Sign Options from ShieldCo

When you work with ShieldCo for your custom sign, the opportunities are endless. We can use steel, brass, copper, corten, or our company wide favorite, aluminum. You can choose from hundreds of colors, or we can pick the colors that match your logo. We can create flat signs, or our favorite ones, three dimensional signs with multiple layers.

Through the thousands of signs that we've created, we’ve identified five main categories that most signs fall under. Browse through the following options to help determine the best fit for your business needs:

1. Single layer

2. Single layer with back panel (2 layers)

3. Multi layer — Our Signature Style

4. Individual lettering

5. Multi layer & Individual lettering

Option 1 - Single layer

This option cuts out all lettering to expose the wall behind the sign. It’s a simple design but still impactful. We can use our french cleat system on the back of the sign for easy installation, direct stud mounts, or stainless steel standoffs if required.

OPTION 2 - Single layer with back panel

Similar to option #1, this version adds a panel behind the sign to provide added contrast. It adds depth and visual interest to the sign, and is the first true step into the “3D” realm. The front layers cast shadows on the back panel bringing the sign to life. As with all our signs, you can add custom lighting for even greater impact.

Option 3 - multi layer

(Our Signature Style)

This is the type of sign you need when looking to make a great first impression. We strive to create the highest quality signage in order to match the caliber of your company’s products & services. This sign style features your logo and/or lettering precisely cutout and layered off of the back panel to give depth and texture. We take the time to analyze your logo and understand how to transform it into a piece of art. Our customers love these signs because every part is attached to one backer panel, making it extremely easy to hang and move in the future. Custom LED lighting is always recommended for these types of signs in order to transform your space into a gallery.

Option 4 - Individual lettering

A popular option for when your wall color or texture contributes to the overall aesthetic of your signage. This type of sign separates each part of your logo to be hung as individual pieces. We provide a template to drill each individual hole with precision. The end result is a sleek professional sign that brings the whole space together & wows your clients.

Option 5 - multi layer + individual lettering

Sometimes a blend of these two options creates the best impact. Individual lettering mounted to your wall plus our signature layered logo adds an artistic element that really stands out. The installation process is made easy by providing the template for placement of each hole to be drilled and ready to mount multi layer logo. This ensures a smooth, approachable installation that leaves you with a polished look to match your company standards.

Lighted Sign Options

Our lit signs are made to look exactly the same as our other signature pieces until you turn on the controller, and amp up the impact. Illuminated sign choices fall under a few categories:

1) Negative Cutout

Adds that something special to an already fantastic sign. The light creates a border around your art piece & draws the eye in.

2) Multi Layer With Lighting — Signature Style

We can add lights to multiple layers as well as create strategic cutouts so that light beautifully dances around your art piece. This is signage that wows every bystander & transforms your space into a gallery.

3) Lightbox

We add a frame and backer so that light only shines through the face of the sign. We can optionally add a piece of acrylic to diffuse the light coming through so that it appears softer.

Materials

We pride ourselves in metal fabrication using:

aluminum — steel — stainless steel — brass — copper — corten

Aluminum is our favorite material for a custom metal sign for it’s:

1. Durability - Aluminum is strong, that’s why they make truck frames out of it! Plus, it doesn’t corrode which means it will remain strong season after season in the elements.

2. Weight - Aluminum weighs a 1/3rd the weight of steel, so a 6ft wide by 2ft tall sign, in multiple layers, will only weigh about 30lbs! Light enough to hang on any wall.

3. Cost - Aluminum per square inch is about 25% the cost of stainless steel.

For more information on the strength & versatility of aluminum, check out The Aluminum Association’s - Strength Write Up.

Colors

Materials like coreten, stainless steel and copper are all naturally appealing in their original state. However, with aluminum, we can paint (powder coat) it any color you want. We have thousands of colors to choose from and if that doesn’t cut it, we can even custom mix colors if needed.

FAQ

Do I need a vector graphic?

First, what is a vector graphic? A vector graphic is a type of computer graphic that is infinitely scalable because the colors and the outlines of every letter or shape is defined by a line that is plotted on an x-y coordinate system. This is very different from a PNG or JPG file that when you double, triple, or quadruple the size of the file it starts to lose its quality and it becomes what is called pixelated. A vector graphic is better for us to use because depending on the size and shape of the location for the sign, we are able to scale the design so that it fits that location perfectly. It's a lot more difficult to change a logo when it isn't in a vector format.

