Frequently Asked Questions

This section is intended to answer many of the questions frequently asked about the products and services offered by Shelley Signs. If you can’t find either here or elsewhere on the website the detail and information you require please phone Rob on 01743 460996.  

How to Order

Whether you are looking to commission interpretation panels, park signs, gauge boards or standard commercial signs we try to keep the ordering process as simple as possible. 

Please feel free to phone Rob Shelley at any time to discuss how to proceed but these notes outline a typical order process. 

  • Complete a Shelley Signs on-line,  Enquiry Form  by following this link or phone Rob Shelley on 01743 460996. We are happy to get involved at an early stage of the project and often provide quotes or estimates at the very early stages of a grant application. 
  • The normal process is for Shelley to obtain all details about your project – from this we can submit a quotation. 
  • Typical questions we ask include 
  • Quantity of signs 
  • Proposed size 
  • Whether you are supplying finished artwork or wish to use our Shelley Design services. For more design questions see below 
  • What fixings are required – vertical mounting, lectern frames or wall mounted? 
  • Are fixings to be in steel or timber or do you require options for both 
  • On receipt of this information we will submit a quotation. We aim to provide a fixed price quote but it can sometimes be an initial estimate. 
  • Once you are ready to proceed the order process needs to comply with your own procurement policies. Local Government organisations tend to raise formal orders while Parish Councils and Friends Groups tend to send written or email confirmation. 
  • Payment terms will be agreed before an order is placed and will depend on the organisation and, where appropriate, credit checking. 

Paper Proofs

At Shelley Signs we place great importance on supplying you with a paper proof before we go to final print. Unlike most of our competitors we do not charge extra for proofs – but see it as an important part of the printing and production process. 

  • Most interpretive panels, park entrance signs or museum signs are part of a large project and no little expense invested in both time and money. Often clients have not seen artwork at half or full size and the opportunity to do so brings to light small changes. 
  • A colour proof off our printer allows you to check that your artwork or PDF has been correctly interpreted by our software and that nothing unexpected has happened to formatting. 
  • With our modern printers colours and print quality are hardly ever an issue if the artwork is of a high standard. Sometimes, when seeing a paper proof, it becomes apparent that a logo is of poor quality or colours have become overlapped – these issues can be corrected before the final print. 
  • Many print jobs demand colours that match particular corporate colours. Due to the CMYK nature of all printers this does sometimes need a colour mix to achieve the required result. Often this only takes a few minutes to achieve but it is better done early. 
  • Many designers submit paper proofs using A3 or A4 size desk top printers. Given that the inks and processing software on commercial printers are totally different it is an impossible task to exactly match such proofs. By seeing interpretive panel proofs supplied off our final production printer means there is no scope for any misunderstanding but colours can be tweaked if necessary. 
  • We often find that small grammatical corrections are made to interpretive panels after a half size proof has been seen. Sometimes this is because the scale of previous proofs meant it was impossible to distinguish between various punctuation marks, sometimes because at the larger size something doesn’t ‘look’ right. 

A large scale paper proof removes any uncertainty for a client before their interpretation panel is printed. It provides an opportunity to spot last minute problems and to be happy that colours and text flow have incorporated correctly. Given the amount of effort invested in creating the artwork,  and, the many years that the typical panel is expected to last we think that this final check is only sensible. 

Sending Artwork

Large files are a nightmare to send by email – even with fibre optics they tend to hog capacity. 

Please feel free to use this file upload link although you are of course welcome to use WeTransfer or any other preferred transfer system. Artwork can also be send to us on CD or Memory stick.

Quick Overview

Shelley Signs offer a wide range of printing and framing options for external grade signs. We specialise in designing, printing and finishing signs, panels and boards for visitor attractions, public spaces, nature reserves and sites of either historical or wildlife interest. We print in-house and are proud of our excellent print quality with bright vibrant colours and images. 

Our product range includes  

Shelley work in a wide variety of materials and can produce products suitable for long term use in vulnerable areas where vandalism is a concern, signs with excellent colour fastness that will last many years through to short term graphics for an event or a season.   

Frequently used materials include encapsulated Glass Reinforced Plastic (GRP), polycarbonate, high impact acrylic, Dibond, foamex and Hips. We will aim to match the material with your durability expectations. For challenging sites we normally recommend GRP as this has a proven track record for durability, ease of cleaning and colour fastness. 

Shelley also offer a full design service. While we can work with your own designers we can undertake full projects including research, script writing, design and supply of illustrations and cartography. Most clients tend to write their own text or copy based on their detailed knowledge of a site and we complete designs to suit. 

When required Shelley can also offer a full install service.