How the International Sign Association Ended up in Virginia

In 1980, the National Electric Sign Assn. was in turmoil. The January 1981 editorial in Signs of the Times magazine began with “This publication has been filled with anguish for many months now watching, sometimes in disbelief, the internal strife that has beset and virtually halted the progress of the National Electric Sign Assn. We […]

Continue reading

Sign Research Foundation Publishes Executive Summary of “Best Practices in Developing Sign Regulations”

The Sign Research Foundation (SRF) has published a four-page executive summary https://signresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/Best-Practices-in-Developing-Sign-Regulations-Executive-Summary.pdf of a research project conducted and written by Dr. Dawn Jourdan (Texas A&M), Dr. Eric Strauss (Michigan State) and Madeline Hunter. The work includes a survey of 17 communities with regard to citizen involvement (or the lack thereof) with regard to sign regulations. Part […]

Continue reading

USSCF Announces Reformation of USSCF Sign Defense Fund

The United States Sign Council Foundation has announced the reformation of its USSC Legal Defense Fund (formerly the LDF Legal Defense Fund). The Sign Defense Fund is designed to help sign companies and sign owners combat defective and unconstitutional local sign zoning ordinances. Sign applicants and/or sign companies apply to the USSCF for a grant […]

Continue reading

State of Washington Now Allows Sign Electricians to Retrofit LEDs

On February 23, 2018, the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries adopted a change to its scope of work that allows “Signs (04) specialty electricians to retrofit existing exterior luminaires mounted on a pole or other structure with energy-efficient technology, such as LEDs. Currently, only those certified as journey level electricians (01), non-residential maintenance (07), […]

Continue reading

International Sign Association Case Studies Examine EMC Brightness

An updated International Sign Association publication, entitled “Night-time Brightness Level Recommendations for On-Premise Electronic Message Centers,” has been updated with case histories from some of the more than 200 communities that have adopted its suggestions. The 16-page publication explains why brightness measurements should be taken in “footcandles” rather than “nits.” You can view the entire […]

Continue reading

Planner Suggests Provisions for Preserving Historic Signs

The following article appeared in the April 1989 issue of Signs of the Times magazine. The original article was published in the November 1988 issue of PAS Memo , which was a monthly publication produced by the American Planning Association. It is now published six times a year online. By Peter H. Phillips, AICP In […]

Continue reading

Overall Sign-Code Trends in 2015 at the State Level

The International Sign Association’s Kenny Peskin wrote an article for Signs of the Times’ magazine’s April 2015 issue in which he outlined some general sign-code trends in various states. You can access the entire article in Signs of the Times’ digital edition at https://www.signsofthetimes.com/content/isas-kenny-peskin-discusses-sign-code-trends Wade SwormstedtWade is the former Executive Director of the Foundation for […]

Continue reading

A History of the Highway Beautification Act

The International Sign Association’s Kenny Peskin wrote on article for Signs of the Times magazine in 2015 that documented the history of the landmark Highway Beautification Act on its 50th anniversary. You can access the entire article in Signs of the Times’ digital edition at https://www.signsofthetimes.com/content/the-highway-beautification-act-50-years-later Wade SwormstedtWade is the former Executive Director of the […]

Continue reading

Understanding the Value of Signage

The following article originally appeared on the Small Business Administration website in February 2001, but it was subsequently removed. There is an old axiom that the three keys to successfully selecting real estate are “location, location and location”. The three keys that guide the successful selection and development of commercial properties are Visibility, Accessibility and […]

Continue reading

Sign Glossary

The following article originally appeared on the Small Business Administration website in February 2001, but it was subsequently removed. ADVERTISING MEDIA: The means by which an advertising message is carried to potential customers, including the Internet, magazine, newspaper, radio, signage and television. AESTHETICS: A term dealing with form, design and/or quality of construction of a […]

Continue reading