Signs play an important role in a commercial area like downtown Zanesville. A sign is used to make customers aware of a business' location and purpose. In an effort to attract attention, signage may be inappropriately sized and placed on downtown buildings. Signs which might work well for highway development, where customers speed by in cars, are inappropriate for the slower traffic and the more pedestrian scale of buildings in the downtown.
Downtown commercial buildings often provide clues as to the form and location an appropriate sign should take. Signage was frequently integrated into the design of the storefront or the front facade of the building. The space above the storefront was often reserved for a wall sign or for an attachment for a projecting sign. Display windows were sometimes used for painted window signs. In addition, awnings also provided a location for business signage.
(a) General Sign Standards. All signs in the Design Improvement Area shall be subject to the restrictions on number, area, height, maintenance, location, illumination and other items provided in Chapter 1153.
(b) Recommendations for Signage.
(1) Appropriate signage in downtown Zanesville should take its cues from the architectural character of the building. The sign should not dominate the facade or conceal architectural features of the storefront or upper facade.
(2) Simple and clear graphics are encouraged to effectively communicate the image of a business. Although common geometric forms, such as a rectangle, square, circle, or oval, are recommended, other signage shapes may also be appropriate.
(3) The supports for projecting signs should be considered part of the overall sign design. A simple metal bracket would be most appropriate for projecting signs.
(4) Sign colors should take cues from the building and its trim. Bright, primary colors are best used as accents, while more subdued colors should dominate. Signage color schemes should be simple, with a maximum of four colors used on an individual sign.
(Ord. 96-115. Passed 8-26-96.)
 | SIGN PLACEMENT AND SIZE Illustrated are four possible directions that signage could take. The most basic approach (A) is that of the sign placed within the transom space directly above the entrance and display areas. For many shop fronts, signage placed on the valance of a canvas awning (B) becomes a possibility. A simple sign board (C) placed above the entrance, would be particularly effective for pedestrian traffic. Graphics, when placed on display windows (D) can also be an attractive possibility. Signage, however, should be limited to only one of the examples shown. This eliminates unnecessary clutter thereby making the signage used more effective. It also is important to insure that whatever approach is used, that its construction, design, and final painting be of the highest quality. |
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GUIDELINES FOR SIGN PLACEMENT ON FACADES
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To maximize the effectiveness of signage, it should always be considered a complementary part of the structure. Because the signage is rendering (A) is placed too high, it blocks the second floor windows. It seems out of line with the structure's basic lines. Rendering (B) becomes more complimentary to these lines. When placed within the transom area (C), the signage becomes "framed" by the sidewalls and lintel. This approach is effective when the "frame" of a storefront is rather high. Being closer to the street, it also becomes more useable to pedestrian movement. When individually applied letters occur within the lintel (D), this treatment enhances and respects the structure's architecture.
WALL SIGNS
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Signboards physically attached to a building are among the earliest types of signage and are still popular today. Sometimes such signs were detailed with ornate shapes and border elements, as in this example, while others were very plain and without ornamentation. Sign lettering sometimes was painted on and sometimes consisted of raised letters. Colors usually were chosen for compatibility with the colors of the building where the sign was mounted.
AWNING SIGNS
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WINDOW SIGNS
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A simple, traditional, and inexpensive form of signage is to paint or apply individual letters and numbers on display windows. |
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Signs painted directly on display windows have been used since the 19th century and remain popular today. They allow considerable flexibility and the opportunity for creativity but must be handled carefully to avoid becoming gaudy or overdone. These signs are particularly helpful for pedestrians and often are used with other signage oriented toward people in cars. |
PROJECTING SIGNS
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Individually crafted signs suspended from brackets are a traditional, appropriate form of signage. |
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