To create that 3D lettering effect the popular material of choice is now a form of plastic called ‘Foam PVC’ made from a high-density polyurethane board. We are really excited to announce it’s now available in a 50mm thickness, previously available in 10mm, 19mm with the thickest material being 25mm. But now at 50mm it’s a real contender to replace the 3D metal lettering for good! It’s lightweight, robust and durable to the elements guaranteeing a long life span with very little maintenance. Foam PVC accepts paint well and can be painted any Pantone or RAL colour required. It is an extremely economical alternative to 3D metal lettering. It has the versatility to recreate individual elements of a design with ease as the material can be custom routed to a design agreed with a straight, rounded, beveled or prismatic edge finish. The individual characters of the designed signage are CNC routed for exact precision. In the majority of cases they are painted and can be directly mounted to the surface or raised 15-20mm using plastic studs screwed or glued to the reverse of the character. We recommend raising the signage so the fascia can be refurnished in time without damaging the signage.

To create that 3D lettering effect the popular material of choice is now a form of plastic called ‘Foam PVC’ made from a high-density polyurethane board. Previously available in 10mm, 19mm and up to recently the thickest material being 25mm but we are really excited to announce that it is now available in a 50mm foamex. Combined with advancements in lighting options we can provide a faster and far more economical alternative for high end shop front signage which can appeal to the masses instead of it only being an financial viable option for the big brands with big budgets.

Traditionally to produce high end signage such as halo effect lighting around shop front lettering a hallow 3D metal character would be painstakingly hand crafted from aluminum or steel and power coated to the colour of choice. The light sources either neon or LED would then be housed inside the metal character to protect the lighting from the elements. Now we are delighted to be able to offer our customers an LED lighting option available in a range of colours that no longer needs to be enclosed or sealed from the elements. The LED is completely robust and durable enough to be fixed to the reverse of any material. With a manufactures guarantee of 5 years LED is fast replacing NEON given its robust nature when fitting and the low cost to run. It doesn’t create that smooth continuous line of light like neon but this disadvantage is out weighted by the multiple gains.

Foam PVC accepts paint well and can be painted any Pantone or RAL colour required. It is an extremely economical alternative to 3D metal lettering. It has the versatility to recreate individual elements of a design with ease as the material can be custom routed to a design agreed with a straight, rounded, beveled or prismatic edge finish. The individual characters of the designed signage are CNC routed for exact precision. 

What’s interesting for us now is how sign demand has shifted to selling more of the simpler low cost signage. The good news is, our customers are still purchasing signage but are considering a lower specification. But it’s important to note cheaper does not always equal lower quality! At Sign A Rama we only use the market leading brand 3M so any vinyl produced is the highest quality. You can use special shading techniques to create the appearance of a 3D letter or keep it simple to 1D. You have a wide selection of standard colours available but if you are seeking something more adventurous you can select a vinyl from our specialty vinyl’s such a metallic, special effects, reflective or fluorescents. Once your shop fronts designed effectively to communicate the right message it doesn’t matter if its gold leaf or gold vinyl the message is the same!

We are delighted to see customers taking our recommendation to go for a vinyl shop front design rather than the less budget friendly raised lettering when cash reserves are tight in the start up stage. When a business starts to grow and develop a strong enough customer base to start to pay for itself then it can be time to upgrade when the business had proven itself.

Please note, although the vinyl would have a guarantee lifespan of 5-7 years if applied to a painted shop front once the paint work needs to be refurbished the lettering is not reusable and will have to be replaced. But often we find customers use this opportunity to refresh their storefront completely and accept the lettering will have to be replaced.

Stainless steel is a metal which comes in a number of different grades and choice of finishes, brushed stainless steel or mirrored stainless steel are the most popular. It is extremely robust with excellent corrosion resistance once the correct grade is used in the right conditions. In coastal regions we highly recommend marine grade 316 otherwise the salt water/air can attack and penetrate the material causing it to rust. 304 grade of stainless steel would be the most commonly used grade for standard signage. The individual characters of the designed signage are laser cut for exact precision and can be directly mounted to the surface or raised 15-20mm using metal studs welded to the reverse of the character.  It has always been very much the material of choice for architects in high end commercial projects and also very trendy within certain industry groups: Marketing, Financial & Hospitality. This is due to its high quality finish, guaranteed long life span and perceived opulent finish. When used against the right shop front such as contrasting stone steel, brushed or mirrored can have a fantastic impact.