What is the best way to make your own sign for a campaign

Making the right campaign sign will give a great amount of visibility to your political or issue-based campaign. Check out these tips on how to make your own sign that effectively illustrates your campaign/cause:

• Key Elements

The key elements in the sign are the name of the candidate, the position he/she is running for, and a concise slogan. For issue-based campaigns it is more important to give simple statements that state the issue and the campaigns stance (“NO On Prop. 8” e.g.). Come up with an original slogan with the campaign staff that best describes the candidate and what he/she stands for. Stay away from generic slogans that sound like everyone else’s campaign and focus on the heart of what the campaign stands for (“Change We Can Believe In” e.g.).

• Find Inspiration

Research successful campaign signs in the past and observe the elements that made them effective. Was it the colors? The slogan? The font? The standard colors for a political sign are blue, red, white, and yellow (with the background usually being blue or white). Be experimental by using unorthodox colors if it suits the nature of the campaign, but beware of making the text too difficult to read (using lots of yellow). Think of a graphic that can work with the theme of the campaign (like the McCain/Palin star or the Obama ‘08 horizon). Pictures that are emotionally stirring can also work for issue-based campaigns (animals, children, families, etc.). Ronald Reagan used a giant picture of himself in some of his campaign signs because his face was already very familiar to the public (formerly an actor).

• Sketch

Sketch out several ideas that you have in your mind for the campaign sign. Use a pencil so you can quickly make changes. Ask people who are part of your cause which design best represents the campaign and looks the most aesthetically pleasing. Get a volunteer with graphic design experience to help if you get stuck on formatting and choosing the font.

• Sign Maker

Take your sketch into a professional sign-making shop and have a sample printed out to examine (Fast Signs is good company with several locations nationally and internationally). There are also sign making websites where you can customize your own sign based on your sketched idea. Here are websites to check out for custom political signs: signsonthecheap.com, buildasign.com, and yardsignwholesale.com. Signoutfitters.com even allows you to upload a file of your own artwork to format the sign.