Downey Association of Realtors (DAOR) was taking over the space next to their existing location in Downey, California, and needed a new building sign to reflect the expansion. Keep reading to learn about how our sign making process and why we decided to go with this sign design.
When DAOR initially contacted us, they already had the storefront measurement which made things very easy for us. Although the sign is not going to take up the entire storefront, the sign area allowed by the city is based on the frontage width of the building or storefront. The client provided a mockup drawing of what they had in mind, but they were open to different fonts and colors for the lettering. Initially, we were exploring both illuminated and non-illuminated options. The illuminated option would be front-lit channel letters and the non-illuminated option was for acrylic dimensional letters. After discussing different options, they finalized a font and color choice which we used for the quote. The illuminated and non-illuminated options were submitted to the board for approval, and they decided to go to with the non-illuminated option. We had initially decided on a dark blue for the lettering, but after seeing a rendering during the proofing process, they decided to make the lettering black. Before we can start manufacturing on a new exterior sign, we need to pull a permit. We do so by going to city hall with all of the proper paperwork like the proof, landlord and customer approvals, etc.
To make the acrylic dimensional letters, we use our CNC router to route all of the letters out of acrylic. For this sign, we used 3/8″ thick acrylic. Any thinner, and we wouldn’t be able to stud mount them, and stud mounting is required for exterior dimensional letter signs. After we finished permitting and manufacturing, we were able to install the sign.