Digital Signage Text Tips: Avoid These Common Mistakes

Digital signage is a dynamic and incredibly effective tool for internal communications. With vibrant images, engaging videos and eye-catching icons, it captures attention and conveys information visually. However, even in a visual medium, the words you choose for your digital signage messages are paramount. The text on your screens not only dictates how effectively your information is understood but also profoundly influences how trustworthy and professional your entire organization is perceived.

Many internal communicators tasked with creating digital signage content may not have formal training in writing or editing. This is perfectly normal, but it underscores the importance of understanding the fundamentals of good written communication, especially when it comes to a high-visibility platform like digital signage. This guide is designed to empower you to write digital signage messages that are accurate, engaging and always enhance your organization’s credibility.

The Unseen Impact: Why Text Accuracy is Non-Negotiable

While stunning visuals grab immediate attention, it’s often the accompanying text that delivers the core message, prompts action or reinforces key information. Think about it: a beautiful graphic showing a meeting room, but the room number is incorrect in the text. Or an emergency alert that contains a confusing typo. The impact of such errors extends far beyond a simple misunderstanding.

Credibility and Trust: More Than Just Words

We’ve all seen social media posts riddled with errors, often because they’re typed quickly on mobile devices and published without a second thought. While this informality is somewhat accepted in casual online spaces, it’s a dangerous habit to let creep into business communications, especially on official channels like digital signage.

Nathaniel Hawthorne’s quote, “Accuracy is the twin brother of honesty; inaccuracy, of dishonesty,” is apt. When viewers encounter mistakes on your digital signs, it can subconsciously (or consciously) trigger a negative perception of your organization.

At best, errors suggest carelessness: “If they don’t care enough to proofread their stuff, why should I care about it?” Or perhaps even incompetence. At worst, your credibility can be severely damaged, fostering a feeling that communicators might be unreliable or even dishonest in some way. None of these are impressions you want to make on your employees, visitors or clients. Such perceptions can lead to decreased viewer engagement, reduced morale and a significant erosion of trust in the information being shared. Your digital signage system, meant to be a beacon of communication, could become a source of unintentional misinformation or distrust.

The Power of Proofreading: Your First Line of Defense

It cannot be stressed enough: proofread everything before publishing to your digital signs. Even seasoned writers will tell you that mistakes, especially simple typos, have a sneaky way of creeping into copy. No one intentionally types “form” when they mean “from,” or “teh” instead of “the”. These are honest errors that are easily overlooked by the person who wrote them.

The good news is that digital signage messages are, by design, typically short and concise (often 15-20 words max, sometimes even as few as 22 characters for a single message to maximize readability at a glance). This brevity makes thorough proofreading a far less daunting task than reviewing a lengthy report or document.

Understanding Why Mistakes Happen

• Typos: Simple slips of the finger on the keyboard.
• “Traditional Wisdom” Errors: Sometimes, mistakes stem from common misconceptions or phrases that have evolved incorrectly over time. A classic example is “The proof is in the pudding.” The original 14th-century saying, “The proof of the pudding is in the eating,” makes logical sense (you test something by trying it). Also, “pudding” in British English still means any dessert, not just a specific a sweet, milk-based dessert. The shortened version of the phrase has become quite common but means very little when thought about critically. How is pudding proof of something?
• Guessing: A common culprit. If you’re unsure about a word, a grammatical rule or a punctuation mark, never guess. In today’s digital age, a quick search on Google or a reputable style guide can provide immediate clarity.

Navigating the Nuances of English

English is a particularly tricky language, boasting a wealth of words that sound alike but have different meanings or spellings, making it ripe for errors:

• Homonyms: Words spelled and pronounced the same but with different meanings (e.g., “fair” as in a county fair, vs. “fair” as in just).
• Homographs: Words spelled the same but with different pronunciations and meanings (e.g., “tear” a piece of paper, vs. a “tear” in the eye).
• Homophones: Words that sound the same but have different spellings and meanings (e.g., “pear” vs. “pair”).

Tools to Help (and Their Limitations)

• Microsoft Word/Similar Programs: Basic spellcheckers are good for catching obvious spelling errors and some grammatical issues.
• Online Tools (e.g., Grammarly): These can significantly help identify common grammar and spelling mistakes. However, they are not foolproof. AI assistants may not catch context-dependent errors (like “form” instead of “from,” since “form” is a legitimate word).
• The Best Tool: A Fresh Eye: The most reliable method for catching errors is to have someone who did not write the copy proofread it. A fresh perspective can spot mistakes that your brain, having “read” what it intended to write, might skip over.

