Signs & Large Format Print
Illustrative visualisationA builders' merchant has two customer groups who read signage quite differently. The DIY customer arrives by car and looks for the shop entrance and the paint aisle. The contractor drives in with a van, or a driver comes with a crane lorry to collect goods – they want to know where the gate is, where the collection office is, the way to the yard and where not to park. Good signage serves both groups and saves staff time, because they stop giving directions every few minutes.
The second feature of this trade: huge surfaces that cost nothing. Dozens of metres of fence along the street, the wall of the building, the canopy over the stock. These are the cheapest advertising spaces you can have – you just need material that withstands wind and dust. A lot gets used up quickly here, so we also plan for what will need replacing in a season or two.
1. Fence, facade and entrance
On a mesh or panel fence we use a banner with denser eyelets and strong cable ties or rope – a banner tied every metre tears off in the first gale. On the building facade and on scaffolding mesh is better, because it lets the wind through and puts less load on the fixings.
- Yard fence banners→Product range, brands, crane delivery, opening hours – all readable from the road. Coated 510 g banner lasts 2–3 years outdoors; on a see-through fence the black-back version is worth it.
- Mesh on the building wall→Dozens of square metres of advertising visible from afar, without heavy wind load. At 30 m² the 370 g mesh comes to approx. €11 net per m².
- Pylon at the entrance→Shows where to turn before the driver sees the gate. Panels at the bottom of the pylon can carry the logos of the main brands you stock.
- Flagpole flags and feather flags→Movement at the entrance catches the eye more than static lettering. Winder Midi 70 × 340 cm from approx. €75 net; flags fade, so plan to replace them each season.
2. Yard, loading bay and vehicle traffic
In the yard signage must be big, tough and unambiguous. Dibond signs on frames or fixed to fences and canopies last for years. Repeat arrows and zone names in the same colour as in the store – drivers learn the layout faster.
- Directional signs: collections office, weighbridge, loading bay, exit→Drivers don't circle the yard, and the forklift driver doesn't have to climb down to show the way. A 200 × 100 cm dibond sign on a frame from approx. €165 net.
- Storage bay markings→Large bay letters or numbers (A, B, C…) on canopies and outdoor racking make picking easier and speed up loading.
3. Store and sales floor
In a DIY store the customer looks for the department, then the shelf, then the price. We start with the store plan and the list of departments, and only then design the hanging signs and aisle markers, so the whole thing is one [wayfinding system](/produkty/systemy-informacji-wizualnej), not a collection of signs from different years.
- Department signs and aisle numbering→Suspended over the racking, double-sided, visible from the entrance. Customers find building chemicals or electrical on their own.
- Light box over the entrance or the tills→Illuminated lettering at the entrance helps in winter, when the store opens before dawn and tradespeople arrive at six.
- Price strips for racking→Prices on pallet racking and shelves in one format, readable from a distance. With frequent price changes we print on synthetic paper that doesn't go soggy.
- Wobblers and shelf stoppers for offers→Mark promoted goods right on the shelf. We also make them in kits for several stores at once.
- Printed covers for promotional pallets→A pallet of cement or adhesive on offer, dressed in a cover with the price and a slogan, turns stock into a display. The cover comes off and goes onto the next pallet.
4. Print, people and vehicles
A merchant lives off tradespeople, and tradespeople take the leaflet to site and leave it in the van. Staff in matching T-shirts in the yard and delivery vehicles with the sales office number are advertising that works every day at no extra cost.
- Promotional leaflets→A monthly or seasonal leaflet with prices for retail and trade customers. A4, 8 pages, 1,000 copies costs approx. €280 net.
- Livery for delivery vans and crane lorries→Name, phone, delivery area. On site the vehicle stands for hours and every contractor sees it.
- Branded T-shirts and sweatshirts for staff→Customers in the yard know at once who to ask. An A4 print at 50–99 pcs costs approx. €2.35 net per item.
5. Chains, buying groups and franchises
Merchants in buying groups and chains of yards get the same campaigns every season. We prepare materials for all branches at once: one design, the same colours in every batch, a pack with the full set for each store and multi-drop shipping. Installation at several locations is organised with our own crews.
- Campaign kits per branch→Banners, posters, wobblers and price cards for one campaign packed separately for each store. Kitting and shipping costs approx. €2.80 net per site.
- 01Brief
Description, sizes, site photos and deadline — a few sentences are enough.
- 02Design and quote
Our designers prepare artwork or a visualisation and you get a price.
- 03Approval
You approve the design; for brand colours we provide a proof.
- 04Production
35+ machines in our own plant in Poland: 3.2 m UV print, CNC, laser, 3D, sewing.
- 05Installation or delivery
Own crews and vehicles across Europe, partner network, couriers worldwide.
To start with — an indicative package
Sample items most merchants start with – they can be ordered separately, as budget allows.
| Coated 510 g banner, 6 × 1.5 m, for the fence (9 m² × approx. €9) | approx. €81 net |
| 370 g mesh, 10 × 3 m, for the facade (30 m² × approx. €11) | approx. €330 net |
| 200 × 100 cm dibond directional sign on a galvanised frame | from approx. €165 net |
| Winder Midi 70 × 340 cm (pole + flag) | from approx. €75 net |
| A4 leaflet, 8 pages, 1,000 pcs | approx. €280 net |
| Double-sided illuminated pylon, 3 m high (excluding foundation) | from approx. €2,070 net |
| Cherry picker work up to 18 m, with operator | from approx. €230 net / day |
Indicative net prices; an exact quote follows a short description and photos of the site. Crew travel is charged at approx. €1 net per km both ways.
From our experience — what to watch out for
- Fix a banner to a panel fence every 30–50 cm, not every metre. The most common complaint isn't the print – it's eyelets torn out after a gale because the fixings were too far apart.
- Don't use white signs with small text in the yard – after a year of aggregate dust they're unreadable. Dark background, big letters, a pictogram.
- Order leaflets with spares for the end of the promotion and hand them to tradespeople at the till. Leaflets on a stand by the entrance go more slowly than you'd think.
- Design pallet covers and feather flags without dates. The same 'Offer of the week' cover will serve several campaigns.
- Before ordering mesh for the building wall, check that the landlord and local rules allow advertising of that size – if in doubt, ask the local planning authority.