Channel Letter is the industry term for those electrically-illuminated signs you'll see above many retailers' doors.  The term "channel letters"
was coined because they are formed from aluminum and plastic as individual letters, and because they are hollow, with an internal channel formed to accomodate the illumination, either via neon,  or via LED's.  Because of the enormous variety of fonts, sizes, and colors to choose from, channel letters are almost alwayscustomized for a client's needs by a qualified sign retailer, such as Sign A Rama Bolingbrook (IL).

Because of their expense, there are several things a channel letter purchaser should know before specifying and choosing the sign retailer that 
will be the fabricator and installer of the sign.
1.  The sign company should come to the front entrance of the client's business, measure it, and photograph it.  The sign company should also make
notes of other electric signs in the client's complex. 
2.  The sign company should look up the regulations in the village or municipal code that impact the amount of electical signage the client
may be permitted to have.
3.  The sign company should "photoshop" a channel letter design onto the client's front wall, in the precise size, color, and font, to give the
client a very clear idea of how the finished channel letter sign will appear after installation.
4.  With the design, the sign company should also provide a quote for the client that includes to-code fabrication, to-code installation, tax, and permit.
5.  The sign company should file and obtain the permit on the client's behalf.

"If a sign company does not offer to provide all five of these steps and services, they are cutting corners and ultimately short-changing the 
client", says John Reynolds, owner of Sign A Rama Bolingbrook.  "We don't want to bad-mouth competitors, but we have seen sign companies low-ball 
their channel letter quotes upfront, only to raise prices after a deposit has been paid.  Even worse, we've seen sign companies omit town permitting,
with the town later forcing the client to remove the non-permitted sign, and thereby crippling the client's business traffic."

Sign A Rama Bolingbrook designs, makes, installs, and applies for permits for channel letters in Chicago suburbs.  Sign A Rama Bolingbrook can be
contacted by phone at 630-739-0110