LED signs aren’t sold off a price list, because no two sites are the same. A small sign in a shop window and a double-sided pylon beside a highway are very different jobs. What you pay comes down to a handful of choices. Once you know them, you can plan a sign that suits your budget and compare quotes properly.
This guide covers outdoor LED signs and pylon signs, indoor LED displays and full colour LED screens.
The size of the screen
Size makes the biggest difference. A bigger screen needs more LED panels, more power supplies and a bigger frame to hold them. The right size depends on how far away people read the sign and how fast they pass: drivers on a main road need bigger letters than people walking past a shop. Our guide to what size LED sign you need goes through it step by step.
Pixel pitch
Pixel pitch is the gap between the lights, in millimetres. A smaller pitch packs more lights into each square metre, which gives a sharper picture up close and costs more. As a rough rule, the pitch in millimetres is about the distance in metres from which the picture looks smooth. A roadside sign read from across the road can use a larger pitch than a foyer screen that people stand right in front of.
See pixel pitch explained, or try different sizes and pitches in our pixel pitch planner.
Single colour or full colour
Single colour signs show red text and numbers. They suit messages, opening hours and notices, and they keep the cost down. Full colour signs show logos, photos and video, and cost more for the same size. Single colour or full colour LED sign? will help you choose.
Indoor or outdoor
An outdoor sign has to cope with sun, rain, dust and heat, so it needs to be sealed, and much brighter so the message reads in direct sun. Our FA2 outdoor range is sealed to IP68 and runs without fans or air conditioning in temperatures up to 55 degrees. An indoor screen doesn’t need that, but people often see it up close, so it usually needs a finer pitch.
Read more in outdoor LED signs and IP ratings and how bright an outdoor LED sign should be.
One side or two
A double-sided sign has a screen on each face, so traffic from both directions sees the message. That means two screens, so it costs more than a single-sided sign of the same size.
The structure and the site
The sign has to be held up. A pylon sign stands on its own footings and is often lifted into place with a crane truck. A building sign is fixed to a shopfront, wall or fascia. An entry statement may have its own frame and cladding. The height, the ground and how easily a truck can get in all play a part.
A permanent sign also needs power where it stands. If you want to change the message from anywhere, through online software such as VNNOX or LED-Cloud, the sign needs an internet connection too. Signs you update over their own Wi-Fi, from a phone or computer nearby, don’t.
Installation
Our own team installs the signs we build, in Perth, regional WA and interstate. For a pylon sign or a large screen, installation is a big part of the job, so photos of the site help us quote it accurately. Warranties run from 1 to 5 years, depending on the product, so check what each quote includes.
Approvals
Many outdoor LED signs need council approval, and signs near main roads may also need approval from the road authority, such as Main Roads WA. We help with the application as part of the job, at no extra cost. Read our state by state guide to LED sign approval, or our guide to council approval in WA.
Software and running costs
The software to change your message is free. ViPlex Express for NovaStar signs and LedArt for HD signs are both free downloads, and our guide to sign software shows which one your sign uses. Day to day, the main running cost is power. A sign that dims at night uses less, and it’s easier on drivers and neighbours too.
Buy, finance or hire
You can buy a sign outright, or spread the cost with Ledge Finance and start using it straight away. If you only need a sign for an event or a season, hiring may suit you better. We hire out LED signs for anything from half a day to months or years, and deliver anywhere in Australia. A longer hire also lets you try a sign before you buy one. See what affects the cost of LED sign and VMS hire.
How to get an accurate quote
Send us:
- a few photos of the spot, with a rough measurement or two;
- what the sign needs to show, such as text, a logo or video;
- how far away people will be, and whether they’re walking or driving;
- whether you want to change the message on site or from anywhere.
We’ll come back with a size, a drawing and a free quote. Call Aaron on 0416 053 335 or the office on (08) 9335 7944, or use our contact page.
