Custom channel letters, built to your logo and your landlord's sign criteria

Dimensional lit letters for storefronts, offices and reception walls. Send a logo and a wall width and you get back dimensioned shop drawings and a written price, before you commit to anything. Front-lit, halo, trimless and open face are all built here.

Two things decide most channel letter projects, and neither is the design. The first is your landlord or centre's sign criteria, which often fixes letter height, lighting type and mounting method before you have any say. The second is the permit, which in most municipalities takes longer than building the letters does. We draw to whatever the criteria say and supply the dimensioned drawings and pattern files that a permit application and an installer both need.

Letters are formed from aluminium returns and acrylic faces, lit with 12V LED modules rated at 50,000 hours, and built to an IP67 rating where they are going outside. There are no design, artwork or revision fees, and no cap on revisions before you approve.

Shop drawings with every quoteNo design or revision feesFree shipping in the US2-year warranty, free repairDrawn to your sign criteria
Custom Channel Letters
87 letter styles
Custom LED Backlit Letters, Halo Lit Illuminated Metal Sign With Backlight, Brushed Bronze Finish, Mounted on White Backing
Custom LED Backlit LettersHalo Lit Illuminated Metal Sign With Backlight, Brushed Bronze Finish, Mounted on White BackingFrom $334.99✓ Free shipping within the USSee sizes and colours →
Custom LED Backlit Letters, Halo Lit Illuminated Metal Sign With Backlight, Minimalist Design, Brushed Gold Stainless Steel Finish
Custom LED Backlit LettersHalo Lit Illuminated Metal Sign With Backlight, Minimalist Design, Brushed Gold Stainless Steel FinishFrom $334.99✓ Free shipping within the USSee sizes and colours →
Custom LED Backlit Letters, Halo Lit Illuminated Metal Sign With Backlight, Mounted on Wood-Grain Backing
Custom LED Backlit LettersHalo Lit Illuminated Metal Sign With Backlight, Mounted on Wood-Grain BackingFrom $334.99✓ Free shipping within the USSee sizes and colours →
Custom LED Backlit Letters, Halo Lit Illuminated Metal Sign With Backlight, Brushed Silver Finish and Warm White Halo Glow
Custom LED Backlit LettersHalo Lit Illuminated Metal Sign With Backlight, Brushed Silver Finish and Warm White Halo GlowFrom $334.99✓ Free shipping within the USSee sizes and colours →
Custom LED Backlit Letters, Halo Lit Illuminated Metal Sign With Backlight, White Painted Metal Finish and Warm Halo Glow
Custom LED Backlit LettersHalo Lit Illuminated Metal Sign With Backlight, White Painted Metal Finish and Warm Halo GlowFrom $334.99✓ Free shipping within the USSee sizes and colours →
Custom LED Backlit Letters, Halo Lit Illuminated Metal Sign With Backlight, Wood-Grain Finish and Warm Halo Glow
Custom LED Backlit LettersHalo Lit Illuminated Metal Sign With Backlight, Wood-Grain Finish and Warm Halo GlowFrom $334.99✓ Free shipping within the USSee sizes and colours →
Custom LED Backlit Letters, Halo Lit Illuminated Metal Sign With Backlight, Round Backing
Custom LED Backlit LettersHalo Lit Illuminated Metal Sign With Backlight, Round BackingFrom $334.99✓ Free shipping within the USSee sizes and colours →
Custom LED Backlit Letters, Halo Lit Illuminated Metal Sign With Backlight, Brushed Rose Gold Finish
Custom LED Backlit LettersHalo Lit Illuminated Metal Sign With Backlight, Brushed Rose Gold FinishFrom $334.99✓ Free shipping within the USSee sizes and colours →
Custom LED Backlit Letters, Halo Lit Illuminated Metal Sign With Backlight, Brushed Red Bronze Finish
Custom LED Backlit LettersHalo Lit Illuminated Metal Sign With Backlight, Brushed Red Bronze FinishFrom $334.99✓ Free shipping within the USSee sizes and colours →
Custom LED Backlit Letters, Halo Lit Illuminated Metal Sign With Backlight, Brushed Champagne Gold Finish
Custom LED Backlit LettersHalo Lit Illuminated Metal Sign With Backlight, Brushed Champagne Gold FinishFrom $334.99✓ Free shipping within the USSee sizes and colours →
Halo lit channel letters, illuminated metal storefront sign lit from behind
Custom LED Backlit LettersHalo Lit Illuminated Metal Sign With Backlight, Brushed Silver FinishFrom $334.99✓ Free shipping within the USSee sizes and colours →
Custom Brushed Gold LED Backlit Letters, Halo Lit Illuminated Metal Sign With Backlight
