoidable. Most cost businesses real money — either through missed customers, rushed replacements, or signs that actively undermine the brand they were supposed to build.
Here are the seven most common sign mistakes we see from Manchester businesses, and what to do instead.
1. Choosing the Cheapest Quote Without Checking Quality
This is the most expensive mistake of all. A cheap sign produced with low-grade materials will fade, crack, or peel within 18 months. The business then pays again for a replacement — and has spent two years with a sign that communicated the wrong things about their brand. Always ask what materials will be used and what the outdoor durability rating is before accepting any quote.
2. Too Much Text
Signs are not brochures. A fascia sign or van wrap has between 2 and 5 seconds to communicate with a passing customer. If you try to include your full list of services, your company history, and three phone numbers, nothing gets read. One clear business name. One trade or descriptor. One phone number. That’s it.
3. Poor Colour Contrast
Dark text on a dark background, or light text on a light background — we see this constantly. Often it looks fine on screen when designed, but fails completely in real-world conditions with varying light, distance, and weather. Always test your proposed colour combination in printed form before committing to a full sign.
4. Inconsistent Branding Across Signs
A shop sign in one font, a van in another, business cards in a third colour, and a window graphic that doesn’t match any of them. Inconsistency signals a business that hasn’t thought about its identity — and undermines the trust that consistent branding builds. All your signs should come from the same design brief.
5. No Call to Action
What do you want someone who sees your sign to do next? Call you? Visit your website? Come through the door? Most signs in Manchester are passive — they identify the business but don’t prompt any action. A phone number on a van, a web address in a window, a QR code on a banner — small additions that make your sign work harder.
6. Signs That Are Too Small
A common compromise when trying to reduce sign costs is to go smaller. The problem is that a sign that can’t be read from the relevant distance is worse than no sign — it looks like an afterthought. Know your viewing distance before deciding on size. We’ll advise based on your specific location.
7. DIY Installation
Vinyl applied at an angle, bubbles under a window graphic, a fascia sign that’s obviously not level — all of these undermine the credibility the sign was supposed to create. Professional installation takes a few hours and is included in all our sign and wrap packages. It’s worth it every time.
Get Your Signs Right First Time
We design, produce, and install signs for Manchester businesses with a 20+ year track record of getting it right. Free quotes, free design consultation, and expert advice at every stage.
📞 07737 902 425 | ✉️ hello@webprintsigns.co.uk
📍 116 Bury New Road, Manchester M8 8EB | Mon–Fri 8:30–18:00