Mastering the Fundamentals: Common Language Mistakes to Avoid

Even seasoned communication professionals can benefit from a periodic review of common language pitfalls. By avoiding these frequent errors, you instantly elevate the professionalism and trustworthiness of your digital signage messages.

Here are 20 of the most common errors seen in professional communications today:

1. its, it’s:
   • Its: Possessive (e.g., The company revised its mission statement.)
   • It’s: Contraction for “it is” or “it has” (e.g., It’s always possible to make a difference. / It’s been a while since I’ve had lunch with Lee.)
2. there, their, they’re:
   • There: An adverb indicating a location or place (e.g., Do you want to sit here or there?)
   • Their: Possessive form of “they” (e.g., Their books are on the table.)
   • They’re: Contraction for “they are” (e.g., They’re coming to dinner tonight.)
3. your, you’re:
   • Your: Possessive (e.g., How did you like your lunch?)
   • You’re: Contraction for “you are” (e.g., You’re welcome to come to my party.)
4. could/would/should have (not “of”): These are often mistakenly written as “could/would/should of” due to the sound of spoken contractions like “I should’ve”.
   • (e.g., I could have been a contender. / I would have come earlier. / I should have known better.)
5. fewer, less:
   • Fewer: Used for countable nouns (e.g., I plan to drink fewer colas this week. / There were fewer people at the gym today.) So, yes, “Ten Items or Less” at the supermarket is grammatically incorrect; it should be “Ten Items or Fewer”.
   • Less: Used for uncountable nouns (e.g., There is less internal politics at this company than most.)
6. to, two, too:
   • To: Part of an infinitive verb (e.g., to see) or a preposition meaning “towards” (e.g., walk to the store).
   • Two: The number 2 (e.g., Two miles).
   • Too: Means “also” or “as well” (e.g., My mother wants to come, too.) or “to an excessive degree” (e.g., too far to walk).
   • (e.g., Two miles is too far to walk to the bookstore for my mother, too.)
7. than, then:
   • Than: Used for comparisons (e.g., It’s taller than the Empire State Building.)
   • Then: Shows something follows another in time (e.g., I’ll eat lunch and then go to a movie.)
8. I, me, myself:
   • I: Used as the subject of a phrase (before the verb) (e.g., I went to the store. / Jane and I went to the store.)
   • Me: Used as the object of a phrase (after the verb) (e.g., Jane came with me. / Jane came with Bob and me.)
   • Myself: Used only when the subject and the object are the same person (reflexive) (e.g., I’m doing it for myself. / I gave myself a present.).
   • A simple trick: take the other person out of the sentence. “Jane came with me” works, “Jane came with I” does not.
9. who, whom:
   • Who: Used as the subject of a phrase (before the verb) (e.g., Who ate my sandwich?)
   • Whom: Used as the object of a phrase (after the verb) (e.g., Whom do you believe?). A trick: substitute “she” or “her” – if “she” works, use “who”; if “her” works, use “whom”.
   • However, in modern English, “whom” is rapidly disappearing from common usage, and using “who” for both is increasingly accepted, especially in less formal contexts like digital signage.
10. affect, effect:
    • Affect: Almost always a verb meaning “to influence or have an impact on something” (e.g., The weather affected my weekend plans.). (It is a noun only in psychology, referring to an emotional state or expression.)
    • Effect: Almost always a noun meaning “the result of something having an impact on something else” (e.g., Click the button to get the desired effect.). It can be a verb in the sense of “to effect change,” meaning “to bring about something as a result of something else” (e.g., Management effected many changes to procedure.).
11. i.e., e.g.:
    • i.e.: Abbreviation for id est meaning “that is” or “in other words” (e.g., I will provide feedback shortly – i.e., one to two business days.)
    • e.g.: Abbreviation for exempli gratia meaning “for example” (e.g., Jill always eats fruit for breakfast, e.g., bananas, oranges, apples.)
12. whose, who’s:
    • Whose: Used to assign ownership (e.g., Do you know whose book this is?)
    • Who’s: Contraction of “who is” or “who has” (e.g., Do you know who’s going to be there tonight? or Who’s eaten my sandwich?)
13. alot, a lot, allot:
    • Alot: Always a mistake; it is not a word.
    • A lot: Means “many” and is always two words, often followed by “of” (e.g., I ate a lot of candy.)
    • Allot: A verb meaning “to set aside a certain amount of something for a purpose” (e.g., I’m going to allot one hour each day for exercise.)
14. lose, loose:
    • Lose: A verb meaning “to fail to hold on to something” (e.g., I don’t want to lose this opportunity.)
    • Loose: An adjective meaning “not tight” (e.g., My desk has a loose screw.)
15. assure, ensure, insure:
    • Assure: Means “to promise or say with confidence” (e.g., I can assure you that I’ll be there.) (You assure a person).
    • Ensure: Means “to make certain” (e.g., I want to ensure you can handle the task.) (You ensure a result).
    • Insure: Means “to protect against risk by using an insurance company” (e.g., You should insure the car before your trip.) (You insure against risk).
16. farther, further: These are often used interchangeably, but a distinction can be made.
    • Farther: Refers to physical distance (e.g., How much farther is it to Prague?)
    • Further: Refers to figurative distance, “additional,” or to help promote/forward something (e.g., I’d like to go further with my studies. / Read chapter three for further information. / We are working to further our progress in the market.)
17. between, among:
    • Between: Used to refer to two separated things (e.g., Our house is between the beach and the forest.)
    • Among: Used to refer to things that are not clearly separated because they are part of a group of three or more (e.g., Our house is among the trees of the forest.)
18. compliment, complement:
    • Compliment: Means “to praise or express admiration for something or someone” (e.g., He paid me a great compliment yesterday.)
    • Complement: Means “to complete, enhance, or make something perfect” (e.g., This table will complement our living room décor.)
19. into, in to:
    • Into: A preposition of place that implies movement and usually answers the question “where” (e.g., I crawled into bed after a long day. / She went into the café.)
    • In to: Just the coincidence of the word “in” and the word “to” being next to each other in a phrase, or a phrasal verb ending in “in” followed by “to” (e.g., I came in to talk to you. / Everyone pitched in to help.)
20. peek, peak, pique:
    • Peek: A verb that means “to take a quick look at something” (e.g., I’ll take a quick peek at your numbers.)
    • Peak: A noun that means “a sharp point at the highest part of something” (e.g., He’s reached the peak of his career.)
    • Pique: A verb that means “to provoke or instigate” (e.g., The invention piqued my curiosity.) (Can also mean to make someone angry or wound their vanity, though less common in modern use).

