Good blade sign design comes down to five choices: a shape that reflects the brand, a size the local code allows, bold high-contrast lettering that reads on both faces, durable materials, and a bracket mounted high enough to clear the sidewalk. Add lighting, and illuminated blade signs keep working after dark, when foot traffic on many commercial streets is at its peak.
On a busy commercial street, most people never look straight at your storefront. They walk along the sidewalk, glancing ahead, and a flat wall sign only shows itself once they’re already at the door. Blade sign design solves that by turning the sign 90 degrees, so it faces the people walking toward you from both directions.
This guide covers what makes a blade sign work: the shapes, sizes, and materials to choose from, how to light one, how to mount it safely, and what Chicago and suburban codes allow. It’s written for retailers, restaurants, salons, and offices on walkable streets.
- Blade signs catch foot traffic. They project from the wall, so pedestrians see them from both directions.
- Simple reads best. A logo or a short name beats a full sentence at a glance.
- Codes set the size. Many towns cap projecting sign area, height, and lighting.
- The bracket is structural. It has to carry the sign’s weight and resist wind for years.
What Is a Blade Sign?
A blade sign, also called a projecting sign, mounts perpendicular to the building, sticking out over the sidewalk like a blade. Because it’s double-sided, it shows your name to people approaching from either direction, something a flat wall sign can’t do.
Blade signs have hung over shop doors for centuries, and they’re still the most effective way to reach pedestrians on dense streets. In Chicago neighborhoods like Wicker Park and Lincoln Park, where storefronts are narrow and sidewalks are busy, a blade sign often does more work than the sign on the fascia.
Most storefronts use a blade sign alongside a primary sign, such as channel letters or an awning sign, rather than instead of one. The types of business signs guide shows how the two work together.
Blade Sign Design: Shape and Size
Shape is where blade sign design starts to express the brand. Common options include:
- Rectangles and squares. Clean and efficient, with the most room for lettering.
- Circles and ovals. Classic and friendly, common for cafés and boutiques.
- Custom shapes. Cut to the outline of a logo or an object, such as a coffee cup or a pair of scissors, for instant recognition.
- Vertical blades. Tall, narrow signs that stack letters and read from far down the block.
Size depends on the building, the sidewalk, and the code. A blade sign should feel proportional to the storefront and stay readable from the sidewalk, but local rules usually set the upper limit. In Hinsdale, for example, projecting signs are allowed only in the B-2 district, each face is capped at 3 square feet, and the sign hangs at least 8 feet up. The Hinsdale page covers those rules in full.
Lettering, Color, and Contrast
A blade sign is read in a second or two by someone walking past, so every design choice should speed that up:
- Keep the copy short. A logo, a name, or a single word such as “Coffee” reads best. Save hours and phone numbers for the window.
- Use bold, simple fonts. Thin scripts and detailed lettering blur at a distance.
- Maximize contrast. Light on dark or dark on light. The United States Sign Council’s legibility guidelines use about 30 feet of viewing distance per inch of letter height as an average benchmark.
- Match both faces. Both sides should carry the same design so the sign reads the same from either direction.
- Stay on brand. Use the same colors and logo as your main sign, so the two read as one storefront.
Materials for Blade Signs
A blade sign hangs in the weather year-round, so materials need to hold color and resist corrosion. The most common choices:
| Material | Look | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Painted aluminum | Clean, light, and durable | Most storefronts |
| Steel or decorative metal | Heavy, crafted, often ornamental | Historic districts and upscale shops |
| Acrylic | Modern, can be lit from inside | Illuminated signs and contemporary brands |
| High-density urethane (HDU) | Carved, sculpted, or dimensional | Restaurants, pubs, and boutiques |
| Wood or composite | Warm and rustic | Cafés, bakeries, and craft brands |
Powder-coated finishes protect metal from Chicago’s moisture and road salt. Dimensional letters, cut with a CNC router and layered onto the face, add depth that flat printing can’t, a technique we also use on CNC router signs.