Custom Brushed Gold LED Backlit LettersHalo Lit Illuminated Metal Sign With BacklightFrom $334.99✓ Free shipping within the USSee sizes and colours →
Custom Mirror Gold LED Backlit Letters, Halo Lit Illuminated Metal Sign With Backlight
Custom Mirror Gold LED Backlit LettersHalo Lit Illuminated Metal Sign With BacklightFrom $334.99✓ Free shipping within the USSee sizes and colours →
Custom LED Backlit Letters, Halo Lit Illuminated Metal Sign With Backlight, Matte Off White Finish
Custom LED Backlit LettersHalo Lit Illuminated Metal Sign With Backlight, Matte Off White FinishFrom $334.99✓ Free shipping within the USSee sizes and colours →
Custom LED Backlit Letters, Halo Lit Illuminated Metal Sign With Backlight, Matte Orange Finish
Custom LED Backlit LettersHalo Lit Illuminated Metal Sign With Backlight, Matte Orange FinishFrom $334.99✓ Free shipping within the USSee sizes and colours →
Custom Open Face Exposed Channel Letters with LED Faux Neon Lighting, Personalized Metal Business Sign
Custom Open Face Exposed Channel Letters with LED Faux Neon LightingPersonalized Metal Business SignFrom $334.99✓ Free shipping within the USSee sizes and colours →
Custom Open Face Exposed Channel Letters with LED Neon Lighting, Personalized Metal Business Sign, Script Style
Custom Open Face Exposed Channel Letters with LED Neon LightingPersonalized Metal Business Sign, Script StyleFrom $334.99✓ Free shipping within the USSee sizes and colours →
Custom Open Face Exposed Channel Letters with LED Neon Lighting, Personalized Metal Business Sign, Natural Oxidized Rust Finish
Custom Open Face Exposed Channel Letters with LED Neon LightingPersonalized Metal Business Sign, Natural Oxidized Rust FinishFrom $334.99✓ Free shipping within the USSee sizes and colours →
Custom LED Backlit Letters, Halo Lit Illuminated Metal Sign With Backlight, Installed on a Backboard with Metal Frame
Custom LED Backlit LettersHalo Lit Illuminated Metal Sign With Backlight, Installed on a Backboard with Metal FrameFrom $334.99✓ Free shipping within the USSee sizes and colours →
Custom Front-Lit LED Illuminated Logo Sign, Face Lit Outdoor Storefront Light Up Sign, with Full Color Printed Acrylic Face & Black Trim Cap
Custom Front-Lit LED Illuminated Logo SignFace Lit Outdoor Storefront Light Up Sign, with Full Color Printed Acrylic Face & Black Trim CapFrom $334.99✓ Free shipping within the USSee sizes and colours →
Custom Front-Lit LED Channel Letters, Face Lit Outdoor Waterproof Storefront Light Up Sign, Curved Mounting Rail, Brushed Gold Sides
Custom Front-Lit LED Channel LettersFace Lit Outdoor Waterproof Storefront Light Up Sign, Curved Mounting Rail, Brushed Gold SidesFrom $334.99✓ Free shipping within the USSee sizes and colours →
Custom RGB Front-Lit LED Channel Letters, Color-Changing Illuminated 3D Letters, Outdoor Waterproof Storefront Light Up Sign
Custom RGB Front-Lit LED Channel LettersColor-Changing Illuminated 3D Letters, Outdoor Waterproof Storefront Light Up SignFrom $334.99✓ Free shipping within the USSee sizes and colours →
Custom Portable RGB Gradient Front-Lit Channel Letter Sign with Rolling Base, Outdoor-Ready LED Logo Display for Events, Trade Shows, Pop-Up Shops & Storefront Branding
Custom Portable RGB Gradient Front-Lit Channel Letter Sign with Rolling BaseOutdoor-Ready LED Logo Display for Events, Trade Shows, Pop-Up Shops & Storefront BrandingFrom $334.99✓ Free shipping within the USSee sizes and colours →
Custom Front-Lit LED Channel Letters, Face Lit Outdoor Storefront Light Up Sign, Black Metal Backing
Custom Front-Lit LED Channel LettersFace Lit Outdoor Storefront Light Up Sign, Black Metal BackingFrom $334.99✓ Free shipping within the USSee sizes and colours →
Will it arrive in time?

Opening on a fixed date? Check it before you design

Storefront signage misses deadlines for one reason more than any other: the permit, not the fabrication. Tell us the date you need to be lit and we will tell you honestly whether it fits.

  • Fabrication and shipping runs up to 30 days from drawing approval
  • Permit review is set by your municipality and commonly adds several weeks
  • Landlord sign criteria approval happens before either of those
  • Installation has to be booked, and is not included

Permit timelines are set by your municipality and are outside our control, so treat this as a planning guide rather than a commitment.

Buying guide

Four decisions before you order

The questions that actually change the drawing, answered before you have to ask.

