Pavement Signs & Forecourt Display
A pavement sign earns its money in the last six feet before your door. It is the final thing somebody reads before deciding whether to come in, so it has to be legible at walking pace, heavy enough to survive a Tuesday in February, and cheap to change when the offer does.
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Pavement Signs, done properly
We print the poster and supply the frame as one job. Water-filled and weighted bases for anywhere the wind gets up, snap-open frames so you can change the poster yourself in under a minute, and swinging or rigid panels depending on how much pavement you are allowed to take. Posters are printed on weatherproof media and hard-coated, so they hold their colour through a full season outside instead of fading to pink by August.
- Water-filled and weighted bases for windy spots
- Snap frames — change the poster yourself in a minute
- Weatherproof, UV-stable print that keeps its colour
- Double-sided as standard, so it works both ways down the street
What should you know before ordering pavement signs & forecourt display?
What size pavement sign do you need?
The size that fits the space you are allowed to use and still reads at walking pace. Measure the pavement outside your door, take off the clear walkway the council expects, and work back from what is left. BD Signs would rather make a smaller board with three big words on it than a large one crammed with a full menu that nobody slows down to read.
Water-filled or weighted base: which do you need?
It depends how exposed the spot is and who carries the sign in at night. A water-filled base is light to move when empty and heavy once filled, so it suits corners where the wind funnels down the street. A weighted base is ready to stand straight away. Tell BD Signs where the sign goes and how often it moves, and we will match the base to it.
Is the pavement outside your shop yours to use?
Usually not. In most streets the pavement is public highway, so the council decides what may stand on it and where. Check your council's A-board policy before you order, because it can limit the size of the board and how far it sits from your door. BD Signs then builds the sign to fit inside those limits rather than to a catalogue size.
How does BD Signs make pavement signs & forecourt display?
Designed in-house, manufactured in our own factory, fitted by our own teams. 30 years in the industry.
- Step 1
Wording and layout
Tell us what the sign has to say and where it will stand. Our designers lay it out for someone walking past — a few big words, your colours, one clear offer — and send a proof for you to approve before anything prints.
- Step 2
Weatherproof print
The poster is printed in our own factory on weatherproof media, then hard-coated. That coating is what keeps the reds red through a full season outside, instead of the poster fading to pink by August.
- Step 3
Frame and base
We match the hardware to the site: a snap-open A-board, a swinging forecourt sign or a rigid panel, on a water-filled or weighted base where the wind gets up. Pavement signs are double-sided as standard.
- Step 4
Delivered as one job
Poster and frame arrive together, ready to go outside. When the offer changes, order a replacement poster on the same media and swap it yourself — a snap frame opens from the front and takes under a minute.
What rules apply to A-boards on the pavement?
Most pavements are public highway, and the council controls what is placed on them. Wilfully obstructing free passage along a highway is an offence under section 137 of the Highways Act 1980, and councils have powers to remove things left on it. Many councils publish an A-board policy setting out where boards may stand, how big they can be and whether a licence or fee applies.
An A-board is not covered by a café's pavement licence. The government's pavement licence guidance says advertising boards are not furniture under that regime, and that as well as consent under the Highways Act 1980 they also need express consent under the Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) (England) Regulations 2007.
Whatever your council allows, leave room for everyone else. The government's Inclusive Mobility guidance treats 2000mm as the normal minimum footway width, and 1500mm as the least acceptable gap between two obstacles. Check your council's policy before you order and BD Signs will size the board to fit inside it.
Pavement Signs we've printed
What do people ask about pavement signs & forecourt display?
Can I change the poster on a pavement sign myself?
Yes. Our snap frames open from the front: lift the edges, take the old poster out, drop the new one in and close it. It takes under a minute and no tools. That makes a weekly special or a seasonal offer the price of a replacement poster, which BD Signs prints on the same weatherproof, hard-coated media as the first one.
Will the print fade outside?
Not quickly. Cheap posters fade because the inks are left bare to the sun. BD Signs prints pavement sign posters on weatherproof media and hard-coats them, so the colour holds through a full season outdoors. Reds and oranges go first on any outdoor print, so if your brand leans on them, a fresh poster each year keeps the sign looking like your shop.
Are your pavement signs printed on both sides?
Yes, as standard. A pavement sign is passed from both directions, and half the people walking towards your door only ever see the back of a single-sided board. BD Signs prints both faces, so the sign works for people coming up the street and people coming down it. The two faces can carry different offers if you want them to.
The rest of the range
“Used BD Signs Design and Print services to design a new logo for my company and to design and print some large labels to use on my jobs. Professional service from start to finish. Highly recommended.”
“Excellent service as always. Friendly staff. Highly recommend.”
Need pavement signs?
Send us the sizes, the quantity and your artwork — or just your logo and what it needs to say. We will proof it, print it and get it to you.
Or email info@bdsigns.co.uk — we answer everything the same working day.