Want to see your blade sign before it’s built?
SignFreaks checks your town’s projecting sign rules and your facade, then mocks up the sign to scale on a photo of your storefront.
Illuminated Blade Signs
Illuminated blade signs keep working after dark, which counts for restaurants, bars, and shops with evening hours. There are four common ways to light one:
- Internally lit cabinets. LEDs inside a cabinet light a translucent face, much like a small lightbox sign.
- Edge-lit acrylic. LEDs along the edge make the acrylic face and its lettering glow.
- Halo-lit letters. Dimensional letters cast a glow onto the panel behind them, the same effect explained in our guide to halo lit channel letters.
- External lights. Small gooseneck or spot fixtures light a non-illuminated face from above.
Check the code before choosing. Some towns ban illuminated blade signs in certain districts, and Hinsdale doesn’t allow lit projecting signs at all. Lit signs also need a power feed through the wall and a registered electrical contractor.
Brackets, Mounting, and Placement
The bracket is the part of blade sign design most people overlook, and it’s the part that keeps the sign safely over people’s heads. A good mount does three things:
- Carries the weight. The bracket and wall anchors are sized for the sign’s weight plus wind load, with fasteners suited to brick, block, or steel.
- Clears the sidewalk. Most codes set a minimum height above the walkway, often around 8 feet, so pedestrians pass safely underneath.
- Fits the style. Decorative scroll brackets suit traditional storefronts, while flat bars and hidden mounts suit modern ones.
Place the sign near the entrance, at the corner of a building, or wherever it can be seen from the longest stretch of sidewalk. Blade signs can also hang beneath an awning or canopy, which our awning signs guide covers.
Permits for Blade Signs in Chicago
Because a blade sign projects over the sidewalk, it’s a sign over the public way. The City of Chicago requires a Department of Buildings sign permit first, then a Grant of Privilege through the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection, which prepares an ordinance for City Council approval. Suburbs set their own size, height, and lighting rules.
SignFreaks prepares the drawings, files the sign permits, builds the sign and bracket in our own shop, and handles installation with our own crew.
Bringing Your Blade Sign Design Together
The best blade sign design is simple, readable from both directions, sized to the code, built from weather-ready materials, and mounted on a bracket engineered for the load. Illuminated blade signs extend that reach into the evening, wherever the local rules allow them.
SignFreaks designs, permits, builds, and installs blade signs for restaurants, salons, and retailers across Chicago and the suburbs. If an older sign has faded or gone dark, sign repair can refresh it.
Get a blade sign that stops people on the sidewalk
Send SignFreaks a photo of your storefront. We’ll design the sign, engineer the bracket, handle the permits, and install it with our own crew.
Blade Sign Design FAQs
What is a blade sign?
A blade sign is a double-sided sign that projects from a building at a right angle, so people walking toward the storefront see it from both directions. It’s also called a projecting sign. SignFreaks builds custom blade signs for storefronts across Chicago.
How big should a blade sign be?
A blade sign should be big enough to read from down the sidewalk while staying within the local code. Many towns cap projecting signs by area, and Hinsdale, for example, limits each face to 3 square feet.
Can a blade sign be illuminated?
A blade sign can be illuminated with an internally lit cabinet, edge-lit acrylic, halo-lit letters, or external lights, where the local code allows it. Illuminated blade signs need a power feed and a registered electrical contractor.
How high does a blade sign need to hang?
A blade sign needs to hang high enough to clear the sidewalk, and many codes set a minimum of around 8 feet above the walkway. Our crew checks the local rule before mounting the bracket during installation.
Do blade signs need a permit in Chicago?
Blade signs in Chicago need a sign permit, and because they project over the sidewalk, they also need a Grant of Privilege and City Council approval. SignFreaks prepares and files the sign permits for every blade sign we install.