BONUS: log in (verb), login (noun/adjective):

• Log in: A verb (e.g., We provide a secure path for users to log in to the software.)
• Login: A noun or adjective (e.g., I’m having trouble with my email login. / Please send me the link to the login page.)

EXTRA BONUS: all right, alright

• Technically, “alright” is never correct; it should always be two words, “all right”. However, “alright” has become somewhat standard in North American English.

Grammar & Structure: Refining Your Message

Beyond individual word choices, a solid understanding of grammar ensures your messages are clear, unambiguous and professional.

Verb-Noun Number Agreement

The form of your verb must agree with the number (singular or plural) of its corresponding noun.

• Basic Rules:
  • Suki has three cats. (singular subject “Suki”, singular verb “has”)
  • The cat chases the mouse. (singular subject “cat”, singular verb “chases”)
  • My friends have three cats. (plural subject “friends”, plural verb “have”)
  • The cats chase mice all day. (plural subject “cats”, plural verb “chase”)
• Indefinite and Distributive Pronouns: Words like “everybody”, “everyone”, “nobody”, “neither”, “either” and “each” always take a singular verb, even if they imply multiple people.
  • Everybody has to help out.
  • Even though both people have a good track record in sales, neither is suited to the new position.
  • Each of the people who applied was a good candidate.
• “None of us”: When “none of us” means “no one” or “not one,” it uses a singular verb.
  • None of us is ready for the presentation.
• Nouns that Look Plural but Are Singular: Some nouns ending in “-s” are actually singular and require a singular verb.
  • Politics is in my blood.
  • The company headquarters is in the Garden District.
• Collective Nouns: Nouns that refer to a group of individuals (e.g., “team,” “family,” “committee”) are generally treated as singular in American English. (Note: In British English, collective nouns referring to people are often treated as plurals.)
  • The team is the best in the league.
  • UK: The government are discussing the bill right now.
• Compound Nouns with “and”: When two or more nouns are joined by “and,” they form a plural subject and take a plural verb.
  • John and Aki work in the shipping department.
• Beware of Intervening Words: Words that come between the noun and the verb can sometimes trick you into misapplying the agreement rule. The verb should still agree with the main subject.
  • The country with the largest number of self-driving cars is currently the Netherlands. (The subject is “country”, not “cars”.)
  • The group of workers wants more paid time off. (The subject is “group”, not “workers”.)
  • The CEO of the company, as well as his CFO and CTO, agrees with the proposal. (The part offset by commas is parenthetical; the main subject is “CEO”. See below.)
• Singular Subject with Connectors: If a singular subject is connected to other nouns using phrases like “with”, “as well as”, “in addition to”, “except”, “together with” or “less than”, the verb remains singular.
  • His appearance as well as his attitude is less than ideal.
  • John, as well as Aki, works in shipping.
• There is/There are…: This is a common singular/plural confusion point. While you’d never say “There is three people,” it’s increasingly common to hear “There’s ten people.” Remember “there’s” is a contraction of “there is”. If you expand the contraction, the error becomes clear.
  • There’s a lot of space in here. (There is a lot…)
  • There are a lot of people in here. (There are a lot…)

