Channel letters are three-dimensional metal or plastic letters used as outdoor signage on public buildings and commercial corporations to draw customers towards your brand and business.
Front-lit signs provide illumination from the front, while reverse/halo-lit signs feature aluminum returns with acrylic back panels to give them an elegant appearance. Both styles come with various font styles and sizes available for customization.
LED Channel Letters
LED channel letters are an eye-catching way to set your business apart from its competition, offering highly customizable designs with back lighting for nighttime visibility and increased brand recognition. Plus, their durable construction can withstand weather or vandalism damage without incurring additional costs for outdoor signage solutions.
When lighting up an LED strip channel, it’s essential to consider how much light can pass through it. Matte coating has become the go-to choice as it enables more scattering of light, creating a balance between transmission and luminosity.
Consideration should also be given to the thickness and size of an LED aluminum channel. Thicker aluminum may be lighter and stronger, yet more costly, while its thickness can affect how much heat is generated by an LED strip channel. For optimal lighting in channel letter signs, thicker aluminum LED strip channels may provide optimal results.
Formed Channel Letters
Channel letters are three-dimensional graphic sign elements that can be illuminated from either the front, back, or both surfaces of a channel letter “can. Constructed using sheet metal (usually aluminum because it doesn’t rust), channel letters can be cut using computer controlled routers, laser cutters, water jets or water jets and then the side returns are formed from strips that fit around both its back and face to create its distinctive “can”.
LED’s are often chosen over neon lighting to illuminate letters as they are more energy efficient and therefore provide cost savings over time.
Formed channel signs offer a sleek and polished appearance when compared to other sign types, making them the perfect solution for businesses that wish to increase brand recognition in the community or attract new customers. They are also more durable than traditional dimensional letters, providing long-lasting signage solutions – making for one of the most recognized forms of building signage.
Forged Aluminum Channel Letters
Formed aluminum signs are lightweight yet sturdy materials, making them an excellent option for large graphics or letters where casting patterns may be cost prohibitive. With various thicknesses and finishes to choose from, forged aluminum signs offer great versatility when it comes to signage needs.
Forged channel letters come in various font styles, sizes, and colors to meet a wide range of business needs. Some models feature front lighting while others may require back or halo illumination for optimal use. Front-lit channel letters usually feature polycarbonate or acrylic faces that emit light through both their letters and surrounding trim – these features usually incorporate cut vinyl letters for coloring elements if the letter is transparent while transparent letters require either colored frosted plastic outlines.
Reverse lit combination channel letters combine aluminum front with transparent Lexan back that diffuses light through it for an attractive halo effect, often seen on tall buildings and storefronts. They can be mounted using raceway mount, flush mount, backer mount or backer with backer being the optimal option to maximize effectiveness of the halo lighting effect. These signs can also be illuminated using LED backlighting which keeps wiring and power supplies out of sight while optimizing effectiveness of halo illumination.
Formed Plastic Channel Letters
Formed plastic channel letters are an attractive outdoor signage choice due to their lively appearance. Available in an array of fonts and sizes to meet the needs of any brand, these durable letters can also withstand harsh weather conditions without deformation or flaking over time.
These signs typically feature a custom-fabricated metal pan that holds their power supplies and wiring, with a plastic molded cover snapping over to keep pests and harsh weather out. It may feature flat, round, or prismatic designs and made of translucent light-diffusing colored plastic to allow it to shine brightly when illuminated by bright lighting sources.
Reverse-lit channel letters are an increasingly popular type of formed channel letter sign, featuring opaque front panels and back lighting that radiates out from each letter to illuminate your business backdrop and create an elegant silhouette for it. Their lighting effect mimics that of neon signs while being more cost effective due to no bulbs needing replacement.
