A bright idea

We are truly spoilt for choice with the variety and creativity in the built-up letters sector of the sign industry. If you take a look at the trade services found at the back of each issue of Signlink, you will see many companies offering built-up letters, including Sign Here, UK Metalcraft, Trade Signs, Signs 2 Signs, Kings Plastics, Mercury Phillips Signs, and many more. What is interesting to track is the evolution of this bright sector, which is why in this feature I will be taking a look at the styles, technology, and materials on the up.

One technology being used to create built-up letters that could be set for future growth is 3D printers. Phill Fenton, owner of The Right Signs, based in Livingston, Scotland, has been busy producing built-up letter signs using his own 3D printer. He believes the technique will soon be having a big impact within the sign industry, especially due to 3D printers becoming more commonplace and increasing in size.



“It was my daughter that first introduced me to the potential of digital printing a few years ago. She is a jeweller and uses 3D printing to produce some of her designs. I bought a 3D printer with the justification my daughter would be able to use it, and it also meant I could play around with the technology. I quickly came to the conclusion it was too small to have any real use for a sign-maker and soon gave up with it. However, I was wrong.



“One day I was reading an article about 3D printing and the author suggested making larger models by assembling these from smaller components that were glued together to make the final model. Inspired by this article, I decided to have a go at making built-up lettering that was not confined to the size of the print bed of my machine. Pretty soon I was making letters consisting of multiple parts that were glued together. Spurred on with my early success in creating letters, I developed a system for printing hollow built-up lettering that could be lit from inside using LEDs. These were then topped off using flat cut CNC lettering to provide a high-gloss quality finish to the face of each letter.”

Adapt your skills

Fenton says the skills needed to produce these letters are a development of the skills most sign-makers use when producing cut vinyl lettering from vector drawn artwork.

He continues: “Individual letters are drawn out at actual size using any typical vector drawing package. These are then exported as .eps files and imported into a 3D drawing package that is then used to ‘extrude’ the letter to create the walls and letter faces. Meanwhile, the same 2D letter shapes are used to produce the flat cut lettering on a CNC machine that I use to top off the 3D printed shells to provide a high-quality finished face.


“I use normal standoff locators and pegs glued inside each letter shell to mount them onto a folded pan made from routed and folded aluminium composite material. The folded pan also serves to hide the wiring going to each letter.


“A string of LEDs are then mounted onto the tray directly under where each letter will be fitted to provide internal and/or halo lighting. The PLA filament used in 3D printing is available in a range of colours allowing either solid opaque walls to be made that prevent the LEDs from giving off too much light, creating a soft halo effect behind each letter.

Alternatively, a clear PLA can be used to print letter shells that are translucent allowing each letter to glow much brighter like a light bulb. Personally, I prefer the latter approach but both have their uses.”

Fenton predicts that 3D printers will have a big impact on the way built-up letters are made, concluding: “I predict that 3D printers will make built-up lettering much more accessible allowing virtually anyone with very little training to produce quality built-up lettering. In much the same way as vinyl cutters brought the sign writer’s skills into the hands of anyone that had access to a vinyl cutter.”

Design flexibility

Andy Armitage, head of signage sales at Applelec, discusses the wide range of materials used to make the company’s metal built-up letters, including aluminium, stainless steel, copper, brass, and titanium.

He continues: “Manufactured in our metal workshop, the built-up letters can be created from a choice of flat faced, rim and return, rimless, bevelled, and prismatic styles to help suit both practical and aesthetic requirements of signage projects. Our range offers further design flexibility with the option of creating built-up letters in a variety of font styles, from simple block fonts to more unique, serif designs.

“In addition, illumination can be added from our extensive range of stocked LEDs, including Sloan LED Prism modules to provide bright and efficient illumination. Lighting is a great inclusion to help maximise the impact and appearance of built-up letters by creating eye-catching signage with options in halo, face, or edge illumination. Currently our most popular built-up letter style is distressed stainless steel for both eye-level and above eye-level installations. Complemented with the addition of cabochon bulbs, this imperfect, aged effect is ideally suited to projects where a more industrial design is required and is particularly popular within retail or bar applications.”

Armitage shares details of the machinery used to make Applelec’s built-up letters and how things have evolved.

