When considering interior and exterior signs for your business, dimensional lettering can make a big impact, enhancing and supporting the look and feel of your business, in addition to helping customers understand the unique characteristics of your brand that set you apart. In this article, we discuss what dimensional letters are, how they are used to create compelling signs, and what options are available in materials, colors, sizes, and more. 

Dimensional Lettering 

Your exterior signage acts as your calling card for your brand, letting shoppers know where you are located and ideally, what your business is all about. While many kinds of signs can be used for your exterior business signage, dimensional lettering lets your sign stand out in a crowd. Constructed from many types of metals, as well as acrylics, foam, and fiberboard, dimensional lettering can be cut, folded, and/or welded into your desired look, with Signarama’s state-of-the-art computerized design and manufacturing equipment. Using high quality materials to fabricate signs to any size, shape, or finish. Signarama dimensional lettering signage conveys permanence in your business messaging. Some dimensional lettering sign material choices include:

Aluminum 

The most popular medium for dimensional lettering, aluminum letters are versatile with natural satin, anodized, or polished finishes, as well as baked enamel finishes in a wide variety of custom-matched PMS colors. Cast aluminum, poured into letterforms, offers greater depth than solid cut metal lettering. Signarama’s aluminum come in standard and custom fonts and the following sizes and options:

• Stud mounted aluminum letters range from 2 inches to 4 feet tall
• Small aluminum letters – from ½ inch tall – 2 inches tall
• ⅛ inch to 1 inch thicknesses
• Mounting options including flush to wall or raised or floating off the wall with spacers 

Cast bronze

Premium grade cast bronze letters, designed for interior and exterior use are highly durable and guaranteed for life. A timeless look for government buildings, parks, libraries, and schools, cast bronze letters and numbers are popular for address numbers for homes and commercial buildings. Created from solid bronze ingot and letterforms, your cast bronze letters can have a flat face, a round face, or a distinct prismatic face depending on the font used to cast them. Hollow in the back, cast bronze letters offer greater depth than solid cut metal lettering. Cast bronze letter sizes and options include:

• 2 inches - 2 feet tall depending on your font style
• ⅜ inch - 1.5 inch thicknesses, depending on the font and letter size
• Traditional polished and brushed satin bronze finishes, along with oil-rubbed finishes for an oxidized finish and verde patina for a naturally aged classic green hue
• Standard stud mounting and installation template included with all orders
• LED backlit illumination – Cast metal letters with lexan backs can have LEDs inserted for a backlit “halo” illumination effect.

Stainless Steel

Looking for contemporary high-end signage for your business? Cut from solid stainless-steel plate, marine grade interior and exterior stainless dimensional letters make lasting impressions indoors or outdoors. Custom stainless-steel numbers and letters are available in many options:

• ⅛ - ½ inch thicknesses
• Standard 304 or optional 316 stainless steel, with molybdenum, for additional corrosion and tarnishing resistance for marine and other harsh environments
• Traditional brushed and polished face finishes
• Mounting options including flush to wall or raised or floating off the wall

Cut Brass

Premium grade, highly durable, solid cut brass dimensional letters are designed for interior and exterior use. Crafted from high-quality C464000 naval brass alloy, cut brass dimensional letters are available in brushed, polished, and an oxidized, oil rubbed finish, known for its exceptionally high durability. Standard and custom cut brass dimensional letters are available in a wide variety of options including:

• ⅛ - ¾ inch thicknesses
• 2 feet to 4 feet tall
• Small brass letters – from ½ inch tall – 2 inches tall
• Brushed, polished and oxidized, oil-rubbed finishes
• Mounting options including flush stud mount or raised or floating off the wall with spacers

Cut copper

If you’re considering a classic choice for corporate offices, educational buildings, and public spaces, consider cut copper. Cut from the highest quality solid plate, C11000 copper brass alloy, known for its high resistance to corrosion and its purity, our cut copper dimensional lettering offers many options:

• From 2 inches to 4 feet with stud mounts
• Smaller copper letters ranging in size from ½ inch - 2 inches
•  ⅛ - ⅜ inch thicknesses
• Traditional brushed satin and polished finishes, along with a patina for a distinct natural green look that will age over time
• Mounting options including flush to wall or raised or floating off the wall with spacers

Acrylic

Custom acrylic 3-D lettering is lightweight, affordable, highly durable, and available in a wide variety of sizes. Acrylic has proven its use for interior and exterior signs in lobbies, for trade show exhibits, retail POP, and more. Acrylic dimensional lettering offers:

• ⅛ inch - 1-inch thicknesses
• Aluminum or brass metal laminate faces in brushed or polished finishes
• Standard colors or custom PMS paint colors
• Crystal ice finishes with frosted faces and sides with painted backs, as well as a metallic ice finish with frosted faces and sides with metallic silver backer
• Most commonly installed with block stud mounts to “float” the letters off the wall, or with our double-sided tape mounts

Foam 

Ideal for a variety of interior signage, from retail displays and POP signage to special event signage, foam dimensional lettering are ready to use in natural white, black, or other standard or custom colors. Foam signs also offer the following options:

• Matte or semi-gloss finishes
• Laminated with a metal laminate in brushed or polished aluminum, copper, brass, and bronze finishes
• 3/16 inch, ½ inch, ¾ inch, 1 inch, 1½ inch, 2-inch thicknesses
• 3 feet - 4 feet tall
• Typically installed with double sided tape and adhesive 

Lighting 

Dimensional lettering and logos get even more attention via various lighting techniques that catch consumers’ eye with bold, high impact effects, when illuminated in a variety of different ways including shadow lighting, creating halo effects, or illumination from within that all enhance a dimensional lettering sign's impact. Advances in LED technology makes illuminating signs much more planet and budget friendly, as LEDs last longer, and burn brighter and cleaner than incandescent bulbs or neon. The type of materials and fonts you use for your dimensional lettering will set the tone for your dimensional lettering signage.

Font Families 

When deciding what font family will work best for your dimensional lettering signage, direct, uncomplicated fonts work the best. If your logo consists of fancy lettering, you may consider a different kind of font for your dimensional lettering signage project. Complicated lettering can prove difficult to cut and/or shape and may muddy your lighting effects.

You might want to consider more traditional serif font faces, such as Times New Roman, Garamond, and others if your business falls into the professional service sector, such as a financial, government, or legal business, such as:

• Banks
• Government agencies
• Attorney practices

More contemporary sans-serif fonts, such Impact and Roboto are more popular for:

• Restaurants
• Retail stores
• Fitness centers
• Health care practices
• Car lots
• Many other businesses

Signarama is your go-to source for head turning dimensional lettering signage that packs a powerful impact as your business’ calling card. Our pros can help you with 3D lettering and the most effective lighting for your interior and interior signage! Contact Signarama to learn more!