ABOUT ALUMINUM BACKLIT SIGNS
Plan your project around aluminum backlit signs.
As a professional sign factory, we build custom aluminum backlit signs to your design: each piece with its own light source and circuit, fabricated to shape with LEDs inside and an opal acrylic back-panel toward the wall, for a soft halo, light enough to scale up to large storefronts and facades, UL Listed and backed by a 3-year limited warranty.
Once you approve the shop drawings, we start production. Production usually runs about 15 business days, and DHL door-to-door shipping then takes about a week, for a total of about 4 weeks from drawing approval to delivery.
What are aluminum backlit signs?
Aluminum backlit signs are custom illuminated signs built in aluminum, and each separate piece has its own light source and its own circuit, made as a hollow metal sign shell (called a channel in the U.S.), rather than cut from solid metal. The face is laser cut, the returns are fabricated to your shape, and the two are welded into one hollow piece. The metal sign shell is open toward the wall, and that opening is closed with an opal acrylic back-panel that lets the light through. The sign mounts off the wall on stainless steel tube spacers, and the low-voltage LEDs inside shine through the back-panel onto the wall, where the light forms a soft halo in the shape of the sign. Lights off, it reads as a clean metal sign. Lights on, the shape is traced on the wall in a soft halo. What sets aluminum backlit signs apart is the metal itself: aluminum is lighter than stainless steel, so at the same size it is easier to install, which makes it the go-to for large letters, storefronts, and facades. For small, close-up signs we usually suggest stainless steel, whose material and fabrication show the finest detail on small and medium letters, and aluminum runs on the Common model by default. For the full metal overview see backlit metal signs, and for mirror-polished or plated finishes and fine small lettering see stainless steel backlit signs. Letters, logos, and shapes can all be built as aluminum backlit signs. The same build makes LED backlit logo signs, LED backlit letters, and, with deeper returns, 3D LED backlit signs. To compare metals side by side, see backlit metal signs.
Common applications and related pages
Aluminum is light and scales up well, so aluminum backlit signs suit big, high-up, and outdoor jobs: showroom letters, storefronts, facades, and exterior name signs. This kind of signage carries from across a parking lot or a wide street, and large-format signage is exactly where aluminum’s low weight earns its keep. Here are a few typical industries, and you can see all the industries we serve.
A well-made aluminum sign keeps large, outdoor branding light, sharp, and easy to read from a distance. Signs do bring customers: in a national survey, 76% of consumers had walked into a store they had never visited before because of its signage (per FedEx Office)1.
What we need for your custom project
- Design file
- A vector file works best. A high-resolution raster or an AI-generated flat image is enough for a quote. Skip software auto-tracing: it loses much of the detail, so send the high-resolution raster as it is.
- Property sign rules
- Before any design work starts, check the sign rules with your landlord or property manager: the allowed size range, any finish or color requirements, light color temperature limits, and the required mounting method. If the property has written sign criteria, send them to us, and both the quote and the shop drawings will follow them.
- Sizes
- Stay within the sign size range your property allows, then size the letters to the viewing distance: as a rule of thumb, a letter stays readable up to about 120 times its height, so a 1 in (25 mm) letter reads clearly within about 10 ft (3 m). Size it for the distance: in a national shopper study, 90.9% agreed sign letters must be big enough to read from a moving car (per BrandSpark)3.
- Wall
- Send a photo of the wall where the sign will hang. Wall color and texture affect how bright the reflected halo reads (especially on the Common model), so the photo helps us plan the mounting method and advise on the light color temperature.
- Power
- By default, we use Mean Well power supplies. They accept 90 V to 264 V AC input. If the power available at your site is different or unusual, tell us before production, so we can match the right power supply for you.
- Indoor or outdoor
- Describe exactly where the sign will be installed: indoors, outdoors, or on a coastal site. Aluminum is the pick for large outdoor pieces where weight matters. For a coastal or high-salt site, tell us: the mounting hardware there is marine-grade 316 stainless steel, and on a smaller sign the metal sign shells are 316 as well. For an extreme climate (high heat, heavy rain, cold, or dust), tell us before we lock the production details.
- Finish
- Choose from a full range:
- Brushed
- Vibration finish
- Painted or powder-coated color, in gloss, semi-gloss, or matte (tell us the exact color and we color-match to Pantone, RAL, Sherwin-Williams (SW), or Matthews Paint (MP) swatches)
- Anodized color, from the color chart
- Special effects such as wood grain, antique, and marble look
- Light color
- White: 3000K warm white, 4000K natural white, or 6000K white
- Red, yellow, blue, or green
- Color-changing: RGB, or RGBW (RGB plus a dedicated white channel)
- Another single color or a specific color temperature: tell us, and we set it up for you.
