Design Center - Free* Design Center Services
TURN-KEY Design, Manufacturing, Installation, and Service
Pole Signs & Pylon Signs with EMCs |
Monument Signs & Masonry Signs with EMCs |
Wall Signs with EMCs |
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Guaranteed Highest Quality...Guaranteed Lowest Price™ |
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Good signs incorporate Marketing to Identify, Communicate and Create an image.
Signs must be memorable to help a business succeed. As an example, Dr. Brad Boeke recently hired us to design a new sign and logo to replace a sign we built for him 10 years ago; he was changing his business name. He told us “I couldn’t remember your company’s name but I remembered the logo – the brush going through the letters – and I remembered the distinctive letter style.” Obviously the work we put into our own design paid off.
However, Design Center involves many more details than a good looking letterhead does.
The Sunburst LED Signs™ Your-Location Sales Team's Personalized Service
No matter what types of signs you are interested in, our sales team, consisting of 11 highly-trained factory-employed individuals, is at your beck and call.
Let us meet with you in your office, or at your new signs location, or home, or anywhere.
You will probably have a firm quotation for what you want during our meeting; certainly no more than a day later.
There are 19 questions you must have answers to before investing in signs. Questions not about the signs themselves, but about how the signs will be perceived, and how long they will take to pay for themselves. Our sales team will bring you a COMPLIMENTARY PROFESSIONAL MARKET SURVEY of your new signage locations. Click on the "Sign Market Research" tab to the left for details.
Visit Our Unique Sign Lighting Laboratory and LED Video Display Showroom
Unique in the entire sign industry, Sunburst Displays™ built an 85' by 50' (over 4,000 sq ft) indoor sign lighting laboratory for testing the longevity, visibility, and effectiveness of all the lighted signs we manufacture.
We have opened our laboratory to the public, for FREE, adding an LED Video Display Showroom because we realized how important one would be to consumers.
You must determine which LED spacing is best, so that your sign will be successful, considering how you will use it. Therefore, 6 mm, 8 mm, and 10 mm 4+billion-color LED Video Display signs are always available for you to compare to monochrome and 4-throusand-shade display signs.
Don't buy a sign from a drawing when you can actually see and compare real signs.
No one else, sign company or not, can offer you this unique opportunity. Be sure to take advantage.
"I almost made a huge mistake by not listening to you and visiting your showroom prior to buying my sign. I thought I knew what I wanted, after listening to so many salespeople...boy, was I wrong. My vision of the sign did not jibe with what it would really turn out to be, even after viewing so many drawings. It was obvious the moment I entered the showroom. If I had stuck to my guns my sign would have been a disaster. I would have wasted a lot of money."
Determining Your Minimum Display Size
Videos will run on any size sign, with a resolution equal to the pixel matrix of the display.
This is not true for wording, however. Signs that have a larger pixel pitch will not be able to display small letters as clearly as a sign with a smaller pixel pitch (smaller pixel pitch means more dots per square foot).
Decide on how many lines of text vertically you need to display. Decide the maximum height of the letters you want each row to use.
Add at least 2" between rows, and 1.25" top and bottom. If you are going to use both upper and lower case letters allow additional space for the descending letters also. The amount of space varies by letter size and style. Will you want a lighted border around your message?
The cumulative total is how tall the minimum display height of your sign must be, in inches.
But, can the display clearly display your smallest letters? For a standard block letter style the smallest letter a 20mm sign can clearly display is a 6.3" tall lower-case character. A 16mm sign can display 5.1" minimum-height characters.
It is possible to go smaller, but it may require some experimentation with letter styles and spacing. Smaller letters probably require a tighter pitched sign.
If you plan on using some lower-case letters recognize that their shorter height is your shortest letter.
To determine minimum letter height for all sign pitches, multiply the pitch of a display you are considering, in millimeters (say 20) by 0.314960624. This tells you the smallest letter the display you are considering can reliably display.
