Instant Custom Signs – Drew Brims' Blog

Last time we talked about channel lettering. The second part of the fascia sign trifactor is the illuminated sign box. There can actually be some overlap between channel letters and sign boxes. Sometimes a designer will create a design for a sign box that extends beyond a regular rectangular box and becomes an odd shape to accommodate the outline of a logo. This is true “thinking outside the box”. These projects show that we are not restricted to just a rectangle and everything has to fit neatly inside. Signs like this will be more noticed than your garden-variety rectangular box. It’s something to consider when creating your brand image – more expensive than the rectangle, but much more effective in attracting attention. Isn’t this the reason for putting up a sign anyway? To be noticed above the competition?

So, let’s start at the top of the scale – Channel letters. Usually 5-6” deep with an acrylic face and internally illuminated. These used to be predominantly lit by Neon tubes but the expense of keeping Neon working has soured many people on that product. Many manufacturers refuse to make Neon – lit signs any more because of the potential for damage before the sign is even installed.

I often think of a fascia sign as the headline on the front page of a newspaper. At the top is the name of the newspaper in bold lettering and below is the day’s headline. This is how your sign should look.