Question 1

Which material suits the facade of my business?

Accepted Answer

It depends on three things: where they'll go, what budget you're working with and what you want to convey. For exposed exteriors and a sense of permanence, stainless steel: it doesn't rust, needs no maintenance and lasts decades, though it's the most expensive material. If you need a specific brand colour, powder-coated aluminium is considerably cheaper, comes in any RAL shade and holds up perfectly outdoors. For indoor use with a flat colour, or if you want to backlight the letter, acrylic. For indoor use on a tight budget or temporary signage, expanded PVC. And brass or bronze when the project calls for a classic character. At the site visit we bring physical samples: seeing and touching the real finish settles in two minutes what a catalogue takes weeks to decide.

Question 2

Can my logo be made as dimensional letters?

Accepted Answer

Almost always yes, but it needs checking first. The typical problem is very thin strokes and small details: on a typeface with narrow serifs, that serif can end up below the minimum thickness the material can hold, and if it's made anyway it ends up bending or breaking during installation. Open outlines and loose pieces, like the dot on an "i", also need attention, since they need their own fixing. What we do is review your vector file before quoting and, if something isn't viable, suggest a minimal tweak that respects the identity. If you only have the logo as an image, we'll vectorise it for you.

Question 3

How are they fixed to the wall, and is the fixing visible?

Accepted Answer

The fixing is never visible. The system depends on the wall surface: on brick or concrete we use screws with wall plugs and concealed spacers; on composite panel or sandwich board, threaded studs on the back of the letter; on glass, structural adhesive or through-spacers; and on listed stone, when drilling isn't possible, a concealed bracket or specific adhesives. If the letter stands off the wall, the spacers sit behind it and what you see is the letter floating with its own shadow. Before drilling, we position a full-scale template with the location of every piece and every fixing point.

Question 4

How thick are the letters, and is it noticeable from the street?

Accepted Answer

The usual thickness on a facade is 20 to 60 mm, though we can manufacture anywhere from 3 mm flat sheet to over 100 mm for special pieces. The practical rule is that the further away the sign will be seen and the higher up the letter sits, the more thickness it needs to keep its presence. Another feature that adds a lot is standing the letter off the wall by two to five centimetres: it gains its own shadow, and from the pavement it reads as far more three-dimensional than it actually is, without raising the cost of the material.

Question 5

Can the letters be illuminated?

Accepted Answer

Yes, in three different ways. Backlit, with LEDs behind projecting a halo against the facade: the letter stays opaque and sharply outlined, the most elegant finish. Front-lit, with the letter's face translucent and light coming forward, which reads best from a distance. And with external lighting via spotlights or wall washers, which doesn't touch the letter and works when there's no electrical supply at the sign's location. If you're planning to light it, say so from the start: it changes the fixing system, the letter's depth, and cable routing needs to be planned in.

Question 6

What maintenance do they need?

Accepted Answer

Very little. Stainless steel, powder-coated aluminium and acrylic just need water and mild soap a couple of times a year, avoiding scourers and abrasive products that scratch the finish. For stainless steel outdoors near the sea, a cloth with a specific product once a year helps prevent salt pitting. Unlacquered brass evolves over time and gains a patina; if you'd rather it kept its original shine, it needs to be lacquered during manufacturing or polished periodically. Outdoor PVC is the only material that may need repainting in the medium term.

Question 7

How long does it take from design approval?

Accepted Answer

Between two and four weeks depending on the material and number of pieces. Hand-polished stainless steel takes the most workshop time, since the finish is done by hand piece by piece. Powder-coated aluminium depends on the oven-coating cycle. PVC and acrylic are the fastest. If the project includes a sample letter beforehand, add a few days, but for expensive pieces or unusual finishes it's usually worth it.

Question 8

Can you install on protected facades or in historic centres?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and it's a fairly common situation in and around Barcelona. Listed buildings often have restrictions on materials, colours, size and even the fixing system, and sometimes the original wall surface simply can't be drilled. In those cases we work with reversible fixings, concealed brackets on non-protected elements, or structural adhesives. We prepare the heritage-related documentation ourselves, and it's worth budgeting extra time, since the approval process takes longer than for a standard licence.

Question 9

What's the minimum number of letters you'll make? