“Are Custom Metal Signs Right For You?”

The choices for Custom Aluminum Metal Signs are broader … and more confusing than ever. Once you know the strengths and weaknesses of each type of aluminum metal sign material available, you’ll be able to properly select the one best suited to your individual needs. 

Custom aluminum metal signs are strong, light-weight and among the most durable of all sign materials. Even with the steady price increases world wide in the raw cost of aluminum, this sign material is still quite cost effective and remains in high demand for its unbeatable qualities.

When you are looking for a perfectly smooth, baked-on, high gloss factory painted finish, custom aluminum metal signs project a first class image. Aluminum customized signs are guaranteed by the manufacturer not to peel, flake, rust, corrode, or fade for a full 10 years. Additionally, a custom aluminum sign can never rot or deteriorate like a standard wooden sign.

Since real estate agents and contractors buy so many aluminum yard signs, one of the most common sizes is 18” height x 24” width. We also stock real estate sign frames which accommodate a 24” height x 18” width aluminum sign panel as well.

Keep in mind though that aluminum sheeting can be easily cut to any “odd” size to meet your individual needs. Odd size pricing just uses the next standard size up.

Other popular sizes include:
• 2’ height x 3’ width
• 3’ height x 2’ width, and
• 2’ height x 4’ width.

The sizes above can also fit into a sturdy angle iron step stake for a convenient and portable display. If you are in an area which has seasonally high winds, you should strongly consider upgrading the thickness of your custom aluminum metal signage for these larger size signs.

The thicker the aluminum, the less likely the aluminum metal sign panel will buckle or be ripped from the bolts which attach the sign panel to the sign frame. Increasing the thickness of your custom aluminum sign from a standard .040” to a medium duty .063” or extra heavy duty .080” gauge aluminum will enhance the durability of your aluminum signs. Generally, the larger the size aluminum sign you want, the thicker the metal material needs to be.

When buying custom aluminum signs to mount to a building, you can use .040" gauge aluminum for signs up to 2' x 4' in size. Technically, you can use .040" gauge aluminum for sizes all the way up to 4' x 10' provided you mount the metal flat against the a wall with enough screws. The larger the sign panel size though, the greater the tendency to bend. As a result, a large thin gauge aluminum metal sign can have a wavy or rippled appearance when installed, especially on a corrugated metal building.

Therefore, when you want a bigger building sign, we recommend increasingly thicker gauges of aluminum with the optimum heavy duty thickness being .080" gauge aluminum. The next thickness down is .063" medium duty thickness. On smaller size signs (up to 2' x 4') even a modest increase to .063" gauge aluminum substantially increases the stiffness, appearance and rigidity of the metal sign panel.

For exterior aluminum hanging signs, you can use .040” for sizes up to 18” x 24”. Some people use this thinner .040” thickness all the way up in size to 2’ x 3’, but we don’t recommend it. For sizes over 18” x 24”, we recommend at least .063" thickness aluminum signs. And for larger hanging signs like 2’ x 4’, 3’ x 3’ or 3’ x 4’, .080" gauge aluminum works best for these heavy duty applications.

When in doubt, it’s better to go too thick than too thin because the heaviest .080" gauge aluminum we stock is still less than 1/8" thick.

While you can install larger aluminum signs (like 6’, 8’ or 10’ long) on or between posts, you have better options to choose from:

1. Aluma-Wood is the strongest and most rigid exterior grade sign panel available with it’s dense, ½ inch thick solid wood core
2. Alumalite (½” thickness) has almost the same sign panel strength as Aluma-Wood making it a popular choice for larger signs. ½” Alumalite is the 2nd strongest sign material
3. Alumalite (¼” thickness) is still a strong, highly rigid sign background material and has the 3rd highest panel strength
4. Aluma-Plastic sign panels have 10 times more strength than .040” aluminum sheets. Aluma-Plastic is not quite as stiff as Alumalite, but is still considered a rigid sign material making it #4 in strength

On a scale of 1 to 10, with “10” having the highest relative strength, here’s how each aluminum sign background material compares to one another:

When you need a more rigid sign panel in a color other than white, you have three great options to choose from:

1. Unpainted aluminum sheeting can be completely covered with self-adhesive vinyl at our shop in your choice of any color. By the way, all street signs are simply covered with reflective vinyl. They’re not painted.
2. We can spray paint or powder coat thicker aluminum sheets any custom color you choose.
3. You can choose a rigid composite aluminum sign material which has a broader range of factory painted colors available such as Aluma-Plastic, Alumalite & Aluma-Wood.*

Usually, *Option #3 is not only the best choice, it’s the most cost effective (but not always). For example, if you are looking for a gold metallic background color for a 2’ x 3’ x .080” aluminum metal sign, the most cost effective solution would be to simply cover the metal sign panel with gold metallic vinyl. It’s fast, it’s easy and highly durable.

