Storefront & 4x8 Signs

Signs built to be read from the road

Rigid storefront signs, 4×8 sheets and site signs, designed around one question: how far away does this have to work? A storefront fascia read by someone walking past needs something very different from a sign meant to pull a driver off a highway, and getting that wrong is the most expensive mistake in signage — a beautiful sign nobody can read at speed is a wasted sign.

What we make

Storefront fascia and above-door signs, 4×8 sheet signs for shops and construction sites, contractor and development site signs, directory and suite boards, hanging and projecting signs, A-frame and sandwich boards, post-mounted road signs, and rigid panels for fences, gates and building walls.

Materials, and what each is for

Aluminum composite panel — two thin aluminum skins bonded to a plastic core — is the workhorse for permanent exterior signs: rigid, flat, light enough to hang, and it will not rot, warp or rust. Coroplast is the budget material for temporary and site signage; it is the same board as a yard sign and belongs to jobs measured in months. Rigid PVC suits interior panels and directories. Graphics are either printed and laminated for full-colour artwork, or cut vinyl applied to a painted panel for solid-colour lettering that lasts longest. We will tell you which combination suits the site, the lifespan you want and the budget you have.

Sizing it for the distance

The working rule is one inch of letter height per ten feet of viewing distance. A sign read from a hundred feet across a parking lot needs ten-inch letters; a highway sign read at speed needs far more, and needs its message cut to three or four words. Work out the distance first, then the letter height, then the panel size — in that order. Doing it the other way round is how you end up with a 4×8 sign carrying a paragraph. The size guide has the numbers worked through.

Mounting and permits

Panels are supplied drilled for the fixing you need, or on posts and frames where the site calls for it. We install across the Belleville, Quinte West, Kingston and Napanee area — see sign installation. One thing to check early: permanent exterior signage is usually subject to municipal sign by-laws covering size, height, illumination and placement, and the rules differ from one municipality to the next. Confirm with your municipality before a sign is made, because a by-law problem found afterwards is an expensive one.

How long they last

An aluminum composite panel with cut vinyl graphics is a decade-scale sign; the panel outlives the graphics, and re-lettering an existing panel is a cheap way to rebrand. Printed and laminated artwork on the same panel typically holds colour for several years in direct sun before fading shows. South-facing signs age fastest. Coroplast is seasonal by design.

Getting a quote

Email info@signs613.com with a photo of the location, the space you have, roughly how far away it needs to be read from, and your logo — or use the request form. There is finished storefront work in the gallery.