By signcraft
Posted on Sunday, June 1st, 2025
One way to create a unified design is to let the elements bump or overlap each other. Sometimes it is simply the tail of a letter Y encroaching on the panel below. Other times whole words overlap with another key word in the layout. Either way, it creates a cohesive, connected design.
Some sign designers use this technique often—overlaying one element on another to make sure the reader gets the message as one unit. The layout goes from several disconnected elements into a unified design.
This is a subtle effect—you don’t want to overdo it lest it should hurt the readability of the message. Letting them overlap slightly, just enough to connect them and create a single message, does the trick. You’ll see what works in “Let the key elements overlap,” along with plenty of high-impact examples.
Russ Mills, Russ Mills Signs & Graphix, Pineville, Kentucky
Rich Dombey, Rich Designs, Hillsborough, New Jersey