Next, decide on the longest message you need to display. Count both the letters and spaces, and include space both before and after the message. Multiply by 0.314960624. Now multiply by the pitch of a display you are considering, in millimeters (say 20.) The answer is how long the sign display must be in inches to display the message adequately in most letter styles. Realize that some letter styles would require an even longer display, but this is a good average.
You now know if the size and pitch of the sign you are considering will meet your needs.
Controlling Message Center Cost
Electronic Message Centers cost a lot of money, but they achieve tremendous results.
To keep from spending more money than necessary, consider the design of your sign and the results you want to achieve.
Rather than purchase a larger, blank, rectangular message center and display your name and all other information on it, consider incorporating signage that constantly displays the messages you want to constantly display. It will cost less, look better, and be more effective!
Because we manufacture and install all types of signage, not just electronic message centers, we can design, build, and install the most cost efficient and effective signage for you.
Good Design Criteria
Whether it's channel letters, a wall cabinet sign, a Monument sign, pole sign, electronic message center, pylon sign, or other signs a sign is 3-dimensional, it is seen from far away, and it probably lights at night.
Sign thickness, minimum stroke, construction materials, lighting choices and colors (day and night), 3-D paint options, and installation requirements all must be considered to make a sign "work." These considerations are detailed in this website.
A design that incorporates the fixed components of a sign and the electronic message center into one unit is more effective than one that stacks individual boxes on top of each other.
For pylon signs or pole signs a single cabinet encompassing the pole, rather than two displays, one welded to each side of a pole, is much more preferable.
Don't overlook the message, the size, and the impact of your sign compared to other signs around it. Remember that you are competing for attention.
When deciding on letter colors consider which direction the sign will face. Shadows from building elements and letters/raceways can dramatically affect the daytime readability of a sign.
Borders make signs more readable...quicker. The single exception to this rule is electronic message centers where the entire face lights in color; but if your message only contains wording and the background is blank, project a lighted border.
A second color in a sign's lettering increases retention.
Signs and logos that help businesses succeed are not an accident. The Small Business Development Center (one page up) has also determined that poor Design Center causes 89% of business failures.
"Jim's Place" may be the name of your business, but as a sign it will do NOTHING to attract new customers! What does the business do?
How many major retailers can you think of that don't have a logo or incorporate a distinctive letter style, or both? Something to help people remember them.
If you are concerned at all that the signs you are currently developing might not help your business to succeed we have a staff of design personnel and artists with many years of experience, our IMAGEKRAFTERS™ Design/Marketing Team, who can work with you to develop a successful sign.
We can help so long as your landlord and the City understand the importance of good signs and allow you to install signs that will help your business. Unfortunately this isn't always true. Choose your location(s) wisely (and receive your landlord's approval of your signs package BEFORE you sign your lease.)
City Signs Ordinances, and Landlord Lease Restrictions, can doom a business.
We have lots of experience. We can help you design signs that will meet City and Landlord sign restrictions, and your needs.
Most City Sign Ordinances can be accessed by visiting our "Permits & Approvals" page after accessing our "Installation & Service" page if you care to learn about them without contacting us. However we have worked with them for so long we know most of them by heart.
Design Center assistance is usually free* with a sign purchase.
Design Center Safety Issues
Signs that are too small to be read easily under existing driving conditions cause traffic congestion and accidents, in addition to not helping a business become successful. Carefully examine our Letter Visibility charts.
Monument signs can potentially block traffic visibility and cause accidents at driveways and intersections. Moving them away from the street makes them more dangerous and less effective (above) unless they are significantly larger.
Externally lighted signs cause traffic congestion and accidents on dark or rainy days, and at night according to Penn State studies.
Monument signs, because of their smaller lettering when compared to pole signs and pylon signs, cause traffic congestion and accidents, verified by a different Penn State study.
An excellent place to learn about the critical, mechanical, aspects of Design Center necessary for a safe and successful sign is at www.usscfoundation.org/USSCGuidelineStandards.pdf. It would be nice if cities would read this before creating sign ordinances; there would be less congestion and fewer accidents in business districts. Businesses in the City would be more successful, also!
