Interpretation Panels

Welcome to Shelley Signs. We are a leading supplier of external signs and panels with particular expertise in Interpretation Panels. For a chat about the options phone Robert Shelley on 01743 460996 or to request more details complete this Enquiry Form

Shelley Signs offer a full service for Interpretation Panels – please follow these links for more information about our in-house design,  submitting your own artwork, Framing Options, materials and general guidance about Interpretation Boards.   Guidance on maps and popular styles can be found at the Maps link.

Also known as Interpretive, Interpretative signs, panels, boards

Product Overview

Interpretation panels are used by a variety of grant-funded projects including the Heritage Lottery Fund outdoors to not only assist in educating their visitors but try to influence the behaviour of their surroundings. It is found that a majority of grant-funded projects require interpretation to be detailed in the conditions of their funding.

An effective interpretation panel must not contain information that is deemed to be too technical for its targeted audience. Generally, interpretation panels of this nature will have an audience of a young family, therefore they need to have a clean and simple design with no more than 200 words. The interpretive panel needs to give an introduction to the point of interest whilst being eye-catching and inviting to all visitors, helping to engage them in reading the text.

Technical Specification

Shelley Signs work with a diversity of materials ranging from Glass Reinforced Plastic (GRP, G.R.P), Polycarbonate, High Impact Acrylic and also Self Adhesive Vinyl, all of these can be used in the production of interpretation panels. The most common choice for interpretation panels is GRP, as GRP encapsulates the graphic design ensuring the text and attractive illustrations are safely hidden away from nature’s elements, and acts of vandalism and graffiti. With all our GRP interpretive signs and panels we offer a 5-year warranty that the panel will remain colourfast.

We recently upgraded our flatbed printer and acquired the new Mimaki JF 1631, with our new printer there is no need for using paper or vinyl as it prints directly onto the substrate of whichever material we are using. The entire printing process is more environmentally friendly as the panel is cured with UV lights instead of the old traditional use of solvent, and there is also substantially less wastage.

The final stage of producing a well-presented interpretation panel is the choosing of a frame or mounting which is sympathetic to its surroundings. Shelley Signs has an array of frames and mountings available in a variety of wood all sourced from FSC suppliers, our frames and mountings are also available in steel. If your choice would be steel your frame or mount would be galvanised and then sprayed to a colour chosen by yourself.

Once your artwork for your interpretation panel has been completed by our graphic design team we can supply it to you in several ways, whichever would be more preferable. We can supply your artwork to you on a disc, on a memory stick, by making it available on our FTP site or via email, although sending your artwork via email can encompass complications occasionally, due to the large size of the file trying to be sent.

It is entirely up to our clients what type of design work is required for us to undertake, our design team can fully design and research your interpretation or if you prefer we can design your interpretation panel from research material, text and illustrations supplied to us by yourself.

Case Study

Shelley Signs undertook a project for The Broads Authority, we produced a wide range of interpretation panels upon their request, all of which were encapsulated into GRP, their usual choice of framing is tactile, sandblasted frames. As The Broads Authority have their own design department they supplied all the artwork required for their interpretation panels.