Since the late 19th century, electric signage has been a part of our culture. Illuminated markers have been doing an excellent job of catching the eyes of clients and identifying companies for more than a century – from light bulbs to neon tubing to acrylic or plastic cabinet signs. These days, one of the most requested illuminated signage options is channel letters for San Diego.
What Are Channel Letters?
Channel letter signs are made up of dimensional, lit letters made out of aluminum. They begin as hollow “cans” in the shape of letters. They are somewhat similar to alphabet cookie cutters. Lighting components are connected to the inside of these metal cans. These letters are often lit with neon or LED lights. The open face of the letter is then typically covered with acrylic. There are a few variations on this general theme:
Standard Channel Letter Signs – This is the basic design described above. The light shines directly out from the letter through an acrylic or plastic face. You can go with standard white letters, or we can use colored acrylic to include your brand’s specific color palette into the lettering.
Exposed Channel Letter Signs – With these letters, you can actually see the lighting component. This is because a clear acrylic face is used instead of an opaque one. The name is a bit of a misnomer because you do not want to leave the face of your letters uncovered. The clear acrylic protects your marker from birds looking for a place to nest. Evicting bugs and pigeons from around your lights can be a hassle. The acrylic face protects against this.
Push-thru Channel Letter Signs – All of the other kinds of channel letters can be installed independently of any sort of backer. However, with push-thrus, the lettering appears to be pushed through the backer. Whereas when letters are installed on a raceway, the raceway is meant to be inconspicuous, push-thru channel letters incorporate the backing into the overall appearance. The sign back will have the shape of the letters to produce the look of a stencil.
Reverse Lit or Halo Channel Letter Signs – The face of the letter is covered with metal with this type of lettering. The back is left open to let light shine out. The letters are then mounted about an inch or two away from the façade of the building to allow for the light to create a halo effect.
Which Style Is Best?
Any of the above alternatives would work perfectly for bringing in new clients to your company. Humans are naturally attracted to motion, color, and light, so having vibrantly colored illuminated channel letters for your storefront will be effective at letting consumers know where you are. This is why you see the big franchises and corporations using channel letter signs. It would not be used by the titans of industry if it did not work!
Contact All Star Signs today for a free consultation and quote if you are interested in putting up channel letters on your shop. We would love to help you build your clientele!
