Acrylic Signage – FAQs Answered for First-Time Customers
When you are doing up a new retail store or commercial space, one of the top priorities will be putting up signage at the appropriate places for a variety of purposes. While there are many varieties of materials for signs, acrylic is one of the best for giving your premises an exclusive and sophisticated look. However, it is easy to be confused about the properties of acrylic, its various aspects, and its advantages. Some frequently asked questions answered in brief:
What is Acrylic?
Acrylic, which also goes under an assortment of trade names like Plexiglas, Perspex, Lucite, etc., according to madehow.com is a plastic material that has the same transparency as glass. It also possesses great strength and stiffness. It is not fragile like glass, which makes it easy to fabricate but also it bonds well with a large number of adhesives and solvents. It can be beveled and also thermoformed to give the edges a smooth polished effect. Acrylic is comparable to the brilliance, clarity, and transparency of glass but weighs only half. Its resistance to impact is many times more than glass, making it perfect for not only signage but also shelves, displays, fixtures, etc. for retail use.
What Are the Advantages of Using Acrylic?
Acrylic comes in sheets as wide as eight feet, which means it can be used to fabricate even large acrylic signs. It can also be cut very easily both by hand and machine without shattering like glass. It possesses outstanding transparency making it a viable alternative to glass but without the fear of breakages. Another factor, which works in its favor, is that compared to glass, it weighs only half as much, which means, handling it is easier, and you need much less support when using it in signage, retail merchandising articles, window panes, etc. Giving the edges of acrylic sheets a smooth finish is easy as it can be beveled as well as flame finished.
How Is Acrylic Suitable for Signage?
In addition to availability in large sheets that can also be cut and finished easily, the main advantage of acrylic as a signage material is its high optical clarity and light weight. Besides the convention transparent acrylic, it is also possible for you to buy colored acrylic and acrylic with different kinds of metallic finishes. You can also add metallic reflective backing or even use vinyl cut letters for exclusive-looking signage. The material is also easy to print on, and you can also have it laser etched to yield embossed or raised letters.
Can Acrylic Signage Be Installed Outdoors?
With its intrinsic toughness, acrylic signage can be easily installed outdoors and it can stand up to the elements easily without any performance degradation. However, even though it is scratch and chip resistant to some degree, it is best for the signage not to be installed in places where it is exposed to friction or knocks.
Conclusion
Acrylic is extremely versatile and possesses all the attributes required for high-quality signage. Using many different kinds of processes, these signs can be made to look exclusive to impress everyone who sees them.
