An exhibition refresh rarely begins with clean source files. The team may receive a folder of print PDFs, a few Illustrator files, missing fonts, photographs without credits, and a spreadsheet of corrections. Rebuilding every panel manually wastes time; treating an imported PDF as finished artwork creates a different set of risks.
Convertify can bring PDF and other design formats into Figma as an editable starting point. A safe signage migration still needs an audit of physical size, content ownership, typography, imagery, accessibility, and the print vendor’s requirements.
Catalogue the physical system first
Create an inventory before converting files. For every panel, record its public identifier, location, physical dimensions, viewing distance, language, current revision, source format, installation method, and whether it will be retained, revised, or replaced.
Photograph installed signage where possible. The PDF may not reveal that a label sits below eye level, a directional sign is viewed while walking, or a panel is partly obscured. Those facts should influence the redesign.
Separate content authority from artwork authority. Curatorial text may come from an approved document, object data from a collection system, and safety wording from facilities. A printed PDF proves what was produced previously; it does not automatically prove the copy is still correct.
Convert a representative sample
Choose several panels that expose different risks: a text-heavy interpretation panel, a caption with accession data, a map, a large image panel, a multilingual sign, and a directional sign with icons. Import these with Convertify before processing the full archive.
Inspect the result layer by layer:
- Are text blocks editable and in the expected order?
- Did fonts substitute or change line breaks?
- Are images usable at the intended physical size?
- Did clipping masks, transparencies, strokes, or blend modes change?
- Are spot colors, overprint instructions, dielines, or printer marks represented?
- Did the page dimensions and orientation survive accurately?
The conversion is source recovery, not print approval. Flattened effects and outlined text may need reconstruction. If a page arrives as a single image, decide whether the source is good enough to trace, requires OCR-assisted re-entry, or should be rebuilt from authoritative content.
Establish a maintainable Figma structure
Create page templates for recurring signage families rather than preserving every historical inconsistency. Define frames at a documented scale if full physical dimensions exceed practical design-tool limits. Put the real-world size, scale, material, bleed, safe area, and panel ID in visible production notes.
Build styles and components for headings, body copy, captions, credits, icons, rules, language markers, and accessibility elements. Keep artwork, production guides, and notes in clearly named sections. Lock dielines and non-printing guides so ordinary content edits cannot move them accidentally.
The Figma import cleanup checklist covers general converted-file hygiene. Exhibition signage adds physical placement, viewing distance, conservation context, content provenance, and fabrication constraints.
Reconcile content and rights
Compare imported text with the authoritative copy source. Check names, dates, accession numbers, quotations, translations, donor credits, copyright lines, and image captions. Record who approved each correction and when.
For imagery, trace the original asset and rights record rather than extracting a low-resolution picture from the PDF by default. Confirm crop permissions, credit requirements, reproduction limits, color reference, and resolution at final output size. A visually acceptable screen image may be unsuitable for a large wall panel.
Run a terminology and reading-order review across the whole sign family. Small inconsistencies become conspicuous when panels are installed together.
Design for the viewing context
Print the representative panels at actual size or tile critical sections. Review body text, captions, contrast, line length, map labels, and icon recognition at realistic viewing distances. Include wheelchair sightlines and likely crowd positions. Check that important information is not placed where mounts, cases, glare, or architectural edges interfere.
For multilingual panels, use real approved translations early. Text expansion can change the hierarchy and may require a different layout rather than smaller type. Make sure reading order remains understandable and language selection is obvious.
Prepare the print handoff
Ask the fabricator for the current specification before exporting. Confirm accepted format, PDF standard, bleed, trim, color space, embedded fonts, image resolution, rich-black rules, spot colors, finishing layers, and proof process. Do not copy settings from an old job simply because the substrate looks similar.
Convertify can also support downstream format handoffs, but the print-ready output must be checked in the receiving application and preflight workflow. The EPS export workflow for print vendors explains one specialist route; use it only when the vendor actually requests EPS.
Export a pilot panel, obtain a preflight report and physical proof, and compare it with the approved Figma design. Check dimensions, crop, color, fine rules, black text, transparency, QR codes, and all finishing or cut instructions. Record approved exceptions rather than fixing them silently in the vendor’s file.
Preserve the migration trail
Keep the original files read-only, the converted working files, a decision log, linked asset register, approval record, and final production package. Give every exported panel a revision that maps back to its Figma source and installation location.
Before scaling the process, prove that the sample panels are editable, content is authoritative, physical dimensions are controlled, assets are licensed and print-capable, and the fabricator accepts the output. Convertify speeds up recovery of usable design material; it does not replace curatorial approval, accessibility review, preflight, or a physical proof.
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