A-Frame Signs: The Cheapest Foot Traffic You Can Buy

There's a reason nearly every coffee shop, salon, and restaurant on a walkable street has an A-frame sign out front. For a small one-time cost, it turns the sidewalk into your advertising space and pulls in people who were about to walk right past. If you have any foot traffic near your door, an A-frame is one of the highest-return signs you can own.

What an A-frame is good at

An A-frame — also called a sandwich board — is a two-sided sign that folds into an "A" shape and stands on the sidewalk. Because it's double-sided, it catches people coming from both directions. Because it sits right in the path of foot traffic, it reaches people at the exact moment they're deciding whether to come in.

It works because it's local and immediate. A billboard reaches people who can't act on it right now. An A-frame reaches someone who is standing ten feet from your door.

Where to place it

Placement is everything. Put it where foot traffic naturally slows or turns — near your entrance, at a corner, or at a spot where people wait (a crosswalk, a bus stop). Angle it so both faces are visible to the flow of people. And check your city's sidewalk sign rules first; many Denver-metro municipalities, Aurora included, have guidelines on placement and clearance.

What to put on it

This is where most A-frames go wrong. People treat the surface like a bulletin board and cram it full. Don't.

An A-frame is read in a glance by someone walking by. Give it one clear message: today's special, a headline that makes someone curious, a simple offer. If you're a coffee shop, "Cold brew is back" beats a full menu. If you're a salon, "Walk-ins welcome today" beats a price list.

Because many A-frames use a changeable insert or a writable surface, you can update the message daily. Use that. A sign that changes gives regulars a reason to look every time they pass.

Frame styles

A-frames come as frame-only (you supply or swap the printed insert), as a printed sticker for an existing frame, or as a complete sticker-and-frame set. If you want to change your message often, a frame with swappable inserts is the flexible choice. If you want one permanent branded look, a printed set is cleaner.

Built to live outside

An outdoor sign in Colorado takes a beating — sun, wind, snow. Look for a sturdy frame that won't blow over and a weather-resistant printed face that won't fade in a season. A cheap A-frame that fades or tips over constantly costs more in hassle than a solid one does up front.

We make A-frames for businesses all over Aurora and the Denver metro. Grab a complete A-frame sticker and frame set, just the printed sticker for a frame you already have, or the frame only if you want to swap your own inserts.