Sign Glossary: Sign Industry Terms in Plain English
Raceway, returns, trim cap, halo lit. Sign quotes come with words most people never needed before. Here they are in plain English, from the shop in Linden that uses them every day on New Jersey sign projects. Ordering in the city? See our NYC service area.
Sign Terms From A Frame to Wayfinding
Tap a letter to jump.
A two sided sidewalk sign hinged at the top, also called a sandwich board.
A rigid panel with two thin aluminum skins and a plastic core. Dibond is a well known brand.
A clear or colored plastic sheet used for faces, letters, panels and standoff signs.
A sign that meets the 2010 ADA Standards, often with raised characters and Grade 2 braille.
A fabric or vinyl cover on a metal frame over a window or door, often lettered.
Lit from behind so the face or the letters glow.
A sign that projects from the building at a right angle, read from both directions.
Extra artwork past the cut line so no white edge shows after trimming.
The contracted braille required on ADA signs, placed below the raised text.
A metal finish with fine straight lines that give a satin look.
A lit metal box with a face that glows, also called a light box.
Solid letters poured from metal, usually aluminum or bronze.
Individual lit letters with metal returns, a face and LEDs inside.
The four ink colors used in full color printing: cyan, magenta, yellow and black.
A computer guided cutting machine for letters, panels and carved signs.
A light, fluted plastic board used for yard signs and short term signs.
Letters and shapes cut from colored vinyl film, with no printing.
Raised letters cut or built from metal, acrylic, PVC or foam.
Letters fastened straight to the wall, with no raceway.
The front surface of a sign or letter that carries the graphics.
Hollow letters built from sheet metal, deeper than cut letters.
A channel letter whose colored face glows from inside.
Very thin real gold applied to letters, borders or glass.
A letter with a solid face that throws light onto the wall behind it.
High density urethane sign foam, carved like wood but will not rot or split.
A clear film over a print that protects it from sun and scratches.
A small group of LEDs used to light channel letters and cabinets.
Feet of reading distance per inch of letter height, about 30 for clear signs.
A single piece face that covers a whole cabinet.
Glass tubes filled with gas that glow when powered; LED neon imitates the look.
Channel letters with no face, so the light source is visible.
A standard color matching system used to specify brand colors.
A full size paper template used to mark where letters go on the wall.
A tough plastic used for sign faces that need impact resistance.
The transformer that converts building power to the low voltage LEDs use.
Expanded PVC sheet used for indoor panels, letters and displays.
A slim metal box on the wall that holds the wiring for channel letters.
An image made of pixels, like a JPG or PNG, that blurs when enlarged.
The frame that holds a face in a cabinet or a letter.
The sides of a channel or fabricated letter that give it depth.
A metal face with letters cut out and backed with acrylic so only the copy glows.
The flat area above a storefront where the main sign goes.
Round metal spacers that hold a panel off the wall.
Threaded rods on the back of letters set into drilled holes in the wall.
The base material a sign is printed on or cut from.
Vinyl that lets light through, used on lit faces.
The plastic edge that holds a channel letter face to its returns.
Artwork made of lines and shapes that scales to any size without blur.
A system of signs that guides people through a building or site.
Where You Will See These Terms on a Sign Quote
Common terms by sign type, with the page that shows them.
- Face, returns, trim cap, raceway
- Front lit, halo lit, open face
- LED modules and power supply
- See channel letters
- Dimensional, cast and fabricated letters
- Stud mount, standoffs, pattern
- ADA, Grade 2 braille
- See lobby signs
- Vector, raster, bleed
- CMYK, Pantone
- Laminate, substrate
- See artwork guidelines
Sign Term FAQs
The terms customers ask about most.
What is a raceway on a sign?
A raceway is a slim metal box mounted on the wall that holds the wiring and power supplies for channel letters. The letters mount on top of it, so fewer holes go into the building.
What are returns on channel letters?
Returns are the sides of the letter. They give the letter its depth and hold the LEDs inside.
What does halo lit mean?
Halo lit letters have solid faces, and the light shines out the back onto the wall, so each letter looks outlined in light.
What is the difference between ACM and Dibond?
ACM is the general name for aluminum composite panels. Dibond is a well known brand of ACM.
What is a vector file?
Artwork made of lines and shapes, such as AI, EPS, SVG or a vector PDF. It scales to any sign size without blurring.
What is HDU?
High density urethane sign foam. It carves like wood for carved signs but does not rot, split or attract bugs.
Have a Technical Question?
Reach out to our product specialist. We will make sure you get the right help and guide you with our best knowledge, whether it is sizes, materials, colors, lighting or permits.