What to know about digital signage in Glendale
Drive-through menu boards can carry video and audio
Glendale lets a drive-through menu board be internally lit and include an electronic or video display screen and audio. Limits are 64 square feet and 6 feet in height, 2 signs per lane, and at least 100 feet from residential use. A permit is required.
Screens facing the street can count as window signs
Anything placed inside a building so it is meant to be seen from the public right-of-way counts as a window sign. Window signs are capped at 30% of the exterior window area, ground floor only, and window signs affixed directly to the glass cannot be lit. A lit screen standing behind the glass falls under the code's clause for signs placed within a building, which is our reading of the text, so we confirm with Planning.
Interior signs not meant to be seen from outside are exempt
Glendale's sign definition leaves out merchandise normally displayed in a show window, and exempts interior signs not intended to be viewed from outside. A menu board over a counter that faces in likely falls outside the sign rules. We confirm with Planning, and building or electrical permits may still apply.
Sign permits come with paperwork
Glendale requires a sign permit before erecting, altering or changing the copy on any sign, and an electrical permit application for every electric sign. Every submittal needs a signed landlord approval letter, and a new tenant needs an approved tenant improvement permit or certificate of occupancy first.
What we install
A signage system is the screens, a small media player behind each one (or a built-in player), a network connection and software that schedules content. Typical jobs include a row of menu boards behind a counter, a drive-through board, a lobby directory and a screen at the host stand showing specials.
Screens for the room
Commercial displays are built to run all day, which a consumer TV is not. Indoor menu boards need brightness that reads under kitchen and counter lighting. Screens near a window or outside need more, and outdoor screens need a rated enclosure for sun and heat. We pick the screen after we see the light in the room.
Updating content
Most owners want to change prices and specials from a laptop. The software lets you build a menu layout, schedule breakfast, lunch and happy hour, and push changes to every screen. A multi-location business can update all sites from one account. We set it up and show your staff how to change a price.
If the screen faces out
Glendale requires a sign permit before you change the copy on any sign, which for an out-facing screen may mean a permit when the content changes. Electronic reader panels must hold each message for at least 8 seconds, show static text only, and change instantly, with an automatic dimmer. Glendale also prohibits flashing, strobing or animated sign lighting except for electronic reader signs and digital billboards with set hold times. Those are the rules we check before we hang a screen in a storefront. If the plan does not fit, we can angle it inward or move it to the counter.
Cabling, power and service
Each screen needs power and a network cable, and the media player needs a place to live. We run the cable in the wall, label it and test it. Service calls run Monday to Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM, and we work with existing screens when they still work.
Beyond the menu board
Menu boards often go in with TV and video distribution for the bar and commercial audio for the room. For larger displays, look at LED video walls. The rest of our Glendale work is on the Glendale page. Call (602) 769-7992 and we will check which screens face out before we quote.
