Exterior Sign suggestions and assistance requested.

[Don Williams Michigan]

I have been concentrating on interior signage but now have the opportunity to bid on a sizeable exterior sign job.

My customer is looking for yellow signs with black lettering that will be approximately 28 inches tall by 50 inches wide.

Can you suggest possible materials and approximate pricing to charge for these? They will be mounted near a lake in Michigan so 4 season weather will be an issue.

Thank you very much in advance for any and all suggestions.

[AL Ursich]

Street Sign Vinyl.... with Electro Cut translucent overlay in yellow.

AL

Gimco.com

Or sub it...

[Scott Shepherd]

Prepainted yellow aluminum substrate, black 8-10 year life vinyl.

[Mike Davis NC]

Depends on your available materials, equipment and experience.

I would paint that on aluminum in a heartbeat.

I know all the new guys are using vinyl now. But, automotive acrylic will last twenty years or more (Imron will last even longer) and you cut the stencil on the same equipment or by hand.

You don't mention how much copy is involved, is it just a few words or dozens?
That is probably the largest impact on pricing after materials.

[Don Williams Michigan]

Each sign will have approximately 35 letters and or numbers.

[Joe Pelonio]

Normally I too would advocate premium vinyl lettering on pre-painted aluminum or dibond. Given the location, though, near a Lake in Michigan, I would warn that vinyl lettering will literally fall off of aluminum signs when snow sits on it over a period of time, as little as a week. If snowdrifts are likely to stay in contact with it then I would suggest
another method. Depending on the budget and purpose of the sign, a routed or sandblasted wood sign might be appropriate for that setting.
By the colors though, I'm guessing warning or directional rather than
resort identification sign?

[Mike Davis NC]

It's been over twenty years since I was in the sign business. I'm not up on current pricing for materials. But if your client can afford 1/4 inch thick aluminum blanks and you have the vinyl cutter or can get the stencils cut for a fair price then spraying Catalyst-Poly like Imron would be the best quality and longest lasting short of some back coated plastic face.

Just guessing out of the blue I say $200 for the blank, $100 for paint and $70 each for stencils. Add your labor of about 2 hours each and what ever your overhead adds up to. If you hand cut the letters say two hours each instead of the $70.

Am I way off?

[Keith Outten]

Color-Core.

Comes in 1/4" or 1/2" thick sheets and is suitable for the most extreme conditions including marine applications. Routes like butter and there is no painting required.
.

[Larry Bratton]

Keith, I heard somewhere that lead times on King Color-Core are really long and erratic right now. May want to check closely on that one.

[Keith Outten]

Larry,

Three to four weeks is the expected wait time for color-core. I ordered two sheets a long time before I needed them.
.

[Larry Bratton]

I just learned from another internet source that Rowmark "Heavyweights" -1/2" and 1/4" thicknesses is in fact Color-Core. I knew from conversation with King that they make some stuff for Rowmark, but didn't know any specifics. This will be handy when you need some but don't want to order a big ole expensive 4x8 sheet and pay shipping.