How to get the best out of your chalkboard
Chalkboards have an almost magical ability to turn an unusable or blank space into an inspirational masterpiece. In less than 15 minutes, you could create a clever piece of artistry that advertises a daily special in a creative way or even just write a quote that has an intelligent play on words to stop your customers in their tracks.
There aren’t many areas that won’t accommodate a chalkboard. So take a minute to look around and I’m sure you’ll find plenty of spaces that you can take advantage of.
A well designed chalkboard will pull potential customers in off the street if placed outside and an indoor chalkboard could become an Instagram sensation overnight.
You could even create a trend that spreads worldwide.
Where’s the Best Place for a Chalkboard?
Getting the most out of a chalkboard and making it work hard for you is actually quite easy. You just need to make sure it gets seen by as many people as possible.
The Pavement Board – Take it outside, pavement boards are best for cafés and restaurants that get a lot of footfall. A pavement board stands the best chance of capturing the gaze of onlookers. Creating a funnel will give it the best exposure. If your local council allows it, place the board in a non-obstructive place that means that pedestrians have to walk between the board and your establishment. Not causing disruption is the key here; leave a good few metres between your front door and the board.
If your council doesn’t allow it, you can still pop a board by your doorway. It could mean the difference between a person being a passer by and a person being a paying customer.
The Wall Board – If placed correctly, wall boards can be a great awareness tool. Use it to tell your customers about specials, deals or even educate them on where your produce comes from.
Wall boards, like pavement boards, work best when they are placed where the most people can see them. Sometimes this will call for more than one board.
The Table Board – Table boards are smaller than other types of boards and are best suited to capturing the attention of individuals or small groups.
When placed on a dining table or at a bar, they are a great way of prompting a certain action. They are most effective when promoting a small selection of cocktails, a certain dish, or reminding your customers of a special day that’s approaching & of course desserts.
How to Write Neatly on a Chalkboard
It goes without saying that if your handwriting isn’t legible that the message you’re trying to get across probably won’t have the desired effect. Luckily, you don’t need to have very much artistic talent to create a stunning chalkboard.
If you are artistic, then this trick won’t be much use to you, but if you aren’t artistic, then all you’re going to need is a few easy to acquire supplies –
What You’ll Need
- Your chalkboard
- A pen or pencil
- A sheet of transfer paper (available from any good craft shop)
- A to-scale print-off of exactly how you want your board to look
- Liquid chalk pens
- Masking tape or Blu-tack (anything to secure your print-off to your chalkboard)
The foolproof method to neat chalkboard writing
- Just design exactly how you want your board to look on a computer and print it off to the size you need it to be on your board.
- Tape the printed paper to your board and place the transfer sheet between the board and the printed sheet.
- Now just trace the design. The transfer sheet will leave a distinct white line on your board.
- When you’ve traced the entire design, you can remove the sheets of paper and you’ll have an outline of your design on your board.
- Colour in between the line with your liquid chalk marker and you’re all done.
This can be done with normal chalk, but remember that normal chalk creates a lot of dust and if your customers or staff are likely to rub against the board, they will end up with some very chalky clothes. This could end up with you receiving a dry cleaning bill and your hard work will be rubbed off the board.
Why Liquid Chalk Markers?
Liquid chalk markers will dry in under a minute and will resist smudging so they are ideal for use in areas that are busy. Use chalk markers on non-porous chalkboards. If your chalkboard is porous, a marker will leave “ghosting” on your board and you’ll have to re-paint the board to remove the “ghosting”.
Get The Most Exposure With A Little Help From The Internet
A chalkboard doesn’t just reach the people that see it in person – take a picture of it and use it on your social media profiles. The image makes your message easier to read and will capture the attention of anyone scrolling through their feeds.
