Looking for the right material for company signage? Glass could be just the ticket. Find out why in our guide.
In the business world, what's the purpose of a sign? If your answer is just "to communicate information", think again.
Yes, signage is functional. But it can communicate so much more than the way to reception or information about fire drills.
No matter the work environment, a sign can communicate your brand identity with clarity, speed and panache. It's the office design equivalent of a sophisticated scent. It tells visitors, customers and staff that you mean just one thing: business.
In other words, taking signage seriously is worth your time. And one key consideration is the material you use.
Signs can be made from stone, metal, plastic or glass. But if you ask us, glass is best. It's durable, aesthetically appealing, endlessly customisable and easy to maintain.
Clarity
Glass gives your signs a clarity that other materials can't match – both literally and figuratively. Its sleek, transparent surfaces are the perfect foil for your brand's messaging.
This clarity can speak volumes about your business's style and intentions. If it's sophistication and forward-thinking you're seeking to communicate, you can't go wrong with glass.
Secondly, glass can be enhanced with striking, vibrant colours. It can be a great way to reinforce your company's colour palette or simply create an aesthetically pleasing work environment.
And thirdly, having transparent or translucent surfaces can help make an office or other work environment feel spacious and welcoming. What's not to like?
Integration in your work environment
Every work environment has at least one glass surface – so why not turn it into a sign? That way, the walls and windows themselves become vehicles for brand messaging.
Similarly, you can make glass signage part of a glass-centric work environment. Glass partitions, for example, are a great way to split up an office space without blocking visibility.
You could even explore the world of
smart glass. This is a type of glass that can be changed from opaque to transparent at the touch of a button. It provides privacy on demand and a touch of class in one sophisticated package.
Signs need to be durable. This makes toughened glass and laminated glass ideal for the job.
These are two varieties of safety glass. This "safety" designation tells buyers they're much harder to break than standard glass.
Toughened glass, for instance, can withstand a lot of pressure – and in the rare event it breaks, it shatters into tiny, smooth smithereens rather than jagged shards.
Laminated glass is even harder to break. It's the stuff they make windscreens from. No matter how hard you bash it, you won't make a dent. And if you did, it would still retain structural integrity.
So, if durability is a concern, you can't go wrong with toughened glass. Debbie Harry wasn't wrong to say she had a heart of glass. But if her heart had been made of toughened glass… well, it would have been a different story entirely.
Design flexibility
Perhaps the best thing about glass is just how flexible it is from a design perspective. We're not exaggerating when we say the sky's the limit.
Take your company logo. It can be etched,
sandblasted,
digitally printed or
screen printed. Work with a good processor and it can be printed to photorealistic quality. And like all good-quality printed glass, the logo will stay vivid for as long as the glass lasts.
Then there's the fact that glass can come in all the colours of the rainbow – and all the colour combinations, too. Laminated glass, to take one example, can have a
coloured interlayer in any hue you like. This creates aesthetically pleasing signage that can also reflect your brand colour palette.
Then there's the level of intricacy that glass can achieve. Metal and stone have their advantages for signage. But if your design is complex, you'll usually get the best results from glass.
Finally, there's
smart glass – a recent and exciting innovation in glass fabrication. It allows you to change the transparency level of the sign depending on the time of day or privacy needs. It can also add a touch of modern professionalism to your office environment.
Low maintenance
One of the key advantages of glass as a material is that it's easy to clean and maintain. Only a small amount of elbow grease is required to leave it looking spotless.
In most cases, a simple wipe-down with a dedicated glass cleaner can make your signage shine. This isn't just good for your cleaners. It also makes it ideal for a busy working environment with lots of passing traffic.
Considerations for external applications
The durability of toughened glass means it can be installed outside as well as in. And nine times out of 10, they'll do just fine.
If, however, the sign is installed in a spot exposed to plenty of direct sunlight, it may discolour over time. For this reason, it's worth investing in high-quality laminated glass, screen printed or digitally printed using high-end, long-lasting ceramic inks. We can also supply advanced waterproof interlayers that are ideal for external applications.
Conclusion
As well as providing staff and visitors with invaluable information, good-quality signage can communicate your brand identity.
A variety of material choices are available. But in our opinion, glass usually has the edge over its competitors as a material that's durable, low-maintenance, attractive and flexible.
At ToughGlaze, we provide high-quality,
custom-cut laminated glass and
toughened glass to a range of customers. Glass can be decorated in a huge number of ways to assert your brand identity.
As well as having the facilities to realise your vision, we also do everything under one roof – from cutting the glass to size to firing it in the furnace, from decorating to shipping.
So, if you're looking for toughened glass signage,
get in touch with ToughGlaze today for a quick, competitive quote. We'd love to help you get the right signage for your work environment.
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