• I want to thank all the members that have upgraded your accounts. I truly appreciate your support of the site monetarily. Supporting the site keeps this site up and running as a lot of work daily goes on behind the scenes. Click to Support Signs101 ...

How was this made?

sdnj

New Member
The letters appear to be acrylic cut out and put on to flat substrate and there is a shadow too. But how are they lit if they are just attached to the flat substrate? I would say edge lit, but how? Perhaps several layers of acrylic?

IMG950629.jpg
 

Christian @ 2CT Media

Active Member
Looks like 1+" Clear Acrylic with Opaque Faces glued to the top, LEDs are probably routed in to the acrylic and the shadow is just vinyl or paint on the wall.
 

sdnj

New Member
Looks like 1+" Clear Acrylic with Opaque Faces glued to the top, LEDs are probably routed in to the acrylic and the shadow is just vinyl or paint on the wall.

The LEDs being along the bottom of the acrylic panel would be enough to light up those thick acrylic letters that are set on top?
 

Christian @ 2CT Media

Active Member
they are probable inside of the acrylic lettering

Yes, That's what I believe too. We have done it in the past with Super White leds, routing a box out of the acrylic the size of the module and laminating the top of the acrylic with a aluminum sheet gives that glow effect. Looking at the color of the glow it may be a 5 - 20% translucent white acrylic rather then clear.
 

sdnj

New Member
Yes, That's what I believe too. We have done it in the past with Super White leds, routing a box out of the acrylic the size of the module and laminating the top of the acrylic with a aluminum sheet gives that glow effect. Looking at the color of the glow it may be a 5 - 20% translucent white acrylic rather then clear.

I have a customer asking me about making something similar - I will have more details soon. Size to be 5' x 1'. Would you be interested in the job? PM me if so to discuss.
 

sdnj

New Member
I'm not a MM on here, there are quite a few members here that are that do great work in this realm.

Ok, maybe one of them will see this thread and PM me.

Attached is another example of a similar sign, but with no shadow layer. I think this one is back lit instead of edge lit.

2.jpg
 

Christian @ 2CT Media

Active Member
That one is slightly different... its clear acrylic and its flood lit from behind a blockout layer that is only knocked out to the shape of the letters/logo
 

Rick

Certified Enneadecagon Designer
I believe it's push-thru with thick acrylic… the substrate may be thin, but where the lettering is,
I bet there is a cabinet housing the illumination that is set into the wall.

The other image you show is also push-thru,
 

Christian @ 2CT Media

Active Member
I believe it's push-thru with thick acrylic… the substrate may be thin, but where the lettering is,
I bet there is a cabinet housing the illumination that is set into the wall.

The other image you show is also push-thru,

I don't think the first one is push through... you can see on a couple letters that there is a gap between the base and the bottom of the letter.
 

Rick

Certified Enneadecagon Designer
Is there an undersized clear acrylic backer behind the letters standing the letters off, allowing light to pass through? Or actually pinned off?

I've designed and seen LED's inside acrylic, but they hot spot significantly.
 

Christian @ 2CT Media

Active Member
I'm thinking Standoffs, it looks like there is a clear gap on the last letter and the i in fries.

Also if you look at the F and the Ampersand there is hot spotting going on.
 

sdnj

New Member
So it turns out that the letters are at least 3 layers! Now the question, backlit or embedded in one of those layers?

See new close-up pic:

IMG950630.jpg
 

Christian @ 2CT Media

Active Member
Based on this new pic, I think Rick is 100% right in being a Punch Through style and having a fluorescent or LED flood cabinet behind the face.

That looks like 3 Layers of 1/2" Clear Acrylic glued together with block out vinyl mounted to the face to force the light out the sides of the structure.
 

sdnj

New Member
Based on this new pic, I think Rick is 100% right in being a Punch Through style and having a fluorescent or LED flood cabinet behind the face.

That looks like 3 Layers of 1/2" Clear Acrylic glued together with block out vinyl mounted to the face to force the light out the sides of the structure.

Do you think 3 layers are really needed?
 

visual800

Active Member
I wonder if they are also routed out inside white letters as to not be a solid peice, that would be heavy if they were
 

sdnj

New Member
Based on this new pic, I think Rick is 100% right in being a Punch Through style and having a fluorescent or LED flood cabinet behind the face.

That looks like 3 Layers of 1/2" Clear Acrylic glued together with block out vinyl mounted to the face to force the light out the sides of the structure.

Aren't Punch Through letters actually pushed through an already cut out substrate? Maybe I am confused with the terms. I guess push through doesn't actually mean pushed through, just the appearance. These appear to just be glued flush to the acrylic surface.
 
Top