Update: We just added a new video tutorial of our new design tool. Check it out:
Hopefully by now, you know that Signs.com announced the full release of our brand new website this morning. Maybe you even had a chance to take a look at some of our professionally designed templates or you took some time to play with our online design tool. If not, shame on you . . . just kidding. You can read all about the new site here.
We are so excited about our new features that we wanted to help you learn more about what the new Signs.com has to offer. So today we’re going to show you the ins and outs of the new online design tool and how you can use it to create the perfect sign for your business, organization or event. Scroll through this post to read all about the best design tool on the market (at least we think so)!
Design Tool
Before you enter the design tool application, you’ll need to select a sign type, then choose a pre-designed template or blank canvas. Once selected, you’ll see the template or blank canvas pop up on the artboard in our design tool. At this point, you can start customizing your sign.
The first thing you will notice are the options just below the design itself. Here you can change the width and height of your sign and even change your sign type. You can also zoom in and out, and view a full screen version of your design. If you want (and we suggest you do), you can hit the save design link which saves your design just in case you accidentally close your browser window. If you love the look of your sign, add it to the cart and you can proceed to checkout.
If you still want to make some changes to your design, you have a lot of options at your disposal. In the left customization column, you have the option to upload an image, send a design element to the back or bring it forward, align an element vertically or horizontally, delete an element or even undo your last move . . . you know, just in case you messed up.
The next section allows you to change the colors on selected elements. The great part about our design templates is that most elements can be customized for that perfect look. You can see in the image below, I selected each of the letters in SALE and changed their color to a vibrant red.
Below the color selector are the Text options. Here you can add new text, choose a font style you like and toggle on and off bold and italic options. From the example, you can see that I decided to add a date to my sign in the same color as the existing SALE text. To change the font, all I have to do is select the text on the design, go to the Choose Font drop-down and select which font I like the best.
The next customization option is the Shapes section. You can add a circle, arrow or other shapes to enhance your design. Here, I have added an arrow, again in the same color as the SALE and the text I added before. Like all the other elements, I can scale the arrow up or down or rotate it. In the example, I pointed the arrow up to draw extra attention to the 50% OFF.
The final section of the design tool is the Advanced Options. Here you can choose to show the following:
- Bleed area – This options shows the area that prints outside the artboard before the sign is trimmed to size.
- Non-printable area – This allows you to see all the elements that may be outside of the printable area.
- Design grid – This guide is useful if you are trying to align certain elements or space elements within the artboard.
At this point, I am ready to check out. I simply hit the Add to cart button and purchase my sign. Even if I am not ready to check out, I can hit the Save Design link again and come back later to make more changes or purchase.
I hope you enjoyed learning about our new online design tool and that you take advantage of its powerful capabilities when creating your next sign. Stay tuned for tomorrow’s post where we’ll cover our personalized account management tools and all this week as we continue to celebrate our brand new website!
