Sign Printing

Start with the question, not the board

Most people arrive here knowing what they want the sign to say and nothing about what it should be made of. That is fine. In sign printing, two questions sort out almost every order: where is it going, and how long does it need to last? A menu propped on a café counter, a room name by a dentist's door, a to-let board on a landlord's railings and a name plate on a unit in an industrial estate are four very different jobs, and our sign printing range has a board for each.

Which sign printing product for which job

• Inside a shop, office or hall: Foamex Boards in 3mm, 5mm or 10mm. Light, flat and easy to hang.
• Outside, and staying there: Dibond Aluminium Composite Signs in 3mm. They stay flat and will not rot or rust.
• Outside for a while, on a budget: Correx Boards in 3.5mm or 5mm, the plastic board you see on estate agent posts and site fences.
• You run a business and just want a sign sorted: Business Signs, set up for shop signs, office signs, directional and information signs.
• It is a wedding, party or open day: Event and Welcome Boards.
• It sits on a counter or a table: Counter and Menu Displays, including Foamex strut cards in A4 and A3 and a printed chalk board at 1000 × 600 mm.

If you already know the material, the Correx boards and Foamex and Dibond boards sections list every size on its own page.

The boards behind our sign printing, in plain words

Foamex is rigid PVC foam. It takes a crisp print, cuts cleanly and weighs very little, which is why it suits walls, doors and displays. Dibond is two thin aluminium skins with a plastic core, so it shrugs off rain and sun and keeps its shape on a fence for years. Correx is fluted polypropylene, like a plastic version of cardboard. It is waterproof and light, but fix it firmly or it will flap. There are also foam board signs in materials such as honeycomb cardboard, KAPA board and clear or opal polycarbonate for displays and exhibitions. Our Foamex, Dibond or Correx guide compares the three main boards side by side.

Sizes, extras and finishes for sign printing

Most boards come in A4, A3, A2, A1 and A0, plus 500 × 700 mm, 600 × 600 mm, 20 × 30 inch, 1000 × 500 mm, 700 × 1000 mm, 30 × 40 inch and 1000 × 1000 mm. The size table near the top of the page shows live prices for popular sizes. Many boards can be printed on one side or both, drilled at the top corners or all four, and profile cut to the outline of your design. Foamex and Dibond can have a gloss or matt laminate on one side.

Artwork that reads from across the road

• Add 3 mm bleed on every edge and keep words at least 10 mm inside the trim.
• For a small sign read up close, supply 300 dpi at full size, or vector artwork.
• A useful rule for sign printing: about 25 mm of capital letter height for every 3 metres someone stands away.
• Want it cut to shape? Send a clear vector outline if you can.

Upload a print-ready file, design it in the free online designer, or book our paid artwork service. A real person checks every uploaded file for free. See the artwork guidelines.

How long sign printing takes, and delivery

Foamex and Correx boards take 3 working days on standard, express from 2 and saver 5. Dibond takes 6 on standard, express from 5 and saver 8. Some products run to their own timetable, so each product page shows its own production days, counted from when your order and artwork are confirmed. Every board is made to order and dispatched from the UK. UK mainland delivery is £7.95, free on orders of £100 or more after discounts (artwork fees excluded). Mainland Highlands add £10. Northern Ireland, the Scottish islands, the Isle of Man, the Channel Islands, the Isles of Scilly and the Isle of Wight are quoted. Boards bigger than A0 add £15. Read the delivery page for the full picture.