Outdoor Backlit Letters

Standard finishes include:

• Stainless steel: mirror-polished, brushed, painted or powder-coated, and plated colors
• Aluminum: brushed, painted or powder-coated, and anodized colors
• Paint and powder coat in gloss, matte, or semi-gloss
• Plating in gold, rose gold, brass, copper, bronze, and more, plus wood-grain and antique effects
• Anodizing in a wide range of colors

For a custom color, send a color number from Pantone, RAL, Sherwin-Williams, or Matthews Paint, and we mix the paint to match.

For coastal or salt-air environments, we recommend powder-coat, brushed, or mirror finishes. Plating isn’t recommended there.

By default, Classic letters are 1 in (25 mm) deep, Luxury letters about 1 3/8 in (35 mm) including the light-transmitting acrylic edge, and acrylic letters 13/16 in (20 mm). The final depth is set in the shop drawings once we have your vector file. If you need a certain depth, tell us and we’ll do our best to meet it.

We use BlueView LEDs by default, with Cree-grade LEDs on request. The LED type and layout are chosen for each sign and shown in the shop drawings.

Yes. Brightness can be set with a dimmer. For automatic control you can add a dusk-to-dawn light sensor (turns the sign on at night and off in daylight) or a timer (on/off at set times each day). Please let us know in advance if you’d like any of these, so we configure them with your order.

They look like finished three-dimensional letters, so they stay clean and premium even when switched off.

Standard options include white (6000K), warm white (3000K), natural white (4000K), red, yellow, blue, green, and RGB / WRGB.

RGB / WRGB color-changing suits wider strokes, because these LEDs are usually larger, and it comes with a wireless controller. If you choose color-changing, then where the stroke width and budget allow, we recommend WRGB. The added white (W) diodes greatly expand the range of colors the sign can produce and make the result look richer.

Our LEDs are rated for more than 100,000 hours. They dim slowly with use rather than failing all at once, and a sign takes far longer than the 3-year limited warranty to look too dim for its setting. When that day comes, remaking the whole set keeps the brightness and color even.

Backlit letters need very little maintenance. Wipe them with a clean soft cloth dampened with clean water. Avoid alcohol-based or harsh chemical cleaners, especially on painted or plated finishes. In coastal areas, wipe the letters regularly with clean fresh water to remove salt and protect the finish.

We need vector artwork (AI, EPS, SVG, or PDF), which you can usually get from your designer. A high-resolution image is fine to start the conversation, but production still needs vector artwork for accurate manufacturing. One thing to watch: a “vector” file made by auto-converting a bitmap (such as a PNG or JPG) through software or a website usually comes out worse than a sharp bitmap, because the edges turn jagged and detail is lost. Our designers can rebuild vector artwork from a high-resolution bitmap, but some differences in detail are unavoidable, so it’s best to get the source file from your designer saved as a vector.

AI-generated images and renderings are welcome as a visual reference, but production still needs vector artwork. If your image came from an AI chat, ask that same conversation for a flat version of the design with no rendering or distortion. Black and white is fine. Send it together with the rendering. Some AI tools, such as Claude, can tell you which font they used, so ask and include the font name. Others, such as ChatGPT, draw the letters rather than set them in a font, so they can’t name one. Even if the rendered letters are warped or stylized, a flat design or a font name gives our team a reliable baseline to rebuild clean vector outlines.

Yes. Based on your wall, viewing distance, and wording we can recommend suitable sizes, proportions, and letter structure.

There is no strict font restriction, but strokes need a minimum width so the LEDs fit evenly inside. That is about 3/8 in (10 mm) for metal letters outdoors, about 5/16 in (8 mm) for indoor Classic, and about 13/16 in (21 mm) for acrylic. If a stroke is too thin, we tell you and suggest the smallest change, such as a slightly wider stroke or larger letters, and you decide. If you’d rather keep the stroke as drawn, we can angle the sides of each letter so the face keeps your stroke width while the base makes room for the LEDs.

A quick guide:

• Classic backlit metal is the safest pick for oversized letters, outdoor projects, and fonts with fine serifs or narrow strokes. Its reflected halo is forgiving of dark spots.
• Luxury backlit metal is a flush-mount premium metal look, with strong dimensional presence and no stand-off needed, well suited to boutiques, flagship stores, hotels, and upscale façades.
• Backlit acrylic is lightweight, great for close-up detail, and works indoors and outdoors. Outdoors, it is best mounted under an awning or canopy, where it lasts longer.

Send us your wording, size, and location and we’ll recommend the best fit.

Yes. After your order is confirmed we prepare a detailed shop drawing for your approval, and production doesn’t start until you sign off. Before shipping, we also send finished-product photos and a 24-hour lighting-test confirmation, so nothing leaves the factory without your approval.

By default the letters use safe 12V DC LEDs, and 24V DC LEDs are available on request. They must never be connected directly to a mismatched power supply. Power from your site always passes through a power supply first, which converts it to the DC power the LEDs need. Each order includes one or more UL-listed power supplies, Mean Well by default, sized to the sign. Your electrician makes the final connection by our wiring diagram.

If your site runs on industrial or commercial power, send us the voltage before we build so we can match the right power supply. If you want to run the sign off a 12V AC landscape lighting system, you’ll need to buy a matching power supply locally, since the letters themselves run on 12V DC. Tell us your power source up front so we match the power supply to it.

Yes, with one added part. Landscape lighting usually runs on 12V AC, and the letters run on 12V DC, so the two don’t wire together directly. You’ll need to buy a matching LED driver locally that puts out 12V DC for the sign.

