What are the best materials for my lighted sign?
This question was posed to me by a new entrepreneur. It’s a great question….and there really is no perfect answer for it.
Lighted signs come in different forms:
Lighted letters – individual letters that may spell out your business name or products you carry. These are also referred to as channel letters. The best material for these is usually an aluminum body (aluminum doesn’t rust) and an acrylic face. These signs can be lit by neon or LED lights. I recommend LED. To see why take a peek here.
Box sign – a box like (or custom shaped) frame made out of aluminum (so it will not rust) with fluorescent lights inside. The lights are covered with an acrylic panel that allows light to pass through. You can put vinyl letters or digital prints on top of the acrylic to create your sign. Digital prints are recommended if you want something more than just a name, you can get picture quality graphics with a digital print.
Monument signs – many varieties of these exist (probably an infinite number of them), but typically they are large signs for a building or shopping center; if there is more than one tenant in the building it may have multiple slots. These can be created out of stone, brick, building foam and many other materials. I can’t say there is a best material for this type of project; each project may have a different answer.
Pylon signs – These usually resemble the old gas station signs, elevated by a large post the sign sits up high providing enhanced visibility. The post is typically some type of steel and the box housing the sign is usually constructed of aluminum (no rusting). The face panels can be acrylic or extruded plastic, depending on the customer preference. Lighting is usually via fluorescent bulbs (economic and bright).
Our recommendation may not apply for every situation, as unique situations require unique solutions.
Call us to discuss YOUR unique situation (630) 289-7082.
An example of a pylon sign with an electrical sign board.
