The best sign material starts with one question: where is it going?

The best sign material is whichever one suits the spot and the length of time the sign has to survive there. In short: Foamex indoors, Correx outside for a few weeks or a season, Dibond outside for years, self-adhesive vinyl on glass and smooth panels, and waterproof polypropylene for small labels on kit that lives outdoors. The common mistake runs both ways: a flimsy board on a windy gate that is tatty in a month, or a heavy-duty panel bought for a corridor where a light board would have done for years.

Two questions before you choose #

Forget the materials for a moment and answer these:

1. How exposed is it? Indoors, sheltered (a porch or under a canopy), or out in the open taking rain, wind and sun.
2. How long does it need to last? A weekend, a season, or years.

Those two answers point to one material almost every time. The rest of this page walks through real places, from the inside of a building outwards, so you can find yours. If you want a deeper look at how the three board types compare on weight, cutting and finishing, see our Foamex, Dibond or Correx guide.

Reception, corridors and offices #

Indoors, Foamex boards are hard to beat. Foamex is rigid PVC foam: light, flat, easy to screw, stick or tie up, and it prints crisply. Pick the thickness by the job:

• 3 mm for door plates and wall signs.
• 5 mm for bigger signs, or where you want it to feel more solid.
• 10 mm for freestanding displays and anything likely to get leaned on or knocked.

That is why our indoor business signs are made in 3 mm and 5 mm Foamex. They dispatch in 3 working days on Standard or 2 on Express. More background in Foamex board.

Porches and canopies #

Sheltered outdoor spots sit in between. Out of direct rain, a thicker Foamex board (5 mm or 10 mm) will do fine for months. If the sign has to stay put for years, or the shelter is only partial, step up to Dibond. When in doubt, treat a porch as outside.

Building sites, events and fences for a season #

For weeks to a season in the open, Correx boards are the usual answer. Correx is fluted polypropylene, the twin-wall plastic you see on estate agent boards and site hoardings. Rain does not bother it and it is cheap enough to treat as short term.

• 3.5 mm when the board is fixed flat against a fence or wall.
• 5 mm for bigger boards, windier spots, or boards tied at the top only.
• Print one side or both, drill the top two corners or all four, or have it profile cut to a shape.

Correx dispatches in 3 working days on Standard and 2 on Express. The flute edges give away that it is a temporary board, so it is not the look you want for a permanent shop sign. For hoardings, our construction site signs are Correx boards made for exactly this, and Correx signs covers the material in more depth.

Shop fronts, car parks and gates: the best sign material for years #

When a sign must look good out in the open for years, Dibond aluminium composite is the one. It is two thin aluminium skins bonded to a solid core, 3 mm thick, flat, stiff and weatherproof. It can be drilled, profile cut, and laminated gloss or matt on one side. Our outdoor business signs on Dibond dispatch in 6 working days on Standard.

One thing matters as much as the board: how it is fixed. Sun, wind and movement shorten the life of any outdoor sign. A Dibond panel screwed flat to a wall at every corner will outlive the same panel cable tied to a fence that flexes each time a lorry goes by. Mounting a sign on a wall goes through the options.

Windows, doors and vans #

Screwing a board to a shop window or a van door makes no sense. Here the sign becomes a skin on the surface itself. Our custom vinyl stickers and window graphics are matt monomeric self-adhesive vinyl, cut as squares or circles between 300 mm and 1000 mm across, or to a size you give us. Plenty of our safety signs have a vinyl version too, handy for metal cabinets and smooth cupboard doors.

The catch is the surface. Vinyl wants it smooth, clean and dry; on rough brick, render or textured plastic it simply lets go at the edges, and a board is the better bet. Degrease the surface and put it on in dry weather; vinyl stickers outside explains how long it lasts in different spots.

Meter boxes, boilers and outdoor units #

Small compliance and asset labels on kit outside, or in damp lofts and garages, need more than paper. Our trade labels come in waterproof polypropylene with a matt laminate, which takes a permanent marker. The full comparison is in waterproof labels.

Safety signs: which version? #

Our safety signs come as 3 mm Foamex, 3 mm Dibond or self-adhesive vinyl. Inside, Foamex or vinyl nearly always does the job. On an outside wall, a yard gate or anywhere the sign must stay legible through the weather, take Dibond. On a site hoarding for a few months, Correx site boards fit the bill.

A quick check before ordering #

• What is it fixing to? Flat wall: screws. Fence: drilled corners and cable ties. Glass: vinyl.
• Read from both sides? Correx, Foamex and Dibond can all be printed double sided for hanging signs and fence tops.
• How far away is the reader? Size decides legibility more than material does; see sign text size.
• Permanent advert on a building? The government guide to outdoor advertisements and signs explains when you need consent.

Delivery: boards up to A0 go at £7.95 to the UK mainland, free on orders of £100 or more after discounts. Boards bigger than A0 add £15 for oversize handling, once per order. Still unsure which is the best sign material for your spot? Send a photo and tell us how long it needs to last via get a quote, and we will suggest the best sign material for it.