Sign Terminology Glossary

3D letters: Signage letters that give the appearance of a 3-dimensional image; typically used to give the letters extra visual appeal. Can be made from wood, plastic or metal.

A-frames: A stand-alone, portable sign stand that allows the replacement of the sign message or graphics. Can also contain dry-erase board or chalk board surface (see also, Sandwich boards, Sidewalk signs).

Acrylic Signs: Acrylic signs are made from a durable plastic and come in a wide range of colors as well as clear and frosted. Plastic acrylic signage is extremely popular in upscale settings such as corporate offices and retail shops as they have a high-end look.

Address Plates: Usually engraved metal or bronze, address plates are commonly located next to front doors at both commercial and residential properties.

Alumalite Signs: Alumalite is a strong, aluminum composite metal sign panel with a high density, copolymer corrugated plastic core. Similar in construction to Dibond, Alumalite has two factory-painted sheets of aluminum permanently bonded to both sides of a corrugated plastic core, sandwiching the plastic panel in between.

Aluminum Signs: Custom aluminum signs are strong, light-weight and among the most durable of all sign materials.

ARMOUR-Wood: A sign panel (also called a “substrate”) that is made up of a solid wood core that is factory sealed with an aluminum “armour” plate shield on both sides.

Banner Flags: Vinyl banners typically in the shape of large teardrops or feathers mounted on poles used to market goods and services.

Banner Rails: Banner rails are an extremely popular option for custom banner display. With banner rails, you are able to hang your vinyl banner from the ceiling or an overhead pole.

Banner Stands: Mounting devices that display outdoor, indoor, tradeshow, and other types of banners.

Banner Wrap: A vinyl banner sign wrapped around two large posts which stand at a distance from one another. The banner wrap imitates a large solid sign.

Bar Signs: Custom bar signs are usually vintage aluminum and are completely customizable. They are typically personalized to decorate a home bar.

Bevel: A beveled edge is custom cut so that it does not form a right angle, but rather an aesthetically pleasing curve.

Boat Lettering: Boat lettering is easily applied flat to the painted finish of your boat. Vinyl boat lettering is available in a wide range of colors and boat graphics are available in nearly any custom design. Both have a shiny, satin finish.

Brochure Boxes: Plastic brochure boxes are easy to mount to your custom real estate sign. They are available in multiple sizes and styles to custom fit your brochure needs.

Business signs: Signage of varying materials and designs used to market a business’s goods and services.

Campaign Signs: Political and campaign signs are usually made of Coroplast. Posters are also commonly used for campaign signs. They are generally located roadside and mounted on stakes.

Car Lettering: Car lettering is easily applied flat to the painted finish of your car. Vinyl car lettering is available in a wide range of colors and car graphics are available in nearly any custom design. Both have a shiny, satin finish.

Channel Letters and Numbers: 3-dimensional sign letters typically made from molded plastic. They may be front-lighted, back-lighted, or come with no lighting features.

Coroplast Signs: Tough, waterproof, corrugated plastic sign which resembles the appearance of “plastic cardboard.” (See also, Corrugated Plastic Signs)

Corrugated Plastic Signs: Tough, waterproof, corrugated plastic sign which resembles the appearance of “plastic cardboard.” (See also, Coroplast Signs)

Custom Signs: Signs created specifically for, and using the specifications of, a particular business or customer.

Decals: Vinyl graphic sign image, logo or text mounted on an automobile, boat, trailer, window, or other smooth surface. All letters and graphics are on one solid sheet of vinyl.

Decorative Signs: Decorative signs are usually made from aluminum, plastic or wood and can be hung anywhere in your home or business as added décor.

Dibond Signs: Dibond is a type of metal sign material consisting of two factory-painted sheets of aluminum that are permanently bonded to both sides of a high density plastic core, sandwiching the plastic sign panel in between. Similar to Alumalite, only the core of Dibond is solid plastic

Dry Erase Boards: A sign surface on which the customer may manually write or draw using dry erase markers and then erase the content to create a new message or image.

