Directional and Wayfinding Signs That Get People Where They’re Going

Wayfinding signage is a set of signs that works as a system to guide people through a building or site. It tells them where they are, which way to go and when they’ve arrived. Directional signs are the part with arrows. Together with name and information signs, they make a route that a stranger can follow without asking.

A single sign is just a sign. A wayfinding scheme is a handful of signs that agree with each other: the same names, the same style, the same arrows, placed at the moments people need them. That is why a few well-placed, well-planned signs beat dozens of random ones.

The Four Kinds of Sign (and Which Job Each Does)

Most confusion comes from mixing these up. Plan your scheme with all four in mind.

Wayfinding covers the first three. Statutory safety signs, such as fire exit and first aid signs, follow their own legal rules (see the rules section below) and are a different job, so we’ll tell you plainly where one ends and the other starts.

Try the Lost-Visitor Test

Before you order a single sign, do this. It takes twenty minutes and it’s the best way to get it right.

1. Arrive like a stranger. Start where a visitor starts: the car park, the pavement, the front door.

2. Walk the journey to every key place. Reception, the toilets, the meeting rooms, the lifts, the exit.

3. Stop at every turn, junction and door. These are your decision points, and each one needs an answer.

4. Note where you hesitated. If you, who know the building, paused, a visitor will be lost.

5. Ask the five questions at each stop: Where am I? Where do I want to go? Which way? Have I arrived? How do I get out?

6. Photograph each spot. Send the photos with your plan, and we’ll show you where each sign should go.

This is how we work with customers: we mark up your photos and plan with proposed sign positions, so you see the whole scheme before we make anything.

Our Directional and Wayfinding Sign Options

Interior Wayfinding Signs and Indoor Wayfinding Signage

Signs for the inside of your building: door and room signs, corridor signs, floor and level signs, directories and signs for lifts, stairs and toilets. Interior wayfinding signage works best when every sign shares one style. See our wall signs page for wall-mounted options, and acrylic signs for a polished finish.

Best for: offices, clinics, schools, hotels, care homes, gyms and showrooms.

Door and Room Identification Signs

The sign that says you’ve arrived. Clear room names and numbers, in one style, at one height, beside each door.

Best for: meeting rooms, treatment rooms, classrooms, offices and storerooms.

Directional Signs with Arrows

The workhorse. Directional signs with arrows point people the right way at every turn. We make custom directional arrow signs in your fonts and colours, with a matching arrow set, so the whole scheme looks consistent. See the arrow guide below.

Best for: corridors, junctions, entrances, car parks and sites.

Floor, Level and Directory Signs

Big buildings need big-picture signs. Directory boards list what’s on each floor, and level signs tell people where they are. Put the directory where people choose their route, not after.

Best for: multi-storey buildings, business centres and campuses.

Outdoor Wayfinding Signage and Outdoor Directional Signs

Signs for the outside: car parks, entrances, delivery points and routes between buildings. Exterior directional signage needs weatherproof materials and secure mounting. See our Dibond signs for long-lasting outdoor panels.

Best for: business parks, industrial units, schools, hospitals, hotels and retail parks.

Car Park and Parking Signs

Bay numbers, visitor and staff areas, entrance and exit, and one-way arrows. Clear car park signs cut confusion at the busiest moment of the visit. For a branded detail along the route, see our bollard covers.

Best for: offices, schools, supermarkets, venues and residential developments.

Directional Signs for Events

Temporary signs that get guests from the road to the right door. Lightweight, quick to make and easy to move. Our Correx signs are a good-value choice, and A-board pavement signs and custom flags help at the entrance.

Best for: open days, weddings, fairs, exhibitions and conferences.

Location Signage

Signs that say where you are: building names, unit numbers and entrance signs. Location signage helps visitors, couriers and emergency services find the right door. See our house signs for homes, and fascia signs for business fronts.

Best for: business units, industrial estates, flats and shared entrances.

