Project Sign

Project Sign Requirements

All recipients of Historic Preservation Fund grants must create public notification. Some grants must produce a project sign as one part of meeting this requirement. If this is required, it will be described in your grant agreement. Usually, the types of projects that require project signs are those involving work to an historic building or landscape.

Projects requiring project signs must submit a draft of the sign to NPS in advance for review. Photo documentation of the sign/notification must be submitted to NPS. The cost of fabricating and erecting a project sign is an eligible cost for this grant. Additional information regarding project sign requirements is available in the grant manual and in a summary document that outlines available options.

If you...	and..	then...
want to create a project sign with the NPS Arrowhead	do not have the NPS fonts	request a fillable PDF template from your grant manager. This is the option most grantees select. Note: This template will produce signs that look similar to the examples pictured at the top of the page except the fillable portions will not use our proprietary fonts (and that's ok!). Just fill out the parts you can.
want to create a project sign with the NPS Arrowhead	have the NPS fonts	request an InDesign file from your grant manager (few grantees will be able to use this option). Note: The image at the bottom of this page shows what a sign created using the InDesign file will look like.
want to create a project sign but do not want to use the NPS Arrowhead		there is not an NPS-provided template; you may design a sign yourself, subject to the requirements of your grant agreement and the grant manual.

Durability and Construction

Signage must be of reasonable and adequate construction to withstand weather exposure, be readily and easily visible from the public right-of-way, and be maintained in place throughout the project term as stipulated in the grant agreement.

Project Sign Using NPS Logo

Since the 1950s, the logo of the National Park Service has been a stylized arrowhead. The use of this symbol is limited and described by law. If a grantee wishes to use the NPS Arrowhead, there are two options.

Template without NPS Fonts

This is the option most grantees select. It will allow you to produce a project sign that meets our design requirements without having to have access to the Frutiger and NPS Rawlinson fonts. The sign template provided is designed to be printed on corrugated plastic, aluminum, or vinyl. The dimensions for available templates are 48" by 36".

If you do not have these fonts, but still want to use the NPS-designed project sign, contact your grant manager to request a fillable PDF. On this template, you will enter project information into predefined fields on a formatted PDF document and should be completed with the project title, grant recipient information, and project logo(s), if desired. No design elements should be changed. Content you enter on this template will not need to use our proprietary fonts; again, on the fillable PDF, simply enter project data, add any project logos, if desired, and print the project sign on corrugated plastic, aluminum, or vinyl.

Additional information identifying the grantee or recognizing other contributors is encouraged and permissible in the areas outlined for logos or text credits. Logos the grantee wishes to add should be at the lower left third of the sign. The rest of the lower third may be used as a space to recognize partners, other funders, donors, or other companies or organizations supporting the project, like an architectural or engineering firm.

Sample project sign for a Tribal Heritage Grant. This is an example of a project sign that uses the NPS logo (also called Arrowhead) and that uses NPS proprietary fonts. Very few grantees select this option for a project sign.

Template with NPS Fonts

Very few grantees will be able to use this option. If you do have Frutiger and NPS Rawlinson fonts, then you can use a project sign template saved as an InDesign file. Contact your grant manager for a copy of the InDesign template. In this case, signage must use the described font sizes and styles, header and footer, and placement of our agency logo and grant program name exactly without deviation. NPS is not able to provide the fonts if you don't have them. The sign template provided is designed to be printed on corrugated plastic, aluminum, or vinyl. The dimensions for available templates are 48" by 36".

Project Sign Not Using NPS Logo

If a grantee does not wish to use the NPS Arrowhead, then there is no prescribed format; however, the following statement (or equivalent statement specified in your grant agreement) must be included: “This project is being supported in part by a Historic Preservation Fund grant administered by the National Park Service, Department of the Interior.”