The first thing you see when you walk up to a business it is signage. Attractive and innovative signs are now becoming increasingly popular as businesses want to separate themselves from the competition. So much so that the electric commercial signage industry is now estimated to be over 2 billion dollars in the United States. Channel letter signs are leading the charge.

One item that has gained in acclaim in the last few years is channel letter signs. Channel letters are made to stand out from a structure and are lit with neon or LEDs lights. Channel letters are usually built of aluminum making them very light and versatile while still being able to endure high winds and many weather conditions. For a nice soft glow, lights are placed at the back of the channel letters and are the latest trend.

Colored acrylic is usually used for the faces while the sides and backs of channel letters are built of aluminum. Face lighting represents letters that are illuminated from the inside using either neon or LEDs lights. Built of aluminum with the backs made out of clear polycarbonate, halo lit channel letters are considered the opposite of face lit letters in the electric sign industry.

There are two mounting options for channel letters, the raceway or the direct mount. In the raceway option, the letters are mounted to an aluminum box called a raceway which is then attached to the wall of the structure. The power supplies and all the wiring are placed in the raceway box. When the channel letters are attached directly to the structure, it is called the direct mount. Holes must be made in the wall to pass the wiring and attach it to an inside power supply. While direct mounting may give the sign a cleaner look, raceway mounting is easier to install and maintain.

Lighting the letters had only one selection up until recently and it was neon. LEDs lights can be used nowadays to light channel letters. In an attempt to be more environmentally conscious, many businesses are opting to have their signage lit using LEDs lights. Installed at the back of the channel letters, a string of LEDs lights can be set up to offer spectacular lighting effects. LEDs lights are highly efficient and incredibly bright which will allow your storefront sign to stand out from the crowd. Channel letters can be illuminated using a range of colors. In the case of LEDs lights, red is the most fashionable and the least costly option at the moment. The color white is the next most popular selection.

Channel letter signage will provide your business with 24 hours a day customer awareness but are considered to be a bit more costly than the more traditional options. They will be noticeable from a greater distance than traditional sign options and will attract passerby throughout the day. This may translate into increased brand recognition and increased sales. In the end, this is the final goal of every company: to get more customers through their doors.