So back to the question of do you need a vector graphic? The answer is no. The cost of your sign is a combination of the cost of the material, cut path, layers, and also number of colors and we can do this without a completed Vector graphic.  When we move to production, we professionally trace your design so that we ensure all of the points and overlaps and designs are perfect and not skewed in any way.  

Standard image - and one showing pixelation.

Should I use metal or another material?

There are numerous options for ways to make a sign but the most durable and highest quality option is going to be a metal sign. When compared to signs made with printed graphics, vinyls, MDF, plastics or woods; metal signs are stronger, more durable, more precise Some of the other most common options are magnetic, vinyl printed graphics and banners or even hand-painted, but what's going to look the best is a metal sign.

What are the available metals?

We can make your sign with many different types of metals but aluminum is our preference. Here is a list of the types of metal that we can make your sign with:

What other types of finishes can I have?

We can finish your sign with many different types of finishes. Our favorite finish is with powder coating which provides a bright vibrant color. Here is a list of other finishes we offer:

What are my options of coloring the sign?

We prefer to use powder coating because of the availability of colors and textures and the durability of it. We have also used colored acrylic to add color to your sign.

What size can you make my sign?

Some of the wonderful advantages of making signs the way that we do is that we can make a sign nearly any size; however, we have found our sweet spot is between 2 ft tall or wide and 8 - 10 ft tall or wide. One of the reasons for this size constraint is because a sheet of metal comes in a 5 foot by 10 ft rectangle. We have made signs as small as 1 inch in diameter and as wide as 16 feet.  Since we use all CAD drawings we are able to make our signs much larger and combine them with a grid system so that multiple sheets of 5ft by 10ft can be placed together to create a much larger design.

Minimum size - >1”

Standard width or height - between 2’ wide to 10’ wide

Maximum size - unlimited (we are able to grid our pieces together)

Will my sign rust?

This is a question we get quite often because the idea and the thought is that all metals rust. This is not true some metals rust and some do not. Our favorite material to work with is aluminum and aluminum does not rust. Rust is a naturally occurring chemical process when iron and oxygen interact in the presence of moisture. Aluminum doesn't have any iron in it therefore it cannot rust. Stainless steel does contain iron, but it also contains nickel and chromium which inhibits the rusting process. Something that is very popular right now is having a rusted sign; when clients ask us to make a sign for them with a rustic look we will often use a material called Cor-Ten. Cor-Ten steel is what is called a rusting steel but it will only rust the first layer and then it stops rusting so you can have your cake and eat it too! You will have a rusted exterior layer of the metal but the metal will not continue to deteriorate like steel will.

What will be the weight?

Oftentimes our clients believe that the sign is going to weigh a tremendous amount and that is because of their experience with other products that are made out of steel. Steel is a heavy item; however, we make our signs most often out of aluminum. Aluminum is a very light product so when we make a sign even 4 feet wide by 3 feet tall, the weight is usually less than 40 lb. The box that we ship the sign in weighs more than the sign itself. Our signs no matter the size are easily hung on interior drywall or the exterior building because their weight is such that it doesn't cause a burden on the structure that they're hanging on like a heavy steel sign might.

How will I install my sign?

Depending on the type of sign that we end up fabricating for you, there are a couple different installation methods. For a sign that has what we call a backer on it, the sign will hang with a french cleat that is mounted on the wall and the french cleat on the back of the sign will easily interconnect. The two will hang together in harmony distributing the weight evenly over the entire width of the sign. If you choose to have a sign made that is individual pieces where all are going to be mounted directly to a wall, then we will provide you with a template so you can identify every spot on the wall where the letters are going to attach. This makes the process smooth and approachable. All you have to do is lay the template in place and then use a center punch or a small drill bit to each of the holes and then press our provided drywall anchors into the wall. You will then place each individual letter in their respective location for a very seamless install method.

What are the mounting methods?

French cleat

Individual studs

Aluminum or Stainless Steel Standoffs

Will my sign be magnetic?  

If we make your sign out of aluminum or stainless steel it will not be magnetic.  However if we make your sign out of steel or corten your sign will be magnetic.