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For example, [[User:Nathan|NathanMyoto]] and [has an [Userhttp:Rocky|Bob]], who hitched through France had great help writing '2 belges' on their sign//www. [[User:Guaka|guaka]] was successful with a sign "from Holland" in both [[New Zealand]] and in several parts of the [[United States]], once by a Dutch girl living in [[Santa Cruz]], most people were happy to pick him up just because they thought Holland was cool (oh and one guy was smoking weed in the car)myoto. ===Print your sign===If you have access to a computer with a printer, you can make a quality hitch sign easily then. Since most languages read horizontally, set the page orientation to be landscape but with a size twice long as a normal A4 sheet/tool/index. For a place name no longer than 9 letters, you can set the font size from 200 html online tool to 500 points to fully utilise the page size in one line; longer place names can be wrapped into two lines. Using make a tiled printing software, you can print the long page to two sheets. Cut off the short tiling margin of one sheet and glue two sheets together, find a cardboard of same size and use four paper clips to pin the paper onto it, a lightweight wind-resistant hitch printable sign is ready to use. You don't need a waterproof sign, if you don't hitch in the rain or underwater. The plastic bag idea in previous tips will reduce contrast and introduce reflectivity. In case of that it rains, just wrap your hitch sign with the cling film from kitchen and it will work fine].
[[Myoto]] has an [http://www.myoto.be/tool/index.html online tool to make a printable sign].==== Use found materials ====
[[File:SmileycardboardIf you already have a lot of baggage you probably don't want to carry around another square meter of waterproofed cardboard in your backpack.jpg|thumb|200px|Even this Use what you find and what you can work great]][[File:Signs.JPG|thumb|200px|Some more examples]]put in the next garbage can!
<!--Another bad idea is the use of shortcuts, because only locals know them (like HH for Hamburg).
Also, the driver can see your faraway destination city and although he doesn't want to go there, he could take you for the next 200km. Most drivers don't realise how helpful they could be with these 200km, so they drive on.
If you already have a lot of baggage you probably don't want to carry around another square meter of waterproofed cardboard in your backpack. Use what you find and what you can put in the next garbage can! Another option is to just use normal A4 paper and a plastic map. Some only use sometimes funny signs or at some crossroads they could be helpful and or when they're not the only hitchhiker who is standing next to the motorway. -->
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[[File:Sheffieldbedroomwall.jpg|thumb|300px|right|[[User:Tmoon|Tmoon]]'s collection of [[signs]]]]
[[Hitchhikers]] often debate about whether to use a '''sign'''to signal possible rides your destination. If you decide == Tips == === What to use one there are several important things:write ===
* Think well about what place or text to put on it: use well known places, and sometimes also road names can be used or more humorous phrases (''"I don't stink", "On va pas loin"'').
* Use the same font as the route directions
* Write only the initial letters in capitals. The human brain detects a word not only by combining a few letters, but also by recognizing the different ascenders and descenders (the heights of the different words). When writing only in capital letters you lose this advantage. That's why street signs respect the upper and lower case.
==Tips==Shortcuts ==== Often, you might use shortcuts because they need way less space on your sign. The sense of this depends on what kinds of shortcuts you use. If you just shorten a long name to a shorter, but still logically understandable one (like "Amsterdam" to "A'dam", for example), this is certainly a good idea. In some countries, you could also use the license plate shortcuts to put on a sign, e.g. Germany or Switzerland. This can be a disadvantage, though, because sometimes only local people will know them, especially if they don't really seem to make sense on the first look (like "HH" for [[Hamburg]]) ==== Use your nationality on a sign ====If you're hitching in a foreign country, it might be a good thing to express your nationality on your sign. Drivers will think you're more interesting, or will feel sorry that someone who lives that far off has to stand by the road in his country. Also, compatriots will be more likely to pick you up. For example, [[User:Nathan|Nathan]] and [[User:Rocky|Bob]], who hitched through France had great help writing '2 belges' on their sign. [[User:Guaka|guaka]] was successful with a sign "from Holland" in both [[New Zealand]] and in several parts of the [[United States]], once by a Dutch girl living in [[Santa Cruz]], most people were happy to pick him up just because they thought Holland was cool (oh and one guy was smoking weed in the car). === How to fabricate your sign === ====Reusable sign====
Make a sign of a large sheet of brightly colored paper glued to a sheet of cardboard. Cover this with self adhesive transparent book wrap. Now you have a re-usable sign which you can use with a whiteboard marker and clean again with a small towel.
