Can-Design Printing

Vancouver is setting new rules for digital billboards.

The goal? Balance revenue with public realm quality.

📍 Street furniture ads are already pulling in millions downtown.
But until now, there’s been no unified approach to where, how, and why digital screens show up.

The new Public Realm Advertising Framework lays out six key principles

From volume caps to civic airtime requirements — to ensure digital signage adds public value, not just private gain.

Take the Granville Street digital screen above Popeyes:

$80K/year lease with 3% annual increase
20% of screen time reserved for City content (worth ~$150K/year)
Shared revenue between Astral and the City



slide 3-4 photos from the City of Vancouver

The most expensive sign isn’t the one you pay for, it’s the one you have to redo.

In Vancouver, signage that doesn’t comply with the City’s bylaw isn’t just a technicality. It can mean:
• Delays in approvals
• Extra costs for redesign and reprints
• Worst case, the removal of your installation

That’s why smart businesses treat compliance as part of design, not an afterthought.

At Can-Design, we help organizations navigate both the creative and regulatory sides of signage

The investment you make builds your brand, instead of getting held back by bylaw issues.

👉 If you’re planning new signage in Metro Vancouver, let’s make sure it’s right the first time.

How do you keep colors bright in sunlight and accurate in Vancouver’s darker winters? 🌤️🌑

That was the challenge on a project using printed clear vinyl.

The problem:
• One layer of color looked faded in bright light
• Double layers looked too dark in low light
• The balance between brightness and accuracy wasn’t right

Our process:
We added a white layer between two layers of color.

By testing different amounts of white (50% to 100%)

We found the mix that kept colors consistent.

The outcome:

Bright and vibrant colors in direct sunlight

True-to-design colors in darker settings

A brand look that stayed the same across conditions

Why it matters:

Design is not only about how something looks in photos.

It is about how people actually see and experience your brand in real life.

When the details are done right, your message is clear no matter the light