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The main types of outdoor business sign are LED signs and digital billboards, lightboxes, built-up acrylic letters, standoff letters, cut-out and folded aluminium tray signs, metal signs, post-mounted signs, shopfront awnings and bulb-lit letters. Of these, only an LED sign lets you change the message whenever you like.
Walk down any main street and you will see a dozen kinds of business sign. Some are lit and some are not. Some show the same name for twenty years, and some change every few seconds. Here are ten common types of outdoor sign, what each one is, and where it suits a business.
1. LED signs and digital billboards
An LED sign is made from a grid of small lights that together show text, images or video. Full colour signs use red, green and blue LEDs in each pixel, while single colour signs, usually red, show text and numbers. The big advantage is that you can change the message any time from a phone or laptop. They suit pylons, shopfronts, building walls and roadside sites: anywhere you want to say more than your name.
2. Lightboxes
A lightbox is a box of acrylic or metal with LED lights inside and a printed face on the front. It is a simple way to make a name or logo visible at night, but the message is fixed. To change it, you print a new face.
3. Built-up acrylic letters
Each letter is cut separately and built up from acrylic, with LED modules inside or behind it, so the letter glows. It gives a clean, modern look to a shop or office name.
4. Standoff letters
Standoff letters sit a little off the wall, which casts a shadow and makes them stand out. They can be made from metal or acrylic and are often lit from behind, so the wall glows around each letter.
5. Cut-out aluminium tray signs
An aluminium tray with the letters cut out and LED lights behind them, so only the lettering glows. Aluminium does not rust easily, so these signs keep their looks outdoors.
6. Folded aluminium tray signs with vinyl
A folded aluminium panel with printed vinyl graphics on the face. These are usually unlit and are a common choice for building fascias and shopfront panels.
7. Metal signs
Signs made from brass or stainless steel, sometimes with acrylic and LED lighting built in. They suit offices, hotels and businesses that want a more formal look.
8. Post-mounted signs
Panels fixed to one or more posts. They are often used for road signs, directions and safety signs, and for business names at the entry to a site.
9. Shopfront awnings
Many cafes, restaurants and shops print their name or logo on the awning over the entry. It doubles as shade, but it can only carry a name and a few words.
10. Bulb-lit letters
Vintage style letters lit by rows of bulbs or LED lights. They are hard to miss and suit bars, theatres and venues with a retro feel.
Which one suits your business?
It depends on what the sign has to do. If it only needs to show your name, a lightbox, built-up letters or a tray sign may be all you need. If you want to tell people what is on today, show new stock or change the message at night, you need a sign you can update, and that means an LED sign.
Many businesses use both: a fixed sign for the name, and an LED sign underneath it or on a pylon for the messages. Many outdoor signs need council approval, so check before you order. Our guide to council approval for LED signs explains what usually applies in WA.
Where we can help
We design and build outdoor LED signs and pylon signs at our workshop in Welshpool: pylon signs, building and wall signs, entry statements and double-sided signs, in single colour or full colour. Our FA2 outdoor range is sealed to IP68 against dust and heavy rain and reaches more than 10,000 nits for direct sun. For roads and work sites, we also have portable and fixed LED safety signs.
Send us a photo of your shopfront or site and tell us what the sign needs to say, and we will suggest a size and a design. Get a free quote, or call Aaron on 0416 053 335 or the office on (08) 9335 7944.