Dura-Wood: Painted wood signs with high panel strength, rot-safe for outdoor use, with a high quality MDO (Medium Density Overlay) plywood core.

Edge Caps: Edge caps are plastic slides that cover and frame the edges of your sign.

Engraved Gifts: Laser engraved gifts may be made of metal, plastic or wood. They are custom engraved with our Epilog Laser Machine and all gifts can be fully personalized. Popular engraved gifts include pen sets, picture frames, nameplates and more.

Engraved Plaques: Engraved plaques are usually laser engraved bronze or silver plates mounted on wood. Engraved plaques are ideal for professional office, nameplates and custom awards.

Engraved Signs: Laser engraved signs are available in metal, plastic and wood. Engraved signs are commonly used for personalized gifts, awards, office signs and nameplates.

Finishes: Durability coatings on signs. Sign finishes range from Standard (no extra weather protection) to Premium (maximum weather protection).

Grommets: Small metal rings that are clamped around the holes in vinyl banners. Rope is pulled through the grommets and secured to stakes.

Hosting Boards: A dry erase surface used by restaurant hosts/hostesses to regulate the flow and assignment of patrons to tables/servers.

Info Tubes: Plastic info tubes are easy to mount to your custom real estate sign. They give potential buyers easy access to brochures and other information.

Jet-Ski Lettering: Jet-ski lettering is easily applied flat to the painted finish of your jet-ski. Vinyl jet-ski lettering is available in a wide range of colors and van graphics are available in nearly any custom design. Both have a shiny, satin finish.

Kerning: The space between letters on a sign used to create visual appeal and greater readability.

Leading: The space between the lines of text on a sign used to create visual appeal and greater readability.

LED signs: Signage illuminated using light-emitting diodes as opposed to traditional incandescent or neon lighting. LED lighting is typicall low-wattage and durable.

Lexan: is an uncommonly strong sign material that has 50 times the impact strength of standard Acrylic or Plexiglas Plastic. Lexan is so tough, it’s even used as bullet proof glass.

Lighted Sign Cabinets: A custom-built container used to house a sign display that is illuminated internally. Typically the cabinet and sign surface will be rectangular in shape.

Magnetic Signs: A vinyl sign mounted on a flexible magnetic backing, typically used on automobiles, metal doors, or business cards. Also comes with dry erase option. Magnetic Signs can withstand very high speeds, when used on vehicles.

Man Cave Signs: Man cave signs make any guys-only area distinctive and fun. These vintage aluminum signs are fully customizable and a popular new trend.

Metal Signs: Metal signs are popular for their strength and durability. Types of custom metal signage include aluminum, Alumalite, ARMOUR-Wood, bronze plaques, Dibond and engraved metal. Real estate signs, man-cave signs and yard signs are usually metal.

Nameplates: A small placard with a name engraved on the surface; typically mounted on a wall or desk.

Office Signs: Indoor office signs placed on doors or in lobbies to give directions or indicate an office’s occupant and/or function.

Online Design: Propriety software on a sign shop’s website that allows the customer to design a sign on their, add text and graphics, which the sign company then produces.

Optical Center: The location on a sign at which the human eye naturally looks: 4 degrees above the sign’s center.

Plastic Signs: Plastic signs are popular for their versatility and distinctive appearance. Plastic sign types include acrylic, Acrysteel, corrugated, engraved, Lexan, Plexiglas and PVC. Plastic signs can be used for nearly anything and are commonly used as real estate signs, campaign signs, temporary signs and indoor signs.

Plexiglass: Acrysteel: has 10 times the impact strength as standard Acrylic or Plexiglas Plastic. With enhanced break resistance, Acrysteel and Acrylite are among the most popular materials used for replacement sign faces.

Pole Banners: Banners with built in pole pockets (see also, Pole pockets) to allow for pole mounting.

Pole Pockets: Pockets built into a vinyl banner’s edge that allows the banner to be displayed on poles. The poles slide into the pockets.

Posters: Posters are printed with eco-friendly, fade-resistant permanent ink and may come on glossy photo paper, matte finished paper or waterproof vinyl. They are commonly used for advertising movies and sales, at tradeshows and as point-of-sale signs.

