Signs explained - flat cut letter signs

05 February 2019

No matter where your premises are, whether a busy high street or amongst a cluster of shops, you want to make sure your branding stands out.  For a sign that really pops, we recommend flat cut lettering.  Here’s why…   

Made to stand out
Flat cut letters are made by cutting out each individual letter from a choice of hardwearing materials. They are then stuck to a backing board or straight onto a wall, giving them true 3D power. For more emphasis, we can enhance the level of 3D further by mounting the letters on what we call ‘stand off’ locators. Locators are small pieces of high-quality UV stabilised and frost resistant plastic, made to withstand harsh conditions. They allow flat cut letters to almost float and stand out from the wall or back board. The result is a sign that really stands out!


Depth of sign
It pays to think of the thickness when it comes to flat cut letter signs. The thicker the letters are in terms of their depth, the more visually exciting your sign will look. Without getting too technical, you can choose from anything between 0.99mm up to 30mm thick, depending on the final material of the letters chosen. We make all flat cut letters to order, so you can choose your required thickness and height to suit your space and of course your budget!


Which material?
We can supply pretty much anything you need, but our most popular flat cut letter signs are made from either Foamex, Acrylic or Aluminium Composite Material. Here’s how they stack up…

Acrylic is ideal for outside environments – it is strong and long lasting.  It’s also the best for getting creative with colour, being a versatile material. For branding you really want noticed, a bright coloured acrylic stand-off sign will do the job. Acrylic’s good for getting that extra thickness with the letters too, bringing an even more exciting 3D effect to your finished sign. 

Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) is super-duper lightweight yet incredibly stable and is perfect for outdoor signage, thanks to its weather resistant properties. For a professional looking sign with a high shine finish, we’d recommend it.  You might have heard it called Dibond, being made of 3mm thick pieces of aluminium encasing a stabilising resin centre. If you’re looking for an affordable yet effective external sign option, it’s worth looking at ACM.  They make great indoor signs too!  

Foamex comes in as the cheapest material for flat cut letters.  AT about 5mm thick and quite rigid, it does the job but it’s worth bearing in mind, as it is PVC based it cannot be laser cut. This means the final finish will lack the level of quality you’d get from an acrylic flat cut letter.  But for a small area, indoor solution or low-cost signage option, foamex tick all the boxes.  

Make it your own

There are many ways to be creative with a flat cut letters sign. Use colours and fonts to bring your sign to life, as much as size and scale.  You can go further with cut or polished edges for an even classier finish.  You don’t have to settle for plain nylon stand off sign locators when mounting your flat cut letters, for a professional look there are chrome or satin finished options too. And take the time to consider what’s behind your sign – is it sitting on a tray, a backing board or being mounted directly onto a wall? There are a lot of options and factors to think about it, which is why it makes sense to get advice from professional signwriters. 


Whether you have new premises and need a new sign, or you are updating a tired sign to something more visually Wow! – get in touch with us for a free quotation and advice on flat cut letter signs.  We supply and install all manner of signs across the North West region and can help you with your signage needs.  

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