On our old website, this article introduced ArcBig as a billboard design company in Modinagar. We have rewritten it as something more useful: a practical guide for any local business planning a hoarding, billboard or large banner in Modinagar and the towns around it.
Outdoor advertising is still a big part of how businesses in western Uttar Pradesh get noticed. Drive along the Delhi–Meerut road, through the markets of Modinagar, Muradnagar or Meerut, or past any school or hospital at admission time, and you will see hoardings everywhere. Most of them are hard to read. A few work brilliantly. The difference is almost always design.
Why hoardings still work here
Hoardings work best when lots of people pass the same place every day, which describes much of the Delhi–Meerut corridor and the main roads of local towns. They are especially effective for:
- Local businesses that customers visit in person: showrooms, schools, hospitals, sweet shops, banquet halls
- New openings and launches that need quick local awareness
- Seasonal campaigns such as admissions, Diwali sales and wedding season offers
- Real estate projects that need constant visibility in their catchment area
- Brands that want to look established in their town
They are less effective for complex messages, for products that need explanation, or for businesses whose customers are spread across the country.
The three-second rule
People driving or riding past a hoarding have about three seconds to read it, often less. Many are on two-wheelers, watching traffic. A hoarding that needs more than a glance to understand is wasted money.
Design for that glance:
- One message only. Not three offers, five services and a list of branches.
- Seven words or fewer for the main message wherever possible.
- Very large type for the business name and main message.
- Strong contrast between text and background.
- One clear image, not a collage.
If you want people to know everything about your business, the hoarding's job is to make them curious enough to look you up, not to tell them everything.
What to put on a hoarding
A good local hoarding usually has just four elements:
- Your name or logo, large and clear.
- One message or offer, such as "Admissions open 2026–27", "Diwali sale: up to 30% off" or "Fresh sweets daily since 1985".
- One way to contact or find you: a phone number, WhatsApp number, or simple directions like "200 m ahead, left turn".
- A single strong visual that supports the message.
Phone numbers on roadside hoardings should be large and easy to remember. A QR code helps on hoardings that people see while waiting, such as near traffic signals, bus stops and market entrances, but is useless on a fast highway.
Typography and colour
- Use bold, simple fonts. Thin, decorative and script fonts disappear at a distance.
- Avoid all capitals for long lines. Mixed case is easier to read quickly.
- Choose high-contrast colour pairs such as dark navy on white, black on yellow, or white on deep red or blue.
- Avoid busy backgrounds behind text. If you use a photo, keep text on a solid area.
- Use your brand colours so the hoarding connects with your shop signage and social media.
Remember that colours look different in bright sunlight and under street lights. Test your design by viewing it small on a phone screen at arm's length; if you cannot read it there, nobody will read it from the road.
Hindi, English or both?
Use the language your customers read fastest. In many Modinagar and Meerut markets, a short Hindi headline gets read faster than English. For premium products, schools and some services, English or a mix works well. Avoid crowding both full languages onto one hoarding; choose one main language and, if needed, a few words of the other.
Sizes, resolution and print files
Hoardings come in many sizes, and the printer or media owner will give you the exact dimensions. Ask for:
- Exact size in feet and inches, including any frame overlap
- Print method: flex, vinyl or another material
- Required resolution for the final size
- Bleed and safe areas so nothing important is cut off at the edges
Large-format prints are viewed from far away, so they do not need the same resolution per inch as a visiting card, but images must still be sharp at the final size. Low-quality images taken from WhatsApp often look blurry when printed large. Our branding and print design team prepares print-ready files to the printer's specifications.
Placement matters as much as design
Even a perfect design fails in the wrong place. Before booking a site, check:
- Traffic and speed: slow traffic near junctions and markets gives people more time to read.
- Visibility: trees, other hoardings, electricity wires and buildings can block the view.
- Direction: which side of the road your customers travel on when they are likely to visit.
- Distance from your business: close enough to act on, especially for directions.
- Lighting: whether the site is lit at night.
- Duration: longer bookings often cost less per month and build more recognition.
Also check that the site and the display have the necessary permissions from the local authority; reputable media owners handle this, but it is worth confirming.
Connecting hoardings with social media
Outdoor and social media work best together. A hoarding creates awareness among people who pass by; social media lets them learn more, see your work and contact you.
- Use the same visual style on your hoarding and social posts so people recognise you in both places.
- Mention your social handle or WhatsApp number where space allows.
- Post the hoarding campaign on social media, so people who saw it can find you.
- Run location-targeted social promotion in the same area at the same time.
- Ask new customers whether they saw your hoarding, so you can judge its effect.
Our article on digital vs traditional advertising explains how to balance the two.
Common hoarding mistakes
- Too much text, often the full list of services and branches
- Small phone numbers that nobody can read
- Low-resolution photos that print blurry
- Fonts that are too thin or decorative
- Colours with poor contrast
- A design that looks nothing like the shop or social media
- Old offers left up long after they expired
Getting it designed in Modinagar
ArcBig is based on Niwari Road in Modinagar, and we design hoardings, banners, flex, standees and shop signage for businesses here and in Meerut, Ghaziabad and nearby towns. A poster or banner design is ₹1,499 + GST on our published price list, with larger hoarding projects quoted by size. We can also run matching social media so the campaign works online too.
Frequently asked questions
How much text should a hoarding have?
As little as possible: your name, one message of about seven words and one way to contact or find you. People passing by have only a few seconds to read it.
What colours work best on a hoarding?
High-contrast combinations such as dark text on light backgrounds or white text on deep, strong colours. Use your brand colours so the hoarding matches your shop and social media.
Should I put a QR code on a hoarding?
Only where people stop or move slowly, such as near traffic signals, bus stops or market entrances. On fast roads, a large phone number or simple directions work better.
What file does a printer need for a hoarding?
Usually a high-resolution print-ready file at the exact size, in the colour mode and format the printer specifies, with bleed. Ask the printer for their requirements before design starts.
Is outdoor advertising still worth it?
For local businesses on busy routes and in busy markets, yes, especially for openings, admissions and festive campaigns. It works best alongside social media and a strong Google Business Profile.