Exterior signage solutions are designed to create impact—from subtle signs that enhance and blend with external landscapes, to imposing and creative architectural structures that stand proud to welcome and inform.
The mission of JMF Group’s signage division is to create signs that are specifically designed to make their presence felt. Through illumination, our signage takes this even further. With advances in LED technologies, JMF Group’s signage division has devised a highly sustainable method of illuminating fabricated letters, glass, and other architectural signage safely and effectively.
To learn more about our illuminated signage and how it can serve your business, contact our team today. Alternatively, keep reading for our guide to all-things illuminated.
The Benefits of Illuminated Signage
There are many benefits that come with investing in illuminated signage for your business’ external branding. Here are just a few:
Attention-Grabbing
The most obvious benefit of illuminated signage is that it’s impossible to miss. In an increasingly competitive market, any opportunity to make your business stand out from the crowd should be seized, and what better way to do so than with a sign that literally shines a light on your company?
Great for Night-Time and Low-Light Conditions
As well as being impossible to miss, illuminated signs are also visible in conditions where non-illuminated signs would struggle. This is particularly useful for businesses that are open late at night or who want to attract attention from passers-by, converting them into paying customers.
Eco-Friendly
LED lights use far less energy than traditional incandescent bulbs, making illuminated signs more eco-friendly than ever before. Not only is this good for the environment, but it’s also great for your business’ bottom line—saving you money on your energy bills.
Long-Lasting
Another benefit of LEDs is that they have a much longer lifespan than traditional bulbs, meaning that once your illuminated sign is installed, you won’t need to worry about maintenance and replacement for many years to come.
Methods for Turning a Sign into an Illuminated Sign
There are a wide range of options for illuminating business signage. Here are just a few:
LED Signs
LEDs are safe, low voltage and virtually maintenance-free. They consume less power and are substantially more energy efficient than traditional lighting methods such as neon (more of that shortly), and have become the illumination of choice for planning officers. LED’s low power and high lux levels make it popular with signage designers, who enjoy the effects that can be achieved using intelligent lighting techniques.
Neon Signs
Neon signs are an older technology, but one that is still very popular—particularly for businesses wanting to replicate a retro look. Neon signs are made using gas-filled tubes which are bent into the required shape. These shapes are then filled with phosphor, which glows when electrified.
Neon illumination is really impossible to replicate in terms of vibrancy, but it remains an expensive and highly-technical technology.
Micro-Neon (Neon Effect) Signs
Micro-neon (or faux neon) is a new technology that uses high-output LEDs to recreate the look of traditional neon without many of the drawbacks. Micro-neon can be used to create flexible signs and is considerably more energy efficient than its counterpart, with a much longer lifespan.
Light Box Signs
A light box sign is a sign that is illuminated from behind, using fluorescent or LED bulbs (or in some cases, low-voltage halogen bulbs). The light shines through the graphic panel, which is usually made from translucent vinyl or acrylic.
Light box signs are often used for menu boards, directory signs, and other signs that need to be regularly updated. They are also popular for retail settings, as they can be very eye-catching.
Trough Light Signs
Trough light signs allow businesses to add illumination to existing signage, or to digital print signage which can be produced at a relatively low cost. They provide an even distribution of light, which makes for clearer visibility at night, and can be produced to the specifications of your display and fascia.
Illumination Options for Metal Letters
When it comes to illuminated shop signs or external signage for office and business premises, few systems offer the quality and impact of built-up and flat-cut lettering. At JMF, we offer a number of illumination options for our letter signs:
Halo Illuminated Letters
Halo illumination is achieved by fitting a letter or logo with a clear acrylic face and mounting it slightly away from the wall. This gives the appearance of the letter ‘floating’, and creates a subtle halo effect when lit up at night.
Face Illuminated Letters
Face illuminated letters are created using an opaque vinyl or acrylic face, which is backlit using LEDs. This type of internal illumination is often used for office signs, as it provides good contrast, and is slightly easier to read than those utilising halo illumination.
Reverse Channel Letters
Reverse channel letters are very similar to face illuminated letters, but are fitted with an open back so that the light shines through the sides as well as the front. This creates a more ‘halo’ style of illumination, and is often used for shop signs and external business signage.
Edge Lit Letters
Edge lit letters are created using a clear acrylic or vinyl face, with LEDs fitted around the edge. This type of lettering is often used in conjunction with halo illuminated letters to create a striking three-dimensional sign.
Fully Illuminated Letters
Fully illuminated built-up letters are lit from the front and the rear. For fully illuminated letters, LEDs are fitted to both the perimeter of the letter face and the perimeter of the letter returns. This ensures maximum brightness, no matter the viewing angle.
JMF Group: Your New Illuminated Sign Supplier
When it comes to purchasing signs for your company, you don’t want to be dealing with separate designers, manufacturers, and installation crews. You want a trusted company who can do it all—that’s where JMF come in.
We have been supplying custom illuminated signs to clients throughout the UK for over 40 years. During that time, we have built up an enviable reputation for quality, service, and value for money
Our team of designers and sign makers are all experts in their field, and our in-house installation crew are highly experienced and fully qualified.
Take a look below for our fully suite of illuminated sign services.
Site Survey
The first step in any sign project is to carry out a free site survey. This involves coming to your premises to assess the location and surroundings, and to get an understanding of your specific requirements.
Once we have all the information we need, our signage team will work with you to come up with a bespoke solution that meets your needs, budget, and timeframe. We’ll find the right materials for your building and fascia, and discuss the most suitable illumination method based on how dark or light your location is during summer and winter months.
Design
With an understanding of your building, our in-house designers will work with you to get some details of your brand—who you are, what you do, your values, your aesthetics, and the message you aim to convey.
They’ll come up with a number of different designs for your approval, and can offer advice as to which colours, logos, and lighting forms are likely to yield the most striking results.
Manufacture
Once you’re happy with the proposed designs, our team of expert sign makers will get to work creating your new illuminated signs. From stainless steel letters to powder-coated fret-cut signs, traditional neon to LED trough lights, our time-served fabricators and sign writing team will produce the highest quality signage exactly the way you want it.
Installation
Once your new illuminated signs are ready, our in-house installation crew will carry out a hassle-free installation. We’ll make sure that everything is mounted correctly and securely, and that all wiring is hidden away so that your sign looks neat and tidy.
Our installation process is quick and simple, designed to cause minimal disruption to staff, clients, and customers.
What Are You Waiting For?
For great service and an unbeatable product, contact JMF today. We can’t wait to get to work!
