Buying an acrylic sign: the decisions to make before you order

An acrylic sign order comes down to four decisions: the sheet (cast or extruded), the format (cut letters, a printed panel or 3D letters), the mounting, and whether it lives indoors or out. Thickness, colour and lighting mostly follow. We cut, print and finish signs in-house at 994 Bendemeer Road; for the full menu of sign types, see our signage service.

Cast or extruded acrylic: does the sheet grade matter?

Less than thickness does. Cast acrylic laser-cuts with a cleaner, glassier edge, which matters on cut letters and edge-lit pieces. Extruded is cheaper and very even in thickness, fine for flat panels where a printed face covers the surface. We cut clear, frosted and coloured acrylic across the full Pantone range, plus mirrored and metallic-finish sheet, and flame-polished edges when a clear edge is the point.

How thick should the panel or letters be?

Acrylic runs from 3mm to 25mm. Use 3mm to 5mm for small interior signs and layered builds, and 10mm to 25mm for a chunky edge-glow or letters that stand on their own.

Cut letters, a printed panel, or built-up 3D letters?

Cut letters suit a crisp 2D brand mark: laser-cut to plus or minus 0.1mm, then stand-off mounted so they float off the wall. Laser cutting is priced per A4 piece (pricing).

A printed panel suits full-colour artwork. We UV-print CMYK plus white ink straight onto the acrylic, so the graphic will not peel like vinyl, with Pantone matching for brand colours. One pass prints a little under A3, and the white layer keeps logos sharp on dark or coloured sheet.

3D letters add real depth: chamfers, curves and shapes a flat sheet cannot give. We 3D print them in PLA, PETG or resin, priced by weight and size (pricing), then sand, prime and paint. Colour can also be printed in: our multicolour 3D-printed letters used five PLA colours in one job, so the pattern will not scratch or fade.

Stand-offs, flush mount, or freestanding?

Stand-offs are the reception-wall classic: letters sit a few millimetres off the wall and cast a soft shadow. Flush letters go straight on with adhesive pads. Freestanding bases suit counters and events, hanging hardware suits shopfronts, and lit signs get a backlight box. We pre-fit every mounting before delivery so the install is quick.

For glow, LED edge-lit and halo-lit acrylic works well in receptions, retail counters and booths. Our Samsung Galaxy S26 booth pairs a laser-cut, formed acrylic shell with an LED-backlit panel styled like MRT carriage signage. If the wall needs work too, our guide to office wall murals compares painted, printed and 3D relief walls.

Will it survive outdoors?

Indoors, acrylic lasts for years in an air-conditioned interior. Outdoors, we recommend ASA or aluminium composite instead, with UV-cured topcoats; UV-printed graphics can live outside under a clear coat. Tell us the location up front and we specify for it.

What does it cost, and how long does it take?

Every sign is quoted per design. A logo panel or cut-out sign can be priced instantly in our online sign studio; anything else, backlit signs included, is quoted from your file. UV-printed graphics are priced by print area. Production is 5 to 7 working days once the design is confirmed, plus 2 to 3 days for UV print or backlit LED work, and 2 to 3 weeks for large identical runs.

Send a vector file (AI, EPS or PDF) and we quote the same business day. Our laser file guide shows what a clean file looks like, and if you only have a logo image we can redraw it.

For wayfinding and plaques too, see our custom signage guide. Ready to price yours? Send your logo, the location and a rough size to the studio.