Projecting Signs: Be Seen by Everyone Walking Down the Street

• They face the people on foot. On a busy high street, most of your customers are walking along the pavement, not standing across the road. A projecting sign is the one sign that faces them.

• They're seen from both directions. Double-sided signs catch people coming from either end of the street.

• They stand out from a row of shopfronts. When every shop has a fascia, a projecting sign is what breaks the line and draws the eye.

• They work in tricky spots. Upstairs businesses, side-street shops, arcades and narrow frontages can all be seen from the main street.

• They suit heritage streets. A traditional hanging sign often fits conservation areas better than a large modern fascia.

Types of Projecting Sign

1. Traditional Hanging Signs

The classic British high street sign, hanging from a decorative scroll or straight bracket. Made from tough, weatherproof panels in any shape: rectangles, ovals, shields or a custom outline of your logo. Perfect for pubs, cafes, gift shops, bakeries, barbers and boutiques.

2. Blade Signs (Fixed Projecting Panels)

A flat panel fixed rigidly to the wall at 90 degrees, with no swing. Clean, modern and very stable in the wind. Projecting blade signs suit salons, clinics, offices and modern retail units, and look great with raised 3D lettering on both faces.

3. Round and Circular Projecting Signs

A round projecting sign is instantly recognisable as a logo, which makes it ideal for brands with a circular badge or monogram. Available as a flat printed panel or an illuminated lightbox.

4. Illuminated Projecting Signs

If you trade after dark, an illuminated projecting sign keeps working when the street goes quiet. Choose an LED lightbox that glows through a printed face, or a sign with halo-lit or face-lit 3D letters for a premium look. Ideal for restaurants, takeaways, pubs, pharmacies and late-opening shops. See our illuminated signs and 3D illuminated signs for more lighting options.

5. Projecting Sign Trays

A folded aluminium tray with a smooth, solid look and crisp edges. Projecting sign trays are tough, flat and long-lasting, with your design printed or applied in vinyl on both sides. A great match for an aluminium fascia tray.

6. Indoor Projecting Signs

Projecting signs work inside too. Projecting door and room-number signs help people find the right door down a long corridor in offices, hospitals, schools and shopping centres. For complete systems, see our custom directional and wayfinding signs.

Brackets and Fixings: Built to Hang Safely

The bracket matters as much as the sign. We choose brackets and fixings to suit your sign's size and weight, the wall it's going on and how exposed it is to wind.

(CONFIRM: bracket styles offered and whether swing signs use safety chains)

Every bracket is fixed into a sound wall with fixings suited to brick, stone or render. Swinging signs are hung so they can move in the wind without hitting the wall.

Sizes and Mounting Heights

(CONFIRM: standard sizes)

How high does it need to be? If your sign hangs over a public pavement, the bottom of the sign must sit high enough for people to walk safely underneath. Councils set their own minimums, usually somewhere between about 2.2 metres and 2.75 metres above the pavement. We'll design your sign and bracket to meet your council's requirement.

Projecting Signs and the Rules: What You Need to Know

This is the part most sign companies skip, and the part most shop owners worry about. Here it is in plain English.

1. Advertisement consent (planning). Many simple, non-illuminated projecting signs on commercial premises have "deemed consent" in England, so you may not need to apply. You're more likely to need advertisement consent from your council if your sign is illuminated, unusually large or high, on a listed building, or in a conservation area.

2. A highway projection licence. If your sign hangs over a public pavement, many councils also need you to apply for a highway projection licence under the Highways Act 1980, separately from planning. Councils typically limit how far a sign sticks out over the pavement (often about 1 metre), and require a clear passageway between the sign and the road.

3. Your landlord. If you rent, you'll almost always need your landlord's written permission to fix a bracket to the building.

4. Listed buildings. Fixing a bracket to a listed building may also need listed building consent.

How we help: we design your sign and bracket to typical council limits from the start, and supply drawings and specifications for any applications. Ask your council's planning and highways teams for their exact requirements before you order. This is general guidance, not legal advice.

Design Tips for Projecting Signs

• Keep it to your name or logo. A projecting sign is read in a glance from an angle. Your name, or a simple symbol, is enough. Leave the details for your fascia and window.

• Make both sides match. People approach from both directions, so both faces should say the same thing.

• Use a recognisable shape or symbol. A coffee cup, a pair of scissors or your round logo is spotted before any words are read.

• Go bold on contrast. Light lettering on a dark background, or the reverse, reads best against a busy street.

• Match your fascia. Use the same colours, font and logo, so the two signs work as a pair. Pair it with a fascia sign if you don't have one yet.

How Much Does a Projecting Sign Cost?

Projecting signs are one of the best-value upgrades you can make to a shopfront. Your price depends on:

• Size and shape: a 450 mm panel costs less than a 600 × 900 mm custom shape.

• Type: flat printed panels are the most affordable, while sign trays, 3D letters and illumination cost more.

• Bracket: simple straight brackets cost less than decorative scrolls.

• Fitting: access, height and wall type, plus any electrics for illuminated signs.

• Permissions: drawings for applications, if needed.

Send us a photo of your shopfront and we'll give you a clear, no-obligation price.

How It Works

• Send us a photo. A picture of your shopfront from the pavement, your logo, and where you'd like the sign.

• We design it. We suggest a size, style and bracket that suits your building, and send a proof of both faces.

• You approve and sort permissions. Nothing is made until you're happy. We supply drawings for any council applications.

• We make it. Your sign and bracket are made in our High Wycombe workshop.

• We fit it securely. Our team fixes it to your wall at the right height, with the right fixings.

Prefer to talk first? Book a free consultation.

Who Uses Projecting Signs?

• Pubs and bars: traditional hanging signs with a scroll bracket

• Cafes, bakeries and restaurants: illuminated or round signs that catch the lunchtime crowd

• Barbers, salons and beauty clinics: smart blade signs with a symbol customers spot instantly

• Independent shops and boutiques: hanging signs that stand out on a busy high street

• Pharmacies, opticians and dentists: illuminated signs that are easy to find

• Upstairs and side-street businesses: a projecting sign at street level that points the way

• Estate agents and offices: clean blade signs in brand colours

• Offices, schools and hospitals: indoor projecting room signs down long corridors

Want the full picture? See our guide to business signs, or add A-board pavement signs for even more street presence.