Channel Letters – Illuminated And Halo Effect Sign Fabrication Company NYC
Channel letters are one of the most widely used signs in New York. In the city that never sleeps, it is vital for brands to be visible to potential clients during both day and night. Their radiant illumination combined with durable build quality are just a few of the many reasons that Channel letters are the #1 sign used in the industry. At Signs NYC we can fabricate Channel letters that will make a lasting first impression that will ensure your business gets noticed from anywhere.
What Are Channel Letters?
Channel letters, commonly referred to as illuminated letters, are a large set of CNC cut characters that are joined together to make a sign. They consist of four parts, the face, return, back, and the lighting element.
- The face of the channel letter is the front and are often made of a translucent material like acrylic. A translucent face allows light to shine through the letters when lit.
- The return of a letter is the side of the letter, but often referred to as it’s depth. The back of a channel letter is the part of the sign that when mounted, faces the surface of the building.
- The back of a channel letter can be aluminium or acrylic. This depends on where the sign will be lit from. A back lit sign will have acrylic on the rear of the letters instead of on the face.
- The lighting element is the way the channel letter is illuminated. Channel letters are most commonly lit using LED modules which are energy efficient and cost effective. Another unique option available is to insert neon tubes into the channel letters. This is known in the industry as exposed neon channel letters.
Types Of Channel Letters
There are several types of channel letter signs available at Signs NYC, which can be customized to your choice, some are as follows. At Signs NYC we offer a variety of Channel letters fully customized to fit your brand’s personality. The main categories of channel letters are:
Front-lit Channel Letters
The most popular sign among retailers and businesses in New York City and New Jersey. While they look similar to other letters, front lit letters can be identified by their translucent face. Front lit channel letters have the brightest glow and can be noticed from great distances.
Combination-Lit Channel Letters
If you cannot decide between front and back lit, just get both. By combining the features of both front-lit and back-lit channel letters, you can create a one-of-a-kind sign that will be sure to draw attention.
Back-Lit Channel Letters
As the name suggests, back-lit channel letters are illuminated from behind. LED lights are fixed behind the letters, upon the surface where they are installed. Back lit letters have clear acrylic on the back which causes the light to reflect off the letters, creating a halo effect around the sign.
Open Face Channel Letters
Instead of LED lights inside, Open face channel letters are usually fitted with exposed neon tubing, with several color options. Open faced channel letters are ideal when trying to achieve a vintage, rustic look.
Benefits Of Channel Letters
Being the industry’s most demanded sign, Channel letters offer great benefits like:
- Customization: Channel letters can be customized to any shape, size, font, color, lighting, and mounting method, tailored to your brand.
- Low maintenance: Channel letters are an ideal one-time investment that’s low risk when it comes to maintenance and replacements. The LEDs are also a sustainable light source that do not demand much power.
- Durability: Channel letters are known for their durability. A well-maintained set of channel letters will last for upwards of 10 years, and our LED lights will last from 3-5 years or more.
- Visibility- No sign comes close to the brightness a set of channel letters have. Channel letters will guarantee curb appeal and get clients in the door.
Material Options
Signs can be made from all kinds of materials, making them one of the most customizable and distinctive looking signs you can use in your building or other place of business. All that needs to occur is that the sign is placed off of the wall in some way.
Acrylic
This material acrylic can have the same crystal, glossy finish as glass for channel letters, but is much more lightweight and stable. If your channel letters sign is going to be outdoors or in a heavily trafficked area, this is a good material to consider.
Polycarbonate Sheet
Polycarbonate is a high quality, UV-resistant thermoplastic sheet material which is solid than acrylic and it is used for channel letters both electrical and non-electrical signage.
Brass
Brass has a long-lasting, attractive look that can make a big impact when used for custom channel letters and signs.
Aluminum
Aluminum is a high-yielding and easily custom-make material to create a durable, high-quality custom channel letter signs by combining cutting-edge technology with different methods.
Lighting Options
Signs NYC offers LED lighting options for channel letters that give significantly improved optical performance and cost savings over other lit signs. LED lights are used to save energy, are quicker to install, need less maintenance, and deliver more constant brightness and uniformity across your channel letter signs. Following are the lightning options we provide:
LED Lights
LED lights are the ideal choice for small, medium, and large channel letters because of their quality, endurance, and innovation, giving brilliant, consistent light in a variety of colors.
RGB LED Lights
RGB stands for Red, Green, and Blue. RGB LED refers to LEDs that emit light in these colors, often known as color-changing lights. They are used if you want to create a look that is modern and deluxe.