Setting up to paint such a small sheet from stock or having to buy a whole 4’ x 8’ sheet just to get a small section of a special color isn’t always practical. We’ll gladly provide you with the best option to suit your individual needs at the time of your order.

Aluminum Signs will usually outlast the vinyl lettering that is put on them. Intermediate vinyl lettering is intended for short term outdoor signs and is rated for 3-5 years. Our High Performance Vinyl Graphics will last 7-10 years outdoors, even under extreme environmental conditions.

Advanced Aluma-Wood sign material has a solid plywood core permanently sealed with aluminum sheeting factory bonded to the surface. The thickness and density of this pre-finished aluminum metal sign board makes it one of the strongest panels in the sign industry with greater impact and wind resistance than Alumalite, Aluma-Plastic or straight Aluminum.

The Aluminum metal sign panel is bonded to the plywood core and comes with a factory baked-on, high gloss painted finish warranted not to crack, chip, flake or peel for 5 years. All edges are sealed with a plastic 1/2" cap which not only protects the product from moisture, but also creates a finished edge.

When using a contrasting color like black edge cap on a white sign, the black edge cap automatically serves as a decorative 1/2" border on the sign. If you don't want a border on your white sign, choose white trim cap instead so the trim cap will blend in with the sign.

When you need a sturdy, rigid sign panel designed to last for many years outdoors, Aluma-Wood signs are ideally suited for permanent outdoor business signage, construction site signs, real estate signs, wall mounted signs, post and panel signs, hanging and fence mount signs.

To create a finished appearance, the edges of the AlumaWood metal sign material can be capped with either white or black plastic trim. Edge capping enhances the appearance of AlumaWood by making it look like a solid aluminum sheet.

The painted AlumaWood metal sign finish has a 10 Year Manufacturer’s Warranty against cracking, flaking or peeling. AlumaWood will usually outlast the vinyl lettering that is put on them. Intermediate vinyl lettering is intended for short term outdoor signs and is rated for 3-5 years. Our High Performance Vinyl Graphics will last 7-10 years outdoors, even under extreme environmental conditions.

White, Black, Red, Green, Blue, Yellow, Almond and Bronze. The fade resistance of the durable alumawood sign surface makes vinyl re-lettering simple. You can change the lettering again and again with minimal or no “ghosting” at all (ghosting is seeing the faint images of vinyl lettering that has been removed).

During handling & installation, extreme care must be exercised. The painted metal sign finish is not as scratch resistant as you might think. Although Aluma-Wood is highly weather and fade resistant, the paint can be easily scratched if you’re not careful.

When cleaning the surface, only use a mild soapy water solution and the softest cloth you can find. Don’t use dry paper towels as they can put extremely fine scratches in the paint which may be visible up close.

The manufacturer of Aluma-Wood has done an exceedingly poor job of letting sign companies know how important it is to seal the wood edges properly. While this may seem like common sense, the “fine print” on the manufacturer’s website also warns that their “warranty is null and void if their product is not sealed with their proprietary sealer”.

In order to keep the manufacturer’s warranty valid, we only use the recommended sealer as a watertight moisture barrier. When combined with the plastic edge capping, Aluma-Wood is guaranteed not to delaminate for five (5) full years!

Unfortunately, most sign companies are simply not aware of this warranty condition and fail to use the proper sealant which could lead to premature failure of their signs (and warranty), even though they use the same sign material!

A growing number of consumers have concerns about using wood as a component in the raw materials used for their sign. As a direct result, metal sign background materials like Alumalite and Aluma-Plastic are in high demand.

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

It’s this plastic corrugated core that gives the Alumalite metal sign panel it’s strength and rigidity. When using a ½” thick Alumalite, the panel strength is virtually the same as Aluma-Wood (¼” thickness is standard though). Alumalite metal signs have become a popular alternative to wood painted signs for it’s durable, lightweight properties.

Alumalite metal signs are also the perfect solution when the panel weight must remain low while retaining excellent rigidity. The relatively light weight of Alumalite makes it an excellent choice when mounting considerations or mobility prohibit the weight of heavier wood core sign panels.

To create a finished appearance, the edges of the Alumalite metal sign material can be capped with either white or black plastic trim. Edge capping enhances the appearance of Alumalite by making it look like a solid aluminum sheet.

The painted Alumalite metal sign finish has a 10 Year Manufacturer’s Warranty against cracking, flaking or peeling. Alumalite will usually outlast the vinyl lettering that is put on them. Intermediate vinyl lettering is intended for short term outdoor signs and is rated for 3-5 years. Our High Performance Vinyl Graphics will last 7-10 years outdoors, even under extreme environmental conditions.

