Outdoor Signage

[Mark0514]

I have a question regarding our outdoor sign. If this post is in the wrong place, I apologize. I didnt see anywhere better to post it.

Our display is a Daktronics 32 x 112 RGB (I know, an impossible size). Any text only messages I create with the venus 1500 software looks ok. I cannot, however, get any graphics to display well. They look ok when I import them into the software, but when they run on the sign they seem very muted and pixelated. Is there something I am missing? By graphics I mean bitmap images I have created (usually at a higher resolution but correct ratio) which have a background image and text.

I have CS4 at my disposal, but am on the learning curve with most of it. I have a good handle on photoshop, and have tinkered with illustrator, but haven't done much with flash, mostly because I can't get anything to look right (on the sign).

Is there anything I need to be aware of? Do I need to use vector graphics and text? Is the DPI an issue?

[Daktronics]

Mark,
Referring to our phone conversation, sometimes new operators expect graphics on a display to look like graphics on an LCD screen. The two technologies are entirely different media, one for long-distance viewing and the other for close-up. The challenge is that you’re working with 32 pixels instead of thousands, so you can’t achieve the kind of detail found on high-definition LCDs.

Because the target audience is in motion, streamline your presentation, using two or three pieces of information at a time, one of the pieces being a graphic. Use only a few lines of large text and saturated (bright) colors. Simplify, simplify, simplify is the rule to use as you build your presentations. Finally, Flash is for web design and won't work for digital display content. DS4, Photoshop, and Illustrator are third-party software used by ad agencies. If you're new to them, it may take a little while to use them effectively.

Our Creative Services supplies content and information for digital display users--- free with each display purchase, content for sale on our e-commerce pages, custom content, and best practices literature. Feel free to call me at 605-692-0200 ext 5720 and ask for Creative Services or email me directly at commercialservices@daktronics.com

Gina Peterson
Manager, Creative Services
Daktronics