Signage is the one piece of marketing that works every hour your business exists, and the difference between a sign that sells and a sign that fades is decided before anything gets printed. We make business signage in Johannesburg and deliver it across South Africa.
What are the 4 types of signage?
The four types of signage are identification, directional, informational and regulatory, and a business usually needs at least three of them. Identification signs are your shopfront and reception branding, the signs that say who you are. Directional signs move people through your premises. Informational signs answer questions before staff have to, and regulatory signs keep you compliant with safety rules. Walk your own building as a stranger and you’ll spot the gaps fast.
Signage we make
Our signage work runs from a single shopfront board to a full premises kit:
- Shopfront and fascia signs that put your brand on the street
- Reception and interior branding for offices and showrooms
- Directional and wayfinding signs for buildings, parks and complexes
- Window vinyl and graphics that turn glass into advertising space
- Safety and regulatory boards for sites and workshops
- Event signage, covered in depth in our event signage guide
Tell us where the sign is going and we’ll spec the material and fixing to suit the site. Send us your signage brief and we’ll quote it exactly.
Chromadek, ACM or Correx: which sign board material?
Chromadek suits most South African outdoor signs, ACM gives a flatter premium finish for shopfronts, and Correx is the budget board for short-term signage. Chromadek is pre-painted steel sheet, the workhorse of outdoor boards in this country, tough against sun and rain. ACM, aluminium composite material, sandwiches a core between two aluminium skins and stays dead flat, which is why premium fascias use it. Correx is corrugated plastic: light, cheap and right for estate boards, site boards and anything that only needs to last months, not years.
The wrong material is the expensive choice. A Correx board doing a Chromadek job looks tatty within a season, and a Chromadek board doing a Correx job is money you didn’t need to spend.
Do you need permission to put up a sign in Johannesburg?
Most outdoor and building signs in Johannesburg need municipal approval under the City of Johannesburg Outdoor Advertising By-law, administered by the city’s Development Planning department. Landlords and centre management usually add their own rules on top. Few sign buyers know this before they order, so build approval time into your signage plan, and check your lease before the sign is made, not after.
Get your signage specced right
Tell us what the sign must say and where it will hang. We’ll recommend the material and quote it exactly.
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What is the purpose of signage?
Signage exists to do five jobs: promote your business, identify your premises, inform your visitors, direct movement and keep people safe. A good shopfront sign is the cheapest salesman you will ever employ. It works weekends, never calls in sick, and talks to every person who passes your door. Skimp on it and the whole street can tell.
Why Total Print for signage in Johannesburg
Sixteen years in, we’ve printed everything from an R800 run of business cards to custom projects over R800,000, and signage rewards that kind of range: a full premises kit mixes big fascia boards, small directional signs and window vinyl in one order.
We produce in house in Johannesburg, check every artwork file before it runs, and flag anything that will look soft at size. We deliver across Gauteng and courier nationwide for the rest of South Africa. Banners often travel with signage orders, so see our banner printing and large format printing pages for the rest of the big-format family.
Frequently asked questions
How much does business signage cost in South Africa?
Price is driven by size, material, single or double sided printing and quantity. A Correx site board and a full ACM shopfront fascia are very different jobs. Send us the size, the material if you know it, and where the sign is going, and we’ll quote exactly.
How long do outdoor signs last?
Material decides it. Correx is a months-to-a-couple-of-seasons board, while Chromadek and ACM signs last years outdoors when printed with UV inks. If you tell us how long the sign must work, we’ll match the material to the lifespan instead of overselling you.
What artwork do you need for a sign?
A vector logo and a print-ready PDF at scale are ideal. Not sure what you have? Send us whatever files exist and we’ll tell you honestly whether they’ll hold up at sign size or need rebuilding first.
From brief to board
Made in Johannesburg, delivered anywhere in South Africa.
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