White, Black, Red, Green, Blue, Yellow, Almond and Bronze. The fade resistant surface of Alumalite makes vinyl re-lettering simple. You can change the lettering again and again with minimal or no “ghosting” at all (ghosting is seeing the faint images of vinyl lettering that has been removed).

During handling & installation, extreme care must be exercised. The painted metal sign finish is not as scratch resistant as you might think. Although Alumalite is highly weather and fade resistant, the paint can be easily scratched if you’re not careful.

When cleaning the surface, only use a mild soapy water solution and the softest cloth you can find. Don’t use dry paper towels as they can put extremely fine scratches in the paint which may be visible up close.

When mounting Alumalite signs with screws or bolts, the corrugated plastic core can compress because it’s hollow. When you attach the sign, TIGHTEN THE SCREW BY HAND. When the screw head is flush with the sign panel, STOP! Continuing to tighten the screw will permanently damage the panel by compressing or squeezing the material together.

If you screw the Alumalite metal sign too tightly, this will create a circular shaped “ding” around the screw head and it will never come out.

As the brand name implies, Aluma-Plastic is made of both aluminum and plastic sign material. Two factory-painted sheets of aluminum are permanently bonded to both sides of a high density plastic core, sandwiching the plastic sign panel in between.

The solid plastic core adds body, thickness and rigidity to the sheet. In fact, Aluma-Plastic metal signs have 10 times more strength than a sheet of .040” aluminum making it the 4th strongest sign panel (Aluma-Wood metal signs are #1 in panel strength). Yet the material is still lightweight at only 32 pounds for an entire 4’ x 8’ sheet.

From classic black & white to bright gold, bronze, mirror silver and marble finishes, Aluma-Plastic metal signs can help your business signage project a highly professional corporate image.

Aluma-Plastic composite sign material will not swell, wick water, corrode, rot or delaminate even under prolonged water exposure. The manufacture guarantees the painted finish against cracking, flaking and peeling for 10 years making it a durable and reliable outdoor sign grade material.

The fade resistant surface of Aluma-Plastic metal signs makes vinyl re-lettering simple. You can change the lettering again and again with minimal or no “ghosting” at all (ghosting is seeing the faint images of vinyl lettering that has been removed).

During handling & installation, extreme care must be exercised. The painted finish is not as scratch resistant as you might think. Although Aluma-Plastic metal signs are highly weather and fade resistant, the paint can be easily scratched if you’re not careful.

When cleaning the surface, only use a mild soapy water solution and the softest cloth you can find. Don’t use dry paper towels as they can put extremely fine scratches in the paint which may be visible up close.

After all, we are probably hundreds of miles away from you so how can you be certain your order will turn out right? Fortunately, it only takes seconds to transmit full-color designs from our computer to yours because e-mails travel so fast these days.

Upon order approval, here’s how the process works:

1. First, your order goes straight to the Art Department
2. Our Graphic Designer will then e-mail you a proof
   (a “proof” is a picture of what your sign will look like)
3. Once you review the layout, let us know if you would like to see any changes, and …
4. If you have any changes, we will e-mail you proofs as needed until you’re completely happy with your design.

We know how completely frustrating it can be to be promised a delivery only to be disappointed when your order doesn't' arrive on time. In business, a missed deadline can have significant financial consequences. And apologies won't begin to compensate you for the hassle, loss of time and frustration from not getting what you ordered on time.

We Guarantee To Ship Your Sign
On Time, Every Time,
Or It's Absolutely Free!

In fact, if your order ships late, we'll even pay the shipping. So why not try us out? You have absolutely nothing to lose.

Sometimes, we make mistakes. We are only human after all. But it's how a business handles mistakes that counts, wouldn't you agree? So if we do happen to overlook something on your order, we will bend over backwards to make you happy. We stand behind our work with a 100% Customer Satisfaction Guarantee.

We will promptly replace any product that is defective in workmanship or that is different from what you approved. And for your trouble, you'll even get a very pleasant surprise gift.

Are you worried you might be taking an unnecessary risk? With all the bad press about credit card fraud and card numbers getting stolen by hackers, it's wise to proceed with caution. We can understand if you still have some personal concerns about the safety of your credit card information.

1. Our system uses the latest 256-bit Encryption SSL technology as used by the Banking Industry, Walmart.com, Amazon.com and thousands of other online merchants
2. SSL technology works by encrypting all your personal and credit card information so it can travel over the internet without being intercepted by thieves
3. And as an added precaution, the moment you complete your order online and the charges are authorized by your credit card company, your credit card information is INSTANTLY DELETED from our data-base. It's the same as if you walked into our business, charged your order and then we SHREDDED your credit card receipt.