Plastic Sheet and Film for Sign Manufacturing

Plastic Materials for Signs

Plastics are used for many different signage applications including:

Thermoformed sign faces
Channel letters
Restaurant menu boards

Sign-grade plastic sheet materials such as OPTIX® SG acrylic and TUFFAK® SL (formerly called Makrolon®) polycarbonate are industry standards. Advanced LED light diffusing plastics including TUFFAK® LD polycarbonate and OPTIX® LD acrylic are engineered to diffuse LED lights for brilliant back-lighted signs without visible hot spots. Fluted polypropylene sheet materials are economical alternatives for low cost election and real estate signs.

Acrylic and polycarbonate sheet for channel letter signs

Thermoformable Sign Materials

Impact modified acrylics and sign grade polycarbonates have outstanding thermoforming characteristics, which make them ideal choices for thermoformed sign faces. These materials are available with UV stabilizers to extend their service life when used outdoors. Many sign grade plastic sheet materials are available as reel stock, which allows fabricators to save cost by buying the exact size that is needed for a particular project.

Channel Letter Materials

Acrylic and polycarbonate sheet are often used for the front faces of channel letter signs. These plastics are easy to fabricate into letters using ordinary woodworking tools such as CNC saws and routers.

Acrylic sheet offers the advantages of superior UV stability and outstanding light transmission. Polycarbonate is more durable than acrylic, which reduces the chance of breakage as a sign is being installed. Because of its high impact strength, polycarbonate sheet is also preferred for channel letter signs when the potential for vandalism is a concern.

Plastic Materials for Menu Boards

Restaurant menu boards may be back-lighted or they may be lighted from the front. Back-lighted menu board graphics are often printed on Makrofol® polycarbonate film. Makrofol® film is available with smooth or textured surfaces and clear or white color depending on the desired appearance. Makrofol® DE 1-4 in white or clear is the grade that is most often used for menu boards.

Makrofol® LM polycarbonate films are engineered to diffuse LED hot spots for applications where menu boards are to be back-lighted with LED lamps. Various grades of Makrofol® LM are available so that designers can select the film that best balances light transmission and diffusion for a particular application.

Front-lighted menu boards are often printed on paper, which is then mounted to a rigid graphic arts board such as Fome-Cor® or Gatorfoam®.

Plastic Foam Materials

Celtec® expanded PVC - lightweight, yet rigid for signage applications Plastic foam sheet materials are lightweight, stiff, and have excellent printing characteristics, which make them ideal choices for many sign applications.

Expanded PVC foams such as Sintra® and Celtec® can either be printed to make flat faced signs or they can be cut into letters, which are then mounted on a substrate. Expanded PVC foam is available in a wide variety of colors and thicknesses.

Rigid graphic arts boards such as Fome-Cor® and Gatorfoam® can be directly printed or they can be used as substrates for mounting printed graphics.

Need materials for sign manufacturing? Contact us today.

Curbell supplies a wide range of plastic sheet and film materials as well as assembly adhesives for the sign market. We also have in-house technical support to help with design and fabrication challenges.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can plastic materials be used for outdoor signs?

Most plastics are not inherently UV stable and will quickly fade, yellow, or become brittle when used outdoors. However, Curbell offers a wide range of sign-grade plastics such as OPTIX® SG acrylic and TUFFAK® SL polycarbonate that are formulated for outdoor environments. The life of a plastic sign used outdoors will depend on many factors including the geographic location of the sign (lower latitudes experience more intense sunlight) and the level of humidity in the environment.

Will inks adhere well to plastic materials?

Some plastics such as acrylic and polystyrene exhibit good adhesion to printing inks. Other materials such as HDPE and polypropylene can be more difficult to print. HDPE and PP are often corona treated at the factory to improve ink adhesion. It is important to note that different plastics may require different ink chemistries in order to achieve proper adhesion. Curbell’s technical team and the ink supplier should be consulted prior to selecting an ink for use with a particular plastic.

What are the best plastics for hiding LED hot spots?

LED bulbs create bright points of light, which can be difficult for conventional plastics to effectively diffuse. TUFFAK® LD polycarbonate and OPTIX® LD acrylic are engineered to diffuse LED lights for brilliant back-lighted signs without visible LED hot spots. Makrofol® LM polycarbonate films also have outstanding LED light diffusing properties.

What adhesives should be used to assemble plastic signs?

There have been a number of advances in adhesives technology for sign applications. Plexus® MA420FS is a fast setting methacrylate adhesive that achieves 75% of its ultimate strength in only 5 to 6 minutes. This makes it an ideal choice for rapid assembly of sign components such as channel letter cans. Plexus® MA685 is a clear, UV stable methacrylate adhesive that is used for applications where transparent bonding will contribute to the aesthetics of a sign.