For schools looking to renovate or refresh their facilities, checking your buildings’ signage is an easy way to bring new life into a space. 

New signage can create not only a better looking school, but a safer one, too. 

Facility managers need to search for durable signage solutions as top priority, but at times it’s at the sacrifice of aesthetics. But what if you don’t have to choose one or the other? What if you can choose signs that perform, that also match your brand and enhance your school’s look? 

Well, we’re here to tell you that you CAN do that. And the best part about it? You don’t have to be an interior designer to do so. 

Here are 3 reasons why your school needs to update its signs and how to do it:

1.You need to adhere to ADA guidelines 

Just because you’re not a student adhering to teachers’ rules, it doesn’t mean there aren’t a few rules you still need to follow as a facility manager. One of those includes ensuring your school has ADA-compliant signage. 

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) set standards for ADA-compliant sign-design for many different types of sign solutions, especially ones marking spaces, features, emergency signage and more.

But while these rules – especially when it comes to a topic you may not be familiar with such as building codes – aren’t necessarily hard to follow, they are very easy to miss. 

For example, how many centimeters does braille need to be away from text? What has to be in braille and what doesn’t? All of these questions can be missed, especially when you don’t know you need to ask them. 

A way to work around this is by working with a manufacturer that has a team of ADA signage experts on-staff to support you. You can still get your sign, your way – but without the burdensome fines that come with having signs that aren’t compliant. 

Because as a school, your first priority is the students. It’s not knowing the ins-and-outs of building codes. Let the signage pros at Inpro handle that.

2.Your signs may be faded . . . or vandalized.

Surprise! Students make messes. You don’t need to be an expert in signage to know that. But nonetheless, faded and vandalized signs often make text illegible. Therefore. . . they may not be compliant.

And therefore. . .  if you read #1, then you know you risk being fined. 

But the good news is that it’s cheaper (and easier) to replace a sign, than to pay a huge fine. 

On the other hand, vandalized signs do nothing to enhance the first impressions a prospective student and family get when looking at your building. Quite honestly, they do the opposite. 

Updated, fresh signage helps to create a welcoming school and don’t you want to make your students and families feel that way? 

So how can you ensure this doesn’t happen again when you get new signs? 

When you work with a manufacturer that has been working with education facilities for decades like Inpro, we tend to learn a thing or two about signs in schools. We develop innovative sign solutions to help with each school’s specific needs. One of those being offering a range of different materials for you to choose from.

Photopolymer is a one-piece construction sign that is vandal-resistant. No more picking the paint off or peeling back the photo of your mascot’s face – this sign is resistant to detention-seeking students, and ready to be customized to match your brand.

3. You could be missing BIG branding opportunities! 

You probably know a few “jingles” in your head right? Jingles you remember hearing on the radio or from a commercial you’ve seen or heard a thousand-and-one times? You remember it because you’ve been exposed to it – over and over it. It sticks with you. 

School signs are like that, too. 

Think of it this way: a student walks into your building and sees a sign with your school’s mission statement proudly displayed. A reminder of who you are and how you want your students and staff to act every day. 

Repeated exposure reinforces your school’s commitment to its values and brand. It’s marketing your school to new and existing staff and students, while not having to pay a big ad agency a hefty retainer to do so. 

As an architectural products manufacturer, being “good at design” isn’t a nice-to-have, it’s a must. That’s why we work to stay on-top of the latest trends in colors, finishes and sign-design options to make sure you don’t have to risk aesthetics for performance. 

So are you choosing  Inpro’s Cardinal Red and NEW! Metallic Onyx to match your school’s red and black colors on a Palladium® Rigid Vinyl sign?

Or are you looking to print your pirate mascot on the gymnasium sign to promote school spirit with a Photopolymer, vandal-resistant printed sign.

Whatever your design desires are ( ahem, or rather what your administrators allow you to choose), Inpro’s architectural signage experts are here to support the process from creating your design, all the way down to when you open your Inpro shipment in the mailroom. 

Download our brochure to get your sign inspiration or contact a rep to learn more.