MRC Signs is a Bucks County sign company. Our shop is at 704 Dublin Pike in Dublin, PA, right in the middle of Central Bucks. From there, our crews can be at most Bucks County jobs quickly, whether it’s a new storefront sign, a monument sign at an office park, or a repair on a sign that went dark last night.
Here’s a quick look at the towns we serve most often and the kinds of sign work we do there.
What We Do for Bucks County Businesses
Sign installation: storefront channel letters (flush-mount or raceway), wall signs, and building signs
Sign service and repair for lighting, electrical, and damage
LED retrofits for older fluorescent and neon signs
Sign removals for moves and rebrands
Site surveys and permit help
Electrical work for signs
We have three crews and a 65-foot crane/bucket truck. Most jobs take 1 to 3 days on site, with about a one-week turnaround once a project is ready to go.
Doylestown
Doylestown has a busy downtown with a designated Historic District, where the Borough’s Historical and Architectural Review Board reviews new and altered signs. Outside the downtown, there are plenty of shopping centers and professional offices that need wall signs and monuments. We help with both, including the extra paperwork for historic-district signs.
Dublin
Dublin is home base. We know the Route 313 corridor well and are glad to help our neighbors with anything from a simple repair to a full new sign package.
Chalfont and New Britain
Chalfont and New Britain are full of small retail strips, restaurants, and service businesses that depend on drive-by traffic. A clear, well-lit sign makes a real difference here, and LED retrofits are a popular way to bring older signs back to life.
Warrington
Warrington’s commercial stretch along Route 611 has a mix of shopping centers, standalone buildings, and pad sites. That means a lot of pylon signs, monument signs, and tenant channel letters. We handle installations, tenant changeovers, and repairs.
Warminster
Warminster has a large base of industrial, flex, and retail properties. We install and service building signs, monument signs, and illuminated signs throughout the area.
Newtown
Newtown businesses tend to want signs that look polished and fit the area’s character. Depending on where your property is, there may be design or review requirements to work through. Our site surveys and permit help are built for that.
Quakertown and Perkasie
Upper Bucks is growing, and towns like Quakertown and Perkasie have a mix of historic main streets and newer commercial development. We cover the full area with installation, repairs, and LED upgrades.
Furlong
Furlong, along Route 263 and Route 413 near Buckingham, has a good share of offices, contractors, and local businesses. Monument signs and building signs are common here, and we can handle the foundation and electrical work.
Every Township Has Its Own Rules
Bucks County has dozens of boroughs and townships, and each has its own sign ordinance. Allowed sizes, lighting rules, setbacks, and the review process can all vary from one town to the next, even between places a mile apart. We don’t assume. Before a sign goes into production, we confirm what’s required where it’s going.
Beyond Bucks County
Bucks County is home, but we also work throughout Montgomery County and across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. If you have several locations, we can help keep your signs consistent across all of them.
Get in Touch
If your business is anywhere in Bucks County and you need a sign installed, fixed, or upgraded, we’d be glad to take a look.
A new storefront sign is one of the most visible investments a business makes. It’s also a project with more moving parts than most people expect. If you’re opening, moving, or rebranding a location in Bucks or Montgomery County, here’s what we tell our customers to think about before anything gets ordered.
1. Find Out Who Has to Approve Your Sign
In most cases, two parties need to sign off: your municipality and your landlord.
Your municipality. Almost every borough and township in Bucks and Montgomery County requires a permit for a new permanent sign, and often for changes to an existing one. Each municipality has its own ordinance covering things like sign size, height, placement, and lighting. Some, like Doylestown Borough’s Historic District, also require design review by a historical board before the permit is processed. Check the rules for the municipality your property is actually in, which isn’t always the town on your mailing address.
Your landlord. If you lease your space, read your lease and ask the landlord or property manager for the property’s sign criteria. Shopping centers and office parks often have strict rules about letter style, colors, size, mounting, and lighting. Many require landlord approval of the drawings before you submit for a permit.
Our site surveys and permit help are designed to take a lot of this off your plate. We measure, check the building and electrical, and help put together what the municipality and landlord need to see.
2. Channel Letters vs. Raceway: Which Mounting Is Right?
Channel letters are individual 3D letters, usually lit from inside with LEDs. They’re the most common storefront sign in shopping centers and downtowns. There are two main ways to mount them:
Flush-mount. Each letter is attached directly to the building wall, with wiring run behind the wall. It gives the cleanest look, but it needs access behind the wall and means more holes in the facade.
