Sign Cabinets: Inexpensive Lighted Building Signs.
Posted by Drew Kyler on Fri, May 20, 2011 @ 10:57 AM
Sign cabinets are the most inexpensive way to add an illuminated sign to your business. There are several different types of sign cabinets that can be used. Sign cabinets are a great way to attract attention to your business during the day and at night in an inexpensive and effective way.
The first thing to consider is if your landlord will allow you to install a sign cabinet on your business. Some landlords have very strict sign criteria’s that prevent the use of sign cabinets. Additionally some cities restrict the use of cabinets for some areas within the city limits. Sign cabinets may sometimes be referred to as light boxes.
The most common type of sign cabinet is 9” deep and can be built to almost any size. A sign cabinet is made from aluminum with a retainer system to hold a white acrylic or lexan face onto the front. The light from florescent lamps passes through the face allowing the sign to light up at night. Vinyl graphics are applied to the face to display your business name, logo, etc. The vinyl can be digitally printed for full color designs or cut from vinyl for monochromatic designs.
Another type of sign cabinet is a 5” deep LED (light emitting diode) illuminated cabinet. These are becoming more popular in the sign industry because of their shallow depth. They can also be built to almost any size. These types of cabinets are also fabricated from aluminum. One major difference is the face of the cabinet is also aluminum. The aluminum face is router cut to meet your sign design. Once the face has been cut, you have two options. One is to back the holes in the face with acrylic creating a flush look. The other option is to insert half inch acrylic “push-throughs” into the holes in the face giving your design some dimension away from the face. In either event the light from the LED’s shines through the holes in the face, allowing the sign to light up.
There is no debating the fact that an illuminated sign is eye catching and an effective way to get your business noticed. Sign cabinets are one of the most ineffective ways to do just that. There are many types of sign cabinets that can be built custom to your needs. As always with signage, a great sign design is key.
