A-Frame Signs & Pavement Boards

Check with your council before you buy

This is the first thing and almost nobody mentions it. Footpath signage is regulated by local council in Australia, and the rules are not the same from one council to the next.

What typically varies: whether you need a permit at all, the maximum size, how many signs you may have, how far from your own frontage one must sit, and the clear footpath width that has to be left for pedestrians and wheelchairs. Some councils require the sign to be removed outside trading hours. Some prohibit them on certain streets entirely.

A phone call to your council before ordering takes ten minutes and tells you which size you are allowed to buy. Doing it afterwards occasionally means owning a sign you are not permitted to use.

Three ways to stop it blowing over

Every outdoor sign is solving the same problem, and there are three answers in this range.

Fold it low and wide. An A-frame sits on two feet set apart with nothing tall above them. It is the most wind-tolerant shape because there is less leverage for the wind to work with, and it folds flat to carry.

Fill the base on the day. A fillable base is empty and light when you carry it out and heavy once it is filled. That is the whole design: portable when you want it portable, heavy when it is standing. Empty it before you move it.

Put it on wheels. Wheels do not add stability — they add the ability to move something heavy. A filled base on wheels is the practical answer for a sign that goes out every morning and comes in every night, because nobody is lifting it.

None of the three is windproof. In genuinely strong wind the sign comes in. A sign that blows into traffic is a liability question rather than a replacement-cost question.

The frame outlasts the print

Outdoors, the sign and the artwork age at completely different rates.

A steel or aluminium frame will last years. The print will not: sun fades it, rain gets behind it if the seal is imperfect, and condensation forms inside an enclosed frame overnight. Budget for replacing the artwork periodically and the sign stops looking tired.

Print on board rather than paper for anything living outside. Corflute is the standard choice because it does not absorb water, it stays rigid, and it survives being carried in and out twice a day.

The daily routine is part of the purchase

An outdoor sign is the only thing in this catalogue that somebody has to handle twice a day, every day it is used. That is worth thinking about before choosing.

How heavy is it once it is filled? Who puts it out at opening and brings it in at close, and can they manage it alone? Where does it live overnight — is there room inside, or will it end up left out? A sign that is too much trouble stops going out, and a sign that does not go out is not working.

A-frame and pavement sign FAQ

Do I need a permit?

Often, and it depends entirely on your council. Ask them before ordering, because the answer usually includes a maximum size.

Can I leave it out overnight?

Some councils prohibit it, and theft and wind are both more likely when nobody is watching. The usual practice is to bring it in.

What do I fill a base with?

Water for everyday use. Sand is heavier and more stable but much harder to empty, so it suits a sign that stays in one place rather than one that moves daily.

Can I print the artwork myself?

For a snap-frame A-board, yes — standard poster sizes, and the frame opens on all four edges. For a board holder you need rigid board rather than paper, which is a print-shop job.

What if the sign is going inside instead?

Indoor stands have a compact weighted base rather than a fillable one — see the poster stands and floor sign holders, or the POS displays for a sign standing beside a product. Everything floor-standing sits under floor standing menu and catalogue stands.