Custom Vinyl Graphics: Designing & Applying to Your Storefront

The windows on your business are prime real estate for advertising and attracting potential customers.  In a sea of storefronts, window graphics help you stand out and rise above the rest. When considering window Custom Vinyl Graphics, understand that there are three options to think about using: Cut vinyl, Printed Vinyl, and Cut and Printed vinyl.

• Custom Cut Vinyl Graphics – Vinyl is cut from a solid-colored vinyl on roll.  A cut file is sent to a plotter that cuts the paths of the graphics out of the vinyl chosen. Once cut, the graphic is masked so that it can be applied to the surface it is intended for. There is no printing. The best examples of cut vinyl can be seen on the doors of many businesses in the form of their hours cut out in white letters.
• Printed Vinyl Graphics – Vinyl that is printed on using a large format printer. The print produced is a rectangle that is x wide by x long matching the size of the window. The printed graphic will be laminated, then placed over the entire surface of the window.
• Cut & Printed Vinyl Graphics – Vinyl that is not only printed, but also cut to shape. This is a hybrid process of the two other styles producing window graphics. Not only are the graphics printed, but a cut-file is created to cut to the contours of the supplied artwork. When you see a circle logo in full color on the door of a business, that was a cut and printed vinyl.

Best Practices for Design & Contrast with Custom Vinyl Graphics

When starting your design for window graphics, imagine your artwork against a dark background. Although transparent, when viewed from far away windows appear to be black. Contrast is of the utmost importance. A dark blue vinyl cut letter will disappear on a window while a yellow vinyl cut letter will stand out significantly.

First Surface v. Second Surface

We know that window graphics are going on a window, but keep in mind that windows have two sides. If a vinyl graphic is going on the outside of the window, this is called the First Surface. By far, this is the most common surface vinyl will be applied to. Second Surface refers to vinyl being applied to the inside surface of a window intending to be viewed from the outside. When creating second surface graphics it is critical that the graphics are mirrored.

City Regulations for Custom Vinyl Graphics

With any signage, window vinyl included, you should be aware of your cities regulations.  Being a business in Sacramento, California you can find the cities dos and don’ts of signage here: Sacramento Code enforcement. For contrast, Calico Creative, being a business that works in Sacramento County, Yolo county, Solano County and Placer county, were recently working on a project in Fairfield, California and their codes are similar, but different. The Fairfield Sign regulations can be found and read here: Fairfield Municipal code. Do your research prior to making the investment in your storefront graphics. If you don’t’ have time for that, we provide the research of local signage codes as part of our site survey service .

An interesting side note about sign regulations, they can also be quite specific.  The Lee Law is a good example of communities adopting tougher standards for window signage, especially when it comes to alcohol retail stores. Many counties have been able to limit the percentage of square footage that can be covered.

ADA Regulations for Custom Vinyl Graphics

When designing custom vinyl graphics signage, there are best practices to accommodate people with disabilities. Chapter 7 of the American with Disabilities Act talks specifically about signage. It makes clear that characters should be between 5/8 in and 2 in tall, based on the height of the uppercase letter “I”. For viewing distances less than 72 in, the minimum character height is 5/8 in. Also, characters should be in uppercase or lowercase, or a mix of both, and use a sans serif font without additional formatting like italics or oblique.

An essential custom vinyl graphics sticker for businesses is the ADA wheelchair symbol. These window decals and labels can indicate a barrier-free path of travel for people with disabilities. For example, a symbol of accessibility window decal or label can let people know that steps have been replaced with ramps. The California Builders Code requires that these symbols have a white figure on a blue background. These stickers are as essential as the interior use of ADA signage.

DIY v. Professional Installation

When it comes to installing your custom vinyl graphics, you can always install them yourself or have Calico Creative install them for you. If you go the DIY install route there are plenty of YouTube videos out there to watch and learn how to install your Custom Vinyl Graphics. The learning curve for Custom Vinyl Graphics installation is steep and the material itself is quite unforgiving. The installation could quickly turn into needing to reprint custom vinyl graphics and void any warranties offered on the product ordered. Having Calico Creative install your custom vinyl graphics not only protects the investment you are making, but also keeps all warranties in place and guarantees a successful install the first time!