Standard Front-Lit
Translucent face glows. The classic storefront sign.
- Acrylic face, aluminum returns, white LEDs inside
- Reads clearly from 100+ ft, day or night
- Best for retail, food service, professional offices
From $10.85/in per letter
CrispSign
CrispBeacon / Before You Build
A 3-minute primer
Know what you're ordering
before you design it.
Channel letters look simple from the sidewalk. Behind the face, there are five lighting styles, three mounting options, and a few size rules that decide whether your sign reads from across the parking lot or gets ignored. Skim this page, then build with confidence.
Letter Styles — How Your Sign Lights Up
Five fabrication styles, each with a different look at night. Pick by mood, not by price — the difference between front-lit and halo is dramatic on a real building.
Reverse Halo (Backlit)
Solid metal letters with a warm glow on the wall behind.
- Painted aluminum face, LED behind the letter, ½″ standoff
- The most photogenic style — premium and modern
- Great for boutiques, hotels, service businesses
From $19.00/in per letter
Dual Front + Halo
Glowing face plus a halo glow behind. Maximum nighttime presence.
- Translucent face + halo backing — twice the light output
- Reads from longer distances, looks layered up close
- Best for corner buildings and high-traffic locations
From $12.00/in per letter
Premium Trimless Facelit
No visible trim. Edge-lit acrylic for an architectural look.
- Seamless face, no perimeter trim cap
- Architectural look — built per upright inch, instant pricing
- Best for hospitality, high-end retail, corporate facades
From $22.00/in per letter
Non-Illuminated
Solid letters, no lighting. Daytime visibility only.
- Painted aluminum, no LED, no power required
- Cheapest channel letter option
- Best for shaded storefronts, awning-mounted, indoor
From $19.00/in per letter
Tip from the shop: If you can only see one of these in person, find a reverse halo at night. The depth and warmth on the wall is something photos don't capture.
Mounting — How It Sticks to the Wall
Three options at standard price. Direct is the default. Stud-mount adds depth at no extra cost. Raceway is the answer when your landlord won't let you drill 30 holes in the facade.
Direct Mount Included
Each letter bolts straight into the facade.
- Best for
- Brick, stucco, EIFS, wood — anything you can drill into
- Install difficulty
- Moderate — one hole per anchor (typically 2–4 per letter)
- Watch out for
- Landlord rules, vapor barriers, hollow walls
- Cost
- No add-on charge
Stud-Mount (½″ standoff) Included
Threaded studs hold letters ½″ off the wall.
- Best for
- Premium look — adds depth and a soft shadow line
- Install difficulty
- Same drill count as direct, plus alignment care
- Watch out for
- Uneven walls — studs need a true plane
- Cost
- No add-on charge
Raceway Mount
Powder-coated 5.5″ bar holds the whole sign.
- Best for
- Leased spaces, EIFS without studs, single-point install
- Install difficulty
- Easiest — one row of holes, sign comes pre-wired
- Watch out for
- Visible bar — match Sherwin-Williams powder-coat to the wall
- Cost
- Included in the estimate — sized to your sign's width
Pro tip on raceway color: always pick one shade darker than your wall. An exact match looks brighter than the wall because the raceway sits in shadow under the letters. The builder offers 14 sign-industry-standard SW codes plus custom match.
Sizing — Will It Read From the Street?
The single rule sign shops use: 1 inch of letter height = 30 ft of comfortable reading distance. Cars at 35 mph need bigger letters than walkers do.
| Letter height | Comfortable read | Maximum read | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6″ | 180 ft | 300 ft | Small storefront, indoor signage |
| 12″ | 360 ft | 600 ft | Strip mall, side-street retail |
| 18″ | 540 ft | 900 ft | Standalone storefront, restaurant facade |
| 24″ | 720 ft | 1,200 ft | Highway-adjacent, large parking lot |
| 36″ | 1,080 ft | 1,800 ft | Big-box retail, freeway frontage |
| 48″+ | 1,440 ft | 2,400 ft | Industrial, warehouse, freeway pylon |
Width matters too.
"SIGN ONE" at 24″ tall is roughly 6.3 ft wide. The builder shows you both numbers live as you type — always sanity-check against your facade width before ordering.
Permits and codes.
Many cities cap sign size at a percentage of facade area or to a specific height. Check your local sign ordinance before going bigger than 24″ — your sign company can pull permits, but you'll want to know upfront.
The 1″ height step.
Our builder steps by 1″ so you can dial in exactly what fits. Heights between standard sizes don't cost more — fabrication is the same per-inch rate either way.
Materials & What's in the Box
Every CrispSign letter is fabricated to UL-listed sign-shop standards. Here's what you get and what you'll need on site to install it yourself.
Aluminum returns
0.040″ aluminum sides, welded and seamless. Powder-coated to match your face color. The structural backbone of every letter.
Acrylic or polycarbonate face
3/16″ translucent acrylic for lit styles, painted aluminum face for halo and non-illuminated. Day/night colors if you spec dual-color vinyl.
Low-voltage white LEDs
UL-listed sign LEDs at 12V. Spaced for even face illumination — no hot spots, no dark zones. Lifetime: 50,000 hours.
Power supply & wiring
UL-Listed Class 2 power supply, 120V input. Pre-wired letter-to-letter. You connect one cord at the building feed.
DIY Installation Kit — FREE
Full-size paper wall pattern, all anchors and screws, plug-in connectors, and a step-by-step guide. Most owners install in an afternoon with two people and a stepladder. Always free with every sign.
UL-listed sign labels
Required for code in most cities. Applied at the factory — you're inspection-ready out of the crate.
What you'll need on site
- Drill with masonry or wood bit (depending on facade)
- Stepladder or scaffold sized to your letter height
- Level & tape measure
- 120V power feed at the sign location (a licensed electrician can run one if needed)
- One helper — letters are light but awkward solo
Don't want to DIY? Pick the "Pro Installation Package" ($299) in the builder. We deliver your sign to a licensed installer in your area and get the install quoted with three installers to find you the best price — the installer handles the work and bills you directly after install.
Ready to design yours?
The live builder lets you preview every style at day & night, dial in size, pick mounting, and get a real estimate before you talk to anyone.
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