Why a Channel Letter is Not a Channel Letter

A channel letter is not a channel letter. With a common sign type like channel letters, it is too easy to think they are basically all the same. After all, a channel letter sign is just a metal can with illumination installed, right? Pretty much the same product from vendor to vendor.

Wrong. Don’t be fooled. If you are serious about building a consistently profitable signage business, your signs need to last for years. Particularly electrical signage, which actually has some very real differences from vendor to vendor. At Direct Sign Wholesale, we believe that a durable and high-performance electrical signage product is one of the keys to your future success as a sign company. Particularly when the sign is a “signature sign” like channel letters – a sign that has a strong day to day visibility presence at your client’s business location.

What is different about our product compared to the competition? Check this table:

Direct Sign Wholesale	Competition
3/16” colorfast acrylic	1/8” imported acrylic
Constant Current LED	Constant Voltage LED
Sturdy Aluminum Gauges – up to .090”	Lighter aluminum gauges – as low as .032”
Automotive Grade Acrylic polyurethane paint	Lower grade paints including latex house paint
3M Vinyls – All weather UV resistant	Low quality vinyl
Raceway Hangar Bar	No raceway hangar bar
High density LED strokes	Fewer LED strokes
UL Listed	Not always UL listed

When you want to be certain you are purchasing high quality channel letters, here are a few other points to check:

PROJECT SPECIFICATION Does your vendor match the product specifications to the individual project requirements? For example, some channel letter vendors will use the same aluminum gauge regardless of the letter size. Not so at DSW. Larger letters receive a higher aluminum gauge that is sufficient to reliably handle the sign’s weight load.

HIGH-PERFORMANCE LED Does your current vendor use constant current or constant voltage LED? You need to check on this one. Vibrant and dependable LED illumination can make or break a channel letter sign. Constant Current LED ensures matched and predictable luminous intensity from each LED module. Constant Voltage LED can result in the sign’s illumination being unbalanced, and the LED brightness will vary by module. What will your channel letter client think about that? Will she come back to you next year to buy other signs?

LED STROKE DENSITY Is your vendor installing an adequate number of LED modules to make the sign consistently bright? Another common way to cut corners is to install the absolute minimum concentration of LED strokes to light the sign face “adequately”. However, does your customer really want a channel letter sign that lights “adequately?” We don’t practice that at Direct Sign Wholesale. We install the number of LED module strokes necessary to make your customer’s channel letters conspicuously and thoroughly bright.

HEAVY DUTY ACRYLIC Acrylic is all the same, right? No. High quality acrylic is both colorfast and flexible – meaning it will hold its original color and shape for years despite harsh climate conditions, and also have sufficient flexibility to expand and contract as needed in changing climate conditions.  Low quality acrylic can warp and crack when exposed to an environment with substantial temperature fluctuation (like a hot summer followed by a freezing winter.) At Direct Sign Wholesale, we use 3/16” colorfast acrylic. Some of our competitors use 1/8” imported acrylic. How will your customer’s channel letter sign look when the faces have faded and/or cracked?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ACRYLIC POLYURETHANE PAINT Did your channel letter return or raceway require a custom paint color? If so, what kind of paint was used? Some of our competitors use latex house paint, which will crack, peel and fade over time. Insist on high grade acrylic polyurethane paint – this is what we use at DSW. That grade of paint will keep your customer’s channel letter sign looking excellent for years, and continue generating future referrals from your customer.

USER FRIENDLY HANGER BAR Has your customer specified raceway mounting? If so, check to see if your vendor provides a raceway hangar bar, like the one pictured below. A hangar bar makes the channel letter sign installation much simpler. Without one, your installation company will actually have to get inside the raceway for installation, and that can lead to loose wiring (and a more difficult installation.)   Also, what material is used for the raceway and channel letter returns? We use strong, lightweight aluminum. Some other vendors use steel which can rust and is heavier to install.

PRODUCTION PROCESSES Last, how is your channel letter sign produced? Are the manufacturing techniques consistent, lean and quality controlled? At Direct Sign Wholesale, we use the same procedures and personnel to assemble each sign. Our competition frequently has different personnel using different day to day production techniques, and the channel letter quality varies accordingly. We also do all of our assembly work here in the U.S. at our Colorado production facility – none of our assembly is sub-contracted.

WHAT IS THE POINT? The point is that we are trying to help you prosper as a professional sign company  for the long run. Channel letters are often your customer’s “signature sign”, meaning their primary, “first look” business sign. Channel letters often make the difference as to whether a prospective customer will patronize a business location or pass it by. It is not the right sign to skimp on. Well-built letters are well worth your client’s time and investment – and will lead to future sales and referrals for you.