Shop Sign Trays & Shop Signs

When choosing a sign or shop letters, you will need to consider what your logo or text is going to be fitted or mounted to. In many cases, the shop will have an existing fascia which is usually a wooden board which can be repainted before your new metal letters or acrylic letters are installed.

If you do not have an existing fascia or if the existing fascia needs replacing then we have a number of replacement options made from a number of materials. Here are a few new sign boards to choose from:

• Aluminium Composite Sign Tray – available in a limited number of colours.
• Aluminium Sign Tray – powder coated and painted in whichever colour you need.
• Stainless Steel Sign Tray– available in Brushed Steel, Polished Steel, Brushed Gold, Polished Gold, etc.

We have the technology to make sign trays in any design or shape. If you do need a bespoke shaped sign tray then simply let us know and we’ll do the rest.

Alternatively if you're looking for something a little different then we're able to machine your sign trays with rounded corners rather than the normal squared corners found on most sign boards.

Wooden Fascias & Timber Shop Fronts

If you’re replacing the existing wooden fascia with a like-for-like wooden sign board then there are a number of options you should consider from marine treated plywood fascias to rustic plank decking fascias. The wooden fascia is then marine treated against the elements and varnished or painted to whatever colour you desire.

Wooden sign boards aren’t necessarily the cheapest method nor the preferred choice by our sign makers, however they’re great if you’re the landlord and your retail premises changes tenants regularly as the fascia can be repainted and refurbished over and over again with just the lettering needing to be replaced. Metal text or acrylic shop lettering can then be applied to complete the sign.

Pre-Coloured Aluminium Composite Fascia

Made from an aluminium composite which is part metal part plastic and a cheaper alternative to aluminium, a flat sheet is machine folded to make the sign rigid and to create some depth to the sign tray. Aluminium composite comes in a range of colours to choose from. Each sheet of aluminium composite is manufactured by our suppliers and arrives in to us pre-coated so we’re unable to paint it a different colour however the range of colours available are common colours used for sign making so you may find it’s just the colour you need. Colours include: Black, White, Red, Yellow, Green, Blue, Cream, Gold, Silver and Bronze.

Aluminium Composite is a fantastic material for sign fascias as its light weight, cost-effective and easily to produce for a fast turnaround. In many cases, if the colour you wanted isn’t one of the standard supplied colours then we can vinyl wrap the fascia to achieve the colour you need. This material is not as strong as actual aluminium so it has a slightly shorter life span however it’s a cheaper alternative and ideal for many signs. 

The aluminium composite fascia can then be sign written in a number of ways including vinyl decals, flat cut letters and raised 3D letters.

Aluminium Fascia with Vinyl Graphics

Made from a flat sheet of aluminium which is machine folded to make the sign ridged and to create some depth to the sign. The sign tray is then powder-coated in a vast range of RAL colours and finishes such as matt or satin.

The sign tray is then sign written with vinyl cut graphics. The logo or text is individually cut from pre-coloured vinyl film which is fitted to the face of the sign. This method of sign writing ensures all the graphics are fixed flush to the fascia panel and allows for changes to be made to the panel at a later date for example if the phone number changes or if the shop name changes. The vinyl decals can also be printed so you're able to display a photographic image on the sign or if a particular pantone colour or CMYK colour is needed for the text or logo.

Because the tray panel has folded edges it means the fixings used to secure the fascia to the shop front are well hidden which displays a cleaner tidier finish, unlike flat sign panels which requires the fixings to the fixed through the face of the tray.

More information on vinyl shop signs can be found here

Aluminium Fascia with Flat Cut Acrylic Letters

Made from a flat sheet of aluminium which is machine folded to make the sign ridged and to create some depth to the sign. The sign tray is then powder-coated in a vast range of RAL colours and finishes such as matt or satin.

The sign tray is then sign written with flat cut acrylic letters or shapes to make up the logo. The acrylic letters can either be fixed flush to the fascia panel so that it creates a slightly raised effect or they can be fitted to raised brackets to create more of a three dimensional effect. With a range of acrylic colours to choose from, the possibilities are endless and we can also combine acrylic letters with vinyl decals so parts of the sign are raised and other parts are flush.

Because the tray panel has folded edges it means the fixings used to secure the fascia to the shop front are well hidden which displays a cleaner tidier finish, unlike flat sign panels which requires the fixings to the fixed through the face of the tray.

More information on acrylic letters can be found here

Aluminium Fascia with Flat Cut Metal Letters

Made from a flat sheet of aluminium which is machine folded to make the sign ridged and to create some depth to the sign. The sign tray is then powder-coated in a vast range of RAL colours and finishes such as matt or satin.

The sign tray is then sign written with either flat cut metal letters or built up 3d metal letters to make up the logo. The metal letters can either be fixed flush to the fascia panel so that it creates a slightly raised effect or they can be fitted to raised brackets to create more of a three dimensional effect. With a range of materials to choose from, the possibilities are endless and we can also combine metal letters with vinyl decals so parts of the sign are raised and other parts are flush.

Because the tray panel has folded edges it means the fixings used to secure the fascia to the shop front are well hidden which displays a cleaner tidier finish, unlike flat sign panels which requires the fixings to the fixed through the face of the tray.

More information on metal letters can be found here

Aluminium Fascia with Built Up Raised Letters - not illuminated

Made from a flat sheet of aluminium which is machine folded to make the sign ridged and to create some depth to the sign. The sign tray is then powder-coated in a vast range of RAL colours and finishes such as matt or satin.

