For the owners and managers of shops and retail spaces, there are few considerations more important than generating awareness—whether you’re on the high street or in a shopping centre, the difference between success and failure can come often down to the simple fact of whether, and how easily, you can be seen.
At JMF Group, we believe there are few signage solutions more effective at achieving this than hanging shop signs. Our experts specialise in the creation and production of high-quality signs that are guaranteed to get you noticed, working with all manner of shops and retail outlets across a range of niches.
Give our sales team a call today to discuss how we can help your business. Alternatively, keep reading for our comprehensive guide to hanging sign panels for shops:
What Is a Hanging Shop Sign?
On high streets across the country, hanging signs are an extremely familiar sight. Commonly fabricated from heavy-duty materials such as wood, metal, and plastic, they are usually attached to the front face of a store via a bracket or frame. This gives them the advantage of being very visible, even from a distance, and easy to spot for anyone walking or driving past
Hanging Signs vs. Projecting Signs
Hanging signs and projecting signs are often confused, but there are fundamental differences between them:
- A hanging sign is held in place by brackets that are fastened to the wall, with the major body of the sign swinging freely from the bracket.
- On the other hand, a projecting sign is directly attached to the fascia. Projection signs have several benefits over standard hanging signs, such as increased illumination and customisation possibilities. However, a projecting sign generally doesn’t offer the same traditional aesthetic as a hanging sign, and so is not suitable for every brand or business.
For more info on projecting sign options, visit our dedicated projection signs page.
The Benefits of Hanging Shop Signs
There are several reasons why hang signs continue to be a popular option for businesses across the UK:
Visibility
As mentioned, it’s critical for businesses to be seen, especially if they’re competing for attention on a crowded high street or popular public space.
Swinging signage with a unique design can be extremely appealing to pedestrians, giving them a sense of the quality of your product or service.
What’s more, at JMF we can produce a whole range of highly visible illuminated sign options, allowing you to display your shop signage even in the dark or during poor weather conditions
Creativity
When it comes to business signage, consistency is crucial; from hang signs to indoor posters, all of your marketing material should match with the unique brand identity you’ve worked so hard to create.
Hanging sign boards offer supreme options for creativity, allowing you to display your shop name, logo, opening hours, and a range of other customer service information.
Versatility
Shop swing signs may be constructed from a range of material options to suit any budget or corporate identity.
Maybe you run an antique shop? If so, a traditional wooden hang sign might be ideal. Or perhaps you’ve just opened a high-end restaurant, and you want to reflect this in your signage? In this case, a sleek and sophisticated illuminated sign might be more appropriate.
At JMF, we’ll work with you to develop a style that’s perfect for you, with printed or vinyl lettering, and painted to your exact specification.
Durability
Hanging sign boards are frequently installed on the outside of buildings and are therefore constructed to endure the elements. A professionally fabricated sign panel and bracket will stand up to even the harshest conditions, maintaining its style and integrity year after year.
Flexibility
Hang sign panels, unlike other types of signage (such as storefront window graphics), are not limited by the dimensions or style of your property. We can create custom signs that are precisely made for a secure and sturdy installation, regardless of the specifics of your fascia.
Manageability
Whilst many shop signage formats are tricky to install and tough to maintain, a hang sign panel can be set up quickly, simply, and without disruption to employees or customers.
At JMF, we offer installation throughout the UK, and our team of engineers are available to make sure your sign and bracket items go up securely, and without damage to your walls.
Think you can handle it yourself? Use the free wall fixings we include with our hanging brackets to get your sign up in no time at all!
Affordability
There’s no need to break the bank when it comes to high-quality signage. At JMF, we offer a selection of cost-effective solutions to ensure your business enjoys top-of-the-line signs without going over budget.
Practical Considerations for Retail and Shop Hanging Signs
Building and Fascia
The first step is to ensure that your structure is capable of supporting a hang sign. Some properties will have an overhang or bracket that is ideal for attaching a sign, while others may not.
If nothing appears to fit, a wall panel or similar support structure may be installed on which to hang the sign; however, this will need expert assistance, particularly if you are looking to produce illuminated or heavy metal signs. Give us a call for in-depth guidance.
Size and Weight
From both a practical and artistic standpoint, you’ll want to make sure that your chosen sign is the appropriate height and weight for your project.
