Backlit Signs for Restaurants and Cafes

Vector files are best, because they scale cleanly to any size.

• Best: AI, CDR, EPS, PDF, or SVG.
• To start a quote: a high-resolution JPG, PNG, or GIF is fine.
• No vector file? Send the text plus your font files.

A raster cannot be used for production, so we redraw it as a vector, which may change small details.

One important note: do not use software or online tools to auto-trace a raster into a vector, auto-traced vectors lose a lot of detail, and a high-resolution raster is the better choice. For the cleanest result, send vector files or font files whenever you can.

Yes, as a reference. Please also send a flat, straight-on 2D version with no lighting effects or perspective, so we can read your fonts, proportions, and construction.

• With Claude: ask in the same conversation which fonts it used, and it will usually tell you.
• With ChatGPT: it often “draws” letters rather than using real fonts, so it usually can’t give exact font names.

You can simply copy and paste this prompt directly into your original AI chat:

“Please generate a flat, 2D graphic version of this precise design. Remove all glowing effects, neon lights, shadows, and 3D environment rendering. Keep the exact same text and font, but show only the clean flat graphics/logo on a plain white background.“

Yes. We color-match to swatches (Pantone, RAL, SW, MP).

Please send exact color numbers rather than general names like “gold” or “warm white,” because the result shifts with material, finish, and lighting. We mark the values on the shop drawings and build to them once you confirm.

Other single colors (such as purple or amber) are produced by mixing. The right shade of white depends on your market and setting: some markets prefer warm white, others a cooler, brighter white. Tell us your location and the look you want, and we’ll recommend a color temperature.

Yes, but choose blue with your eyes open. Blue is a short-wavelength color, and the eye is far less sensitive to it than to white, yellow, or green, so a blue halo reads dimmer on the wall, especially in daylight or at a distance. One more thing matters: blue backlit signs in photos and videos usually look more vivid and eye-catching than they do in person, so don’t set your color from someone else’s images alone; it’s best to judge from a real object you have seen with your own eyes. We can advise on color choice, but photos aren’t a reliable way to judge color — they distort it the same way — so it’s best to decide your color from a physical swatch rather than from images.

The wall’s material, color, texture, available power-supply location, and weather exposure all affect the halo, the mounting method, and the accuracy of the quote. It isn’t used for anything else, and a single phone photo of the actual install spot is enough.

PayPal seller protection requires us to ship to the details you provide, and the invoice goes to your PayPal email. DHL contacts you over WhatsApp, so we need a mobile number registered on WhatsApp, and the address cannot be a PO box. Please confirm these before paying, because incomplete details hold up the invoice, order start, customs clearance, or final delivery.

No. Payment activates the order and we prepare the shop drawings. Production starts only after you approve them.

Sometimes, and at no extra charge, as long as it doesn’t delay other customers’ orders. Tell us your opening date, event, or installation appointment at first contact so we can confirm feasibility.

Yes: production starts after you approve the shop drawings, and shipping happens after you approve the finished photos. Changing sizes, materials, or colors after drawing approval requires a new quote and new drawings.

Yes. We send finished photos so you can confirm appearance, finish, and construction before packing. This is your quality check, not a stage for changing the design.

Every sign goes through a 24-hour continuous light test. We check LED function, brightness, even light, wiring, and the power supply; anything that fails is repaired and the full 24 hours are run again before packing.

Verify it first, because online scams imitate customs notices: contact official DHL directly, give them the tracking number, and pay through official channels once the amount is confirmed. Never pay from an unknown text, link, or number; duties are collected by your country’s customs, not by us.

Yes. Once the sign is packed and released for shipping, we send you a tracking number so you can follow the delivery.

No. International custom signs involve packing, customs paperwork, tracking, and exception handling, so we keep our own shipping arrangements to stay in control of clearance and support.

Yes. Whether it’s applied and where depends on indoor versus outdoor use and on your property’s requirements.