Raceway. The letters mount to a metal box (the raceway) that holds the wiring and power supplies, and the raceway mounts to the wall. It means fewer penetrations, easier service, and simpler removal later, which is why many landlords prefer or require it. The raceway is usually painted to match the building so it blends in.
The right choice depends on your building, your landlord’s criteria, and what’s behind the wall. We’ll recommend an option after the site survey.
3. Don’t Forget the Electrical
An illuminated sign needs power, and that often means a dedicated circuit, a switch or timer, and a proper connection at the sign location. If power isn’t already there, it needs to be planned for. We do electrical work for signs, so the sign and the power can be handled together instead of coordinating a separate electrician.
4. Plan for a Realistic Timeline
The installation itself is usually the quick part. Most of our installs take 1 to 3 days on site, and our typical turnaround is about a week once everything is ready. The steps before that take longer:
Design and drawings
Landlord review
Municipal permit review, plus any design or historic review
Fabrication
Approval times depend on the municipality and the landlord, and that’s outside anyone’s control. If you have an opening date in mind, start the sign conversation as early as you can, ideally while you’re still finalizing your lease or buildout.
5. Already Have a Sign? Consider an LED Retrofit
If you’re taking over a space with an existing sign, or your current sign is looking tired, you may not need a whole new sign. An LED retrofit replaces old fluorescent tubes or neon inside an existing sign with modern LED lighting. Benefits usually include:
Brighter, more even lighting
Lower energy use
Fewer burned-out sections and less maintenance
If you’re rebranding in an existing cabinet, sometimes new faces plus an LED retrofit is all you need. We can tell you whether that makes sense for your sign.
6. Plan for the Old Sign
If there’s an old sign on the building, it needs to come down safely, with the electrical disconnected and the wall patched as needed. We handle sign removals and can schedule them right before the new install to keep the gap short.
7. Work With a Local Crew
A local sign company knows the area’s municipalities, can get to your site for a survey quickly, and is close by if you ever need service. MRC Signs is based in Dublin, PA. We have three crews and a 65-foot crane/bucket truck, and we work throughout Bucks and Montgomery County and across PA, NJ, and DE.
Ready to Start?
Whether you’re opening a new location or upgrading an old sign, we’re happy to walk you through the process.
Doylestown is one of the best places in Bucks County to run a storefront business. It’s also one of the places where getting a sign right takes a little extra care. Between the historic district downtown and the busy commercial corridors around it, a Doylestown sign has to look good, follow local rules, and hold up to Pennsylvania weather year after year.
MRC Signs is based just up the road at 704 Dublin Pike in Dublin, so Doylestown is part of our home turf. Here’s how we help local businesses with new signs, repairs, and everything in between.
Sign Installation for Doylestown Businesses
We install the full range of exterior business signs:
Monument and pylon signs, including the foundation work
Building and wall signs for offices, medical buildings, and retail centers
Electrical work for signs, so the sign is wired and working when we leave
We run three crews and a 65-foot crane/bucket truck, so we can handle anything from a small shop sign on State Street to a tall pylon along a main road. Most installations take 1 to 3 days on site, and turnaround is usually about a week once everything is approved and ready.
Signs in the Doylestown Historic District
If your business is in downtown Doylestown, there’s a good chance it sits inside the Borough’s designated Historic District. That changes the process.
According to the Borough of Doylestown, its Historical and Architectural Review Board (HARB) reviews exterior building changes, and that includes signs, within the Historic District. New or changed signs there need a Certificate of Appropriateness before the Borough processes the sign permit. The Borough asks applicants to submit the sign permit application along with the HARB application. A typical package includes:
Photos of the building, showing any existing signs and where the new sign will go
Scale drawings showing the sign’s size, shape, location, and how it will be attached
Building frontage measurements and sign clearances
The sign’s content, letter style, and logos
Color and material samples
A description of any lighting
HARB meets monthly, and applications have to be in ahead of the meeting. The Borough’s website lists the current deadlines and meeting dates. The applicant needs to attend the meeting for the application to be reviewed. Plan for that time. If you want a new sign up for a grand opening, start the conversation early.
One more thing worth knowing: not every “Doylestown” address is in the Borough. Many businesses with a Doylestown mailing address are actually in Doylestown Township or a neighboring township, and each municipality has its own sign rules. We always check which one applies before anything gets ordered.