Yes, for the metal routes. Outdoor letters use waterproof LEDs and an IP67 waterproof power supply, and each letter has weep holes along its bottom edge so water can drain out. We also adjust for tougher conditions:

• 316 stainless steel near the sea, for the shells and the metal mounting hardware
• IP67 LEDs in very rainy areas
• Materials chosen for very cold climates

Acrylic shells work indoors and outdoors. Outdoors, they are best mounted under an awning or canopy, where they last longer. For a wall open to the weather, we recommend a metal shell with an acrylic back panel.

Each order ships with:

• The letters, each separate piece with about 6.5 ft (2 m) of wire attached by default
• An LED driver (power supply), Mean Well by default
• A full-size (1:1) mounting template
• Stud bolts, plus tube spacers for off-wall mounting
• A wiring diagram and installation instructions

By default, you provide the main power line from your supply to the sign. If you’d like us to supply it, tell us in advance.

Yes, by default. Each letter usually takes 2 to 4 stud-bolt holes plus one hole for its wire (3 to 5 in all), so a sign made of ten separate letters means dozens of holes in the wall. In the U.S. that can make installation costly.

The other option is a metal backer box. We mount all the letters on it at the factory, so on site it goes up as one piece, usually on about 4 stud bolts plus one cable hole, with more bolts on a large box to carry the weight. The letters arrive wired in parallel, often already connected to the power supply, so the only electrical step is connecting the power supply’s input to your supply. Tell us your plan and we can also set the wire lengths and fit a plug, so your installer hides the exposed wire in a raceway or runs it through the wall, then plugs the sign into an outlet. We still recommend a professional sign installer for the job.

If the wall can’t take the sign, the backer box can hang from the ceiling on stainless steel chains, once your installer confirms the ceiling can carry the load, or stand on a base that we also build. Mounting can be customized to your site.

The backer box or base is an extra charge, and its size raises the shipping cost, so weigh that against the cost of drilling and mounting each letter on site. Based on customer feedback, delivering the sign as one assembled unit like this usually brings the total cost down noticeably, and the more letters in a set, the bigger the saving. Tell us about your mounting surface and any constraints, and we’ll recommend the best approach.

Yes. Both metal routes, Luxury and Classic, work outdoors in rain and high humidity. In very rainy areas we upgrade to IP67 LEDs. Acrylic shells work indoors and outdoors. Outdoors, they are best mounted under an awning or canopy, where they last longer.

Yes, they suit cold environments. For extreme cold, send us the local temperature range so we can choose the right materials and electrical setup.

We accept PayPal (under PayPal’s seller-protection policy we issue you a PayPal Invoice) and credit-card payments processed through PayPal. Full payment is required before production. PayPal’s fees are paid by the buyer, since the quote covers only production and shipping. For any questions about PayPal payment, please contact PayPal’s official customer service.

When you confirm your order, we’ll need:

• Your recipient name and recipient company
• Your shipping address (not a PO box)
• Your PayPal account address (in email format)

Our finance team will then send you a PayPal Invoice so you can complete payment.

If you cancel after we send the shop drawings, we keep a drawing fee of at least $500. If production has already started, we also keep the cost of materials and labor used so far. The rest is refunded, based on the amount we received through PayPal.

Lead time depends on the finish, size, quantity, destination, and installation requirements, so we confirm a real timeline once we understand your project. As a general guide, most orders are finished about 15 business days after you approve the shop drawings, and DHL takes about a week to most areas. Plated, vintage, and wood-grain finishes add about 3 business days.

A rush order has to meet two conditions. It can’t compromise product quality, and it can’t hold up other customers’ signs. In fact, we already run every order as fast as those two conditions allow. If you have a deadline, tell us your project details early, and we’ll tell you what’s realistic and plan production around it. If you truly need a rush, it’s free, but you need to tell us up front, not partway through production.

By default we ship worldwide with tracking through couriers such as DHL, UPS, and FedEx (air or sea freight for large orders). Delivery time depends on the destination and the shipping method you choose. Any import duties or local taxes follow your country’s rules. In parts of the United States and Canada we can ship DDP instead. It takes longer than DHL, but the forwarder clears customs and pays the duties, so you only wait for delivery.

Customs duties are charged by the customs authority where you live, based on your country’s policy, and unless you choose DDP shipping, they aren’t part of our production and shipping quote. For specifics you can contact your local customs. According to the U.S. Harmonized Tariff Schedule, illuminated signs like ours fall under subheading 9405.61. The full 10-digit code depends on the shell material, and the latest official schedule always applies, so your customs broker confirms the exact code and the duty rate. Scam text messages are very common nowadays, so if you receive a message like this, contact DHL’s customer service through their official website to confirm the situation. You’re also welcome to contact us and we’ll check with our DHL contact. Either way, don’t ignore the message. If it goes past the deadline, DHL may dispose of the package. If you’d rather not handle duties, ask for DDP when you order. It is available in parts of the U.S. and Canada, takes longer than DHL, and the forwarder clears customs and pays the duties.

Yes, for most outdoor environments. It’s the default outdoor metal where salt air isn’t a constant factor.

For coastal or high-salt locations, where 316 marine-grade stainless steel resists corrosion far better. Pair it with a powder-coat, brushed, or mirror finish, and wipe it down regularly with fresh water. Plating isn’t recommended near the coast.

The structure is sealed and planned so water doesn’t sit inside the letters, and the power supply goes where it stays ventilated and serviceable, with the cable path protected to the power source. Tell us the wall and mounting spot and we’ll plan it.

Yes, and it lasts longest in covered or under-roof spots, such as under a canopy or overhang. For exposed exterior walls, we recommend a metal route, Luxury or Classic, with its metal shell and acrylic back panel.

A rush is free if it doesn’t compromise quality or hold up other customers’ signs, but you need to tell us up front. Send your deadline and project details and we’ll tell you what’s realistic after checking the production schedule. Outdoor jobs still need proper material, waterproofing, and mounting planning to last.