How big should the letters on a shop sign be?
ตัวอักษรบนป้ายร้านควรใหญ่แค่ไหน ถึงจะอ่านทัน
The most common reason people walk or drive past a shop is that they can't read the sign in time. The fix is simple: size the letters for the distance your customers read from.
Updated 15 October 2026
The rule of thumb
About 8 cm of letter height for every 10 m of reading distance.
| Where your customer reads from | Distance | Letter height |
|---|---|---|
| Walking past on the same footpath | 5 m | about 4–5 cm |
| Across a small soi | 10 m | about 8 cm |
| Across a 4-lane road | 25 m | at least 20 cm |
| Approaching by car | 50 m | about 40 cm |
This is the minimum to be readable. To be noticed, go bigger.
What else makes a sign readable
- Say less. Your name and what you do. Phone numbers, menus and slogans belong somewhere else.
- Say what you are. A logo alone doesn't tell people if you're a clinic, a café or a shop.
- Light it. After 6 pm an unlit sign makes a shop look closed.
- Face the traffic. Point the sign at the direction customers arrive from.
- Check what's in the way. Trees, poles and cables hide more Bangkok signs than you'd think. We check every approach before drawing.
Try it on your own shop
Stand across the road and look. If you can't read your own name, neither can your customers. Send us one photo of your shopfront on LINE @617qqzie and we'll draw the right size onto it, free, within 24 hours.
Quick answers
How tall should letters be on a shop sign?
About 8 cm of letter height for every 10 m of reading distance. Across a 4-lane road, that means at least 20 cm.
Why can't people read my shop sign?
Usually the letters are too small for the distance, there is too much text, the sign is unlit at night, or trees, poles or cables block it from the direction customers arrive.
Any of this unclear?
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