Proof: A small-scale computerized representation of your sign.

PVC: Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) signs are lightweight, thin and waterproof plastic. PVC is the most durable indoor sign material and lasts indefinitely inside.

Raster Image: Images constructed with pixels, or points of color. Raster images are stored in image files with varying formats such as .jpeg, .bmp and .gif files. Raster images cannot be enlarged (not scalable) and without losing clarity (see also, Vector image).

Real Estate Signs: Real estate signs are vitally important for agents to stand out from the crowd. They are usually made from aluminum or Coroplast.

Replacement Sign Faces: sign text and graphics used on frames that allow the exchange of sign surfaces. Sign faces are typically secured by screws, clips, or inserted into a frame’s channel grooves.

Retractable Banners: vinyl banners that roll up inside the base of a banner stand for storage or transport.

Sandwich Boards: Synonymous with A-frame signs and Sidewalk signs.

Screw Caps: small metal covers installed over screw heads to give a more finished appearance.

Sidewalk Signs: A-frame or sandwich board signs often used outside of storefronts and restaurants to advertise specials and promotions. They are lightweight and portable.

Standoffs: High quality hardware used to stand your acrylic sign off the wall, giving it a 3-D effect.

Street Banners: Large vinyl outdoor banners typically mounted using ropes or cables strung through grommets (brass ring holes in the banner) or built-in pockets and attached to a permanent fixture.

SUV Lettering: SUV lettering is easily applied flat to the painted finish of your SUV. Vinyl SUV lettering is available in a wide range of colors and van graphics are available in nearly any custom design. Both have a shiny, satin finish.

Tradeshow Display: glossy, high resolution banners with accompanying stands used to market one’s good and services at trade shows.

Trailer Lettering: Trailer lettering is easily applied flat to the painted finish of your trailer. Vinyl trailer lettering is available in a wide range of colors and van graphics are available in nearly any custom design. Both have a shiny, satin finish.

Truck Lettering: Truck lettering is easily applied flat to the painted finish of your truck. Vinyl truck lettering is available in a wide range of colors and van graphics are available in nearly any custom design. Both have a shiny, satin finish.

Vector Image: Graphics images use geometrical primitives such as points, lines, curves, and shapes or polygons, rather than pixels (see also, Raster images). Vector logos, graphics and vector backgrounds can be enlarged (scalable) without losing clarity.

Vehicle Lettering: Vehicle lettering is easily applied flat to the painted finish of your vehicle. Vinyl vehicle lettering is available in a wide range of colors and van graphics are available in nearly any custom design. Both have a shiny, satin finish.

Vinyl Graphics: Vinyl graphics are easily applied flat to store front windows and doors. They are available in nearly any custom design and have a shiny, satin finish.

Van Lettering: Van lettering is easily applied flat to the painted finish of your van. Vinyl van lettering is available in a wide range of colors and van graphics are available in nearly any custom design. Both have a shiny, satin finish.

Vinyl Banners: “fabric-like” flexible outdoor signs typically hung by ropes or cables.

Vinyl Letters: Vinyl letters are easily applied flat to store-front windows and doors. They are available in a wide range of colors and have a shiny, satin finish.

Wall Lettering: Wall lettering is easily applied flat to your wall. Vinyl wall lettering is available in a wide range of colors and van graphics are available in nearly any custom design. Both have a shiny, satin finish.

Wall Plaques: Small engraved signage, typically with metal surface mounted on wood. Used for awards and recognitions.

Wall Signs: Indoor or outdoor custom signs mounted on a flat wall surface.

Window Letters: Vinyl letters that may be applied to windows.

Window Perfs: Window perfs are sheets of thin vinyl that fit onto a window and are transparent from the inside but opaque from the outside. They often feature custom images and are commonly seen on the back window of pickup trucks.

Wood Signs: Constructed out of various wood substrate material (see also Armour-wood and Durawood), they can be carved wood signs or painted wood signs.

Yard Signs: Materials for yard signs include aluminum and Coroplast. Both materials are commonly used for real estate signs and campaign signs.