Site Surveys and Permit Help
Paperwork is where a lot of sign projects stall. We offer site surveys and permit help. We’ll look at the building, take measurements, check the electrical situation, and help pull together the drawings and details your municipality asks for. We can’t promise how fast a township or borough will approve something, but we can help make sure the application is complete the first time.
Sign Service and Repair
Signs break. Letters go dark, transformers fail, timers get knocked out of sync, and storms do damage. We service and repair existing signs, whether or not we installed them. That includes:
Troubleshooting lighting and electrical problems
Replacing failed components
Fixing storm or impact damage
Getting dark letters or cabinets lit again
A dark sign at night tells customers you might be closed. Getting it fixed quickly matters, and having a local crew nearby helps.
LED Retrofits for Older Signs
Many signs around Doylestown still run on older fluorescent tubes or neon. An LED retrofit swaps the old lighting for LED modules inside your existing sign. You keep the sign you have, and it usually gets brighter and more even, uses less power, and needs less maintenance. If your sign looks dim, patchy, or flickers, a retrofit is often a better first step than replacing the whole thing.
Sign Removals
Moving, rebranding, or closing a location? We handle sign removals, including taking down channel letters and cabinets and disconnecting the electrical safely. We can also coordinate with a new install if you’re swapping one sign for another.
Talk to a Local Sign Company
If you need a new sign, a repair, or just want to know what your municipality will allow, give us a call. We work all over Doylestown and the rest of Central Bucks, and throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware.
It’s every business owner’s nightmare scenario: you know your business needs a sign. You’ve created the perfect sign design. But when you see the final product, the colors are all wrong, and your sign’s graphics are pixelated, blurry, or both. What happened?
Preparing your graphics for printing, especially large-scale printing such as sign graphics, can require a lot of knowledge and familiarity with graphic design and file specs. MRCsigns’ graphic design and printing prep team is ready to help you prepare your sign’s graphics for printing, but if you’re prepping files yourself, here’s what you should know before sending any file to print.
Raster vs. Vector Sign Graphics
Your sign’s graphics can be rendered as either raster or vector. In raster images, hundreds of thousands of tiny dots of color–pixels–are placed on a grid to create your image. Vector images, however, rely on mathematical formulas to calculate the shapes and lines that make up your graphics. Because the placement of the pixels is determined by formulas, your sign’s graphics can be made any size and still look sharp. If you are making your image larger, the formulas will determine where to place new pixels. If you are making it smaller, the formulas will determine where to remove them. With raster graphics, however, the existing pixels either compress or stretch. This means the jagged, pixelated edges become more obvious as your sign’s graphics are scaled up. For this reason, it’s best if the graphics you intend for your sign are in vector format from the start.
Certain programs are specifically designed for vectors. When creating your sign graphics, consider working in Adobe Illustrator, CorelDraw, or Inkscape instead of Adobe Photoshop, Canva, or Microsoft Paint.
File Types
The file type you use for your sign’s graphics can also play a part in the pixelation and blurriness of your sign. Certain types of files do not hold vector graphics, only raster; others are the opposite. Some can even hold both.
Some of the types of file that can hold vector images are .pdfs, .ai, .svg and .eps. File types that hold raster include .jpg, .bmp, .gif, .png, and .tif. However, just because a file type can hold a vector image doesn’t mean it does. Make sure that when you are creating the graphics for your sign, you’re using vector tools from the start, not just converting to an .ai file at the end and expecting your graphic to suddenly become a vector.
DPI and PPI
Vector graphics are usually preferable for signage. Raster images, however, do have their uses. For example, you may want to include photography in your signage. Photos are far too complicated to be stored as vector images. Instead, the ideal form for photography is a high-resolution raster image. Resolution of images meant for screens is referred to as “PPI,” or pixels per inch. When printing, resolution is measured in DPI, or dots per inch. This refers to the literal amount of dots of colored ink the printer is told to add per every inch of your design.
Many factors influence the ideal DPI of your sign graphics. If a sign is very large and intended to be viewed at a distance, lower DPI may be acceptable. After all, the human eye can only capture so much detail from fifty feet away. However, don’t make an assumption that your low res photo is a-okay. Higher res is always easier to work with, because making an image smaller is easier than making it larger.