Channel Letters Customization Options
- Acrylic – We provide made in USA Acrylic from top manufacturers such as Plexiglass and Cyro industries. One thing to consider is that some colors are better at transmitting light than others. The most popular colors for a letters face are red, blue, yellow, and white. These are not your only choices, as we do offer custom-coloured faces as well.
- Letter height – We are a custom Sign manufacturer and can fabricate channel letters to fit any space for indoor and outdoor application. Letters can range in height from 4” to 48”. Although, most channel letters are between 18” and 24” high. If you need help deciding, see our distance and visibility page here.
- Letter depth – Some projects demand illuminated letters with a custom thickness. 5” depth letters are the industry standard. However, we offer letter depth ranging from 2” up to 12”.
- Lighting – LED’s are a modern, long lasting, bright, lighting option. We carry a LED lights in a variety of colors. We also offer RGB LED lights.
- Letter return – The sheet metal we use to fabricate channel letters come in 10+ stock colors. For custom colors please contact us directly.
Industries That Use Channel Letters
In recent years, the popularity of these signs are increasing in New York and New Jersey. Many businesses need to be seen at night, so they use illuminated letters because even if your business is closed, the channel letters will display your message at all hours. You can commonly find channel letters at:
Designer Clothing Retailers
Custom channel letters are popular in NYC designer clothing outlets for their professional appearance and durability.
Restaurants
Back-lit channel letters are used for displaying restaurant names to gain attention even on a crowded and busy street.
Bars & Lounges
Illuminated channel letters are popularly used for bars and lounges because of their appealing look and high visibility power at night time.
Small Businesses
Channel letters are a common choice for small businesses and retailers because it is a one-time investment that benefits the business in the long term.
Gyms
Customized channel letters are used outside gyms and fitness centers because their bright glow is easily noticeable even from a far distance.
Shopping Malls
Lighted channel letters are popularly used in shopping malls because of their appealing look and ability to attract customers.
How Businesses Across NYC Use Channel Letters?
Nearly all major corporations use channel letters in some way, because channel letters – unlike many other types of signs – are one of the easiest to read from any distance, and provide backlit lighting so that your business name can be seen both during the day and at night. Every lighted letter can be customized with the right font or colors, so that it still represents the brand you’re trying to put forward. Yet compared to other large signs, these backlit letters also ensure that no matter the weather, lighting, or direction you see the sign, you can always make out the letters and words. It’s because of the way these channel letters are able to capture attention that you’ll find companies use them for a variety of purposes:
- Company Name – These signs are most commonly used as a way to advertise the store name. Most major companies use channel letters to craft signs that tell others where their store is located, and are especially useful if your store has become a well known brand.
- Company Services/Products – Many others use these signs to advertise their products, like “BAGELS,” “PHARMACY” or “PIZZA.” When your brand isn’t as well known or you are trying to compete for business from those that walk by, channel letters for your products or services can be a great way to capture people’s attention.
What are the methods to Mount Channel Letters?
Apart from our options, there are also several mounting options well that affect the appearance of your channel letters. The main methods are:
- Raceway Mount: The Sign is installed on a metal strip, or raceway. The raceway is fabricated using stock colors, so there are plenty of options to choose from. The raceway makes it easier to hide the power supply and wiring of the letters. Moreover, using a raceway minimizes the number of holes drilled into the building.
- Direct or Flush Mount: Direct mounting prominently displays letters and logos by directly attaching the channel letters to the facade of any building using non-corrosive fasteners.
- Cabinet Mount: A Cabinet mount is made using a backer panel or a metal cabinet that is larger than the letters height. The power supply and wires are hidden in the backer panel or behind the wall that the panel is connected to.
Contact Us Today for Channel Letters
Ordering Channel letters is an easy process. You can start by giving us the details of your project. If you don’t know what you are looking for yet, No problem. Once you reach out, you will be paired with one of our sign experts who can walk you through every step of the signage process. We speak signs.
- Once we get a better understanding of the scope of work, one of our team members will send you a detailed estimate in a timely manner.
- The next step involves mock-ups and proofs. Before we begin production, one of our designers will send you a rendering of the sign so you will know how the finished sign will look. At this stage, you are welcome to make any changes until you approve it.
- Upon your approval we will start making the sign. Our in-house fabrication team is extremely efficient and we are able to meet most deadlines. All you need to do is tell us where to send the signs.
