An A-frame is the cheapest signage decision most businesses make, and one of the few that pays for itself in a week. It sits on the sidewalk and catches people who were already walking past.

Two ways we build them. Vinyl lettering is cut on our plotter and applied to the panel — sharp, durable, and the right call for text, hours, arrows and simple logos. Digital print runs on our 64-inch Roland and handles photographs, gradients and full-color artwork that cut vinyl can't reproduce. Both are double-sided as standard, because people come from both directions.

Wind is the real design constraint here. Colorado wind is why most A-frames end up in the gutter or under a parked car. For anywhere with genuine exposure we spec a frame with a weighted or water-fillable base — that's the difference between a sign that stays put and one you replace every spring. Sheltered entryways and interior use don't need it.

Changeable panels are worth asking about if your message moves weekly — specials, events, live music. You keep the frame and buy inserts, which costs a fraction of a new sign each time.

We've been building signs in Englewood since 2003. The printing, the cutting and the assembly all happen in our shop.