A sandwich board on the sidewalk is the cheapest advertising a shop will ever buy: it costs a few hundred dollars once, stands where the foot traffic is, and gets read by every person who walks past the door. The decisions are which frame, how to keep it upright, and what the four lines on it should say. In that order.
Two frames, two jobs
| SimpoSign II (plastic) | Steel real-estate A-frame | |
|---|---|---|
| Price, printed | $249 with two 22″×28″ inserts | $119 with one 24″×18″ sign |
| Faces | Two pockets, one insert each | One sign, zip-tied |
| Change the message | Lift out, drop in, no tools | New graphic $39, re-tie |
| Weight it | Hollow base for sand or water | No base; frame weight only |
| Rider on top | No | Yes |
| Folds flat | Yes, 2″ thick | Yes |
| Best for | Shops, cafés, salons, gyms | Listings, open houses |
The short version: if the message will change — a special, hours, a seasonal offer — buy the SimpoSign. If it is one sign for one listing and it needs a rider, buy the steel frame.
Why the inserts matter
The SimpoSign has a recessed pocket on each face that takes a 22″ × 28″ coroplast sign. Each insert is printed on one face and drops in from the top. That means one frame and a drawer of inserts: the breakfast board, the happy-hour board, the “walk-ins welcome” board. Ours come with two printed inserts in the price, one per pocket; send one file to print it twice, or two files for a different front and back.
Keeping it upright
Empty, the frame weighs about 10 lb and behaves like any sandwich board. Fill the hollow base with sand through the plug — dry sand, so it is easier to move later — and it holds in ordinary wind. Water is quicker and works, but it sloshes and freezes. Bring it in for storms; a weighted base handles wind, not a gale, and the frame is the expensive part.
What to write
People read a sidewalk sign at walking pace from ten feet. That is about two seconds and four lines.
- The headline. Three or four words, the biggest thing on the board: Fresh Bagels Daily, Walk-Ins Welcome, Iced Coffee $3.
- The offer or the hours. One line. A number or a time beats an adjective.
- One way to act. “Come in”, an arrow, a phone number, a short URL. Not all four.
- Your name. Small, at the bottom. They are already standing in front of the shop.
Use the back. The second insert is in the price, and a message facing the other direction reaches the people walking the other way. A different offer on each side is fine; a different business name is confusing.
Designing the insert
- Build the file at 22″ × 28″. About half an inch on every edge sits under the pocket lip, so keep text inside the dashed safe line on the template and fill the background to the edge.
- Light background, dark type reads best in daylight. Reverse it for a menu-board look.
- Letter height: one inch per ten feet of reading distance. A headline meant to be read from across the street needs 4″ letters.
- A QR code works at 4″ square or bigger, in the lower half where a phone can reach it.
If an insert rattles
Coroplast expands a little in heat and shrinks in cold, so a pocket that was snug in July can rattle in January. A strip of clear tape across the top edge inside the pocket stops it and never touches the print.
Common questions
How much does a sidewalk sign cost?
A white SimpoSign II sandwich board with two printed 22x28 inserts, one for each face, is $249 at Sign Blast USA, shipped free. The lighter steel real-estate A-frame with a 24x18 sign is $119, and its replacement graphic is $39. Unprinted frames from restaurant-supply stores run $60 to $150 without any graphics.
Is a plastic or a steel A-frame better?
Plastic for a shop, steel for a listing. The molded plastic SimpoSign has recessed pockets so the message can be swapped in seconds, and a hollow base that takes sand or water so it stays put by the door. The steel frame is lighter, folds flat for a trunk, and takes a rider on top, which is what an agent needs.
How do I keep a sidewalk sign from blowing over?
Fill the base. The SimpoSign has a hollow core for sand or water and weighs about 10 lb empty; filled, it holds in ordinary wind. Fold it and bring it in when a storm is forecast. A steel A-frame has no base to fill, so it relies on its own weight and a sheltered spot.
Can I change the sign later?
On the SimpoSign, yes: the inserts lift straight out of the pockets and new ones drop in, no tools. Order a fresh pair by emailing the new artwork; the file is kept on record. On the steel frame the sign is zip-tied on, and a replacement graphic is $39.