A huge, heavy sign hung from a tiny bracket is likely to cause trouble farther down the line and, in the worst cases, injury to customers and pedestrians.
From a design standpoint, you must make sure your canvas is created large enough to contain all the information you want it to. A double-sided hang sign can be a useful way to address this issue, but if you want to provide customers with website or detailed contact information, you will still need to bear size in mind.
Street Scene
In many circumstances, eye-catching bespoke signs can be a real draw, but only if they’re suitable for the specific setting.
Take a look at the area surrounding your premises. Maybe there are pub signs or other business signage that is likely to distract? Perhaps there is already a shop sign on the building next door, so a double-sided sign on your wall isn’t likely to have the right impact?
Not to worry if you think your hanging sign will clash with the street aesthetic; we have the widest range of the newest goods, and our sign design team will help you create something that stands out without looking out of place.
Material
Hanging signage and hanging brackets are available in a variety of materials, and the right one for your sign must be chosen depending on the specific demands of your project.
Businesses of all types have been using sturdy wooden hanging signage for years. These flags are manufactured from high-quality oak, red cedar, or iroko planks and are meticulously laser-cut and hand-finished
Metal sign panels may be a fantastic alternative for an industrial style. Combined with wrought iron brackets and powder-coated to your specifications, these signs can be illuminated, and are sure to provide a powerful, modern, and long-lasting first impression.
Print and Colour
The colour of the printed design elements you want to incorporate on your hanging signs should be noted.
A full-colour print may look amazing as a hanging sign in the right environment, but digital print signage demands a critical eye if it is to get the point across correctly.
Instead, you might opt for a solid colour painted sign. We can supply powder-coated or hand-painted finishes to a range of signage substrates, with powder-coated black metal an ever-popular option.
Shape
As a standard option, we may provide a variety of hanging sign form choices at JMF Group. Hanging shop sign designs are often a square, circle, or oval shape, but we frequently get inquiries from clients seeking something distinctive with their shop sign.
For example, you could have an image of your hanging sign in the form of your logo or another icon that is relevant to your organization. Perhaps you run a tea store and wish for a hanging sign depicting a teapot? In situations like this, we can collaborate with you to develop a hanging sign that is moulded to your specific needs. Each JMF sign maker has a lot of experience with different materials and methods, so you can be confident that they will be able to produce the sign you desire.
JMF Group: Our Customer-First Approach to Hanging Signs
We understand that your time is important at JMF Group. You don’t want to spend hours on the phone with sign makers, designers, manufacturers, and installation crews; you just want to buy your sign, have it delivered, and forget about it.
We provide an extensive service to each JMF customer, regardless of their size or purchase value. Take a look at our services list below to learn more about what you can anticipate from us as your hanging sign supplier:
Site Survey
Before we begin working on your sign project, one of our expert surveyors will come to your location to examine the area in which the sign will be placed. This survey is entirely free and provides us with an opportunity to answer any installation-related queries you may have.
Design
After the site survey, we’ll give you a full design consultation. This is an opportunity for us to go over your exact sign demands in detail and provide guidance and advice on the best hanging signs for your business.
Following this, our in-house creative design staff will begin work on creating the most aesthetically nice choices based on your location and panel size.
Manufacture
With the design completed, we’ll begin working on the frame for your sign. Our expert production staff hand-craft and employ the most up-to-date computer-controlled equipment to ensure that your sign panels are precisely sized and positioned before they’re attached.
Installation / Delivery
Our UK-wide installation team can assist you with mounting your brackets and hanging signage panels securely and permanently no matter where you are in the country. If you believe you have the abilities to match, we’ll arrange courier delivery right to your business, so you may start installing your panel right away using the wrought iron supports provided!
Maintenance
We also offer annual maintenance packages to make sure you’re satisfied with all of your signage materials. Hanging wall signs are vulnerable to wind damage and fading over time, but with our annual maintenance packages, you can be confident that your sign will last years to come.
What Are You Waiting For?
Your search for hanging signage is over—JMF is here!
We’ll take care of everything, from free consultation through design and production to installation and maintenance. We only supply signs of the highest grade and quality, designed specifically to increase trade and represent a worthwhile investment.
Still interested? Your new dedicated account manager is on-hand to provide a free quote—to get in touch, email or call us today.
