All about replacement sign faces
...or how to choose the right plastic front for your broken sign.
You're here because your sign is broken or you want to replace the "face", and need to know how to do it and what it may cost.
Let's start with this; we will determine the basic different kinds of sign faces available. This will save a lot of time and unnecessary costs later on.
Signs need to have the same kind of "sign face" to replace the existing faces in order to fit well.
A portable economy sign with thin, flexible letters and track and a wavy face needs a wavy face replacement. It's not easy to modify the parts that hold the sign face in place if you get the wrong replacements.
The wavy economy faces are "v3 fiberglass" where the 3 represents the distance between the peaks and valleys of the sign face. These faces are usually made of panels held together by track.
The kind of track you need depends on the type of letters it's designed to hold:
Flex-track (most common for portables) holds flexible pvc and up to 0.030" letters.
The flat face signs are generally used on all signs except for portables, as their cost moves the signs out of the "economy" category. Flat faces are generally made of flat white acrylic or pan-formed (molded) polycarbonate.
Are all-graphic sign faces or part graphic/part track sign faces available in v3 fiberglass?
No, as the waviness of the face and the fiberglass materials are not suitable to application of paint or graphics. However, molded polycarbonate signs may have wording and a logo embossed into it.
To determine the cost of a replacement face, you'll need to find the exact kind it is and the exact height and width.
which uses a flat (not wavy) polycarbonate face in 40 x 97" size only. This face is available as all-track, part-graphic and all-graphic. This is a particularly nice replacement face option for your existing 40 x 96" signs.
Other faces:
For "permanent" lighted signs, there are other options.
You can still use a wavy face of you prefer, but for permanent signs, the faces are made of acrysteel or a similar non-yellowing plastic material. These cannot be rolled to ship, so you're going to receive them crated by freight truck. The track on permanent signs is for thicker letters so the wind doesn't blow them off.
Most popular letters are the Pronto cast plastic letters, which feature a lifetime replacement warranty against fading and breaking. Available for online ordering.
Flex letters are thin and flexible made for portable signs. They're less expensive but will discolor after about 4-5 years due to the type of plastics used (pvc). Order online.
Different sizes and styles of replacement faces
Almost anything is possible. If you send LetterBank the exact size and description with a photo of the existing sign face to be replaced, or a sketch or mockup of what you want to replace it with, they can price your project and perhaps even make cost-cutting suggestions as well.
Upgrading from economy to long-lasting faces
Making your own signs with LetterBank sign face parts
There are products like sign faces, tracks, track rivets and letter sets available online or by request. You can also place track on a painted surface and make your own sign practically anywhere.
Ask if you need help with your project, or if you have any questions, please post them below under "comments".
I look forward to your questions and comments.
...or how to choose the right plastic front for your broken sign.
You're here because your sign is broken or you want to replace the "face", and need to know how to do it and what it may cost.
Let's start with this; we will determine the basic different kinds of sign faces available. This will save a lot of time and unnecessary costs later on.
To make it easier to decide if you can do the project yourself, I'm adding an aptitude scale to the projects. The aptitude scale is from 1 to 10. 1 requires little or no training and 10 is for highly-skilled pros.Kinds of faces:
Signs need to have the same kind of "sign face" to replace the existing faces in order to fit well.
A portable economy sign with thin, flexible letters and track and a wavy face needs a wavy face replacement. It's not easy to modify the parts that hold the sign face in place if you get the wrong replacements.
The wavy economy faces are "v3 fiberglass" where the 3 represents the distance between the peaks and valleys of the sign face. These faces are usually made of panels held together by track.
The kind of track you need depends on the type of letters it's designed to hold:
Flex-track (most common for portables) holds flexible pvc and up to 0.030" letters.
Replacement project for a wavy face: 3 out of 10 difficulty
I'm going to refer to LetterBank's own time-saver, an easy way to measure the thickness of the letters using credit cards. One credit card is 0.030", so that's the same as a flex letter or pvc letter. Two to three credit cards (0.060" to 0.090") are rigid letters for a different track.So the v3 fiberglass faces are available in several sizes, most commonly 40 x 96" and 48 x 96", but also in 36 x 60", 36-40 x 72" and 48 x 96-120", made to order. The sign faces with flex track can be rolled to ship UPS to your address.
The flat face signs are generally used on all signs except for portables, as their cost moves the signs out of the "economy" category. Flat faces are generally made of flat white acrylic or pan-formed (molded) polycarbonate.
Replacement project for a flat face: 4 out of 10 difficulty
No, as the waviness of the face and the fiberglass materials are not suitable to application of paint or graphics. However, molded polycarbonate signs may have wording and a logo embossed into it.
To determine the cost of a replacement face, you'll need to find the exact kind it is and the exact height and width.
which uses a flat (not wavy) polycarbonate face in 40 x 97" size only. This face is available as all-track, part-graphic and all-graphic. This is a particularly nice replacement face option for your existing 40 x 96" signs.Other faces:
For "permanent" lighted signs, there are other options.
You can still use a wavy face of you prefer, but for permanent signs, the faces are made of acrysteel or a similar non-yellowing plastic material. These cannot be rolled to ship, so you're going to receive them crated by freight truck. The track on permanent signs is for thicker letters so the wind doesn't blow them off.
Replacing a track face with a graphic face: 4 out of 10
Most popular letters are the Pronto cast plastic letters, which feature a lifetime replacement warranty against fading and breaking. Available for online ordering.Flex letters are thin and flexible made for portable signs. They're less expensive but will discolor after about 4-5 years due to the type of plastics used (pvc). Order online.
Almost anything is possible. If you send LetterBank the exact size and description with a photo of the existing sign face to be replaced, or a sketch or mockup of what you want to replace it with, they can price your project and perhaps even make cost-cutting suggestions as well.
Upgrading from economy to long-lasting faces
Replacement project: 7 out of 10
This can be a bit tricky, as the molding or track that holds the sign face onto the frame of the sign (the sign box) may need to be modified to accept a different type of frame, but with some ingenuity and aptitude, it's all in a days' work.Making your own signs with LetterBank sign face parts
Replacement project for a wavy face: 7 out of 10
Ask if you need help with your project, or if you have any questions, please post them below under "comments".
I look forward to your questions and comments.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDelete