CHANNEL LETTERS

Channel letters are three-dimensional signs made up of individual letters or shapes, often with front-lit or back-lit illumination. These custom signage solutions are designed to be highly visible, offering businesses a powerful way to enhance their brand presence and attract attention.

Port City Signs can craft channel letters to match a business’s logo, typography, and color scheme, reinforcing brand identity and recognition. Their versatility, durability, and day-and-night visibility make them a popular choice for businesses across various industries, elevating the visibility and brand impact.

SOLID LETTERS

Solid letter signs, often cut-out letter signs, are three-dimensional signage where individual letters or shapes are cut from a solid material. These letters or shapes are usually made from materials such as acrylic, metal, Sintra, wood, or Aupanel, and they can be customized in size, font, color, and design.

“Die-cut” refers to precisely cutting these letters or shapes from the chosen material, creating a clean and crisp look. Unlike channel letters with internal illumination, solid die-cut letter signs do not typically incorporate lighting elements. Instead, they rely on their form and design for visibility and impact or are mounted off the wall with backlighting installed behind them.

VINYL LETTERS

Vinyl lettering is a highly versatile and popular form of signage that offers various applications across various industries. These signs are crafted by cutting individual letters, numbers, or graphics from adhesive vinyl sheets and then applying them to a chosen surface, creating a clean and professional look.

One of the critical advantages of vinyl lettering is its durability and longevity. High-quality vinyl materials are designed to withstand outdoor exposure, resisting fading, cracking, and peeling, making them ideal for outdoor signs, vehicle graphics, and storefront displays. Moreover, vinyl lettering is relatively cost-effective compared to other sign-making techniques, and it can be easily removed or replaced without leaving adhesive residue behind.

CLOUD CUT

In some cases, you should have your letters feature a cloud cut. Cloud cutting is the process of outlining the letters with a contrasting color. The outline must be large enough to connect all the letters into a single “cloud” shape.

For solid letters, the cloud can either be part of the letters themselves or cut separately as a backing layer mounted behind the letters. Cloud cuts offer a few benefits in certain situations:

LETTER CONTRAST

If the face of your letters matches closely to the wall or background, a contrasting cloud cut around them will help them better contrast.

LETTER THICKNESS

If your letters feature thin lines, adding a cloud cut is sometimes needed to ensure the letters have enough space to be mounted.

DESIGN AESTHETIC

Depending on your specific branding look or the overall aesthetic you are in search of, sometimes cloud-cut letters meet those criteria.

We can undoubtedly accommodate cloud cutting when it makes the most sense for design purposes.

INSTALLATION

Cloud cuts simplify installation, as you do not need to mount the letters individually but rather as a complete set.

This diminishes installation time and the number of holes that would need to be drilled into the subsurface by a significant factor, thus reducing the overall installation cost and damage to the mounting surface.

RACEWAYS

A sign raceway is an enclosed structure or conduit used to install signs, especially channel letters and similar types of signage. Sign raceways are essential in establishing and maintaining signs, especially in outdoor or illuminated signage applications, where protecting the electrical components and ensuring a neat appearance is crucial. It serves several essential purposes:

PROTECTION

A sign raceway protects the electrical components, including wiring and transformers, necessary for illuminating the sign. It shields these components from the elements, such as rain, snow, and sunlight, which could otherwise damage or degrade them.

CONCEALMENT

It conceals and organizes the wiring and other elements that power the sign, maintaining a clean and professional appearance. This is particularly important for aesthetic reasons and to prevent visual clutter.

SUPPORT

Sign raceways often mount and secure individual letters or signage elements. They provide a structural framework for the sign, helping ensure it remains stable and properly positioned.

ACCESSIBILITY

Raceways are designed with access panels or doors, allowing easier maintenance and servicing of the sign’s electrical components. This accessibility makes it simpler to repair or replace elements when needed.

Raceways can be designed and painted to blend in with the background so that they become invisible from a distance.