Digital Signage Media Export Workflow from Figma

A lobby screen is not a large website hero. Viewers may be ten metres away, the player may accept only a narrow set of formats, and a technically valid export can still show black bars, stutter, or remain on screen after an offer expires.

That makes digital signage delivery a production workflow, not a final “Export” click. TinyImage can export and compress still images, GIFs, videos, and PDFs from Figma, but the team still needs to define the playback contract, review legibility at viewing distance, and prove the final files on the actual signage system.

Start with the screen and player contract

Ask the venue or signage operator for a written specification before designing. Record:

• physical orientation: landscape, portrait, square, or an unusual LED canvas;
• exact pixel dimensions and whether the player scales or crops mismatched media;
• accepted still and motion formats;
• maximum file size, video duration, frame rate, and codec requirements;
• safe areas hidden by bezels, ticker overlays, or multi-panel seams;
• whether audio is disabled, optional, or prohibited;
• schedule, timezone, start time, expiry time, and fallback asset;
• naming and upload rules for the content management system.

Do not translate “4K screen” into a guessed Figma frame. A 4K portrait display, a 3840×2160 landscape display, and a stitched LED wall all need different working frames. If the operator cannot supply a reliable spec, request a known-good asset from a previous campaign and inspect its dimensions and format.

Design for a passing viewer

Signage usually gets seconds of divided attention. Build a message hierarchy that survives that reality:

1. One idea should be understandable at a glance.
2. The primary line must remain readable from the intended distance.
3. Supporting detail should be genuinely optional.
4. A QR code or call to action needs enough dwell time to use.
5. Dates, prices, locations, and legal qualifiers must not depend on a fast transition.

Review the artwork at approximately the apparent size a viewer will see, not only zoomed to 100% on a laptop. Thin type, subtle gradients, and low-contrast overlays often look elegant in Figma and disappear on a bright screen in a sunlit lobby.

For multi-panel walls, place critical type and faces away from seams. For portrait kiosks, test the composition with the real enclosure or touch interface. A technically correct canvas can still put the important content below eye level.

Decide whether the deliverable should move

Motion should help the viewer understand sequence or notice change. It should not be the default simply because the screen can play video.

Use a still image when the message is stable, the player is unreliable, or the audience needs time to read. Use MP4 or another operator-approved video format when transitions demonstrate a product, rotate a small number of messages, or create useful emphasis. Use an animated image only when the signage system specifically handles it well; otherwise file size and inconsistent playback can outweigh the benefit.

This decision is different from the broader static, motion, and PDF export format workflow. Signage adds physical viewing conditions, player restrictions, scheduling, and expiry risk.

Build a controlled export table

Do not rely on frame names such as final-final-2. Create a small delivery table before exporting:

Placement	Canvas	Format	Duration	Schedule	Owner
Reception landscape	1920×1080	MP4	12 seconds	16–22 Oct	Facilities
Lift portrait	1080×1920	PNG	static	16–22 Oct	Venue ops
LED foyer wall	operator spec	PNG fallback	static	campaign window	AV partner

Name Figma frames from stable fields such as campaign, location, orientation, language, and version. Export only approved frames with TinyImage, using compression appropriate to the player limit. Keep a lossless or high-quality master separate from delivery files so a later platform change does not force the team to recompress an already compressed asset.

Compression is not successful merely because the file is smaller. Inspect gradients for banding, small text for halos, photographs for blocked detail, and motion for judder. If a strict limit is difficult to meet, simplify the artwork or motion before repeatedly lowering quality.

Test the path the asset will actually travel

A local preview proves very little about a signage deployment. Test the exported file through the same steps the operator will use:

• upload it to the real CMS or a staging playlist;
• confirm that the system does not silently transcode, crop, or add padding;
• play it on the target hardware, not only in a browser;
• inspect from the normal viewing distance and under venue lighting;
• confirm transitions, loops, and the final frame;
• scan QR codes from several realistic positions;
• check that scheduled start and expiry times use the expected timezone;
• verify which asset appears if the player loses its connection.

Photograph the live test and attach the filename and playlist ID to the approval record. That gives the operator something more useful than “looks good on my machine.”

Plan the takedown before launch

Expired signage is a visible operational failure. Put the withdrawal owner and fallback creative in the brief. Avoid embedding a date into a long-lived brand loop unless the scheduling system can replace it reliably. Where several venues manage their own uploads, distribute a manifest that pairs every placement with its approved file and expiry time.

Before handoff, confirm:

• every file opens and matches the delivery table;
• orientation and pixel dimensions are exact;
• text is legible at distance;
• no key content crosses a seam or enclosure;
• files meet size, duration, frame-rate, and codec limits;
• motion loops cleanly and does not rely on sound;
• QR codes and destinations work;
• a real player test has been completed;
• start, expiry, fallback, and takedown owners are recorded.

The valuable part of a signage workflow is not producing more files. It is making sure the right media reaches the right physical screen, remains readable in that environment, and disappears when it should.

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