Part III — Applications · Chapter 16
SDARM Brand Book · 2026
16
Sign-
age
A complete signage system for churches — room signs, directional signs, door signs and exterior signs. With production specifications, mounting heights and the map of a fully signed church building.
Part III · Ch. 16
18 signs in the system
Church building map
In this chapter
16.1
Signage principles
Quick reading · contrast · accessibility
→ 16.2
Sign system
4 types · horizontal · vertical · door · directional
→ 16.3
Sign library
18 signs ready for production
→ 16.4
Map of a signed church building
Floor plan with every sign in position
→ 16.5
Mounting heights
Standards by type of sign and context
→ 16.6
Colors and contrast
Signage palette · WCAG accessibility
→ 16.7
Production specifications
Material · sizes · mounting
→ 16.8
Correct and incorrect use
Common mistakes in church signage
→
16.1 — Signage principles

Quick reading · contrast
and accessibility

Signage is not decoration. It is orientation. Someone entering a church for the first time needs to find the restroom, the children's room and the auditorium without having to ask anyone. That is the test of a good signage system.

Reading at a distance
Every sign must be legible from at least 3 meters. Minimum text of 18pt for interior signs and 36pt for exterior ones.
Minimum contrast
A minimum ratio of 4.5:1 between text and background. White on blue #0F3999 has a ratio of 8.1:1 — ideal for accessibility.
Few words
A maximum of 3 words per sign. "Children's Room" yes. "Meeting room of the children's department" no. Signage is read on the move.
Accessibility
Signs 1.40m–1.60m from the floor, for wheelchair users and children. Icon always on the left, text on the right — the universal standard.

The SDARM signage system uses Lucide icons — the same ones as in Ch. 12 — combined with text in Noto Sans Medium. The icon guarantees immediate understanding even for someone who does not read the local language. That is essential in a Church present in 127 countries and holding international events.

The standard background is institutional blue #0F3999 with white text and icon. The light variant — a white background with deep blue text — is used in settings where the blue would be too heavy, such as nursery rooms, the library or counseling rooms.

Section 16.1 · Signage principles
"Cinematic photo of a simple navy wayfinding sign on a cream church wall, warm afternoon light, gentle shadows, film grain, low saturation, no legible text, 4:3"
16.2 — Sign system

4 types of sign —
horizontal · vertical · door · directional

Each type of sign has its own function, position and size. The 4 types cover every signage context in a church building — from the parking area to the interior corridor.

Type 1 — Horizontal sign (corridor standard)
Identification
Auditorium
Identification
Children's Room
Ages 0 to 6
Standard size: 240×60mm · Mounting: side wall at the entrance to each space · Height: 1.50m from the floor to the center
Type 2 — Directional sign (with arrow)
Restrooms
Parking
Standard size: 280×60mm · Position: suspended from the corridor ceiling or fixed high on the wall · Height: 2.10m from the floor to the base
Type 3 — Door sign (A-frame or acrylic)
Office
Pastor's Office
Library
Standard size: 85×120mm (card) or 100×140mm (acrylic) · Mounting: door or side wall at the entrance · Height: 1.50m to the center
Type 4 — Exterior sign (façade and parking area)
Seventh Day Adventist Reform Movement Church
Central Church
Sabbath worship · 9 a.m. · sdarm.org
Standard size: 600×200mm (minimum) up to 1200×400mm · Material: expanded PVC 5mm or ACM · Mounting: screws or rail
Section 16.2 · Sign system
"Documentary photo of a church entrance with a clean institutional sign beside the door, stone threshold, warm morning light, film grain, low saturation, no legible text, 16:9"
16.3 — Sign library

18 signs ready
for production

Every sign in the SDARM system — organized by category. Each sign uses the official Lucide icon and the approved text. The proportions here are for demonstration — the production files follow the dimensions in section 16.7.

Main spaces
Worship
Auditorium
Study
Sabbath School
Devotion
Prayer Room
Fellowship
Canteen
Collection
Library
Administration
Office
Departments
Ages 0–6
Children's Room
Department
Youth
Department
Family
Department
Wellbeing
Department
Mission
Leadership
Pastor's Office
Services and access
Access
Entrance
Access
Exit
Accessible
Accessible Entrance
Facilities
Restrooms
Vehicles
Parking
Welcome
Reception
Language adaptation
In churches in non-Portuguese-speaking countries, the text on the signs is translated into the local language — but the icon and the layout stay identical. Never replace the icon with a different local version. The consistency of the icon is what makes the system work for international visitors.
16.4 — Map of a signed church building

Floor plan with
every sign in position

This map shows a standard church building fully signed — with the position of each sign, the type used and the flow logic for a visitor arriving for the first time.

SDARM church — signed floor plan
Schematic plan · not to scale · positioning reference
Main spaces
Departments
Services
ESTACIONAMENTO ▼ ENTRADA Hall de Entrada Recepção · Placa de identificação externa Auditório Placa horizontal · entrada principal CORREDOR Escola Sabatina Placa horizontal Crianças Placa porta Secretaria Placa porta Banheiros Placa + direcional Cantina Placa horizontal Sala de Oração Placa porta Pastório Placa porta Placa horizontal principal Placa horizontal secundária Placa de porta
Signage hierarchy along the flow
The visitor follows: Exterior sign (façade) → Entrance → Hall/Reception → Room sign → Door sign. Each level of the flow has its own type of sign. Never use a door sign in the corridor, or a directional sign at the door of a space — the context defines the type.
16.5 — Mounting heights

Standards by type of sign
and context

The mounting height is not optional — it guarantees that the sign is read by people standing, by people in a wheelchair and by children. The system defines specific heights for each type of sign.