Proper Pronoun Cases

English has largely simplified grammatical cases, but pronouns retain them: subject case (e.g., she, I), object case (e.g., her, me), and possessive case (e.g., hers, mine). Generally, subject pronouns precede the verb, and object pronouns follow it.

• I want to talk with her.
• She wants to talk with me.
• He wants to talk to her and him.
• Will Chen or he be hired?
• She gave it to Jane and me.

In more complex sentences, the rule still applies:

• The person who won was she. (Re-cast: She was the person who won.)
• The trainer gave some great advice to Hector and me. (Eliminate the other person: The trainer gave some great advice to me.)

Style & Presentation: Crafting Visually Effective Text

Correct punctuation and consistent capitalization are hallmarks of professional communication, ensuring your messages are not just accurate, but also visually appealing and easy to digest.

Capitalization

A strange trend of capitalizing random nouns or other words has emerged, possibly influenced by early internet conventions or casual emphasis. In standard English, common nouns are rarely capitalized. Capitalization is reserved for specific instances:

• Proper Nouns and Adjectives from Proper Nouns:
  • Henri Rousseau
  • a Polish deli
  • a Christmas present
  • the French language
• Specific Categories Always Capitalized:
  • Days of the week, months, holidays (e.g., Tuesday, August, Easter, Memorial Day)
  • Brand names (e.g., Nike, Coca-Cola)
  • Company names (e.g., Google, Siemens)
  • Musical groups (e.g., Led Zeppelin, Muse)
  • Institutions and organizations (e.g., Harvard University, the United Nations)
  • Governmental departments (e.g., Congress, the Department of Agriculture – but “congressional” is lowercase)
  • Man-made structures and objects (e.g., the Titanic, the Washington Monument)
  • Streets and roads (e.g., Fifth Avenue, Abbey Road)
  • Man-made territories (e.g., New York City, Dade County, Oregon)
  • Landmarks, both natural and man-made (e.g., the Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam, Lake Eerie, Mount Shasta)
  • Collections of islands or mountains (e.g., the South Sandwich Islands, the Cascade Mountains)
  • Planets (e.g., Mars, Jupiter – but “sun” and “moon” are lowercase)
  • Languages (e.g., English, Mandarin)
  • Time periods and many events (e.g., the Roaring Twenties, World War I, the Middle Ages – but names for centuries are lowercase, e.g., “the twentieth century”)
  • Races and nationalities (e.g., Caucasian, Asian, Canadian – note: “white” as a racial descriptor is generally lowercase in professional style guides like AP, while it has become common to capitalize Black).
  • Religious and deity nouns (e.g., the Bible, God – but often “biblical,” and modern usage is increasingly lowercasing “heaven”, “hell”, or “the devil”; but “Satan” gets capitalized).
  • Titles when used before a name (e.g., The talk will be given by Senator Blake Uffersly at 4 pm – but Blake Uffersly is a senator from Maryland). The highest ranks of government, royalty, or religion are sometimes capitalized as a sign of respect (e.g., the President, the King, the Pope). Titles are distinct from professions (e.g., director Martin Scorsese, comedian Bill Burr, chef Kristen Kish, professor Barbara Harbach).
• Seasonal Items: Seasonal things (e.g., spring, summer, winter solstice, daylight savings time) are generally no longer capitalized.
• Direct vs. Partial Quotations:
  • Full direct quotations capitalize the first word: She said, “I am really too busy to come tomorrow night.”
  • Partial quotations do not: She said she was “way too busy” to come.
• Titles of Works:
  • US Standard: Capitalize the first and last word, and all adjectives, adverbs, nouns, verbs (including “to be” forms), pronouns (including “it”), “no”, “not”, and the interjection “O” or “Oh”. Do NOT capitalize articles (a, an, the), coordinating conjunctions (and, or, nor, but, for and yet – but do capitalize “because”), or the word “to” (with or without an infinitive), unless they are the first or last word.
    • Example: Evil Under the Sun (Agatha Christie novel), The Picture of Dorian Gray (Oscar Wilde novel)
    • For quick checks of US capitalization styles for titles, online tools like Capitalize My Title are very helpful.
  • UK Standard, modern: Typically, only the first word of the title and all proper nouns are capitalized.
    • Examples: Evil under the sun, The picture of Dorian Gray
  • Formatting Titles:
    • Underline or Italicize (longer works): Books, long poems, plays, album titles, periodicals, book series (e.g., The Chronicles of Narnia), TV/radio/podcast series, longer musical compositions, works of art, video games.
    • Quotation Marks (shorter works): Short poems, short stories, songs, articles, books contained within a collection (e.g., “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe”), book chapters, single episodes of a TV or radio series. Film titles are also put into quotes.

