New Year, New Sign: 9 Ways to Refresh Your Business Signage in Metro Atlanta

A new year is a clean slate for your business—and your signage should match. Whether you’re a restaurant, medical office, property manager, or multi-location brand, a smart sign refresh can improve visibility, reinforce trust, and make your place easier to find.

If you do only 3 things this January

1. Fix visibility first: replace faded faces, burned-out lighting, and hard-to-read lettering.

2. Make it consistent: align colors, logos, and messaging across your building sign, monument sign, and vehicles.

3. Plan for permits early: most exterior sign changes in Metro Atlanta require a sign permit—build that into your timeline.

1) Replace faded panels, faces, and graphics

Sun, rain, and road grime can quietly dull your sign until it blends into the background.

• Best for: monument signs, cabinet/light box faces, post-and-panel signs

• What to look for: fading, cracking, peeling, yellowing, or dated branding

• Common mistake: patching one small area so the sign looks “mismatched”

2) Upgrade lighting for night and early-morning visibility

If your sign disappears after sunset, you’re missing a big chunk of real-world impressions—especially in winter when it gets dark earlier.

• Best for: building ID signs, monument signs, light boxes

• Refresh ideas: LED retrofits, brighter/even illumination, repairing dark spots

• Common mistake: uneven lighting that creates hot spots or shadows

3) Refresh your building ID sign (the “first impression” sign)

Your building sign is often the first thing customers see when they pull in. A clean, modern building ID sign can instantly raise perceived professionalism.

• Best for: retail, medical, restaurants, offices, multi-tenant buildings

• Refresh ideas: new channel letters, updated logo proportions, improved contrast

• Common mistake: choosing colors that look great on screen but don’t read well at a distance

4) Update monument signs and tenant panels the right way

Monument signs are prime real estate—especially at busy entrances. If tenant panels are cluttered, inconsistent, or “temporary-looking,” it reflects on every business listed.

• Best for: shopping centers, office parks, neighborhoods, apartments

• Refresh ideas: standardized tenant panel system, cleaner typography, better layout

• Common mistake: adding panels over time without a consistent format

5) Add or improve wayfinding signs to reduce confusion

If customers have to guess where to park, which door to use, or where the office suite is, you’ll lose visits (and patience).

• Best for: medical offices, campuses, multi-building properties, warehouses

• Refresh ideas: parking/entrance signs, directional arrows, suite identification

• Common mistake: placing signs where they’re technically “visible” but not readable in real driving/walking paths

6) Refresh vehicle wraps for a stronger “rolling billboard”

A clean wrap makes your brand look active and established. A worn wrap can do the opposite.

• Best for: service fleets, delivery vehicles, sales vehicles

• Refresh ideas: update phone/URL, modernize layout, add reflective elements where appropriate

• Common mistake: cramming too much text—simple and easy to read always wins.

7) Standardize signage across multiple locations

If you operate more than one location, consistency builds trust and brand recognition. Customers should recognize you instantly—no matter which side of Metro Atlanta they’re on.

• Best for: restaurant groups, medical/dental, banks, multi-site retail

• Refresh ideas: a brand signage “kit” (colors, materials, placement rules)

• Common mistake: letting each location improvise signage over time

8) Refresh interior signs that shape the customer experience

Interior signage is often overlooked, but it affects how people feel inside your space—especially in lobbies, waiting rooms, and checkout areas.

• Best for: offices, medical, restaurants, retail, schools

• Refresh ideas: lobby logo signs, room IDs, ADA-compliant signs where needed

• Common mistake: mixing styles (fonts/materials) so the space feels inconsistent

9) Replace “temporary” banners and yard signs with a cleaner system

Temporary signage is fine—until it becomes permanent. A cleaner banner system can keep promotions flexible without looking improvised.

• Best for: grand openings, seasonal promos, events, hiring campaigns

• Refresh ideas: consistent banner templates, durable hardware, planned placement

• Common mistake: using low-quality prints that wrinkle, fade, or look uneven

Permits and planning in Metro Atlanta (what to know)

Many exterior sign projects in Metro Atlanta involve local sign rules and a sign permit—especially for monument signs and building ID signs. Planning early helps avoid delays.

• You may need a permit when: changing size, location, illumination, or sign type

• You may still need review when: replacing faces/graphics in regulated areas

• Tip: if your property has an HOA, landlord requirements, or a historical review board, add extra lead time

What to gather before you start (fast-track checklist)

Bring these items to your first conversation and you’ll speed up design, permitting, and production:

1. Photos of the current sign(s) and the installation area

2. Your logo files (vector preferred) and brand colors

3. Address

4. What you want the sign to accomplish (visibility, wayfinding, brand refresh)

5. Any landlord/HOA signage guidelines (if applicable)

6. Notes on lighting and visibility (day vs. night)

7. Timeline target (even if it’s flexible)

8. Any locations that need matching signage (multi-site)

FAQ

Ready to start the year with a sign that looks like your business is thriving?

Signs & More is a family-owned, full-service sign company serving Metro Atlanta—from design and permitting to manufacturing and installation. And when something unexpected comes up, we guarantee to always do the right thing for our customers.

• Want a fast next step? Send photos of your current signage and your location, and we’ll recommend the best refresh options for your property.