Three backings
Every sign is mounted on acrylic. You choose its shape in the designer, and the stage draws exactly what you’ve chosen.
- Cut to shape follows the outline of your letters with a small margin. On the wall it almost disappears, so the sign looks like light drawn straight onto the paint. It is the default, and the one most people pick for homes.
- Rectangle mounts the sign on a clean panel held off the wall on standoffs. It looks deliberate and graphic, keeps fiddly script tidy, and is easier to hang level.
- Table stand builds a foot into the acrylic so the sign stands on its own on a shelf, counter or bar. No holes in the wall at all.
Five finishes
The acrylic can be clear, black, white, gold mirror or silver mirror. Clear is included and suits almost everything. The others change the character of the sign:
- Black makes the sign pop on a pale wall and hides the cable route. Very good on a rectangle in a bar.
- White looks crisp and gallery-like on a white or pastel wall, and softens the off-state.
- Gold or silver mirror doubles the glow and catches the room. They are glamorous on a wedding backdrop or a salon wall, and they look striking even when the sign is off.
Coloured finishes cost a little more than clear. The designer shows the difference next to each one, and the demo above shows it at Medium.
How each one looks switched off
A sign spends a lot of its life switched off, so it is worth thinking about the daytime look. Cut to shape on clear acrylic is the most discreet: by day you see the white or tinted tube and very little else. A rectangle reads as a deliberate panel, more like a framed print, and a black or white rectangle looks finished even with the light off. A mirror finish reflects the room, so by day it behaves a little like a mirror with lettering on it.
The stand changes the way a sign is used rather than how it looks. Because it doesn’t need a wall, it can move from a shelf to a sideboard to a party table, and it is the easiest backing to take with you when you move house.
Which backing for which room?
- Bedrooms and living rooms: cut to shape, clear. It lets the words do the talking.
- Bars, cafés and shops: a rectangle in black, or clear for a light wall. It reads as a sign rather than decoration.
- Weddings and events: cut to shape or rectangle on chains, often in a mirror finish for photographs; a stand for a top table.
- Shelves, counters and kids’ rooms: a table stand. Easy to move, nothing to drill.
Backing and size
The backing adds a margin around the tube, so the overall size of the sign is a little bigger than the lettering alone. A rectangle adds more than cut to shape. The designer includes the backing in the width and height it shows, and so does the proof drawing, so the measurement you approve is the real outside edge.
Looking after the acrylic
All the backings are acrylic, which is lighter and tougher than glass but scratches more easily. Dust it with a dry microfibre cloth and use a barely damp cloth for marks, never glass cleaner or anything containing alcohol or ammonia. Mirror finishes show fingerprints more than clear, so handle them by the edges when you hang the sign.
Choosing a finish, quickly
- Is the wall pale and the room calm? Clear acrylic, cut to shape.
- Is the sign for a business, or does it need to read from a distance? A rectangle in black.
- Will it be photographed a lot, at a wedding or in a salon? A gold or silver mirror.
- Does it need to sit on a shelf or move about? A table stand.
Still torn? Start with clear and cut to shape. It is the most versatile combination, and it is included in the price.
How each backing hangs
Cut to shape and rectangle signs hang with wall screws and standoffs, hanging chains or, if small and light, adhesive strips. The stand needs nothing at all. Our installation guide walks through each method.