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Dibond signs are worth the extra money when a sign has to live outside and still look sharp a long time from now: shop fronts, car parks, fences, entrances. The board is 3 mm aluminium composite, meaning two thin sheets of aluminium bonded either side of a solid polyethylene core. It stays flat in the heat, doesn’t rust and doesn’t soak up rain. If your sign is going indoors or only needs to last a few weeks, you’re paying for strength you won’t use.
The sandwich inside Dibond signs #
Think of a sandwich. The bread is aluminium, much thinner than the board itself. The filling is a solid plastic core. The metal gives a hard, stiff face that prints cleanly; the core keeps the whole thing light enough to handle and stops it denting the way thin sheet metal would.
Dibond is a brand name that’s turned into the common word for this material. You’ll also see it called ACM, ACP or aluminium composite panel. Same idea. Look at a cut edge and you’ll see the two thin metal skins with the core in the middle, which is neat enough for a sign at eye level.
Five reasons people pay more #
- It stays flat. Aluminium doesn’t soften in summer the way PVC foam can.
- It doesn’t rust. Rain and damp air aren’t a problem.
- It doesn’t drink water. Nothing soaks in, so it doesn’t swell or warp.
- It looks permanent. A hard metal face reads as a proper sign, not a temporary notice.
- It takes a proper fixing. Screws, bolts and brackets hold it firmly for years of wind.
Where Dibond signs earn their keep #
- Shops and businesses. Fascia panels, wall plaques and entrance signs. See outdoor business signs and branding panels.
- Car parks. Rules, bay markings, in and out signs. Our car park signs come in Dibond as well as Correx and Foamex.
- Outdoor safety signs. Many warning and site signs can be ordered in 3 mm Dibond for a permanent fixing.
- Hoardings. Printed hoarding boards in Dibond go up to 8 ft × 4 ft (2440 × 1220 mm).
- Outdoor menus. Printed menu boards can be made in 3 mm Dibond if the menu stays outside.
Sizes and how long they take #
Our Dibond aluminium composite signs come in stock sizes from A4 (210 × 297 mm), A3 (297 × 420 mm) and A2 (420 × 594 mm) up to A1 (594 × 841 mm) and 1000 × 1000 mm. Custom sizes run from 100 mm right up to 2440 × 1220 mm. There are dedicated pages for A1 Dibond signs, A2 Dibond signs and A3 Dibond signs if you already know the size.
Dispatch is 5 working days on express, 6 on standard and 8 on saver, counted from when your order and artwork are confirmed. That’s a touch slower than Foamex or Correx, so plan ahead for an opening day. Boards larger than A0 add a one-off £15 oversize charge per order. UK mainland delivery is £7.95, or free on orders of £100 or more after discounts; the delivery page has the details for the Highlands and islands.
Finishing choices #
| Option | Choices | Pick it when |
|---|---|---|
| Printed sides | Single or double | Double for hanging or projecting signs seen from both ways |
| Lamination | None, gloss or matt on one side | The sign gets touched, wiped or sits in a busy spot; matt cuts glare |
| Drilling | None, top corners or all corners | All four for walls and fences, top two for hanging |
| Profile cut | Yes or no | You want the panel shaped to a logo or outline |
Get the holes drilled before it arrives. You’ll get neat, evenly spaced holes, and you avoid drilling metal on site, where a skidding bit can scratch straight across your print.
Fixing Dibond signs properly #
A metal-faced panel weighs more than a plastic board of the same size, so tape on its own isn’t enough. Give it something mechanical to hang from.
| Going on | Use |
|---|---|
| Brick or block wall | Wall plugs and screws through the drilled corners, with a washer or spacer under each head. Spacers stop an uneven wall bending the panel. |
| Fence or railing | Bolts, or heavy-duty cable ties, at every corner |
| Post | Clips or brackets sized to suit that post |
| A long shop fascia | A frame or channel system that shares the weight along its length |
Two small habits make a big difference. Stop turning the screwdriver once the head is snug, because cranking it further dents the printed face. And on a big panel outside, drill the holes a fraction wider than the screws: metal expands a little on hot days and shrinks on cold ones, and it needs room to do that. Our guide to mounting a sign on a wall goes through plugs and spacing.
When a cheaper board will do #
Dibond costs more than Foamex and Correx, and of the three it’s the only one built to stay flat outside for the long haul. If that isn’t what you need, save the money:
- Indoors? Foamex is smoother and cheaper. See Foamex board.
- Outside for weeks, not years? Correx is the budget pick. See Correx signs.
The Foamex, Dibond or Correx guide lines the three up by job.
A worked example
A garage wants a sign on the brick wall by its entrance, roughly 1000 × 1000 mm, to stay up for good. It faces the road, gets afternoon sun and the odd splash from passing traffic. Foamex would risk bowing in that sun, and Correx would look tired within months. That’s exactly the job for Dibond: all four corners drilled, spacers on the brick, and matt lamination so it wipes clean without glare.
Ask anyone selling outdoor signs how many years they’ll last and be wary of a confident number. We don’t give one. Sunlight on the print, the quality of the fixing and the occasional knock decide it far more than the board does. Lamination is the cheap insurance: it resists scuffs and makes a wipe-down easy.
Do you need permission? #
Signs that advertise a business outdoors fall under the Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) (England) Regulations 2007. Lots of modest signs on your own premises are allowed without applying (known as deemed consent). Lit signs, very large ones, and anything in a conservation area can be a different story. Have a word with the council before you order a big fascia, and with the landlord if the building isn’t yours.
Not sure it’s worth it for your job? Tell us the size, where it’s going and what’s behind it, and we’ll give you a straight answer. Use the contact form.