Built Ups

The main stay of channel letters is the built up metal letter. We predominantly use Stainless Steel for our metal built ups, although we can offer aluminium if you have a specific requirement.
The painted element would be the face, returns or both, and would be sprayed to colour to match customer preferences and branding.

Metal letters give a high quality, very strong finish and some really wonderful creations can be made with metal.

Combining this type of letter with other material such as acrylic, and the various internal lighting options available, a result really bespoke to your client can be found for very little cost.

• Perfect for use internally and externally
• Can be solid faced, rim & return or rimless acrylic faces
• Illumination options: Face, Halo, or a combination of the two

Manufactured in the same way as the brushed/polished letters, these are actually made from mild Steel. We artificially age the letters slightly to give them an ‘industrial’ feel, which adds a slight mottle or rust and marks all around the letter. Once we are happy with the effect they are clear lacquered to halt the process. These are a very cool way of making built ups, and mixing this style with clean, modern materials offers that ‘retro chic’ finish that has been so popular for the last couple of years.

• Perfect for use internally and externally
• Can be solid faced, rim & return or rimless acrylic faces
• Illumination options: Face, Halo, or a combination of the two

Manufactured in the same way as the industrial look letters, but the ageing process is taken a few steps further to give the letters a 100% rusty finish.

They are still clear lacquered to halt the process but it also helps stop the rusty finish from being damaged.

**The rusting is only on the surface of the metal and doesn’t impact on the strength or longevity of the letter in any way**

• Perfect for use internally and externally
• Can be solid faced, rim & return or rimless acrylic faces
• Illumination options: Face, Halo, or a combination of the two

Any of the stainless built up options above can be made as rimless letters.

This is a way of bonding metal shaped returns to a full acrylic face. Which means the face is 100% acrylic, and gives full edge to edge illumination of the face.

This is a relatively recent advancement in built up letters due to better adhesives that are now available. Although most people would opt for rim & return letters when wanting larger signs as they are inherently strong, we have successfully manufactured letters & shapes over 1500mm high that have stood the test of time.

• Perfect for use internally and externally
• Illumination options: Face, Halo, or a combination of the two

Any of the stainless built up options above can be made as rim & return letters.

A face lip is cut to the shape of the letter from stainless, and the shaped returns are then soldered to the lip. The acrylic face is then dropped in from the back, which results in the face having a metal lip to the edge.

This method is tried and tested over decades, and although the rimless letters is now possible due to advances in glues, this is still a popular way to manufacture them.
Once of the biggest advantages is the strength the lip gives to the letter as a whole when looking at the larger built ups.

• Perfect for use internally and externally
• Illumination options: Face, Halo, or a combination of the two

Built up acrylic letters are a great way of producing bold signage with a wide range of results.

Cast acrylic faces are CNC cut with the acrylic returns heated and manipulated to conform with the contour shape of the face letter. With 100’s of colours available and varying depths of returns to choose from, there really are very few limitations to what can be created.

• Perfect for use internally and externally
• Can be solid colours or translucent for internal illumination
• Illumination options: Face, Returns, Halo, or a combination of all three

The trendiest, coolest letters and shapes we make are the Fairground ones. Inspired by carnivals and fayres from our youth, these are made as trough shapes with fairground cabochon lighting in various colours added. They’re usually made from stainless steel, but an industrial mild steel letter with carousel lighting are our favourites.

• Perfect for use internally and externally
• Flasher units can be easily added
• Illumination options: Face, Halo, or a combination of the two

For something a little more ‘swish’, the brushed and polished stainless options really hit the brief.

Whether they are solid faced or for illumination, this finish really gives a high end feel to the final job, and anybody would be had pushed to not like them.

Metal letters give a high quality, very strong finish and some really wonderful creations can be made with metal.

Combining this type of letter with other material such as acrylic, and the various internal lighting options available, a result really bespoke to your client can be found for very little cost.

• Perfect for use internally and externally
• Can be solid faced, rim & return or rimless acrylic faces
• Illumination options: Face, Halo, or a combination of the two