What Are Acrylic Signs Used For?

MARCH 4, 2020| SpeedPro

Acrylic signs are popular throughout multiple industries for their professional appearance and affordability. Acrylic’s sleek, shiny appearance gives signage an elegant look that signals a company has invested a significant amount of thought into their signage. Signs are a great way to make any space look more professional and upscale.

As you consider acrylic signage, you’ll need to know what acrylic is, how it’s used and the types of signs that typically utilize it.

What Is Acrylic?

Acrylic is one of the most versatile substrates available to companies looking to produce signage that improves their advertising and decorative efforts. The material is made out of a plastic sheet that’s multi-functional and has a glossy finish.

In terms of looks, acrylic offers a significant amount of variety. Custom acrylic signs support various colors and levels of translucency. Besides the colors they can support, acrylic signs are quite malleable, with companies easily crafting them into the shapes and sizes needed. Its appearance also goes well with visual accessories, such as spotlights, 3D lettering and backlights.

Who Uses Acrylic Signage?

From custom acrylic office signs to acrylic advertisements for retail stores, the material is used in a wide variety of settings. They are especially popular among companies that want graphics that look high-tech and refined. Companies that need durable outdoor signage are also some of the main users of acrylic signage due to the way the material resists damage from the elements.

Types of Acrylic Products

Acrylic has many uses that make it a popular choice among companies who want to utilize a wide variety of signs. Whether you need indoor or outdoor signage, acrylic has the capacity to handle whatever graphics you need.

There are a variety of acrylic products that companies regularly use for their advertising and wayfinding needs, including:

1. Contour-Cut Signage

Contour cut signage often utilizes acrylic as its base material. A contour cut sign is defined by how the sign is cut along the edge of a design. Often, contour cut signs will have a minimal border, if they have one at all. Contour cut signs are often cut in the shape of a company name, organization logo or iconic mascot, among other shapes.

Since contour-cut acrylic business signs don’t have a border, they are more likely to catch the eyes of those walking by a store or restaurant. Their minimalistic look also sets a professional tone for an office space, especially if your company is going for a refined office culture. Without any borders, contour-cut signs will feel more natural and a part of their environment.

Acrylic is a primary material for this type of signage, as it’s easy to cut and shape into whatever design is needed. It is also a bold material that gives offices three-dimensional focus points throughout their facilities. By combining the high-tech, glossy look of acrylic and the modern appearance of contour-cut signs, acrylic contour-cut signs show customers and employees that your company is ahead of the game.

2. Custom Acrylic Panels

Acrylic panels are the perfect canvas for customized murals found inside and outside office walls and exhibit spaces. In the past, office murals were restricted to hand painting, but with the advent of new printing technology, companies can now rely on digital production methods that produce the design faster. With these methods, a company can quickly print out custom vinyl designs and graphics on an acrylic substrate, with the graphics communicating a story or central message to viewers.

An acrylic panel resembles a glass-like surface that offers exceptional durability. As the panels look like glass, the repeated use of them in key locations around your offices gives the office a contemporary feel. Due to their visual appeal and durability, interior designers regularly use custom acrylic panels on office walls or in the background of exhibits at trade shows.

To really take your graphics up a notch, acrylic panels can be customized to glow throughout the day and night. When outfitted with the glow capabilities, the panels will more readily catch the eye, making them perfect for several types of acrylic office signs. In fact, the glow these signs put out will shine brighter than most window displays. Custom business signs go well in an office or store window, as they are particularly eye-catching and will draw people to them.

3. Dimensional Signage

As acrylic signage is so malleable, it’s an ideal surface for dimensional signage. This form of signage is three-dimensional and will often pop out of a surface that it’s mounted on. Typically, a company’s name or logo will project out of acrylic signs, helping the company brand themselves effectively and make their graphics more memorable.

The versatility of acrylic makes the material ideal for dimensional signage, as it can be crafted into multi-layered sections easily. The number of colors, shapes and sizes that can be customized to fit your company’s aesthetic are virtually endless.

If you’re looking to create a sharp contrast between your company’s logo and a background image, dimensional signage is better than most. With the acrylic material, your sign can have more than just a color contrast, as you can make the logo pop out of the wall. The differences in the dimensions of the signage will further differentiate your signage from competitors and make your message stand out.

Often times, dimensional signage is used outside, as acrylic features the level of durability needed to stand up to whatever the weather throws at you. Companies typically craft outdoor acrylic dimensional signage, so their logo projects out of the base of the sign to gain more attention. To take your acrylic signs to another level, you can even install lighting that better highlights the dimensionality of the sign.

A more functional aspect of acrylic dimensional signage is its ability to assist with wayfinding. When you need to point a viewer to a particular area or highlight a location, dimensional signs are ideal. For instance, a dimensional acrylic sign can incorporate an eye-catching, glossy arrow that clearly points a viewer in the direction they need to go. Additionally, a dimensional sign can rest beside entryways and buildings to designate a building or key location.