Electrical Design Center Safety Issues
For consumer protection, it is a criminal offense in Texas for a unlicensed individual to design an electrical sign, or an electrical system. A licensed Master Sign Electrician or Master Electrician is required, or a design company approved by statute, regardless of whether the signs was manufactured within or outside of Texas. We have both Masters design our signs. Our State of Texas Electrical and Sign Masters License numbers are: 00002753 and 00007305.
It is also an offense to subcontract the design work to an unlicensed person, firm or corporation.
Why are "Listed" Signs Critical to You?
Virtually ALL cities, as well as the State of Texas, adopt the National Electric Code as law.
The National Electric Code (NEC) requires that for electrical, structural, and installation safety all electrical signs be "Listed" (tested and labelled with an appropriate Listing Mark.)
Certification (testing and labelling) organizations acceptable in the USA to test to the multitude of Standards signs are required to meet are determined by OSHA.
For you the Listing Mark is insurance. It means that the sign has been tested to insure that it is structurally and electrically safe, and will be installed properly. You benefit from the knowledge that it is not solely us telling you that our signs are safe, this is what the testing laboratories and the US Government says also.
Will your sign be tested and approved for safe use in a Wet (Outdoor) location? Not if it's not Listed!
Underwriters Laboratories ("UL" Listing Mark) and Intertek ("ETL" Listing Mark - originally Edison Testing Laboratory founded by Thomas Edison) are the premier certification organizations and 80% of all things electrical are tested by them.
If the sign you are purchasing does not have a ETL or UL Listing Mark label the sign is probably not legal to install, anywhere in Texas. There are a few local city ordinance exceptions.
Buy carefully.
Intertek is over twice the size of UL, and has a greater global presence. UL is the largest in the
USA. We have both companies test and apply Listing Marks to various signs.
Whether it's channel letters, a wall cabinet sign, a monument sign, pole or pylon signs, electronic message centers and video displays, neon or other electric signs Intertek and Underwriter's Laboratory pose the toughest design, structural, electrical, and installation standards on the products they approve.
Our sister company Signs Manufacturing Corporation is the 9th oldest UL Listed Manufacturer in North Texas. (File #UXYT.E149959)
To see if a manufacturer is a UL Listed electronic sign manufacturer go to http://database.ul.com/cgi-bin/XYV/template/LISEXT/1FRAME/ccnsrch.html and enter "UYFS" in the "UL Category Code" box, replacing "%ccn%".
To see if a manufacturer is an ETL Listed sign manufacturer go to http://etlwhidirectory.etlsemko.com/WebClients/ITS/DLP/products.nsf/ and enter "UL-48" in the search box.
We are the third oldest ETL Listed sign company in Texas. ( File #4007685) (One of the two older companies makes lighted scoreboards, the other makes lighted office door signs.)
There are many sign companies that pretend to be Listed, but are not!
Incidentally, ISO (International Organization of Standardization) Standards, such as ISO 9001, are NOT electrical Listings (similar to a UL or ETL Listing) that allow a sign to be installed in Texas. That said, components in our electronic signs also meet ISO 9001 and 2008 standards.
Underwriter's Laboratory and Intertek do NOT judge the appearance, appeal, or the longevity of a product. This is why our many years of experience serving international, national, regional and local customers, and our investment so that we can apply the knowledge we've gained, will give you a superior product which will impress your customers for years to come.
Electric Sign Authority Listed Signs
Good signs require more than sound
mechanical and electrical design.
While Underwriters Laboratories and other listing companies test and approve mechanical, electrical, and installation aspects of sign manufacturing, only the Electric Sign Authority (ESA) supervises the design, marketing appeal, appearance, and longevity of signs.
Look for the Electric Signs Authority (ESA) Listing Label (right) in the advertising of Sign Companies committed to providing their customers with a better advertising and marketing product that will look good for years.
Our ESA Listing number is: ESA107474.
Discover how we make signs to last; including the use of CNC manufacturing, rust-proof metal, structural-steel frames, high-end automotive paint, high-impact plastics, and most importantly, sophisticated protective coatings. All our signs include these many hidden features, critically important to you but often ignored by competitors to lower their cost. We even add self-cleaning properties.
