3 Tips for digital signage content design - Part 1

Whatever your goals are with digital signage, you have to get the audience to watch what’s on. So the content needs to look its best at all times. In this blog series about digital signage content design, we share a few tips that will help you create the best-looking content that meets your company standards and draws people’s attention. However, if you have more time and wish to know more about creating content for digital signage displays,  make sure to check out our in-depth content creation pillar page. 

We start with some basic technical tips about ratios, resolutions, and file sizes. Having these checked and set right, means that you can start designing from the best starting point.

Tip 1 Check your display ratios

Having a picture that’s all blur is not something you would be proud of. To prevent this from happening it’s important to start by checking if you are creating or have content in the right ratio. For digital signage, it is always the same and typically 16:9 (horizontal) or 9:16 (portrait). However, if it is outside of a standard display, make sure to check the ratio. For example when you're using a videowall.

Tip 2 Use the right display resolution

When it comes to displays we often talk about the number of pixels. The pixel will tell you the brightness of your content item and how clearly it will be shown. As a general rule, the more pixels equals the better picture and display resolution. Wherever possible, images and videos should be 1920 x 1080 pixels (full HD) for effective and clear digital signage.

Standard pixel dimensions: 

960 pixels x 560 pixels = quarter high definition (HD)
1280 x 720 = standard HD / HD ready
1920 x 1080 = full HD
3840 x 2160 = ultra HD/ 4K

Tip 3 Use the right image file size

When you are using pre-built media content it’s important to check the file size. Because when it’s too big, it will take a long time to upload and this can cause issues publishing the item. For digital signage, the ideal image file size is between 2-3MB. The bigger the files, the longer it takes for the displays to download and you also have to keep internal storage in mind. With this recommended size you can be sure that it’s published without technical hesitations and keep storage and data traffic reasonable. Here are some more tips about using pre-built media content. 

In the next blog about designing content for digital signage, we will share tips about using the right color pallet, fonts, and more!