Front-lit, halo or open face?

Front-lit reads hardest from the street and is the safest default. Halo lighting looks more expensive and reads worse at distance. Open face shows the tube itself. Pick by how far away your customer is, not by what looks best in a close-up photo.

Compare the four types →

How tall do the letters need to be?

Letter height follows viewing distance. A sign facing the street stays readable at roughly 30 feet per inch of letter height. The rule you will see everywhere, one inch per ten feet, is a different and much harsher figure that applies to signs mounted flat alongside traffic.

Work out your letter height →

Will you need a permit?

Most municipalities require one for an exterior illuminated sign, and landlord approval does not replace it. Permit review is usually the longest part of the whole project, longer than building the letters. Start it early.

What the permit process involves →

Channel letters or a light box?

A light box is cheaper and simpler to permit. Channel letters look considerably better and let the wall show through between the letters. The honest deciding factor is usually the landlord's sign criteria rather than your preference.

See the trade-offs →
FAQ

Channel letter questions

How much do custom channel letters cost?

They are quoted per project rather than sold at a list price, because the figure is driven by how many letters there are, how tall they are, which lighting type you choose and how they mount. A short word in modest letters and a long name in tall halo-lit letters are different orders of magnitude. Send your logo and the wall width and you get a written price with drawings, at no cost and with no obligation. There are no design, artwork or revision fees, and no limit on revisions before you approve. If a light box would serve you better for the budget, we will say so.

Do I need a permit for a channel letter sign?

Almost certainly, if the sign is exterior and illuminated. Rules are set locally, so the only reliable answer comes from your own municipality, and your landlord's approval does not substitute for it. Plan for permit review to be the longest single stage of the project, often longer than fabrication. We supply the dimensioned shop drawings and pattern files a permit application and an installer both need. See what the permit process actually involves.

How long does a channel letter project take end to end?

Building and shipping the letters runs up to 30 days for a large or complex set, counted from the day you approve the drawings. The part people underestimate is everything before and after: permit review can add weeks, and installation has to be booked. If you are working towards an opening date, use the date checker above, and tell us the date rather than the deadline you hope for. We would rather say no early than miss it.

Should I choose front-lit or halo-lit letters?

Front-lit if you need to be read; halo if you need to look expensive. Front-lit letters push light straight out of the face and stay legible from much further down the street. Halo letters throw their light backwards onto the wall, which photographs beautifully and reads considerably less well at distance, and they depend on a pale, flat wall to work at all. A dark or textured facade kills the effect. The full comparison of the four types covers trimless and open face as well.

How are channel letters mounted, and will my landlord allow it?

Either flush to the wall, with wiring run behind it, or on a raceway, which is a horizontal housing that carries the letters and the electrics so the facade only needs a few penetrations. Many landlords and most shopping centres require a raceway for exactly that reason, and some sign criteria documents specify letter height, lighting type and colour as well. Get those criteria before you fall in love with a design, because they usually decide how tall your letters are allowed to be.

What happens if one letter stops lighting?

In almost every case the letter itself is fine and the fault is in the power supply or a connection, which is the normal failure pattern for LED illumination and is repairable rather than terminal. The LED modules are rated at 50,000 hours and run on 12V, and exterior letters are built to an IP67 rating. Our warranty covers free repair rather than replacement. The troubleshooting guide walks through what to check before you call anyone out.

Custom channel letters for storefronts and offices

Channel letters are individually fabricated three-dimensional letters, each one its own lit housing, mounted either flush to the facade or on a raceway. They are the default for retail storefronts because the wall shows through between the letters, which reads as considerably more considered than a single illuminated panel.

Which lighting type to specify

Front-lit letters carry furthest and are the safe choice when the job of the sign is to be read from the road. Halo-lit letters glow onto the wall behind them and look more expensive in photographs, but they need a pale, flat facade and they lose legibility at distance. Trimless gives a seamless face for modern schemes, and open face exposes the tube for a deliberately retro effect. The guide to channel letter types sets the four side by side.

Sizing letters for the street

Letter height follows viewing distance rather than wall width. For a sign facing the viewer the US Sign Council's legibility index is around 30 feet of readable distance per inch of letter height. The figure quoted almost everywhere else, one inch per ten feet, is the separate and much harsher index for signs mounted flat alongside passing traffic, and repeating it as a general rule makes every storefront sound like it needs letters three times taller than it does. Our guide to storefront letter height works through it with real distances.

Permits, criteria and the order to do things in

Get the landlord's sign criteria first, design to them second, and file the permit third. Doing it in any other order is how projects lose weeks. Exterior illuminated signage needs a permit in most municipalities, and a landlord's written approval is not a substitute for one. Read what the permit process involves, and if you are still weighing formats, channel letters against light box signs covers the cost and permitting trade-off.