We champion brighter, energy-saving signs solutions that save customers money while protecting our environment. No matter what type of signs you are considering, please explore our "Lighting Choices" tab for that product, with its own "Energy Savings" tab. Click on our "Energy Saving Signs" tab on the "Sign-Types" page to view a comparison of energy consumption for all types of electrical signs.
Energy Saving Signs
We champion energy-saving signs solutions that save our customers money while protecting our environment. No matter what type of signs you are considering, please explore our "Lighting Choices" tab for that product, with its own "Energy Savings" tab. In fact many of our unique Design Centers can easily and efficiently be Solar Powered!
Free Co-op Advertising for Customers and Suppliers
The number of links to a website, on other quality websites, is the major way a website is "quality" ranked for listing order by search engines.
You MUST be towards the top of their "quality" list for your website to be successful!
This website is ranked in the top 4.21% in the world. Your address link on our website will help you. It is more important that your website is listed on one quality website than on 100 average websites!
If you would like to be included in our resource website link lists include www.SignsManufacturing.com in your website and email billwatson@signsmanufacturing.com with your website address(s) and where you should be included in our resource website lists.
Or call Bill.
We believe in Co-op advertising.
Reciprocity.
The "Average" Cost of Advertising
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Advertising Medium |
Cost Per 1000 Exposures |
| Mailer (in Envelope) |
$ 790.00* |
| Mailer (Post Card) |
$ 380.00* |
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Newspaper |
$ 7.39* |
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Television |
$ 6.26* |
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Radio |
$ 5.47* |
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Average Channel Letter Sign* |
$ .14 |
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Average Free-Standing Sign* |
$ .27 |
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Average Free-Standing w/ Electronic Message Center* |
$ 1.17 |
* US Small Business Administration figures. Assumes 10,000 cars per day - a very conservative figure for ANY business street, only 1 person in each car, and only a 10 year useful life for the sign. ALL very conservative!
Most of the Newspaper, Television and Radio consumers reached are not in most businesses marketing area, a 5 mile radius of their store according to the US Small Business Administration. The actual cost of reaching a POTENTIAL consumer by these means is unknown, but much higher.
Mailing list costs are not included.
The Known Costs of Advertising with Signs Manufacturing™ Built Signs
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Advertising Medium |
Cost Per 1000 Exposures |
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Average ($5,000) Channel Letter Sign* |
$ .06 |
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Average ($10,000) Free-Standing Sign* |
$ .09 |
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Average ($60,000) Free-Standing w/ Electronic Message Center* |
$ .34 |
* Also assumes 10,000 cars per day - still a very conservative figure, the known National average of 1.59 people in each car, and a known 30+ year (so far) useful life for our signs. Includes our known costs of owning and operating the signs (historical electricity, insurance, property taxes where applicable, in North Texas.)
To read what USA TODAY Newspaper says about the cost of signs "click" on their logo to the left.
State Licensed Sign Installation and Sign Service
We are a full-service sign company. We provide sign site surveys, sign permits, sign installation and sign maintenance services for electrical and non-electrical signs for our customers as well as other sign companies. We provide this work in Dallas, Fort Worth (DFW), and ALL of North Texas and Northeast Texas.
State Sign and Electrical License Numbers: TECL17503, TSCL18015, TSCL18016.
Our technicians are also
Quality Certified Signs™ certified. (Click the "Installation
& Service" tab for details.)
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Guaranteed Highest Quality . . . Guaranteed Lowest Price™ |
FOR ORDERING OR ASSISTANCE CALL:
Sales Team: Sales@SunburstLEDSigns.com
Based on 150+ Google® reviews.
Business hours are 07.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. Monday thru Friday (Central Time)
or by Appointment
Emergency Service Available 24/7
Office hours are 08.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. Monday thru Friday
Showroom hours are by Appointment
Factory Tours by Appointment
TV Studio Tours by Appointment
Copyright © 1979-2025 Signs Manufacturing Corporation™ - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED