Signs are useful. They guide us, inform us, but sometimes, they also leave us scratching our heads in bewilderment.

There’s a Facebook group called ‘Rare and Unusual and Funny Signs‘ and it knows no bounds. Literally. “Please post any signs you see. No rules,” the people running this online community write in its ‘About’ section. “If [you are] offended by a sign, just scroll past, don’t be a sniveler and complain because [we] will kick you off the group and name and shame you.”

With 5,000 members, ‘Rare and Unusual and Funny Signs’ isn’t the biggest in its class, but these folks still regularly deliver the goods. From questionable designs to mind-boggling spelling mistakes and clever wordplay, here are some of their most popular posts.

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Image credits: John Williams

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Image credits: John Williams

Experts at Signs & Lines, a company that has been making great signs for over 35 years, think good sign needs to be aware of these four critical things:

• Audience – a sharp focus on key users;
• Message – design, brand, location, and visibility;
• Environment – the sign’s location and nearby architectural features;
• Function – durability, information, static or interactive.

#3

Image credits: John Williams

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#5

Image credits: John Williams

“Irrespective of the sign type the key premise of a sign is to convey a message,” people at Signs & Lines explained.

“Usually this is a relatively short, sharp communication. The number one task of any sign is to get a message across as quickly and effectively as possible.”

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Business owners should remember that their signs are kind of a big deal. “Whether static or digital signage, your customers, users, guests, staff, students, and visitors need you to have good signage … [because] it’s the first visual connection with your company,” Signs & Lines team said.

Good signs will:

• help them find your business;
• assist in their navigation of your organization;
• convince them that you are professional;
• assure them that they are in the right place.

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Image credits: John Williams

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“Transitioning from good to great signage involves many different aspects of design including logo, creative, positioning, colors, and manufacturing ability,” Signs & Lines added.

Once designed in detail, a typical sign may undergo a number of steps to achieve a high-quality result. These include:

• routering of materials to create precision shapes;
• fabrication of metals to form rigid structures and frameworks;
• spray painting of sign elements to automotive standards;
• graphics imagery to bring the messaging to life;
• illumination by LED or neon for 24/7 visibility;
• assembly of all components;
• installation on-site at height or in the ground.

Or, in other words, there are plenty of areas where they can fall short! Luckily for us, sometimes bad signs make for a good laugh.

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Image credits: John Williams

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#25

Image credits: John Howell

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Image credits: John Williams

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Image credits: John Williams

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Image credits: John Williams

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Image credits: John Williams

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Image credits: John Williams

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Image credits: John Williams

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Image credits: John Williams

#40

Image credits: Mooks Morgan

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Image credits: John Williams

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Image credits: John Williams

#43

Image credits: Martin Williams

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Image credits: John Williams

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Image credits: John Williams

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Image credits: John Williams

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Image credits: John Williams

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Image credits: John Williams