Light colors are approximate and are not matched to color swatches.
Choosing your model: Luxury or Common
Aluminum backlit signs run on the Common model by default: the acrylic back-panel sits fully inside the metal sign shell, the halo forms by reflection off the wall, and the sign has to stand off the wall for that to happen. If you want the Luxury model, whose partly exposed back-panel sends the light straight onto the wall for a flush mount and a brighter halo, we recommend stainless steel for that version. See the point-by-point comparison in Compare below.
Luxury model
- Opal acrylic back-panel partly exposed, with a stronger halo
- Mounts flush against the wall by default, or off the wall on stainless steel tube spacers
- Suits premium storefronts and brand walls
View Luxury Model Common model- Opal acrylic back-panel hidden inside the metal sign shell
- Mounts off the wall on 13/16 in (20 mm) stainless steel tube spacers by default
- Suits storefronts, large signs, curved walls, and outdoor sites
View Common Model Installation and electrical
Installation
- Installation is arranged on your side: we recommend a professional sign installer, with an electrician making the final electrical connection (you can find both on Yelp or Google Maps). Professional installation gives the sign a longer life, a better look on the wall, and safer, more reliable wiring. The job covers drilling the wall, setting stud bolts, routing wires, placing the power supply, and low-voltage wiring.
- We supply a 1:1 mounting template, the wiring diagram, the installation instructions, and the mounting hardware, such as stud bolts and a Mean Well power supply.
- If the wall can’t take many holes, we can mount all the pieces on a metal backer box at the factory, so the sign goes up as one piece.
- The Common model must mount off the wall for the reflected halo to form, so we include stainless steel tube spacers, 13/16 in (20 mm) long by default, which also hide the studs and wiring. If you want a different off-wall distance, tell us in advance. The Luxury model mounts flush against the wall by default, and when it mounts off the wall, it uses the same stainless steel tube spacers.
Power supply
- The power supply usually sits behind the wall or above the ceiling, in a spot that sheds heat and stays accessible for service.
- For U.S. projects, we plan a 12V DC low-voltage system with a UL Listed Mean Well power supply before production. The wiring must follow our wiring diagram exactly, so each letter’s load matches its power supply, and the sign must never be connected to a supply that does not match the power supply’s input.
Outdoor planning
- Aluminum is the go-to for large outdoor pieces: it is lighter, so big letters are easier and safer to mount.
- Powder-coated aluminum handles UV and weather. For a coastal or high-salt site, tell us: we build in marine-grade 316 stainless steel there, mounting hardware included.
- Outdoor signs use waterproof LEDs by default. For rainy regions we upgrade them to IP67 and plan drainage holes at the bottom of the metal sign shells, plus edge detailing that keeps the halo outline clean.
Aluminum backlit signs FAQ notes
- Why does aluminum run on the Common model?
- Aluminum is chosen for one reason: to cut weight on large signs. On the Common model the acrylic back-panel sits fully inside the metal sign shell, so the shell is the main weight, and an aluminum shell makes a real difference on large pieces. On the Luxury model a large sign carries most of its weight in the thick, partly exposed acrylic back-panel, so an aluminum shell would save little, which is why we recommend stainless steel for that version. We are glad to compare both for your project. If you still want an aluminum Luxury model, tell us. We will look carefully at whether the custom fabrication can be done while keeping the sign looking its best, and get back to you.
- Why is aluminum a good choice for large signs?
- Because aluminum is light. At the same size, a stainless steel sign weighs more and is harder to install, so on big letters, wide storefronts, and facades, aluminum lightens the load on the wall and makes mounting simpler and safer. That is where aluminum is at its best. Inside large letters, we set reinforcing ribs to the letter shape to keep the faces flat and prevent oil canning.
- Aluminum or stainless steel for a small, close-up sign?
- For a small, close-up sign we usually suggest stainless steel: its material and the way we fabricate it show the finest detail on small and medium letters. Aluminum comes in when the letters get large and cutting weight matters, and it is at its best on large signs viewed from a distance. See stainless steel backlit signs.
- Can an aluminum sign go at the coast?
- For a coastal or high-salt site, we build in marine-grade 316 stainless steel instead, for the metal sign shells and all the mounting hardware. Tell us the site when you ask for a quote. See stainless steel backlit signs for the coastal-grade option.
- Which projects is aluminum best for?
- Aluminum is best for large-format, outdoor, and weight-sensitive projects: dealership showpieces, wide storefronts, building facades, and tall exterior name signs. When you want a mirror-polished or plated finish, or fine, close-up lettering, stainless steel is the better call.
Backlit signs for auto dealerships
Backlit signs for hospitals
Backlit storefront signs
Backlit church name signs
