ADA compliant signs are necessary, but that doesn’t mean that they have to be boring. We’ve all seen the standard blue signs with white writing that clash with everything around them. You can easily buy those pre-made signs online, or you can have a custom sign company design signs that will look great with your interior and be code compliant.
Brushed aluminum is a popular material for many different signs including building signs, lobby signs, and ADA signs. The silver provides a neutral look that goes with most colors, and the brushed finish allows the sign to have less of a glare. A non-reflective material is more comfortable for a building sign or a lobby sign, but for an ADA sign, it is required for legibility. Many of the required ADA signs are for emergencies which is why we need evacuation maps and exit signs. The floor signs and stair ID signs also help you understand how far you are from the ground floor. Because the signs need to be read quickly, it is important that they are as legible as possible. This is why the sign needs to be made from a non-glare material, but the characters need to be contrasting with the background. They can be any color, as long as the colors are contrasting and easy to read. Black on brushed aluminum looks very classy and is easy to read so it worked great for these signs.
As you can see from the photos, all of the signs have a matching color scheme. The evacuation maps, stair ID signs, and restroom door signs were made by direct printing the graphics, but the rest of the signs required tactile copy and Braille. Both need to be raised by 1/32″ and the placement and size are very important.