Acrylic reception signs are excellent examples of what dimensional signs can do. As soon as someone enters your office, an acrylic reception sign will stand out to them, immediately telling the visitor they are in the right place. Typically, these signs will contain the name of the company, with the letters sticking out to highlight the name to viewers. Other popular acrylic reception signs simply incorporate the logo of the company behind the reception desk, having the logo project out of the base.

4. Outdoor Signage

Anytime that you want to grab the attention of people walking by your building or advertise your business throughout a city, you’ll need outdoor signage. Outdoor signs have long been used to generate a great deal of attention for companies. They spread your brand’s messaging to anyone driving or walking by them. If you place signs in high-trafficked areas, your message will reach a wide audience that’s likely to inform a more diverse swath of the population about your business.

Acrylic is a great material for outdoor signs as they improve the visual appeal of a message and offer exterior signs needed durability. If you want the appearance of glass without its fragility, acrylic is perfect. Without sacrificing its attractive glass-like appearance, acrylic comes with a strong plastic casing that prevents cracks and dents.

While the plastic casing provides superior durability, it does not sacrifice acrylic’s glass-like appearance. By placing custom acrylic signs around the sides of your building, you’ll make the exterior of your facility more attractive, bringing in customers or clients to your business. A visually appealing acrylic sign also improves brand awareness among the public, potentially making your company the first place people think of when they have a need you can meet.

5. Frosted Acrylic Signs

Since acrylic has a glass-like appearance, it supports frosted graphics. Frosted acrylic graphics will reduce the line of sight through the material to varying degrees. These types of signs are perfect for any company looking to provide greater privacy in an office while still allowing for natural light to pass through.

If placed in an exterior facing window, a frosted acrylic sign can give a company’s windows a stylish look. For companies who are located on a busy street, frosting the glass will make it difficult for people walking by to see into an office building. This greater degree of privacy can make employees more comfortable in their workspace. Along with greater privacy, frosted signage can control how much light a company’s windows let into the office.

For interior signs and surfaces, frosted acrylic signs give staff members greater privacy in their cubicle or office. For example, if you have clear partitions between office spaces or cubicles, they can be replaced with frosted acrylic material. It can offer a greater level of privacy, while still retaining a communal feel and letting light pass through.

Uses of Acrylic Signage

With the above signage options and others made out of acrylic, there are plenty of ways they can be used by companies. Consider the following ways acrylic signage is employed:

• Retail advertising: If you’re a retail store looking to attract walk-in customers off of the street or help loyal customers find your store quickly, you’ll likely want to use custom acrylic signs to accomplish these goals. As acrylic signage can support internal and external lighting, your messaging will never lose its ability to reach out to customers, day or night.
• Menu boards: If you’re in food services, you can use acrylic to create large menu boards that hang behind service counters. Acrylic graphics cause menu options to jump out to those viewing the board, improving a customer’s experience while ordering.
• Office building signs: Acrylic office signs regularly serve as decoration for office buildings. They can be placed in reception areas, hallways or communal working spaces to make the area more visually appealing and provide important information.
• Trade show exhibits: The glossy, attention-getting nature of acrylic signage makes it an ideal option for trade shows. At a trade show, you’ll be vying for the attention of attendees, so standing out from the competition is paramount. You can be confident that custom acrylic signs will gain the attention of people walking by and make your company appear professional.
• Restaurant signs: People need to be aware of a restaurant in order for it to be successful. To spread awareness about your restaurant and become a premier location in your community, you can utilize restaurant signage to draw in foot traffic for an impromptu meal. Additionally, the signs can be designed in a way that sends a message about how casual or formal your restaurant is.
• Point-of-purchase signs: Companies that use point of purchase signs will love the way acrylic can be modified. Point-of-purchase signs direct customers to a particular product in a store to either encourage customers to buy it or to try a free sample. In order to get their attention, these signs will often be customized to be as eye-catching as possible while also pointing the viewer to the product. Since acrylic is so customizable, it’s perfect for the needs of point-of-purchase signs.
• Showroom signs: Companies that regularly hold auctions or sell high-level products often use acrylic signs to highlight the most appealing objects for sale. For example, businesses that run a car showroom will often strategically place acrylic signage near cars that a dealer is trying to sell. The signs will draw attention to the cars, while also providing information about the make, model, year and other relevant information.
• Directional signs: Acrylic is also a fantastic option for wayfinding signage. Its visually appealing nature ensures people will notice the directions and know where they need to go. Since acrylic signs are durable, you won’t have to worry about your signs becoming damaged or obscured.

Choose Acrylic Signs From SpeedPro

At SpeedPro, we’ve worked with a variety of companies across many industries, helping them produce acrylic signs that are unique to their company. We have the expertise and equipment needed to produce high-quality acrylic signage and the ability to turn your vision into reality.

With our nationwide network, there’s sure to be a studio near you. Contact your local SpeedPro to speak with one of our knowledgeable representatives about your needs and receive a free quote.