“For some built-up letters created from stainless steel and aluminium, we utilise our automated return shaper named Delilah, which accurately shapes in seconds letters that feature a variety of return sizes varying from 20 to 120mm,” says Armitage, adding: “Delilah is programmed using vector artwork and is particularly efficient when multiple letter sizes are required for a cohesive roll out.

“Due to the unlimited amount of font and stroke widths available, even Delilah has limitations and as a result, the vast majority of our metal built-up letters are manipulated and shaped by hand using a range of bench top tools.

Through time-honoured expertise, our skilled team of metal fabricators use controlled precision to ensure the shape and curve of each letter is accurately maintained throughout the return, and this high level of craftsmanship is something that at Applelec we are very proud of.”

O Factoid: Cabochon lighting is also known as fairground lighting and comes in a variety of eye-catching colours. O

Armitage offers his insights into the future of built-up letters, saying: “Due to the suitability of this product across a number of installations, we believe built-up letters will only continue to grow in popularity in the future. The wide variety of styles, materials, and illumination options provide versatility for sign-makers to create unique and impactful signage.”

Similarly to Fenton, Armitage believes 3D printing will play a vital role: “Looking ahead, we predict 3D printing will play a significant role in the future of signage manufacturing due to the possible capabilities of these machines. It will be interesting to see how letter making progresses in the future and the opportunities that open up for signage as a result of 3D printers.”

Customer requirements

Kyle Giles, marketing executive of William Smith Group 1832, says built-up letters come in so many different shapes and styles, that it depends on the demands of the customer as to what its manufacturing arm, Smith, will produce.



He continues: “Essentially, every sign is bespoke and will be uniquely specified. The common types which are requested include halo illumination, face illumination, and cabochon lighting. Of course, non-illuminated versions are possible if requested. You can take it to the nth degree with regards to fabrication—one individual may require a sign to be finished with powder coat and another with vinyl.

“In terms of materials, we tend to find aluminium is a popular choice. It is lightweight and extremely durable.”


Smith has a state-of-the-art channel letter bender onsite and a dedicated team of fabricators, which are trained to manufacture such signage. Giles explains: “Although the machine does a considerable amount of the work, the fabricators are still required to manipulate the extrusion with the use of a pin board. Other equipment used to form the letters includes shimmies, tinsnips, and a welder—the standard tools of a tradesman.”



It is the bespoke nature of Smith’s signage that Giles believes will enable built-up letters to continue to be popular, and this was showcased excellently at Signlink Live last year with its stand filled with different types of bespoke sign letters.



 
Giles concludes: “Every business needs a sign, so it will only continue to prosper. Built-up letters are trending at the moment due to the endless possibilities available and their bespoke nature; and, as with all signs, they will evolve and we may become accustom to new ways in which to illuminate or finish them in the years to come.”

Expanding capability

The Sign Group is another go to company for acrylic and stainless built-up letters with various lighting methods such as face, halo, and edge illumination.



Graeme Hoole, director of The Sign Group, comments: “In acrylic the popular option is deep returns of around 100 to 150mm with digital print to the face. We have been involved with hundreds of these recently. With regards to stainless, the main option is a rimless built-up (rimless acrylic face with stainless returns) for face illumination.
These are probably the most popular built-up there is. Very clean, very strong when assembled correctly, with few limitations to size.”

Hoole explains that for the acrylic built-ups, they are mainly made by hand after heating the acrylic in an oven. He adds: “Some manufacturers fold the corners but we prefer to cut and mitre on the linisher. It gives a neater finish and is ultimately stronger.



“Currently all our stainless built-ups are folded by hand and soldered or glued to the face. We are just having a letter bender installed this month along with a laser welder and a new laser cutter, so our process will get quicker and capability bigger from February onwards.”

As for the future of the sector, Hoole says: “Automation will play a part much more in the coming years. 3D printed returns are the ‘in thing’ at the moment, I am still unsure as to how these will last, but as the equipment and materials used with them gets better, it is something that we will look a little deeper into.”

So, it seems 3D technology and automation are key future trends for the production of built-up letters, and aluminium continues to be a popular choice due to its durability and lightweight nature. Only time will tell how this sector evolves.


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