The term ‘negative space’ or ‘white space’ has been floating around for some time (excuse the pun). While it may or may not be a new concept to you, it is an important one when it comes to designing signage that is going to stand out and resonate with your audience.
By definition, negative space is the ‘space around and between subjects of an image’ (thank you Wikipedia). When looking at negative space from a graphic design point of view it is particularly important as it can refer to the space around typography.
Why is this important when we are talking about signage? Well, when creating a sign, billboard, pull up banner, or even a vehicle wrap, the number one objective is that the communication is effective. This is not only important when it comes to typography but it’s also important when creating the design of your sign as a whole.
Let’s look an example, below you’ll see two pieces of communication, which example is easier to read? The first one right? That’s because negative space varies around the lettering allowing your eyes to distinguish each word as one distinctive item – like they’ve stated ‘lots of breathing room’! Using all the space allocated makes it harder to differentiate each word, so the messages become cramped and cluttered, making your brain work harder to determine the message.
When we apply this level of thinking to the overall design of a sign, the same principles result in a much more effective piece of communication that is easily consumable to the human eye.
Image source: Google
Here are our 5 tips on effective signage using negative space:
- Carefully choose the right font for your sign that is both legible and easy to visually consume.
- Take note of the kerning between letters, if letters are too close together it will be harder for people to read. Kerning refers to the negative or white space between the letters.
- Try to avoid using all uppercase letters when planning the communication for your sign.
- Try to avoid multiple fonts and colours for your sign. Use two to three fonts as a maximum, as too many fonts can distract the human eye from the key message. This is the same for colours, less is definitely more.
- A minimalist design will have the biggest impact, so try to keep your design simple and never waste a word.
If you’re needing a sign for your business, you can talk to one of our experienced signwriters to discuss the design of your sign.
The team at Panther Signs
eddy@panthersigns.com.au
02 4226 3827