2.40m
Suspended
Sign
Base: 2.10m
2.00m
Exterior
High
Center: 1.80m
1.60m
Horizontal
Sign
★ Center: 1.50m
1.60m
Door
Sign
Center: 1.50m
1.20m
Accessible
Sign
Center: 1.00m
Golden rule
The center of the sign at 1.50m from the floor serves adults standing and people in wheelchairs alike. This is the standard height for 90% of the signs in the system. Exceptions: signs suspended from the ceiling (base at 2.10m) and exterior façade signs (variable according to the architecture).
Section 16.5 · Mounting heights
"Photo of a person in modest dress mounting a small sign on a hallway wall at eye level, measuring tape in hand, warm interior light, film grain, low saturation, no readable text, 4:5"
16.6 — Colors and contrast

Signage palette
and WCAG accessibility

The signage system uses only three approved color combinations. Each combination has passed the WCAG 2.1 AA contrast test — the international standard for visual accessibility.

Auditorium
Combination 1 — Primary
Background#0F3999
Icon and text#FFFFFF
Contrast ratio8.1 : 1 ✓
WCAG AA · AAA approved
Use: corridors, main spaces, directional signage
Library
Combination 2 — Premium
Background#0A245E
Icon and text#EFD19F
Contrast ratio6.3 : 1 ✓
WCAG AA approved
Use: feature signs, library, pastor's office, special events
Children
Combination 3 — Light
Background#FFFFFF
Icon and text#0A245E
Contrast ratio12.6 : 1 ✓
WCAG AAA (maximum)
Use: children's room, counseling, light and neutral settings
Never use these combinations
Blue on blue · White on cream · Gold on white · Any color outside the institutional palette. Low-contrast combinations look elegant on screen and are illegible in physical space, especially under indirect lighting or for people with low vision.
16.7 — Production specifications

Material · sizes
and mounting

Each type of sign has its material, dimensions and method of mounting defined. Departing from these specifications produces visual inconsistency and, in some cases, problems of durability.

Horizontal corridor sign
Standard dimension240×60mm
MaterialPVC 3mm or acrylic 3mm
PrintingDirect UV or cut vinyl
MountingStainless steel screws + 10mm standoffs
EdgeNo bleed · polished edges
Door sign
Standard dimension100×140mm
MaterialClear acrylic 5mm, painted
PrintingReverse UV printing or vinyl
Mounting3M VHB double-sided tape
Exterior sign (façade)
Minimum dimension600×200mm
MaterialACM 3mm or foamed PVC 5mm
PrintingUV plotting with matte UV lamination
MountingStructural screws or aluminum rail
ResistanceWeather · UV · rain
Suspended directional sign
Standard dimension300×80mm
MaterialPVC 5mm or aluminum 2mm
MountingStainless steel cable + turnbuckle
Base of the sign2.10m minimum from the floor
16.8 — Correct and incorrect use

Common mistakes in
church signage

Most signage problems in local churches come from three sources: improvising with generic graphic materials, using fonts outside the system and putting too much information on a single sign.

Correct — a clean sign
Auditorium
One word. An icon. Maximum contrast. Read in 0.3 seconds from 3 meters away.
Forbidden — excessive text
MEETING ROOM OF THE
YOUTH AND ADOLESCENT
DEPARTMENT OF THE CHURCH
(Entrance through corridor B)
Too much text. Wrong font. No icon. Illegible at a distance. It confuses instead of guiding.
Correct — the right material
PVC 3mm · direct UV
Durable · resistant · professional
Material suited to the setting. Printed directly onto the substrate — no risk of peeling.
Forbidden — a printed A4 sheet
A4 paper + sticky tape
It peels · it yellows · it embarrasses
Printed paper taped to the wall is not signage — it is improvisation. It devalues the perception of the Church immediately.
Correct — the light variant
Children's Room
The light variant in settings for children. The same system, a softer tone — without inventing a new visual language.
Forbidden — a generic sign
🧒
Little Kiddies !!!
An emoji, a font outside the system, an unapproved color and an exclamation mark. Four violations. Good intentions do not matter — it contradicts the identity of the Church.
Signage is hospitality
with no need for words.
The first physical contact
For a visitor entering for the first time, signage is the first contact with the Church's institutional identity. A well-made sign says: "this Church cares about the details." An improvised sign says the opposite.
Accessibility is mission
A person in a wheelchair who cannot find the accessible restroom will not come back. The signage system is not comfort — it is inclusion. Correct heights, adequate contrast and universal icons are obligations, not options.
127 countries, one system
The same "Auditorium" icon on a sign in Lagos and on a sign in São Paulo creates immediate recognition for any Adventist visitor. That is global identity — built sign by sign, church by church.
Brand Manager's Note
"I once visited an SDARM Church in another country without speaking the language. I found the restroom, the worship hall and the reception in less than two minutes — because the icon system was the same one I knew. That is what a signage system is meant to do."
Hugo Cibalde
Brand Manager
Seventh Day Adventist Reform Movement
General Conference · 2026
← Ch. 15 — Print Materials
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17 — Video & Motion →
SDARM Brand Book · Ch. 16 · Part III — Applications · 2026