Decorate your town for 4th of July

STEP BY STEP GUIDE TO MAKING CHEAP AND EFFECTIVE SIGNS!!!

In keeping with the overall push to make DU a community of more than just bloggers, but instead, a group of activist bloggers, I offer up the following step by step guide to making CHEAP, attention grabbing signs for, street/freeway blogging (See: http://www.freewayblogger.com ), rallies/protests, posting at your house, etc.

JUST IN TIME FOR THE 4th OF July Flag-Wave-Athon. Remind them about the war. The ongoing prisoner abuse and detention, the Downing Street memos, etc!!!

I have found that a good sign is the ticket to attention at a protest, from the media, from the public strolling or driving by and from your fellow protesters. However, I am amazed how often people are bowled over by the signs I take.

It hit me that some folks may just not have much for ideas beyond posters board and markers for signage. So, if you have 10 buck, a printer, and a little time, here is what you do:

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Materials
Computer with printer, a couple of sheets of poster board/Foam board, a roll of clear plastic tape, scissors or a paper cutter and maybe a couple of flags of some sort.

All of this can be purchased for under ten bucks at your local drug or stationary store. The poster board coast about $1.50/per sheet (foam which I prefer for rallies/marches costs about $4.50), a roll of tape about 3 or 4. That leave a couple of bucks to buy a self-congratulatory beer for your hard work!
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Now you are ready to roll. So, class let’s get started:

(IMPORTANT word of caution: Do not do anything that endangers anyone’s safety or damages property. DO NOT HANG ANYTHING WHERE IT MAY FALL INTO PASSING TRAFFIC. You do not need the arrest and the issue does not need the bad name.)

Step 1: Choose a short but, attention getting statement about the issue of choice. The examples I have below keep it to 6 and 7 words. In the case of street blogging in particular, you are targeting a fast moving audience and you want them to get it without causing a hazard to their driving.

Step 2: Prepare your lettering. I use microsoft word. but any word processing program is fine. I set up the page in landscape and expand out the margins to the maximum printable area (usually 0.5 inches in all sides).

Type up your message in a LARGE FONT. I recommend 350 points or larger (be aware of the space you have on the sign. Not TOO BIG). Do not worry at this point if single words are spread across multiple pages. We will be fixing that.

For maximum readability, your letters should be in high contrast to the background color you have chosen. Either light on dark or vice versa will work. I use a light colored drop shadow that they have as the standard font formatting option in word. But, do not get crazy. Less is more.

Now print!

Step 3: Attach your lettering. Cut out the lettering in strips. There is likely to be quite a bit of white at the top and bottom. Cut that off. You will have to decide based on your design how large if any border you want to leave.

Begin by taping together all individual words that have been spread over more than one page.

Once you’ve got all of your words, lay them out on the board (I frequently tape two sheets of poster board together end to end to allow for larger letters, see examples below). Make sure everything fits before you start taping ANYTHING (that includes any decorative graphics, flags etc). Once you have your layout, Tape everything down. I cover the entire surface of the signs with clear packing tape to keep them as waterproof as possible.

Step 4: Sally forth and kick some Bush regime PR ass. Be sure to get photos and if possible of your actions to post around to various websites (like mine: http://www.seedsofdoubt.com/distressedamerican/main.htm for example)!

Post them to DU and other blogs. In short amplify your message by sharing it.

(Secret Tip: For maximum visibility, many folks do target overpasses. As I do not want to create problems if the signs were to fall, I will be placing them inside the fencing along the walkway. In order to keep freeps from ripping them right down, I am going to decorate the side you see from the walkway with some Rah, Rah stuff like, " Happy 4th of July! God Bless The Troops!" I figure it provides good cover leaving it up as long as possible for the highway audience below.)

Here are examples I worked up for the coming 4th of July. I will be upating the deathtoll with the latest from www.icasualties.org brfore posting.

I plan a bit of street blogging...

What do you think??? Wanna Join Me???