Most shops and retail premises will have an existing shop front fascia which is usually made from a marine treated timber such as plywood or a rendered surface. This is usually painted and prepared for the new tenants when the shop is leased.

If your shop has a timber fascia or rendered front like this then you’ll find it relatively straight-forward and most cost-effective to paint this in the desired colour and then mount your signage or lettering to this. There are a variety of shop sign letter options available to choose from to get the desired effect you’re after. Exterior shop lighting or trough lights can also be mounted onto this fascia to help illuminate the front.   

Using the existing timber fascia is always a good option however if there is no fascia on your shop front or if it’s in a really poor condition then we’re able to supply you with a new aluminium fascia panel which mounts onto the shop front and transforms it into a clean blank canvas for your new signage to be displayed upon.

Aluminium shop sign fascias are a good way to display and maintain a clean shop front as they’re easy to keep clean compared to traditional wooden fascias which need to be repainted from time to time to help maintain the timber and any weathering which might affect it. A new aluminium fascia also opens the door to a variety of opportunities to which you can have your sign manufactured in such as; internally illuminated lettering, 3D illuminated letters, vinyl wrapping as well as lots more options.

OPTION 1:  Vinyl Lettering & Logos

Vinyl is the most commonly used material in the signage industry as its cost effective, easy to work with and flexible enough to suit most jobs. It is commonly used when other materials are either too expensive or impractical to manufacture for the required fascia design. Vinyl is available in a huge range of colours which grab your customer’s attention. Alternatively, CLS can print your design on vinyl using our digital printing machines this can be any mix of colour or high resolution image.

OPTION 2:  Acrylic Lettering & Logos - either flat cut raised letters or 3D raised letters

Acrylic lettering is a fantastic method of signage and is available in a wide range of colours and finishes. It also comes in translucent colours which is great for creating lighting effects. Acrylic lettering is superb for displaying a modern, clean feel and for providing a splash of colour and bringing your sign to life. It's even possible to use shiny metal-effect Perspex to simulate a range of popular metals.

Because of the advantages of lower costs and maintenance compared to metal, acrylic lettering is used in all kinds of indoor and outdoor applications such as shop fascias.

OPTION 3:  Metal Lettering & Logos - either flat cut raised letters or 3D raised letters

Raised flat cut metal lettering or 3D built up raised metal lettering is commonly used to display the shop name or logo. Metal lettering ultimately portrays a touch of class which you don’t often get from other signage methods. It denotes permanence, reliability and dependability. Our choice of metals range from polished or brushed stainless steel and aluminium for a more modern look, to brass or polished / brushed gold for the more traditional look. Bear in mind that brass does require a lot of polishing and maintenance to keep it looking clean, although it can be plated with silver or gold to keep it looking pristine and to really make it sparkle.

We stock a wide range and can advise you on which metal would work best for your application, or if you already exact requirements then we're just as happy to work to them.

Trough lighting and Shop Strip Lighting is a really effective way of lighting up your shop sign and making yourself more visible to the public. Poorly lit shops can lose you business. This is why having a shop light is crucial to ensuring a steady flow of business and so all passing by customers know you’re there.

Our sign lighting systems are the perfect solution whether it’s a new sign due to be installed or an existing shop sign.

Trough lights come in a number of finishes with the top two colours being white and black, however if there is a specific pantone colour you require then we are able to paint and colour match providing you’re able to let us know the colour ref.

Internally illuminating the letters on a sign rather than illuminating the entire shop front with a trough light in most cases can make your brand name or logo more visible and stand out.

There are many ways of illuminating the letters on your shop sign such as built up letters which are all illuminated individually from behind with halo LED lights which creates a soft glow around the letters or internally illuminated letters which illuminated the face of the letters which creates a clean cut illumination and clearly displays the shape of the letters in a range of colours.

Depending on how complex the signage it, many types of shop letters and shop fascias can be installed by a DIY enthusiast however for more complex signs and fascias, we strongly recommend having a signage professional carry out the installation to ensure everything is installed correctly.

We have a team of shop sign fitters who carry out all our sign installations and cover many areas across Ireland and the UK. Please call us to discuss whether we're able to offer installation in your area.

If you'd like to arrange the installation of the sign yourself then we're able to talk you through the installation process prior to ordering your sign so you can assess whether this is something you'd like to carry out. We can also supply you with the various installation templates to ensure the signage or lettering is installed correctly.

Making a successful shop sign is all about selecting the right materials which determines how the overall sign looks. There is a whole world of materials available in many different colours, shapes and sizes which give it that quality look and finishing touch. Even by using some of the cheaper plastics or composites, you're able to make it look like an expensive shop sign.