Hello!
I’m currently designing some digital billboards to be displayed in a few states across Australia. I was wondering if any one had any helpful links/resources/advice for rules and regulations when doing this. More specifically I’m trying to find out about typography rules (What the minimum point size I can use for terms and conditions) Any help is appreciated!
You shouldn’t be using a billboard for advertising that contains “terms and conditions.”
People have 6 seconds on average to read a billboard. If you can get them to remember a website, that is where your terms and conditions go. Choose your content wisely.
Text size and typeface style selection all come with experience and observation. It never ceases to amaze me how ineffective some of the billboards I see truly are. And I drive within 10 miles of Boston (US), a rather huge billboard market.
Be aware of the billboard resolution. If it is LED, you might have issues with typeface legibility. If it is one of the newer MagInk style things, and they are still very uncommon, you won’t have any issues other than perhaps supplying imagery that is has too large a file size.
The standard rule here in the US is scale 1:10 @ 300ppi, but that may not apply to digital boards. Ask.
As far as regulations go, the person owning the billboards would have a better handle on that. They may even have a list of things you can and can’t do in their FAQ or in a PDF download. For instance, here, anything that looks like a road sign, emergency signage or directional signage is not allowed. You cannot create a road distraction any more than you can yell “FIRE!” in a crowded theatre.