A-Frame Signs & Sandwich Boards

The sign that goes out every morning and comes in every night. Double-sided, freestanding, and the cheapest way to stop people walking past your door.

Where A-frames work

• Shopfronts and cafés — specials, opening hours and an arrow to the door, where the shop itself is set back or hard to see.
• Events — entry, registration, parking and “this way” signs that can be moved as the day changes.
• Weddings and venues — a welcome or directional sign at a gate, a driveway or the bottom of the stairs.
• Real estate and open days — on the footpath out front, packed into the boot afterwards.

Two sides, two messages

An A-frame is seen from both directions along a footpath, so it has two printed faces. Most people print the same artwork on both. The better option is often a different message on each side — one for people walking towards the door, one for people who have just walked past it.

Panels that last outdoors

A-frame panels live outside, so the material matters. Corflute is light, waterproof and cheap to reprint when the message changes. ACM is rigid, heavier and lasts far longer, which suits a permanent shopfront sign. Tell us whether the sign is for a season or for years and we will recommend the panel.

Designing an A-frame that gets read

• One message. People read an A-frame while walking. A headline and an arrow beats a list.
• Big type at the top. The bottom of the panel is close to the ground and gets lost behind legs and prams.
• Brand colours, high contrast. It has to work in full sun and in shade.

Footpath permits

Most Melbourne councils require a footpath trading permit for an A-frame on a public footpath, and set rules on size and placement. Check with your council before ordering. A sign on your own property, or inside an event or venue, does not usually need one.

Turnaround

Standard turnaround is 2 to 3 business days to dispatch from artwork approval. Transit sits on top of the 2 to 3 business day dispatch window: next business day across Melbourne on express, 1 to 3 business days to Sydney and Adelaide, 3 to 5 to Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Canberra, and 4 to 6 to Perth.