§ 84-16. Sign design guidelines.

The following sign design guidelines are intended to provide applicants, the Sign Officer, and the Planning Board with guidance for best practices in addressing issues related to sign compatibility, legibility, placement, and color. Please refer to the Village of Williamsville Sign Design Preferences Gallery for visual depictions of these guidelines.

A. 

Compatibility.

(1) 

Signs should be constructed of high quality materials that are compatible with the building form and the desired character of the area in which they are located.

(2) 

Signs should be appropriately scaled for the building or site upon which they are located, so as not to dominate the facade or streetscape.

(3) 

Signs on buildings that have a monolithic or plain facade should be used to create visual interest through appropriate sign design features, scale, and proportions.

(4) 

Signs should be designed to include relief in the lettering or sign face to create shadows and provide depth and visual interest.

B. 

Legibility.

(1) 

Hard to read, intricate typefaces should be avoided. The number of lettering styles on a single sign should be limited to two for small signs and three for larger signs.

(2) 

Letters and words should not be spaced too closely together. Generally, letters should not occupy more than 75% of the sign area.

(3) 

Large areas of blank spaces should be avoided. Generally, 50% or more blank area should be avoided for boxed sign areas or framed signs.

(4) 

Strangely shaped or unnecessarily narrow signs should be avoided. If an unusual shape is not symbolic it is more likely to be confusing.

C. 

Placement.

(1) 

Signs should be so located to respect and complement a building's facade, utilizing logical signage areas created by existing architectural details or ornamentation.

(2) 

Signs should be placed at or near the public entrance to a building to indicate the most direct access.

(3) 

Signs located on a building facade should be located in the sign board area.

D. 

Color.

(1) 

Signs should feature substantial contrast between the color and material of the background and text or symbols.

(2) 

Sign colors should complement the materials and colors of adjacent buildings, including accent and trim colors, where applicable.

(3) 

Use of color and color combinations utilized for signs should be limited. Generally, a sign should not utilize more than three colors, including accent colors.

(4) 

DayGlo or flourescent colors should be avoided.

Editor's Note: The Sign Design Preference Gallery is included as an attachment to this chapter.