Know your substrate options
Making the right choice speeds production and cuts costs
By signcraft
Posted on Tuesday, June 20th, 2017
It wasn’t that long ago that you could count the typical substrates used for signs on one hand: overlaid plywood, aluminum, acrylic, corrugated plastic—that was about it. Now there are plenty to choose from, each with its own efficiency, durability and cost advantages.
Aluminum composite materials, high density urethane, PVC board, foam core panels—each of these materials have unique characteristics that creative sign people can use to their best advantage. If you do engraving, there are also new materials that you can take advantage of for your ADA and engraved signage. You need only invest a little time learning what’s available and how to best work with it.
Of course, the traditional options still have a lot to offer. Nothing matches the look of real wood, and sandblasted or carved cedar signs have an appeal all their own. Overlaid plywood is a great choice for many signs, and aluminum is ideal for many sign fabrication tasks.