Built Up Lettering that Creates Impact

Signage can comprise a wide range of materials, forms, and styles to generate a coherent message. But one of the most significant elements of a sign that impacts the final form is the actual lettering used and how letters present and relay the message. Many signs are simply flat, but built-up letters are more three-dimensional, and that is part of their aesthetic appeal.

Built-up letters can be made using a range of materials and can be created in many different styles. Whether you are using acrylic, brushed or polished stainless steel, powder coated steel, or aluminium, you are sure to make an impact. These signs can be lit with LED’s to illuminate the front, sides or the back with halo styling, or left unlit depending upon the effect required.

Built-up letter design can be achieved through a variety of manufacturing processes and with a combination of materials, type-faces, lighting and after-effects. In fact, built-up lettering can be achieved in such a variety of ways that it is a texting style that is being used in a growing number of applications. Typically, materials are chosen depending upon the application that it is required for; indoor applications can be made of almost anything appropriate, whereas any sign that is likely to be exposed to the elements usually requires some weather-proofing and special finishes to ensure resistance to damage. And whether used internally or externally, built-up letters lend themselves to illumination, most commonly through LED lighting technologies. Illuminated sign types are becoming more common as a way of grabbing attention. Backlit LED-lighting offers a suitable solution with redundancy as the light is made up of many hundreds of lights. If one LED light fails, there will be several hundred still operating.

Materials like unprotected steel or aluminium might not be suitable in external environments as there is more potential for damage and corrosion. Protection for external signs varies according to the material. The best protection for steel is to use a stainless-steel material, which features a thin film coating and is very resistant to corrosion, providing the film remains in-tact.

The key to achieving a quality built-up lettering finish is to ensure it sits comfortably within its background and surroundings. Modern manufacturing techniques mean that regardless of the type-face, shapes can be precision cut from sheets of material and fixed together with strip material to create a self-supporting structure that can be affixed to the front of a store or office building for maximum impact. That not only makes the signs more durable and long-lasting, but more cost-effective, giving more choice to architects, specifiers and contractors.

Vita Student Birmingham External Sign