When a construction project breaks ground or a new tenant takes over an empty commercial site, customers are always eager to know what’s coming to their community. Is it their local bank, a favorite grocery store, exciting new restaurant, respected medical facility, or brand-new shopping center?
If only there were a sign.
When you’re ready to announce your company’s arrival or just want to upgrade to a bold and professional company sign, channel letter signs are one of the absolute best ways to display your business name and logo clearly. They can be seen from a distance, and they help identify your business during the day or night.
Let’s examine how channel letter signs work, the three types of channel letter signs available, and their many benefits.
What Are Channel Letter Signs?
Channel letter signs are illuminated exterior signs that can be mounted onto nearly any kind of developed property or building and typically display letters, numbers, logos, or pictures. You’ll find lit channel letters on:
- Schools
- Hospitals
- Restaurants
- Performance venues
- Sports facilities
- Retailers
- Office parks
- Business towers
They come in a wide variety of materials, mountings, and display options, so choosing the right one can help your business stand out from the competition.
Channel letter signs are often made from durable aluminum sheeting with an acrylic face and are illuminated with LED lights or neon bulbs to ensure they’re well seen in all conditions. Channel letter signs are designed to withstand various weather conditions with minimum maintenance or repairs needed to the aluminum or steel frame, durable trim cap, or mounting materials.
Mounting options for channel letter signs include:
- Flush mounted directly onto the façade of a building
- Raceway mounted onto a metal strip to hide each letter’s wiring and power supplies
- Backer panel mounted onto a large metal box that is larger than the channel letters and contains the power supply and wiring.
Three Types of Channel Letter Signs
1. Face Lit
The most common type of channel letter sign is a face lit sign, also known as a front-lit sign. Face lit signs are lit channel letters that shine brightly from the front acrylic face, with power supplies concealed behind the exterior signage. Face lit signs are a popular choice because the acrylic face is durable but can easily be removed if neon bulbs or LED modules need to be replaced.
2. Reverse Lit (or Halo Lit)
Reverse lit channel letters, also called back-lit or halo-lit, work by reflecting light from neon bulbs or LED lights to the back wall that it’s mounted on for a reflective halo effect. Instead of an acrylic face, reverse-lit channel letters have an aluminum face to better reflect light back and strengthen the halo effect. Some opt for the reverse-lit channel lights because of the eye-catching effects created by different textures, colors, and shadows.
3. Face and Reverse Lit Combination
Finally, businesses can choose a combination of face and reverse-lit channel letter signs for a striking, professional look that catches people’s eye at all hours of the day. Face and reverse-lit channel letter signs offer an abundance of options and different lighting profiles to highlight the business name in the best possible way.
Why Businesses Should Choose Channel Letter Signs
Channel letter signs are one of the best possible exterior signs a company can choose because of their size, longevity, artistic and creative flexibility, and ability to identify a business in many kinds of weather conditions clearly. Companies that invest in quality channel letter signs can be assured that their signage will be clear and bright in the rain, fog, hazy weather, or night.
Our channel letter signs are designed, installed, and maintained with the utmost professionalism. They are also mounted in a safe, secure way and cause minimal impact to the building itself. Our high-performance, long-lasting materials help ensure that the channel letter signs promote your company and attract customers for years to come.
Discover Our Gallery of Channel Letter Signs
National Signs offers a wide range of channel letter signs that capture attention and promote your company’s brand, constructed of durable materials and designed to withstand various weather conditions. To see a variety of examples of our channel letter signs, visit our gallery today.