Smaller signs meant to be viewed further away should be printed at 300 DPI. In fact, 300 DPI is a good rule of thumb when working with any file meant to be printed.
Design to Scale
Before you design the graphics for your sign, you should know how large your sign is going to be. When you create your file, be sure your canvas or artboard fits the dimensions of your future sign. This can help avoid any nasty, pixelated surprises when you go to get your sign graphics printed.
Some sign’s dimensions may exceed the limits of your vector program’s artboard or canvas sizes. In this case, many printers recommend you create your graphics at a smaller scale. Try 75%, 50%, or 25%–but not lower, as past this size, you may once again begin to encounter issues with quality.
Raster based image programs also have size limits. Changing your canvas size still works, but you have to increase your DPI accordingly. For example, you can reduce your file size from 8’ x 10’ to 4’ x 5’, a reduction of 50%, but you would need to increase the DPI by 50%, too; for example, from 300 DPI to 450 DPI.
If your graphics were created at a small size or low resolution, it can be nearly impossible to scale them up to the size of a sign after the fact. Sometimes, the only way forward is to remake the entire design. Start with a large, high resolution file so your hard work and graphics aren’t wasted.
CMYK vs RGB
You may have heard the acronyms “CMYK” or “RGB.” These describe the way various devices interpret the colors in your graphics, referred to as color profiles.
Most files on the internet are in RGB, as they are optimized for screens. Screens display color through light. If you’ve ever shone a light through a prism and seen a rainbow come out the other side, you know white light is actually a combination of all colors of light. Screens work by displaying varying amounts of red (R), green (G), and blue (B) light. High amounts of red, green, and blue light mix to create white. Low amounts create black.
Print files, on the other hand, use CMYK. Ink shows color in the opposite way light does; combining three standard ink colors; cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y); creates black (K). Adding no ink leaves white.
RGB color profiles can be converted to CMYK color profiles, but the conversion process isn’t one to one. While not a sign-destroying error, the colors of your sign’s graphics may not come out exactly like you imagined. The options to change color profiles are available when you create a new file in your program of choice. If you plan to print, be sure your sign graphics are in CMYK from the start, not RGB.
Printers interpret images as CMYK.
Screens interpret images as RGB.
Trust the Sign Graphics Pros
These basic tips should help you optimize your sign graphics for printing. However, every sign project is unique, and not everything can be accounted for in a basic guide. Some things can only be learned through years of experience, and some techniques are specific to the signage industry. That’s where MRCsigns’ design team steps in. Our team preps your sign designs and graphics for print. We also install and maintain your signage. Reach out to our sign designers today to get a quote for your signage design, printing, and installation!
If you want to stay in the loop with more signage tips and what MRCsigns has to offer, sign up for our biweekly newsletter or connect with us on social media.
You’ve learned about the why and how of signs, what type of sign could be best for your business, and how best to light your signs. Now, it’s time for possibly the most important part of your signage: your sign design and placement. A poorly designed sign will never bring in foot traffic even if it’s on a beautiful monument. The brightest spotlight on the market can’t save a sign that’s blocked by a tree. But if you’re reading this, it’s not too late. We’re here to give you the guidelines you need to design your business an attractive, readable sign. And don’t worry–if this all is too overwhelming, remember that MRCsigns’ graphic design team has you covered.
Sign Design
Signage design uses the same basic principles of design as anything else, but with some exceptions. Because signs are designed to be viewed from a distance, signs have to be clear and readable first and foremost. The most important factors that affect your sign design’s readability are its colors, text, and complexity.
Sign Colors
Your brand probably has its own colors, especially if you already have a logo. How you apply these colors on the sign, however, can make or break your signage’s design. High contrast colors, such as black and white, make signs more readable when used sparingly. Low contrast colors, such as blue and green, can muddy the design of your sign. Easy rules of thumb when designing your sign include making sure you don’t put light colors on top of light colors or dark colors on top of dark colors, as well as making sure you don’t add too many colors. For example, which of the below signs has a more readable color scheme?
The design of this sign features low-contrast, hard-to-read colors.
The design of this sign uses high-contrast, readable colors.
Sign Text
The text of your sign is crucial. Without it, how will customers know what you’re advertising, what your business’s name is, or what you do? At the same time, however, it’s important to make sure you don’t include too much. No one can read an entire paragraph while speeding down Main Street at 45 mph. The most important text on your sign also needs to be big enough to read at a distance, and quickly.
