Best practice for cut vinyl ACM sign

[unclebun]

Print on Ij35, Lam with 8518. Will last four years

Fixed it for you

 

[Notarealsignguy]

If you needed a black substrate, I'd use 080 aluminum. AFAIK, the finish is baked enamel and holds up well. ACM is generally a cheap substrate IMO

 

[Johnny Best]

Depending on complexity of lettering and design. Simple design, paint or put. Down colored vinyl and then cut out cast.
Complex design would be printed vinyl with laminate and adhere to panel.

 

[Ryze Signs]

If the colors you want are available I would do option B. I only do printed if it's a complicated design or has colors I can't get. Vinyl seems to outlast any print I've tried.

 

[victor bogdanov]

C , easiest way to make it and will last many years.

 

[gnubler]

If you needed a black substrate, I'd use 080 aluminum. AFAIK, the finish is baked enamel and holds up well. ACM is generally a cheap substrate IMO

And most of my customers are generally cheap and don't care about quality or longevity, just the cheapest price possible. Signage seems to be an afterthought with new businesses lately.

 

[Gino]

And most of my customers are generally cheap and don't care about quality or longevity, just the cheapest price possible. Signage seems to be an afterthought with new businesses lately.

Then, you need to cultivate a better grade of customers. Ya want word around town to be that your signs are cheap and don't last long, because no one has money ?? Signs of all kinds..... advertising in general, unless you're connected to a chain or franchise, is always at the bottom of the list. Ya need money to change out the building, build things and then stock your store, so hopefully there's some money left over for signs. Ya know how many times I've heard just make it to last for a year or two and then if I'm successful, I'll upgrade ?? 10 years later, that raggedy old piece a sh!t is still hanging there.

 

[unclebun]

If you needed a black substrate, I'd use 080 aluminum. AFAIK, the finish is baked enamel and holds up well. ACM is generally a cheap substrate IMO

Although ACM is less expensive than sheet aluminum, I disagree that it is always "cheap" in terms of quality. Particularly since in colors other than white, aluminum is typically only available in .040" thickness. And, regarding another comment, colored sheet aluminum is white on the back side, whereas I find ACM typically is colored both sides, one side gloss, one side satin. There is one brand that puts different colors on the two sides like green/blue, red/yellow.

I find that ACM gives a better looking sign because it's less likely to buckle and pucker or have bent corners and edges than large sheets of aluminum. And I don't find the lifetime of the paint to be any less than what it is on sheet aluminum.

 

[JBurton]

Signage seems to be an afterthought with new businesses lately.

Yeah, lately...

Ya know how many times I've heard just make it to last for a year or two and then if I'm successful, I'll upgrade ?? 10 years later, that raggedy old piece a sh!t is still hanging there.

Exactly, and you still put enough mounting hardware to last 10 years. Frankly, this isn't a bad idea, come up with a front desk display, one tapcon for one year, 10 for 10 years, make sure to leave a hammer nearby for the curious to 'try their might' at removing something with 10 tapcons. Or maybe just one hilti...

Particularly since in colors other than white, aluminum is typically only available in .040" thickness. And, regarding another comment, colored sheet aluminum is white on the back side, whereas I find ACM typically is colored both sides, one side gloss, one side satin.

This is wholesale your experience. I can get up to 080" painted white, 063 in black or white (black comes in varieties of black/black and black/white for channel letters) plus several colors, and 040 in an even greater range of colors.
Oddly enough, all my black acm is black on both sides (laminators brand), and my cheapest acm 4x8($39, starbond I think) is white on both sides.

 

[Ryze Signs]

Then, you need to cultivate a better grade of customers. Ya want word around town to be that your signs are cheap and don't last long, because no one has money ?? Signs of all kinds..... advertising in general, unless you're connected to a chain or franchise, is always at the bottom of the list. Ya need money to change out the building, build things and then stock your store, so hopefully there's some money left over for signs. Ya know how many times I've heard just make it to last for a year or two and then if I'm successful, I'll upgrade ?? 10 years later, that raggedy old piece a sh!t is still hanging there.

I agree. The largest sign company in my area is the most expensive, but they always make a quality product and deliver on schedule. Good clients put quality and service over price.

 

[Notarealsignguy]

Although ACM is less expensive than sheet aluminum, I disagree that it is always "cheap" in terms of quality. Particularly since in colors other than white, aluminum is typically only available in .040" thickness. And, regarding another comment, colored sheet aluminum is white on the back side, whereas I find ACM typically is colored both sides, one side gloss, one side satin. There is one brand that puts different colors on the two sides like green/blue, red/yellow.

I find that ACM gives a better looking sign because it's less likely to buckle and pucker or have bent corners and edges than large sheets of aluminum. And I don't find the lifetime of the paint to be any less than what it is on sheet aluminum.

080 is stocked white on white but you can use mill finish as well. Aluminum holds screws better and has more resistance to tear out from the wind. We always try to use aluminum for signs going on buildings because of this, I don't want one of our signs flying off in a bad storm and causing injury or property damage. Price difference is about double for the substrate so $75-100 more than ACM, if people can't handle that then they should save their double latte money for a week and put it towards a better sign.

 

[Notarealsignguy]

And most of my customers are generally cheap and don't care about quality or longevity, just the cheapest price possible. Signage seems to be an afterthought with new businesses lately.

Cheap is a relative term, everyone is cheap to a certain extent. Push overall value over price, that is really what most people are after. Price seems to be more of a factor when you are comparing options like a flat sign face screwed vs flat sign with hidden fasteners vs a cabinet vs a routed sign etc etc. Cheap is the sign with a screw through face even on aluminum, so if you want it to look like a good value, propose a more expensive option in addition like a basic pan face to give it some relativity.