While we have many material options for exterior signage, signs installed onto posts like road signs are typically made from aluminum sheets. Common signs like stop signs can be pre-made and purchased quickly because they will always look the same and have the same dimensions. However, if you are in need of a sign that is not typically found in a store or online, you will need the sign to be custom made.
SV Marketplace is an office building in a large shopping center in Simi Valley, California. They were in need of some parking signs with specific information so they reached out to us for some custom parking signs. They needed a set of 5 signs to state that there is no public parking allowed and another set of 5 to state that there is no lodging, loitering, soliciting, or trespassing. All of the signs are 22″ x 17″. We started with white aluminum and routed the rectangles from it. We used .080″ thick aluminum. If the signs are going to be installed on a wall or another flat surface, we usually use .063″ aluminum, but these were installed onto posts which is why they need to be more thick and durable to withstand wind shear.
We used white aluminum because the background of the signs are white. In the past, we have done custom parking signs that match a company’s logo colors. It’s completely up to the client regarding what color the signs are. Instead of digitally printing the information onto vinyl, we used cut vinyl lettering. If there are many colors, gradients, or small details, we will digitally print the signs, but as these signs only have lettering, using cut vinyl was a better option because cut vinyl will not fade as quickly as a digital print. The only downside is that they may start to peel over time.