Franchise & Multi-Site Signage Melbourne
When a customer walks into your fifth store, it should look exactly like the first. That is hard when every site has a different landlord, a different shopfront and, too often, a different sign maker. DSS makes franchise signage Melbourne brands can roll out across several locations, to one spec, from our workshop at 30 New Street, Frankston.
We survey the sites, make the signs and schedule the installs, so franchise owners, head office and store managers deal with one team.
Why multi-site signage drifts off-brand
Brand drift usually creeps in rather than happening all at once:
- Each store owner picks a local sign maker, so materials, depths and lighting differ.
- Colours are matched by eye instead of to a spec, so the logo looks slightly different from store to store.
- Shopfronts differ in size, and the logo gets stretched or squeezed to fit.
- Repairs and add-ons use whatever is on hand.
The fix is a clear spec and one maker who works to it on every site.
A signage spec pack for every site
We help turn your brand guidelines into something a workshop can build from. A useful spec pack covers:
| Item | What to lock in |
|---|---|
| Logo and fonts | Vector artwork, minimum sizes, clear space |
| Colours | Paint, vinyl and acrylic matches for each brand colour |
| Materials | e.g. acrylic 3/6/10/20/30 mm, foam board 10/20 mm, aluminium or stainless (usually 0.6 mm) faces, aluminium composite 3 mm |
| Lighting | Face-lit, halo-lit, light box or non-lit, and light colour |
| Sign types | Fascia, blade signs, pylon, light boxes, windows, interior and reception |
| Size rules | How the sign scales for small, standard and large shopfronts |
Once it is agreed, every new site is quoted and built from the same sheet. The 3D letters guide explains how material and depth change the look.
Europcar illuminated 3D letters being installed
Start with one site, then roll out
For a new concept or a brand refresh, it pays to make one site first and review it in place, in daylight and at night if it is lit. Fix colour, brightness or proportions once, then repeat the approved version everywhere else.
Site surveys
No two shopfronts are the same. Before making anything for a new site we gather:
- Photos and measurements of the fascia, windows and any pylon or blade sign positions.
- What the wall is made of, existing signs to remove and access for install.
- Where power is available for lit signs.
- Landlord, shopping centre or council design rules for that site.
Shopping centres often have their own signage criteria, and councils have their own rules for street signs. These vary by site, so we check them for each location and supply drawings and visuals for approvals.
Scheduling installs across suburbs
Rollouts work best when installs are planned around trading. We can plan a run of sites, work early or after hours where centres allow, and line up removal of old signs with the new install so the store is never without signage for long. See installation services.
HB Automobiles 3D letters: fabrication to install
Refresh or full replacement?
When a brand updates, you do not always need new signs everywhere. Sometimes new faces in an existing light box, new vinyl or replaced letters do the job. Other times the old signs are tired or the new look needs a different build. We can look at each site and tell you which option suits.
What we make for multi-site brands
The same workshop makes every sign type on a rollout, so materials and finishes match: illuminated signs and 3D lettering, pylons and blade signs, window signage, interior and reception signs, and custom builds and fit-outs. See our work for retail jobs including MECCA, L’Oréal and FILA x Factorie.
What to send for a multi-site quote
- Your brand guidelines and logo files.
- A list of sites with addresses, and which are new, refits or refreshes.
- Photos of each shopfront (or we can survey).
- The sign types you need per site and whether they are lit.
- Your target opening or changeover dates.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you make signs for stores outside Melbourne?
We are based in Frankston and work across Melbourne and the Mornington Peninsula. Ask us about sites further away and we will tell you what we can do.
How do you keep colours the same across sites?
We work from your spec pack and match materials and colours to it, rather than matching by eye at each site.
Can franchisees order signs directly?
Yes. Once a spec is agreed, franchisees or head office can order new sites from it. Tell us how you want quotes and invoices handled.
How much does franchise signage cost?
It depends on the sign types, sizes, lighting and number of sites, so we quote per site from the spec.
Do you remove old signs?
We can remove and dispose of old signs as part of the install. Include it in your quote request.
Get a quote for franchise signage
Opening new stores or refreshing a brand across sites? Send us your guidelines and site list. Call 1300 309 735, visit us at 30 New Street, Frankston, or request a quote.