Branded Wayfinding

Want wayfinding that looks designed? Combine signs with 3D lettering signage, fret cut signs or illuminated signs for entrances and key landmarks, and keep the everyday signs simple.

Best for: hotels, showrooms, restaurants, offices and venues with a strong brand.

Signs for Schools and Other Sites

Schools need signs for pupils, parents and visitors. See our custom school signs page for classroom, reception and safeguarding-friendly signs.

Which Material for Which Sign?

Not sure? Tell us where each sign goes and how long it needs to last. We’ll recommend the right material, even if it’s the simpler or cheaper one.

The Arrow Guide: Getting Direction Signs Right

Arrows look simple, but small mistakes send people the wrong way. A few conventions make a scheme feel instantly familiar.

• Use one arrow style everywhere. A “this way arrow sign” should look like every other one in the building.

• Group destinations by direction. Put all the “left” places together and all the “straight on” places together, so people read one block per direction.

• Keep each sign short. Five or six destinations is plenty. More than that, and people stop reading.

• Point at the real route. Arrow signs belong at the turn, not before or after it.

How Big Should the Lettering Be?

Signs fail most often because the text is too small. As a common rule of thumb, you need about 25mm of letter height for every 10 metres of reading distance, in good light. Go larger for low light, moving viewers or older readers.

These are guides, not rules, and we’ll size every sign for your actual spot. Fast-moving viewers, such as drivers entering a site, need much bigger text. Tell us who reads the sign and from where.

Where Should the Signs Go?

• At every decision point. Corners, junctions, forks and doors are where people choose.

• Once before and once after a long straight run. A short reassurance sign tells people they’re still on track.

• At eye level, in a consistent place. Put room signs at the same height and the same side of the door throughout.

• Where they won’t be hidden. Open doors, coat racks and parked vehicles block signs.

• Entrances first. A clear entrance sign and directory solve half the questions before they start.

• Name things consistently. If it’s “Reception” on the front door, it isn’t “Front Desk” on the corridor sign.

Accessibility, Safety and Rules

Accessibility. Signs work best when everyone can read them. Good practice includes strong contrast between letters and background, a clear sans-serif font, a matt finish that doesn’t glare, and sensible mounting positions. Guidance often recommends a difference of around 30 points in light reflectance value between text and background (check the current accessibility guidance for your building). Ask us about tactile and braille signs. The Equality Act 2010 expects reasonable adjustments, so it’s worth getting this right from the start.

Safety signs are separate. Fire exit, first aid and other statutory safety signs follow their own rules, including the Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996 and the standard ISO 7010 symbols. Your fire risk assessment decides what you need. We’ll tell you honestly if a sign should come from a safety specialist.

Outdoor and roadside. On private land, you can plan your own directional signs. Signs on or beside public roads are controlled by the highway authority, and larger or illuminated signs may need advertisement consent from your local council. Check early, before you order.

Listed buildings and landlords. If you rent, or your building is listed or in a conservation area, check what you can fix to walls and fronts.

Seven Wayfinding Mistakes We See Most (and How to Avoid Them)

1.      Too many signs, too little plan. A few well-placed signs beat dozens of random ones.

2.      Inconsistent names. “Meeting Room 2” on one sign and “Boardroom” on another sends people in circles.

3.      Tiny text. If you can’t read it from the distance people will be, it’s too small.

4.      Low contrast. Grey on silver looks smart and reads badly.

5.      Signs in the wrong place. An arrow after the turn is worse than no arrow.

6.      Missing reassurance. Long corridors need a “you’re on the right track” sign.

7.      Ignoring the outside. The journey starts at the pavement, not the front door.

See Your Signs Before They’re Made

Buying signs is easier when you can see them. Send us photos of your doors, walls and routes, and we’ll mock up your signs on them, in the right size, font and colour. Every project starts with a free design proof. Want to see a whole shop or reception? Our 3D shop visualisation service can show it in realistic 3D. Or book a consultation by phone, video or at our workshop.

