Channel letter manufacturers provide signs that use letters or symbols to display your business name or logo. Usually illuminated with neon gas or LED lighting systems, channel letter signs can serve as an eye-catching advertising platform.
Installed on storefronts or building facades, LED signs come in many varieties for installation.
Design
Channel letter signs are an increasingly popular choice for retail businesses looking to attract customers with street signs that feature their names and logos. Channel letters can be illuminated using either LED lighting or traditional neon, making these lights easy for passersby to recognize them and draw customers in. They can be custom made for any space with various fonts, colors and shapes available – making the sign look great while being safe to use in its intended setting.
Channel letters typically feature faces made of acrylic material that has been colorfastly cut with CNC or multicam routers to achieve its desired shape. Once cut, this face is attached to aluminum returns using trim caps in order to protect and keep it tidy. In some instances, companies may choose not to attach this face altogether, creating an original style or creating special effects such as creating neon look with LED tube lighting.
Channel letters feature more than just their back and face; they also have sides known as returns which bend to match the letters’ shapes. Made from rustproof aluminum sheeting, returns are easily cut using a router and fastened onto the back of the sign for lighting attachment (hence its name “channel letter”). Returns may also be painted using standard colors or customized brand-specific shades from Pantone Matching System for further personalization.
Illuminated channel letters can be mounted flush against a building facade or on either a raceway or wireway, two flat mounting structures containing all of a sign’s electrical components and hidden from view using backer panels. A wireway, on the other hand, only contains wiring – making it thin enough to go through windows.
A common type of channel letter sign is a front-lit sign. This typically features a face constructed from polycarbonate or acrylic material attached to aluminum returns by way of trim. Some companies opt not to have any faces at all and instead only illuminate returns – this type is known as halo lit channel lettering – while others choose back lit channels (known as reverse illuminated signs).
Materials
Channel letter signs can be made of any number of materials, making them highly customizable to represent your business in its unique manner. Furthermore, they’re highly visible – perhaps one of the most powerful signs you could put up on your building!
Aluminum is often chosen to form the back and sides of signs, as it’s both strong and cost-effective, while plastic can create the face. When lit by LED bulbs, plastic creates a neon look which contrasts nicely with acrylic or polycarbonate faces featuring cut-out translucent vinyl for color insertion. Trim caps come in many standard colors; new manufacturing techniques now allow for the production of trimless edges.
Computerized bending and shaping machines can help create the shapes necessary for characters by providing flexibility in design; aluminum sheeting may then be painted according to brand-specific colors or Pantone Matching System (PMS), if applicable.
Once the body and face of a sign have been constructed, it is attached to an aluminum return that forms its distinctive “channel.” Usually finished to match its sign color, this returns fits seamlessly into your building or sign post. LED modules or neon tubes are then inserted into this return in order to complete its illumination.
Signs can then be easily attached to storefronts and surfaces using non-corrosive fasteners, or attached directly to raceways that conceal wiring and power supplies, thus minimizing drilling of holes into buildings. For maximum impact and cost effectiveness, channel letters with front lighting may be best; otherwise back lighting could also work effectively depending on your logo or color scheme preferences.
Installation
Channel letter signage is the distinctive exterior branding commonly found at shopping malls and major brand outlets, featuring large illuminated letters to draw the eye of passersby. They may be mounted directly on a building facade or high above on a pylon; either way they offer an effective means of communicating your brand identity to potential clients while increasing business presence in local communities.
When installing a channel letter sign, it’s essential that you take time and consideration when choosing an installation method that best fits your situation. These may include flush mount, raceway mount and backer mount options with distinct requirements requiring professional installers for each. Furthermore, purchasing electrical hardware as well as testing your signage before it goes live will also be required.
Before installing a sign, consult with signage experts to ensure its design and size will fit with its location. Furthermore, read your lease carefully for criteria and limitations of exterior signage display, then meet with property managers to see whether proposed signage meets municipal plans and zoning ordinances. If your business operates in an historic district for instance, modern signs may not be permitted and you may require permission from local zoning boards in order to get what you desire.
When selecting a fabrication provider, select one who can produce signage to your exact specifications. Preferably, this company should have experience working with both metal and acrylic. They should be able to provide samples of their work as well as an installation manual detailing the fabrication process as well as mounting steps; otherwise it would be wiser to find another provider who offers manuals so you know which steps will need to be taken when mounting it on a building. Furthermore, your supplier should explain how and where your sign will be mounted, what backing material will be necessary and provide details regarding any necessary electrical system needs in order for it to operate effectively.
Maintenance
Channel letters are designed from durable materials that will withstand years of wear and tear without needing replacement, thereby saving money on maintenance and repair costs in the long run as well as having to replace your signage altogether. They’ll even protect against extreme temperatures without succumbing to damage over time!
Maintain the look of your Houston custom signs by regularly cleaning them, to prevent dirt, bird droppings and other debris from dulling their faces. A microfiber cloth and water are an effective combination to use in this regard, or an acrylic-safe non-abrasive cleaning solution may also do. Avoid sponges and scouring pads which could potentially leave scratches behind on the surface of the sign.
Backer mount channel letter signage installations are becoming increasingly popular, providing another installation option for channel letter signs. A backer panel or metal cabinet larger than the letters creates an elegant architectural appearance while housing all necessary wiring and power supply – which reduces the number of holes drilled into building facades.
No matter the installation method you choose, professional consultation should always be consulted when installing a channel letter sign. They will ensure it is installed safely and complies with local zoning regulations while offering advice on its maintenance needs, such as frequency of cleaning and maintenance. A well-kept channel letter sign can improve business visibility while drawing customers in; however damaged signage could send out negative signals if repaired late; therefore it’s wise to invest the time in maintaining it regularly.
