Custom Floor Mat Design Tips

Designing a custom floor mat is easy! Whether designing a custom floor mat for use at the office or home, certain things must be considered in order to create a floor mat that is legible and memorable.

Custom Floor Mat Design Tips for Businesses

1. Keep it simple. It’s easy to get carried away with complex logo designs. One thing to consider, however, is that complex logos are often times difficult to read once printed on the surface of a custom floor mat. When designing your custom floor mat, try to keep the design simple and easy to read. When the design involves detailed imagery, 3-D shapes, or other complex effects, choose a carpet logo mat to ensure the design is readable. Carpet logo mats are typically printed with digital printers, making it easy to produce a highly detailed mat in a variety of colors.

2. Note the orientation of the design. The “orientation” of the design refers to whether the image will be placed on the mat in a vertical or horizontal fashion. When a customized mat is placed “lengthwise” in an entryway (in other words, one end at the entrance and the other end extending inwards towards the interior of the building), a portrait orientation is to be used. Conversely, a landscape orientation is to be used on mats that are placed horizontally. Choosing the correct orientation is critical as it determines how the graphic is embossed on the mat and thus effects how it is read.

3. Mesh logo mats with current business materials. Take a look at your company website, business cards, and other marketing materials and note the use of specific logos, slogans, and color schemes. Take care to incorporate these elements into the design of your custom floor mat so as to create a consistent and easily identifiable brand image with which facility guests may identify.

4. Choose the right color combinations. After choosing colors based on current business materials (#3 above), consider how the color of the logo / graphic will contrast with the background color of the mat itself. The goal: Use colors that will create a contrast and thus make the image or logo stand out from the background of the mat. This can be achieved simply by choosing a background color that is opposite from the logo colors. For example, choose a light color like white, off-white, beige, or cream when the logo contains dark colors. Or, choose a dark background color like black, midnight blue, or scarlet red when the logo contains light colors. Contrasting the background and primary logo colors will help the logo stand apart from the background of the mat, making it more legible and memorable.

Custom Floor Mat Design Tips for Homes and Apartments

1. Welcome your guests! When designing a custom mat for your home, it is always nice to consider how it will greet your guests. Customizing a high quality mat with a phrase like “Welcome,” “Step Inside,” or “Home Sweet Home” creates an aura of warm welcoming that will make guests excited to step inside.

2. Warn of known dangers. Custom floor mats are a great opportunity to warn guests of known dangers. For example, a floor mat that leads from the foyer to an outside area with an abrupt drop-off or steep set of stairs may read “Watch Your Step.” This will alert friends and guests of the danger that lies beyond the doorway, and it just may prevent an accident from occurring.

3. Take note of design orientation. Taking note of design orientation is important, whether designing a custom floor mat for home or for business. Once again, take note of how the floor mat will lie on the floor. If it is to lie horizontally (widthwise, across the entry), choose a landscape orientation for the design. On the other hand, choose a portrait orientation if the floor mat is to lie vertically.

4. Choose contrasting color combinations. Choose a background color that contrasts with the logo / design color to make the imagery stand out. A dark background is best used with logos that are light in color. Alternatively, a light colored background is best used with a logo that is dark in color.