Punctuation Precision

Correct punctuation is vital for clarity and flow.

• Apostrophes:
  • Possessive Nouns: Used to show ownership.
    • Akbar’s book (singular possessive)
    • The books’ bindings (plural noun ending in -s, possessive for multiple books each with their own binding)
    • The women’s room (irregular plural, possessive)
    • For proper names ending in -s, use ‘s (e.g., Charles’s cat). Exceptions for ancient names (e.g., Moses’ children).
  • Green Grocer’s Apostrophe / Apostroflies: Avoid using apostrophes for simple plurals (e.g., NO: “Three Coke’s for Two Dollar’s”)
  • Contractions: Indicate missing letters (e.g., do not = don’t, rock and roll = rock ‘n’ roll – please notes the two apostrophes).
• Hyphens:
  • Used to create compound adjectives that describe a single thing and come before the noun (e.g., a five-year-old boy).
  • Do not use when the compound comes after the noun (e.g., a boy who is five years old).
  • Do not use with adverbs ending in -ly (e.g., freshly baked, not freshly-baked).
  • Hyphens are distinct from dashes, which are longer and function like emphatic parentheses.
• Quotation Marks:
  • US: Uses double quotation marks (e.g., ” “).
  • UK/Most Commonwealth: Uses single quotation marks (e.g., ‘ ’).
  • Comma Placement:
    • She said, “I think we’ll see significant growth.” (comma outside quote, period inside)
    • “I think we’ll see significant growth,” she said. (comma at end of quote, inside)
    • “I think we’ll see significant growth,” she said, “if we continue.” (combination)
  • Nested Quotes: US uses single quotes inside double (e.g., “He said, ‘Is that what you think?’”); UK is the reverse.
  • Avoid for Emphasis: Using quotation marks for emphasis can make the meaning seem sarcastic or dubious (e.g., “low prices” implies the prices aren’t actually low).
• Colons and Semicolons:
  • Colon (:): Generally used to introduce an item or list, or to provide an explanation/clarification.
    • We need to do three things before the meeting: print the agenda, make copies and place a copy at each seat.
    • I have one word to say to you: plastics.
    • It used to be common to capitalize the first word following a colon, but that habit has all but died out.
  • Semicolon (;): Used to join two independent clauses (parts of a sentence that could stand alone as sentences) that are closely related. It’s stronger than a comma but weaker than a period.
    • We have made great progress towards our mid-quarter goals; there is still more work to be done. (joined by semicolon, no conjunction)
    • We have made great progress towards our mid-quarter goals; however, there is still more work to be done. (joined by semicolon, then adverb, then comma)
• Commas (The Oxford/Harvard Comma): While a full review of comma rules is beyond the scope of this guide, it’s worth addressing the “Oxford comma” (known as the “Harvard comma” in the US). This is the final comma in a list or series before the conjunction “and” or “or”. While often omitted for brevity, especially in journalism and webpages, it’s recommended for clarity, especially when items in the series also include conjunctions. Omitting it can lead to ambiguity.
  • We need to order paper clips, staples, a hole punch, and three clipboards. (with the Oxford/Harvard comma)
  • We need to order paper clips, staples, a hole punch and three clipboards. (without the Oxford/Harvard comma)
  • I want toast, coffee, and bacon and eggs. (Without the final comma, “coffee and bacon” could be seen as one item)
• Ampersand (&) vs. And: While the ampersand (&) means “and”, it’s not always an appropriate replacement for the word “and”. It’s common in casual texts or tweets for brevity, but in professional digital signage messages, only use it when referencing a formal title, address, brand name or where it’s part of an established proper noun (e.g., “Procter & Gamble”). Otherwise, spell out “and”.

