Yard sale sign maker
Few words, huge letters, one clear arrow. Make a set of signs that point drivers from the main road to your driveway.
How to make signs drivers can read
- Keep the words to the sale, the arrow, the date and the address. Everything else is for people on foot.
- Make one sign per turn: choose the arrow for each corner, print it, change the arrow, print the next.
- High-contrast inks read best. Navy on sunshine and Black on blaze orange stand out against hedges and fences; Black & white on coloured card saves ink.
How big is big enough?
Under the preview you will see how tall the letters print and roughly how far away they can be read. The estimate uses the road-sign guideline in the US Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices: at least 1 inch of letter height for every 30 feet of reading distance. That is a best case for reflective highway lettering, so give a paper sign some margin. A driver at 25 mph covers about 37 feet every second, so a sign readable from 75 feet gives them about two seconds. Tabloid paper and landscape orientation buy you the biggest letters.
Before you put them up
Rules about signs on poles, verges and street furniture differ from place to place, so check with your city or council first and ask before using someone else's fence. Put signs at eye level for drivers, at every turn, and take them all down when the sale ends.
Sources
- Federal Highway Administration. Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, 2009 edition, Section 2A.13 Word Messages. mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov
Questions
What should a yard sale sign say?
The sale word, an arrow and the date are the essentials; add the address and hours if there is room. Prices, item lists and phone numbers are too small to read from a moving car.
Can I print it larger than tabloid?
Download the 300 dpi PNG and take it to a print shop: it can be printed on poster paper or foam board. For home printing, tabloid (11 × 17 in) gives the biggest letters.
How do I keep paper signs from wilting?
Slip each sign into a clear plastic sleeve or tape it to stiff card. Heavier paper or card stock also holds up better than standard copy paper.