Despite a worldwide aluminum shortage, custom aluminum signs remain one of the most popular choices for businesses. It’s no wonder.
Aluminum signs hold up even in extreme weather, enduring both high and low temperatures with ease. They also resist abrasion and exposure to harsh chemicals, so they’re great choices for a business’s outdoor signs, as well as signs inside chemical plants. And, they’re lightweight, so they can be moved around easily.
What Types of Custom Printed Aluminum Signs Are Available?
Custom printed aluminum signs come in standard, reflective, or brushed finishes. Their superior durability, long-lasting beauty, and low cost make them an excellent choice for businesses of all kinds.
Unlike some other signs, custom aluminum signs provide years of service. In the long run, photo-sensitive anodized aluminum signs of all three types are an economical choice for companies on a budget. Aluminum labels for outdoor use is another option.
Standard-Finish Aluminum Signs
Standard-finish aluminum signage is the most economical type of aluminum sign without sacrificing any of the durability that makes aluminum the metal of choice for all-weather signs. Since aluminum itself is somewhat glossy, sign-makers add a matte finish to make it easier to print images and text on.
For a standard finish, manufacturers paint both signs of the sign with matte paint, usually in silver, white, or black – all neutral shades that form a great background for a rainbow of colors and designs. Although black matte provides a stunning background for a company’s message, it does show fingerprints and other oily stains, so it’s best to use black signs in areas where people will be unlikely to touch them.
Brushed Aluminum Signs
Like standard-finished signs, brushed aluminum signs are crafted from anodized aluminum. These signs allow you to see the grain of the aluminum metal, giving it almost a three-dimensional look in a beautiful satin finish.
Brushed aluminum signs, too, are weather-, abrasion-, and chemical-resistant. In addition, they’re durable and often thicker than standard aluminum signs. And, their high-end cache makes them perfect for a business’s main lobby, as well as for directional signs.
Reflective Aluminum Signs
Reflective aluminum signs provide visibility in the dark. You’re probably familiar with these kinds of signs on roadways if driving at night.
To make reflective aluminum signs, sign makers start with two sheets of aluminum, connecting them with a polyethylene core. Then, they print the actual design and text on an engineer-grade reflective vinyl overlay that adheres to the sign’s surface. These signs are remarkably durable, usually lasting more than five years, even under heavy wear and tear, as with road signs.
Like other custom printed aluminum signs, reflective signs are resistant to both corrosion and rust. They also hold up under all kinds of weather, from rainy and snowy winters to hot and dry summers.
How Do Sign-Makers Manufacture Aluminum Signs?
Quality manufacturers use a process that avoids ink or stamping that rubs off. That process ensures that the images and wording on the signs will last longer.
Most top sign manufacturers avoid engraving or etching due to the risks of corrosion. Instead, they cover their custom-printed aluminum signs with an anodized, sapphire-hard top layer.
Sign manufacturers photographically embed and seal the graphics and text on quality custom-printed aluminum signs underneath a layer of film. Even serial numbers and barcodes can be embedded, making these signs a perfect fit for the military, aerospace, and other industries where security and durability are critical.
What Can I Use Aluminum Signage For?
Custom printed aluminum signs are as versatile as they are durable. They have a wealth of uses. Let’s look at some of these uses by category:
- Reflective aluminum signage: Road signs, of course, are the first application that comes to mind. However, private businesses can use them for address signs, in parking lots, for no trespassing or security signs, or to allow prospective real estate buyers to see the signs during drive-bys at night.
- Standard aluminum signage: If a business is closed at night, standard signs work well in parking lots. They’re perfect for interior and exterior directional or other signage, or on safety signs for construction sites, medical facilities, or even stores. Additionally, some businesses use them to display their street address so that customers can find them easily. Cities often use standard aluminum signs in well-lighted areas to indicate no-parking zones.
- Brushed aluminum signage: Brushed aluminum signs offer unmatched elegance among sign materials. Use brushed aluminum signage as nameplates on executive offices’ doors, in entrance ways, to display a logo or business name, for reception areas and waiting rooms, and even bathrooms in hotels and restaurants to take signage from utilitarian to sheer sophistication. Don’t be fooled by their uptown vibe. They’re as durable as they are stunning.
Anodized aluminum is also an excellent choice for product identification plates. Those are the plates that companies attach to machines and appliances, such as refrigerators and washing machines, as well as outdoor devices, such as tractors and pumps. Tough and durable, aluminum is the perfect material for items that are outside for most of their working life.
What Kinds of Shapes Do Aluminum Signs Come In?
Aluminum signs can be cut to any custom shape. Despite its strength and durability, aluminum is relatively easy to cut, especially the thin sheets of aluminum used in signs.
Whether you prefer a bordered sign or the shape itself, metalworkers can sculpt it into any exact shape. After it’s cut, it can be painted or other details added that customize it to specific needs.
Custom Signs Make A Business Stand Apart from the Rest
Whether choosing aluminum signage or you need tough vinyl signs for an application, a customized designed sign showcases a business. Whether a business is located on a city street or out in the country, signage should catch customers’ eyes.
At Nova Custom Printing, we take our responsibility to make your business a standout with world-class signs, labels, and stickers seriously. So, if you’re looking for a way to make your business stand out with signage, let’s talk. Contact us today.