The sign tray can then be sign written with a range of built up 3D letters to create a nice layered three dimensional effect. This style of sign is ideal for shopping centres and shopping malls which are well lit as the letters do not require additional lighting. It's also a cost effective way of producing a shop sign.

Because the tray panel has folded edges it means the fixings used to secure the fascia to the shop front are well hidden which displays a cleaner tidier finish, unlike flat sign panels which requires the fixings to the fixed through the face of the tray.

More information on 3d built up raised letters can be found here

Aluminium Fascia with Built Up Rasied Letters - illuminated with Halo Lights

Made from a flat sheet of aluminium which is machine folded to make the sign ridged and to create some depth to the sign. The sign tray is then powder-coated in a vast range of RAL colours and finishes such as matt or satin.

The sign tray can then be sign written with a range of illuminated built up 3D letters to create a nice layered three dimensional effect. This style of sign is ideal for poorly lit shop parades as the letters are individually illuminated which provides a good level of light to clearly di

Because the tray panel has folded edges it means the fixings used to secure the fascia to the shop front are well hidden which displays a cleaner tidier finish, unlike flat sign panels which requires the fixings to the fixed through the face of the tray.

More information on illuminated 3d built up raised letters can be found here

Aluminium Fascia with Stencil Cut Letters - illuminated within

Made from a flat sheet of aluminium which is machine folded to make the sign ridged and to create some depth to the sign. The sign tray is then powder-coated in a vast range of RAL colours and finishes such as matt or satin.

The shop name or logo is then laser-cut out from the sign and removed which allows the internal lights to shine through and illuminated the letters clearly. Also known as stencil cut fascias, this method of sign making is hugely popular as it ensures the brand name is clearly visible and the production costs are much more cost-effective compared to 3D built up illuminated letters. The letters and logo will appear to be be embossed.

Because the tray panel has folded edges it means the fixings used to secure the fascia to the shop front are well hidden which displays a cleaner tidier finish, unlike flat sign panels which requires the fixings to the fixed through the face of the tray.

More information on illuminated signs can be found here

Aluminium Fascia with Stencil Cut Letters - illuminated within

Made from a flat sheet of aluminium which is machine folded to make the sign ridged and to create some depth to the sign. The sign tray is then powder-coated in a vast range of RAL colours and finishes such as matt or satin.

The shop name or logo is then laser-cut out from the sign and removed which allows the internal lights to shine through and illuminated the letters clearly. Small acrylic inserts are also inserted into the areas which have been cut out so that the letters look slightly raised and debossed. Also known as stencil cut fascias, this method of sign making is hugely popular as it ensures the brand name is clearly visible and the production costs are much more cost-effective compared to 3D built up illuminated letters.

Because the tray panel has folded edges it means the fixings used to secure the fascia to the shop front are well hidden which displays a cleaner tidier finish, unlike flat sign panels which requires the fixings to the fixed through the face of the tray.

More information on illuminated signs can be found here

Aluminium Fascia Vinyl Wrapped with a Wood-Effect Printed Vinyl

Made from a flat sheet of aluminium or aluminium composite which is machine folded to make the sign ridged and to create some depth to the sign. The sign tray is then vinyl-wrapped in a high resolution digitally printed wooden effect print to give the illusion the panel is made from timber.

A number of different timber grains and colours can be used to create different coloured wood or aged-effects. The letters can then be applied to the sign to create the desired effect.

Because the tray panel has folded edges it means the fixings used to secure the fascia to the shop front are well hidden which displays a cleaner tidier finish, unlike flat sign panels which requires the fixings to the fixed through the face of the tray.

Brushed & Polished Stainless Steel Sign Trays

For higher quality signs and sign boards, stainless steel is often used as a platform for displaying your company logo or company details. Used by many corporate companies who are happy to pay for a premium sign, the stainless steel tray signs are at the top of the hierarchy.

Stainless Steel has an extremely high resistance to corrosion giving it a much longer life span than any other non-alloy product.  With a little creativity there are lots of effects and contrasts that can be created with brushed stainless steel, shiny stainless steel, brushed gold stainless steel, shiny gold stainless steel, etc.

Genuine stainless steel sign boards are incredibly hard wearing as they’re fabricated together in the same way as our aluminium sign boards. They may be a little bit more expensive than the cheaper alternatives however the finishing quality is exceptional. Vinyl graphics, metal text or acrylic lettering can then be applied to complete the sign.

Most shop fascias and sign trays will be supplied with a set of fixing rails which are fitted to the wall prior to the sign tray being installed. The fixing rails are effectively a long wall bracket which house all the fixings. Ensuring the fixing rail is firmly fixed to the wall will ensure the sign tray is fixed firmly in place and will reduce the risk of the sign falling down during bad weather or high winds.

Once the fixing rails are firmly in place, the sign tray can then be slotting over the fixing rails and slid into place. After a bit of moving around and ensuring the trays are level and in the right position, the fixing screws can then be screwed through the sides of the sign tray which will firmly hold the sign panels to the fixing rails. 

Depending on the size of the sign, the fascia may be made up of a number of panels which slot together to produce one long fascia. The individual panels usually have a gap of around 1-2mm which allows the expansion and retraction of the sign trays as they can move slightly especially if the sign is in direct sun light. This is a normal procedure when sign fitting as you have to account for the expansion of the elements especially during the hot summer months.