Fitting and Installation

We design, make and fit signs for businesses across the UK. Wall-mounted, projecting, ceiling-hung, post-mounted and free-standing signs each need the right fixing, and we’ll tell you which suits your walls and floors. If you’d rather use your own fitter, we’ll deliver the signs ready to install.

How Much Do Wayfinding Signs Cost?

The honest answer is that price depends on the number of signs, their size, the material, whether they’re printed, cut or lit, and whether you want them fitted. A single door sign costs far less than a full scheme for a school, and larger sets usually cost less per sign.

We give you a clear, itemised quote with no hidden extras. If a simpler sign will do the job, we’ll say so. Send us your plan and photos, and we’ll give you a price with no obligation, usually the same day.

Where Wayfinding Signs Work Best

• Offices and business centres: reception, floors, meeting rooms and car parks

• Schools, colleges and nurseries: entrances, classrooms, visitor routes and drop-off areas

• Clinics, surgeries and care homes: clear, calm routes for people who may be anxious

• Hotels and venues: rooms, facilities, events and function suites

• Retail parks and shopping centres: units, parking and click-and-collect points

• Warehouses and industrial units: zones, bays, entrances and visitor routes

• Gyms, leisure centres and sports clubs: changing rooms, courts, pools and car parks

• Churches, halls and community buildings: entrances and facilities

• Events, festivals and fairs: routes from the road to the door

Need the whole frontage covered? Combine wayfinding with sign boards, non illuminated signs or 3D shop signage, or browse our full signage range.

What Makes Us Stand Out

Honest timings, always. The ready-by times we give you are the real ones. If we can’t hit your date, we tell you before you order, not after. Need it fast? See our urgent products.

A free design proof on your own photos. You see the signs on your walls before anything is made, so there are no surprises on fitting day.

A planner’s eye, not just a printer’s. We’ll tell you where signs should go, how big the lettering should be and when fewer signs would do the job better.

Free artwork check on every order. Before anything is made, we check your file for size, spelling and avoidable mistakes, then send a proof for your approval.

Made in our own High Wycombe workshop. We design, cut, print and assemble in-house. No middlemen, no mystery about where your signs are.

One team for the whole building. Wayfinding, wall signs, fascia, counters and banners come from one team, so everything looks consistent. See our shop branding range.

Family-run, since 2013. We’ve helped shop owners, schools, charities and local businesses for more than a decade. Read more about us or see our full list of services.

Backed by Discount Sign & Print. Our parent company’s workshop and team stand behind us for larger projects.

You talk to the people making your signs. Call, WhatsApp or email and you reach the workshop. No call centres, no ticket numbers.

How to Order Your Wayfinding Signs

1. Tell us about your building. Send a floor plan or site plan (a rough sketch is fine), photos of the key routes and your logo. Walk the Lost-Visitor Test first if you can.

2. We plan and design. We mark up your plan with sign positions and mock up the signs on your photos.

3. Approve your proof. We check your artwork for free and send a proof. Ask for changes until you’re happy. Nothing is made until you say so.

4. We make and finish it. Made in our workshop, finished and quality-checked.

5. Collect, deliver or fit. Ready from High Wycombe at the time we promised, delivered across the UK, or fitted by our team.

Ready to start? Request a quote for your wayfinding signs.

Who We Make Wayfinding Signs For

• Offices, business parks and co-working spaces

• Schools, colleges and nurseries

• Clinics, surgeries, care homes and pharmacies

• Hotels, venues and event organisers

• Retail parks, shops and shopping centres

• Warehouses, factories and industrial units

• Gyms, leisure centres and sports clubs

• Churches, halls and community groups

• Property managers, landlords and developers

• Councils, BIDs and housing associations .

• Fit-out contractors, architects and designers who need a reliable sign maker.