The font you use also matters. Calligraphy or script fonts look beautiful and may suit your business very well, but they are harder to read. Studies have shown that script- or handwriting-style fonts can be more than three times less legible than standard, non-script fonts. Consider putting information on your sign in clear, large font. After all, which of the below signs would you be more likely to read on your commute home?
The design of this sign features hard to read script-style fonts.
The design of this sign uses high-contrast, readable colors.
Sign Complexity
Much like simpler fonts make your sign more readable, simpler designs make your sign more readable, too. Though you may be tempted to add your logo and your business name and your tagline and the services you offer and your latest sale and a QR code to your website and a picture of your dog, don’t. Too many elements in your signage will reduce it to background noise in your customer’s eyes. Instead, focus on the most important elements, and make sure each element has enough room on your sign.
The design of this sign is too crowded and busy to be legible.
The design of this sign features a simple, easily readable layout.
These graphic design principles can get your signage design from mediocre to eye-catching. But if it’s still an intimidating concept or if you just don’t have time, MRCsigns has you covered. Our graphic design team can take your existing brand and design you an eye-catching sign to suit your business’s needs. Reach out to our sales team now to get a quote for your signage design.
Sign Placement
Where you place your signage is the most important factor of all. Good signage can make your business eye-catching for potential customers, make your business easier to find for new customers, and reduce friction for existing customers–but only if it’s visible.
It’s important to consider the size of your sign when deciding where to put it. A small banner may be effective above your business’s entrance, but it won’t be nearly as effective by the side of the road. Similarly, a sign placed perpendicular to the road is relatively easy to read, but the same design placed parallel to the road may need to be up to 70% larger in order to be read in time.
If you want passing drivers to be able to locate your business, it’s important that your signage be visible from the road, and from far enough down the road that it can be read before the driver passes it. Signs need to be large enough to read and large enough to be eye-catching. These signs can take the form of your business’s own monument or pylon sign or a multi-tenant sign arranged by a landlord for all the businesses in your complex. Additionally, you’ve got to make sure your signage isn’t blocked by any landscaping, architecture, or other obstacles.
Don’t forget, local ordinances may have restrictions around where you can place your business’s signage. But you don’t need to make big signage decisions or wade through legal jargon by yourself. MRCsigns’s signage and permitting experts can make sure your sign is placed in the most optimal location with no fuss.
Now It’s Your Turn
Now that you’ve read all of our Signs 101 series, you’re ready to plan the perfect signage for your business. Need a refresher? Missed our previous installments? Check out why your business needs a sign, all the different types of signs, and the details of signage lighting on our previous blogs.
If you want a useful guide for choosing the best signage for you, we’ve got a cheat sheet to make choosing your signage as easy as M-R-C. Enter your email below to gain access to our signage cheat sheet and other future offers!
Once you’ve finished your cheat sheet and know exactly what type of sign you want, be sure to contact us for a quote for your signage project!
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Great Company to deal with . Fair prices and nice Quality Signs. Dale Rimmer Siding
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Philip Fisher
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Top notch in every respect. Matt is a pleasure to work with. Definitely a five star operation!!
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Michael M
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MRC exceeded my expectations. Very easy to work with and did a fantastic job.
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Corinna Garis
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We recently worked with MRC Signs to produce and install new banners throughout Dublin Town Center, in Dublin, PA, in celebration of America’s 250th, and the entire experience was excellent from start to finish. Their pricing was competitive, communication was prompt and professional, and they were incredibly attentive to the details and requests we had throughout the process.
The installation team worked efficiently, the banners look fantastic, and everything was completed with care and precision. We truly appreciated how easy they were to work with and look forward to partnering with them again on future projects. Highly recommend!
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Kyle Messina
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Experience and professionalism. Owner/operator is a very pleasant guy, easy to talk to and knowledge. If u need branding, this is where u go.
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Vibrant Coffee
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Great experience every step of the way getting a large exterior sign designed and installed. Highly recommend!
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Deborah Shepherd
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I am very happy with the quality of the signs that we had MRC signs make for us. The monument front sign, the above the door lit sign, the logo and lettering inside the building, the door graphics, the mission statement sign, etc. are all awesome and I am very happy with them. Look up MRC Signs if you need to promote your location/business. They do a great job. They want to make sure that their clients are completely happy and the go above and beyond to accomplish this task.
