A Sign Shop's Guide to Specifying Custom Illuminated Signage

Most custom sign projects fail in the handoff, not in the factory. The client has a picture; the fabricator needs a specification. This guide is written for sign shops and design studios that buy custom illuminated letters from a manufacturer and want fewer revision rounds between the first enquiry and production release.

Start from the product family, not the photo

A client photo usually mixes several product families in one elevation. Break the elevation down first: backlit letters for the primary brand line, trimless letters where the facade must stay clean, metal letters for daytime-only identity, and faux neon for script logos or interior feature walls. Naming the family per element makes every later conversation — quotation, sample, installation — concrete.

Dimensions that matter on a drawing

Letter height drives everything: material depth, LED layout, and visibility distance. PEXEO customizes letter height from 1 cm to 300 cm, so the practical questions are not "can you make it" but "what does this height do to the return depth, the power load, and the mounting pattern". Confirm cap height, not just overall width, and note the mounting substrate — brick, EIFS, glass, or stand-off on metal — because the installation method follows from it.

Environment before aesthetics

Indoor and outdoor signs need different ingress-protection ratings, and the rating must be confirmed before production. An interior reception sign and a rooftop sign may share the same logo but nothing else. State the installation environment explicitly in the enquiry; it changes material selection, sealing, and power supply specification.

Artwork and approvals

Artwork can be supplied in any file format; if the client only has a photo of an existing sign, the factory can redraw it. What the manufacturer cannot assume is approval: one named person should sign off the shop drawing. A common workable sequence is: brief received, factory drawing issued, drawing approved, production starts — typically about 10–12 days from confirmation, with a minimum order quantity of 1.

One supplier across families

When a project spans backlit letters outside and faux neon inside, splitting it across suppliers splits the accountability. Buying the full package from one manufacturer keeps colour temperature, finish, and packaging consistent, and simplifies the installation schedule.

Frequently asked questions