Please read this first before ordering your letters!

Important things to consider before ordering your sign letters

What size letters do you want?

Really Big Ones - Most people want the largest letter that looks good in the space they have available for the sign.  A common error,  for example, is wanting  a 23 letters and spaces name "The Reallylongword Shop" in 12" letters and having only 12' of space to fit them in.  Rule of Thumb - Your average letter needs an equal amount of space in width as it does in height - so a 12" letter would need 12" in width.  The exceptions are narrow condensed fonts which use less space and wide fonts that would require more space.  The example above with 21 letters and 2 spaces would need about 23', not counting the space needed on each end  of the sign. So be sure to measure the space where your sign goes before ordering your letters and if you are in doubt about what size letter you need, just give us a call.  It's a good idea to consult a designer if you want to be sure that your sign will look just right - give theSignShop.com a call or send us an email with a photo of your building -  we can help.

What about the letters visibility?

What affects visibility - Size and Color.  Click here for a Size Visibility Chart
For maximum visibility you need the largest size letter that will look good on your space, with a good contrasting color. One of the best color contrast combinations is a black letter on a yellow background; this may look fine on a traffic sign, but you probably want something a little more pleasing to the eye.  Rule of Thumb - Use darker letters on light backgrounds and light letters on dark background.  Red letters on a red brick wall might be a poor choice if you want people to be able to read your sign.  It is better to use white or a very light color letter on medium color background for better visibility.

What font or letter style should you use?  

Fancy, plain, or somewhere in between.  If your business sells children's clothes you may want a more casual letter like Comic Sans Bold, and if you have a professional type business you probably should use a more conservative font like Helvetica or Times Bold.  There are plenty of choices available to suit every type of business and budget.  

Metal or Plastic Letters?

Metal letters are more expensive, but give a feeling of quality, class, and stability. The price is easily justified by their quality and permanence.  Metal letters are often the choice for Doctors, Lawyers, Architects, Professionals, Public Buildings, Schools, Clothiers, and other upscale businesses.  Standard fonts as well as custom letters and logos are available in metal.

Injection Molded Plastic "Minnesota™" Letters are a great choice if you are on a tighter budget but still want a look similar to painted metal letters.  Their crisp edges and precise molding give them an outstanding appearance.

Formed Plastic Letters are a great choice since they offer a large variety of fonts, size options, as well as durability and economy .  Custom formed letters and symbols are available, including very large sizes.

What surface will you mount your letters on and what mounting method should be used?

Installing your letters is not a difficult task if you take in consideration the wall surface and the mounting methods suitable for that surface.  Below are some questions and answers on what mounting methods that you can use.

Can you drill holes in the surface?  There may be reasons why you may not want to drill holes, like:
-you are are renting and your landlord will not allow it
- the surface is too hard (like stainless steel)
- the letters are small and light weight and you would rather just glue them.

If you cannot drill then you can use a plain mount method or a pad mount.  
With the plain mount you could use silicone adhesive and glue the letter to the wall. Foam filled letters for gluing are available for letters up to 9" - call for a price.   
The preferred method for gluing hollow back letters would be the pad mount. With the pad mount the silicone adhesive is applied to the pads.  The pads are plastic disks on the rear of the letters.  Adjustable pads or flush pads are available.  Adjustable pads are useful on un-even surfaces like metal siding.

Most surfaces can be drilled like - wood, brick, metal siding, stucco, and sheet rock. Drilling in wood, metal siding and sheet rock just requires a regular drill.  Drilling in brick or stucco is best done with a rotary hammer drill, which can be rented if you do not own one.

Flange mounting is available for formed plastic letters 6" or larger.  This consist of a flat surface around the perimeter of the return of the letter which is about 3/16" to 1/2" wide, in which holes can be drilled and screws are used to secure the letter.

For more detailed instructions for installing letters with studs and pads click here.  

The most common letter installation method is the plain stud mount which requires drilling holes into the wall surface.  As you can see from the photo the letter just has threaded rods coming out of the back of the letter.  This is the best method for letters that are to be mounted flush to the wall.  The mounting holes are drilled through the supplied paper drilling pattern and silicone is applied to the studs.  

A stud/pad combination letter mounting method is available if you do not want to or cannot drill all the holes.  Due to the surface you may not be able to drill in every spot or you may want to just drill in a mortar joint, with studs on the top and pads on the bottom.  Please specify if you want the studs to line up with a brick or block mortar joint.

A combination all letter mounting method makes use of the threaded studs with a pad screwed onto it.  This can be used if you want your letters to stand off from the wall a bit, or if you are installing on an un-even surface like a metal sided building.  It also provides a larger gluing area.  Please specify if you want the studs to line up with a brick or block mortar joint.