====Waterproof, dustproof dust-proof document bags====
Make use of waterproof, dust-proof document bags. There you can store many sheets of paper and signs you can reuse. Nothing falls out, you could hang them somewhere and you can use both sides of the folder to have two signs at once. Ortlieb is one company that produces good ones.
====Pad of plain A4 plain paper====Buy a pad of plain A4 plain paper, and use it inside a waterproof, dust-proof transparent plastic folder that you can find in most stationary shops. When writing, insert something under the page to stop the pen ink running through to the page underneath (a document bag is good for this). With a pad of paper, you can quickly flip through pages to find the sign you need. Also, the pad can be a great souvenir of your journey.
====Whiteboard====
[[File:Img_l_1306483.jpg|thumb|180px|right|[[User:MayaCova|MayaCova]] using was using a white board with considerable success.]]
If you have a chance to plan a long hitchhiking trip in advance, some find using an erasable white board as a sign to be very useful for making big, clear and reusable signs.
===Use = Print your nationality on a sign====If you're hitching have access to a computer with a printer, you can make a quality hitch sign easily then. Since most languages read horizontally, set the page orientation to be landscape but with a size twice long as a normal A4 sheet. For a place name no longer than 9 letters, you can set the font size from 200 to 500 points to fully utilise the page size in one line; longer place names can be wrapped into two lines. Using a foreign countrytiled printing software, you can print the long page to two sheets. Cut off the short tiling margin of one sheet and glue two sheets together, find a cardboard of same size and use four paper clips to pin the paper onto it might be , a good thing lightweight wind-resistant hitch sign is ready to express your nationality on your use. You don't need a waterproof sign. Drivers will think , if youdon're more intresting, t hitch in the rain or underwater. The plastic bag idea in previous tips will feel sorry reduce contrast and introduce reflectivity. In case of that someone who lives that far off has to stand by it rains, just wrap your hitch sign with the road in his country. Also, compatriots cling film from kitchen and it will be more likely to pick you upwork fine.
[[File:HitchSignPrint.JPG|thumb|200px|A worked reusable hitch sign print clipped on a cardboard support, with a sign print roll and a cling film.]]
[[File:Smileycardboard.jpg|thumb|200px|Even this can work great]]
[[File:Signs.JPG|thumb|200px|Some more examples]]
== When not to use signs ==
Others always have a sign. To show it to people while their still in the car and then ask them when they pass by to pay for their petrol. If they don't understand what's written on it they also ask. And I already have it with me when getting out of a car, so people sometimes ask me right away if they can take me... So it's definitely good to have it. It doesn't have any negative effects so why not use it?
== Cons of using signs ==
To use or not to use signs is one of the main points of debate among hitchhikers. In this paragraph, you'll find some (allegedly) negative things about the usage of signs.
One reason not to take a sign is if you want to have additional leverage in declining offered rides, especially as a [[Woman Women hitchhiking|woman hitchhiking]] alone. If someone stops you ask first "where are you going?" Even if they are going exactly where you want to go, if you are not comfortable with them, tell them the ride is not going to work, but thanks anyway. Ditch the sign, they will stop without it. A good compromise is to have a sign with the road name rather than your destination, this allows you to ask which direction the driver will be going.
Another reason against using a sign might be this: The driver must read it, then he's got to work out if goes in the same direction and finally he's got to decide if he likes your face and if he can stop somewhere... but then he realises that he's already passed you and that he is now 500m away from you... so he will decide to drive on! If you just use your thumb, the driver only has to decide if he likes you and if he can stop his car in this place. Whether he is going the right way or not, you can determine when he stops.
Also, the driver might see the faraway destination city on your sign, and although he doesn't want to go there, he could take you to a place in between. Most drivers don't realise how helpful they could be with these extra kilometers, so they drive on. If you are an adept of the ultra light packing philosophy, you might not want to drag along a few extra square feet of cardboard. But then again, you're likely to find discarded cardboard anywhere you go. [[File:Guaka my bithday2.jpg|thumb|200px|left|Sometimes you can use special signs]]
== Examples for Germany ==