Font Choice and Readability

If people can’t read what you’ve written, even the cleverest copy falls flat. Readability is paramount, especially from a distance.

• Font Style: Sans-serif fonts (like Arial or Calibri) generally work better for digital displays than serif fonts (like Times New Roman), as their clean lines improve legibility at a distance. Serifs were invented to guide the eye while reading printed texts, but the way we process digital information differs from how we process the printed page.
• Contrast: Ensure high contrast between your text and the background. Dark text on a light background or vice versa is ideal. Avoid busy patterns or low-contrast color combinations.
• Font Size & Distance: Tailor your font sizes to the distance you expect people to read from. A basic rule of thumb: one point of font is clearly visible from about 4.5 inches away.
  • 20-point font is easily seen from about 7 feet away.
  • 50-point font from about 18 feet.
  • Be mindful not to use an overly large font in a small viewing area; it can be just as difficult to read as text that’s too small.
• Emphasis: Use bold or italics sparingly for emphasis. AVOID USING ALL CAPS for entire messages or long phrases; it doesn’t emphasize anything because it emphasizes everything, and it can be perceived as shouting. Varying font sizes strategically within a single message can also draw the eye to important elements, but don’t overdo it. Enhance, don’t confuse.

Get more design advice for digital signage here.

Consistency & Style Guides

English offers many choices for style and usage, but consistency is paramount. Many institutions and companies adopt a specific style guide, such as the Associated Press (AP) Stylebook (used by journalists and PR professionals) or the Chicago Manual of Style (favored by authors and publishers). Whichever you choose, or if you create your own set of internal rules and guidelines, just make sure you stick to it. Using rules haphazardly will cause audience confusion and negatively affect your messages’ impact.

Commonly Misused Phrases

Certain sayings and idioms, while frequently used, are often said or written incorrectly, or their original meanings are misunderstood. While some marketing advice suggests avoiding clichés, these common phrases can be effective for short, succinct digital signage messages if used correctly. However, a recent survey found that many of them are either used or said incorrectly or are often misunderstood. Here are ten of the more common ones:

1. The exception that proves the rule: This phrase is widely misunderstood. It does not mean something is an exception that validates a rule despite contradicting it. Instead, it means that the rule can be deduced or inferred from the existence of the exception. For example, if an office notice says, “No parking on weekends,” the “exception” (no parking on weekends) “proves” (tests or confirms) the underlying “rule” (that parking is allowed on weekdays). It implies that the absence of a rule for weekdays means parking is permitted then.
2. I could care less: This is a common mistake. If you could care less, it implies you still have some level of concern. What you intend to convey is that your apathy has reached its absolute limit, and you literally couldn’t care less.
3. Out of pocket: This saying is about money. If you are out of pocket $30 because you’ve bought the office donuts, it means you personally spent that money and are now in a deficit. It does not mean you are unavailable, unreachable or have no time, which is a common misusage, particularly in American business jargon.
4. For all intensive purposes: The correct phrase is “for all intents and purposes”. It means “in every practical sense” or “virtually”.
5. One in the same: The correct saying is “one and the same”. It means “identical”.
6. First-come, first-serve: The phrase is actually “first-come, first-served”. The “served” implies that those who arrive first are the ones who receive the service or benefit.
7. Make due: It’s actually “make do”. It means to manage with what is available, even if it is insufficient.
8. Do diligence: It’s “due diligence”. This legal and business term refers to the research and care a reasonable person takes before entering an agreement or a transaction with another party.
9. You have another thing coming: It’s actually “you have another think coming.” This idiom means that if someone believes something, they are wrong and will be forced to reconsider. The “think” refers to a thought or belief.
10. Irregardless: This is not a real word. The word you mean is regardless. The “ir-” prefix already negates, so adding it to “regardless” creates a double negative that is grammatically incorrect.

The Cornerstone of Trust

In the vibrant world of digital signage, visuals grab immediate attention, but the written word ultimately underpins your message’s clarity and your organization’s credibility. By mastering the fundamentals of grammar, punctuation and style, and by diligently proofreading every message, you lay a solid foundation of trust. This ensures that every piece of information conveyed through your digital displays is not only understood but also respected, reinforcing your status as a reliable source of information.