Fire Door Signage: Posters and Foam Board Notices for Offices and Landlords

Fire door signage often sits on the to-do list for months, then gets rushed when someone spots a blank wall. If you manage an office or let flats in London, printed notices are quick to organise. The A3 poster page offers same day or free delivery at checkout.

This guide covers where posters and foam board fit, and what to settle before you print anything.

What Fire Door Signage Can and Cannot Do

A sign is a message. It reminds people to do something, or tells them something about a door. It does not change the door, and it does not change your building's fire arrangements.

That matters because the word compliance gets used loosely around this topic. A poster or board from ExactPrint carries whatever artwork you supply. Printing a notice does not make it suitable, correct or accepted for any particular building, and ExactPrint does not check wording against fire safety rules.

So, treat the print as the last step, not the first.

Start With Your Responsible Person

Before you design anything, find out who owns fire safety for the building. In an office that is usually the responsible person. In a block with shared areas, it may sit with the landlord or managing agent, supported by a fire risk assessor. For wording that fits your building, speak to your responsible person or fire risk assessor.

Ask them:

• Which doors need a notice, if any
• What the wording should say
• Where a notice can go, and whether anything can be attached to a particular door
• How often the notices should be reviewed

Whatever they tell you, send that exact wording to the printer. If the text will not fit the layout, go back to them rather than trimming it yourself.

Posters and Foam Board: Choosing the Right Sign

Fire Door Posters: Easy to Print and Easy to Replace

Fire door posters suit places where wording may change, such as a noticeboard, a staff kitchen or a stairwell landing. Paper is simple to reprint when staff move on, tenants change or the text is revised.

Two sizes cover most jobs:

• The A3 poster measures 297 x 420mm and is printed on 130gsm paper. It reads well from a distance, so it suits reception walls and landings.
• The A4 poster measures 210 x 297mm. It works better on noticeboards where people stand close.

The A3 page lists silk, gloss and matt paper, plus a gloss laminated option. Matt is the calmer choice under bright office lighting because it cuts reflections. Same day or free delivery is available at checkout on that page, so check it for your own order.

Foam Board Signs: A Firmer Choice for Busy Spots

Foam board signs are printed on an expanded PVC foam sheet. They are lightweight but stiffer than a poster, so they hold their shape and look tidier in places people pass every day, like a reception desk or a shared entrance hall. The product page describes the material as waterproof and suitable for indoor and outdoor showcases.

Be clear about what foam board is not. It is not fire-proof, it is not fire-rated, and a printed board adds no protection to a door or a building. If you need a different rigid board, look at Foamex, which is printed PVC board.

Two sizes are worth a look:

• The A4 foam board is 210 x 297mm, a neat size for a single notice.
• The A3 foam board is 297 x 420mm, better where the notice needs to be seen across a room.

Posters or Foam Board: How to Choose

Think about how long the notice will stay put and how often the words might change.

• Wording likely to change: go for a poster. Reprinting is quick.
• Quiet corridor or noticeboard: a poster does the job.
• Busy entrance or reception: foam board stays flatter and looks more finished.
• Lots of notices across one building: A4 posters keep things consistent and easy to swap.

Mixing both is fine. Many landlords use boards in shared lobbies and posters on upper floors.

Reviewing Notices and Getting the Artwork Right

Fire Door Safety Week and the Rest of the Year

Fire Door Safety Week is an annual awareness campaign held each September. It is a handy prompt to look at doors and notices, but it should not be the only date in the diary.

A year-round habit works better. Review your notices when staff change, when a new tenant moves in, after any refurbishment, and whenever your fire risk assessor updates their advice for the building. Faded or torn notices should be reprinted, not left up.

Getting the Artwork Right

A few small choices make a printed notice easier to read.

1. Use the wording your responsible person approved, word for word.
2. Choose the size by reading distance. If people will stand close, A4 is enough. If they walk past, go A3.
3. Keep the text large, with strong contrast between words and background.
4. Check names, room numbers and spelling twice before you upload.
5. Decide about the artwork check. The A3 poster page offers one before print, and it may delay the ready time, so choose with your deadline in mind.

Fire Door Signage: Get the Wording Right, Then Print

Good fire door signage starts with the right wording from the right person and ends with a clean print people can read at a glance. Once the text is signed off, ordering is simple. For a notice that stays neat in a busy London lobby, start with the A4 foam board.

If the wording may change, the A3 poster is easy to reprint, with same day or free delivery available at checkout. Remember that ExactPrint prints the artwork you supply and does not check wording against fire safety rules, so keep your responsible person involved from the first draft to the final proof.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I print fire door signs on foam board?

Yes, foam board can carry the artwork you supply. It is not fire-proof or fire-rated, and it does not make a notice compliant with anything. Agree wording and placement with your responsible person first.

Is a poster or a foam board better for a stairwell?

Either can work. Posters suit wording that may change, and foam board suits spots people see every day. Your fire risk assessor can advise on what goes where.

Can ExactPrint tell me what my signs should say?

No. ExactPrint prints the artwork you send. Ask your responsible person or fire risk assessor for the wording.

Is same-day printing available?

Same day or free delivery is shown as an option at checkout on the A3 poster page. Options can differ between products, so check the page for the one you choose.