• Outdoor signs: as UL Listed electrical signs, and following the general requirements of the UL system, outdoor signs carry a UL Listed label; by default we place it on the top of the sign or in an inconspicuous spot, so it doesn’t get in the way of a property inspection or affect the look in customer-facing areas.
• Indoor signs, property requires the label: an indoor sign is viewed up close, with almost no hidden spot to place a label. On the metal sign shell, the property can inspect it, but your audience sees it too; on the back, the audience won’t see it, but the property can’t inspect it either. The best practice is to place it on the back, but be sure to have the property inspect and confirm it before installation, otherwise it can’t be checked afterward and you may be asked to take the sign down for re-inspection.
• Indoor signs, property does not require the label: we suggest leaving it off. A label on a clean finish affects the look, and label adhesive is very sticky and hard to remove, so removing it improperly can easily damage the finish.

Confirm all of this with your property before you order, to be safe.

Yes. The sign ships as a complete UL Listed set, and the Mean Well power supply is UL Listed too. The sign runs on a 12V DC LED system; the default power supply is the Mean Well LPV-60-12; outdoor signs use a Class 2 rated power supply; and the exact model is matched to your sign’s wattage. Wall wiring, switching, and final connections are arranged locally by a licensed electrician.

Not directly. Some U.S. outdoor and landscape systems supply 12V AC, while our signs run on 12V DC, and a 12V AC supply won’t drive the sign correctly. You would need a separate 12V AC to 12V DC converter, matched to the sign; we don’t supply it, so please buy it locally in the U.S. Normally the sign runs on a standard 110V AC line through the UL Listed Mean Well power supply we include. If your only power source is a 12V AC landscape line, tell us in advance.

Yes. We can supply dimmer, photocell, and timer accessories, but they usually have to match your lighting system design, so tell us the details before production. If you’ve already specified a model, share it, such as the Intermatic EK4000 series photocell (its mounting location is set by your architect) or the Intermatic ET90000 series time clock (usually best bought locally). Wiring note: a standard single-color LED sign has just two wires (12V DC positive and negative), while RGB and WRGB add a separate signal control wire; any control has to be planned before production so the sign is wired for it.

Often yes, so confirm before you order. Approval can involve size, color, brightness, location, installation, electrical, and permits. Ask your landlord or property manager for the “Signage Criteria” or “Tenant Handbook.” We adjust the drawings to your requirements, but local approvals themselves are the customer’s responsibility.

A Common model usually mounts about 3/8 to 3/4 in (10 to 20 mm) off the wall, so light reflects off the wall behind the letters and forms a clean halo.

Yes, but a slat wall’s texture changes the result, so the model you choose matters. Slat and fluted accent walls have deep grooves and an uneven, light-absorbing surface, and that works directly against the halo.

• Common model: its halo is formed by light bouncing off the wall behind the letters, so the grooves absorb and break up that reflected light. You get a small, faint, patchy halo pulled tight against the letters.
• Luxury model: its partly exposed acrylic back-panel emits light directly from the sides, before the light ever reaches the wall. That skips the wall-reflection problem, so the halo stays large, even, and noticeably brighter, and spreads wider — even over deep grooves.

On a slat or fluted wall we strongly recommend the Luxury model, so the sign pops instead of getting swallowed by the wall texture. Send a photo of your wall with your quote and we’ll confirm the best model and mounting for it.

Clean with a soft cloth and clean water, and avoid alcohol, solvent cleaners, and harsh chemicals. Take extra care with these finishes: painted and powder-coated; plated and brushed; mirror-polished; brass, copper, and bronze; and vintage finishes.

Don’t install it, and contact us right away. If the outer box is damaged, photograph it before opening, keep the packaging, labels, and tracking number, and take photos and videos of the problem.

Have your installer pause, and contact us with photos, videos, your order information, and a description of the problem. We help diagnose it against your shop drawings, factory photos, and 24-hour light test records.