Sign Substrate

Substrate

CUSTOM SIGN SUBSTRATES

We offer Custom Sign Substrates in NJ

As custom sign fabrication specialists, we work with literally dozens of different materials to provide you with the signs you need.

We make signs from natural materials, manmade materials, composites, and much more.

Every sign material option that we provide has its own strengths. That is why consideration of the proper sign material goes beyond look or price.

Available Sign Materials

It is about selecting the material that makes the most sense for your message. Soft Sign Materials Materials can often be described as soft or hard/rigid. Softer materials tend to be better indoors, but that doesn’t imply that all softer materials must be inside. Vinyl mesh banners and vinyl vehicle wraps, for example, are very soft materials that are either laminated or designed to be protected from the elements.

Types Of Soft Sign Materials

Materials can often be described as soft or hard/rigid. These categories are determined based on how flexible the material is, with a rigid substrate generally having little to no bend while soft substrates have more flex. Softer materials tend to be better indoors, although vinyl mesh banners and vinyl vehicle wraps can be laminated or designed to be protected from the elements.

Examples of soft materials include:

  • Vinyl – Vinyl is perhaps one of the most popular forms of sign material, and also frequently used for outdoor signs (although some form of lamination may be required. There are many different types of specialty vinyl of varying thickness. You may find vinyl in banners, in-wall and window wraps, and in-vehicle decals.
  • Paper -Paper signs and posters are still very popular and easy to print. They tend to be fragile, but are still very useful for affordable prints – especially if the paper is to be displayed in multiple locations or needs to be created in large quantities.
  • Magnetic Signs – Magnetic signs are more durable than paper and removable, which makes them very popular on vehicles and as indoor signs. They are far more durable than paper, and when cleaned and reviewed correctly they can look their best for years.
  • Fabric – Printing on the fabric used to be far more difficult. But these days, technology has made fabric prints easier than ever. Fabric looks great, is very resistant to tears, and can occasionally be saved away for future use.

These are only some of the “soft” signs that are available. There are also many other options for indoor signs made out of harder materials.

Types Of Materials
Hard Sign Materials

Rigid Or Hard Sign Materials

If soft materials are best for indoor use, then harder materials are usually used outdoors. But once again, don’t necessarily limit yourself to this line of thinking.

There are many hard materials that are commonly if not exclusively used indoors (like several types of plastic, metal, and foam).

Yet in general, harder materials tend to be popular as outdoor signs. Most types of metal, in particular, are very useful as outdoor signs as they naturally resist rain and moisture.

Examples Of These Types Of Sign Materials Include:

  • Wood – Perhaps one of the most classic materials we offer is wood. We can provide custom carved wood, hand painted wood, and many other wood signs. Wood is naturally durable and is a very popular material for sign designs.
  • Metal – There are many different types of metal used for signs. Aluminum is one of the most popular, as are brass, bronze, steel, and many others. Metal is perhaps the most durable of all sign materials and most metal (with the exception of copper and a few others) is also perfect for long-term outdoor use.
  • Plastic – Plastic comes in many different forms. It is also easy to manipulate into 3D shapes and can be customized in almost any form. Plastic signs require special technology to create, but we have that technology here at Blue Dot Signs.
  • Composites and Lab Made Materials – From DiBond to Coroplast to Alumalite to Styrene to Acrylic, there are many manmade and lab-created materials that work very well as harder options for those that need to design a custom sign.

There are many hard materials to choose from that all have different costs and different benefits, so please feel free and ask us at any time if you need help choosing a rigid sign.

Lighted Sign Materials

Last but not least, Blue Dot Signs is also proud to make many different types of electrical signs.

Many electrical signs use the materials mentioned above, with a light bulb installed somewhere inside or outside of the sign to improve its appearance.

But here at Blue Dot Signs, we can also create several signs that are almost exclusively electrical, including:

  • Neon – We have neon signs in over 100 different colors, and can shape the neon signs into almost any design.
  • LED LightsLED lights last for decades and use less energy, making them more efficient and more effective than traditional light bulb signs.

As mentioned, we can also create channel letters, light box signs, and other different types of signage that utilize electrical power through installed light bulbs.

Lighted Sign Materials

Mix, Match, And Create

In addition to the above materials, we can also mix and match as needed or seek out materials that we do not traditionally use. If you want a neon sign placed into an engraved wooden sign, for example, we’ll create it as long as it is safe to do so. The only limitation is your own creativity. So if you’re interested in custom signs for your business, email Blue Dot Signs today. Let us work with your vision to create a sign based on the materials that you need to make your project work.