Stoneham Sidewalk Signs
The sign bylaw that allows small pedestrian signs to be placed on the sidewalk in the downtown shopping area (Main Street between Marble and Montvale) took effect on January 2, 2018.
Make sure your sign is compliantLearn more about the bylaw
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Make your sign stand outGet some tips on making attractive, readable signage
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SIGN TIPS
Bylaw Compliance
Signs are limited in size to 20 inches wide by 36 inches high.
Sidewalk signs are small scale, to attract pedestrians, not cars.
Make sure there is five feet of level walking space remaining when a sign is out.
Signs can only be out during business hours. If business is closed, signs should be taken in and put to bed for the night.
If you see a sign having good behavior, and looking fine, go inside and thank the owner for the work they did to make that happen.
Only 1 sign per business, and at least 15 feet away from other signs to avoid clutter.
Signs should be kept indoors during bad weather.
Signs should be as near to a business's entrance as possible.
Ideally, a sign should touch a wall.
Sign permits are renewed yearly and can be revoked if by-law isn't followed.
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Design
The three fundamentals of successful sign layout:
1. Simplicity 2. High Contrast Colors 3. Font Choice 
Look for shapes you like rather than complex art. Flowers, fonts and basic shapes are great. One big image catches the eye better than lots of images.
A general rule of thumb is that 50% of your sign should be white space.
Crowded signs are hard to read.
Want a rule of thumb for a word limit on your sign?
If that's not quite enough to get your message out, another rule of thumb on word limit for your sign is shown here.
Consider what is surrounding your sign (brick wall, green shrubs, etc.) when picking your colors.
A mix of upper and lower case letters is easiest to read.
Want to center your text? Draw an erasable line down the center of your sign.
Count all the letters and spaces and divide by 2 to locate the center. For example, “Daily Special” has 13 characters (including the space), so the “S” should be at the center of the board. 
Contrasting the colors of your text and background makes it possible to read your sign. Pairing similar colors makes it hard to read.
Divide your sign into 3 equal columns and rows. The human eye is drawn to whatever you put on those lines.
Make a plan. Write your text on a piece of paper first. Think about your essential message. Take away everything else. Think carefully about your combination of height/color/font.
Can people read my sign?
Plan your colors in advance. There are lots of color wheels available online, for example: https://www.sessions.edu/color-calculator/
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Inspiration
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