Choosing the right colors for your Parking Permit Hang Tags or Decals is a key factor in creating an effective parking program. Highly visible & easy to read parking permits will help your staff spot violators quickly, accurately, & easily.
When choosing the colors of your parking permit, there are a few things you will want to keep in mind:
- Bold, attention grabbing colors are easier for enforcement staff to quickly identify.
- Type should be in a contrasting color to the background. The greater the contrast, the greater the readability (especially through a dirt covered windshield!)
- If using multiple colors to differentiate parking lots or permit types, you should be able to tell them apart at a distance.
In order to guide you in choosing your parking permit colors, we’ve outlined some effective & ineffective color combinations in this two part blog. Part 1 will discuss color choices for a Single Parking Permit Hang Tag or Decal. Part 2 will discuss optimal color combinations when you need parking permits in a variety of colors, for example, to differentiate between parking lots.
Part 1: Choosing Colors for a Single Parking Permit
We receive requests every month for dark green & black parking permits. However, how these colors are used together could create a parking enforcement nightmare. Look at the examples below & you will begin to understand why:
In the example above, the parking permit on the left offers very little contrast between the text and background. Because of this low contrast, your enforcement staff will have a difficult time trying to read this permit at a distance of more than a few inches.
The two permits on the right still utilize black & dark green, but the text is much more distinguished than in the permit on the left. A simple change to the layout of the parking permits created an easy- to-read and much more effective permit design.
Some additional text & background color combinations that have poor contrast:
This does not mean that you cannot incorporate these colors into your parking permit hang tag or decal. A few simple design changes will ensure that your text is legible, such as, adding a contrasting outline to your type to help it pop off of a background. Need help? The team at Rydin Decal have been creating parking permits for over 50 years & are available to assist you with any questions.
Color Combinations That Work Well For Parking Permits:
These high contrast combinations will allow your permits to be read at a distance, and the bold colors will be easy for your enforcement staff to recognize:
If you use parking permits in a variety of colors in your parking lots, check back here for Part 2 of “Choosing the Right Colors for Your Parking Permit Hang Tags & Decals.”
Have you ever picked the “wrong” combination of colors for your parking permits?
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About the Company: Rydin Decal specializes in parking enforcement products to make your parking lots easier to enforce and safer to use. We offer fully customizable parking hang tags and customizable decals at prices that will fit your budget.
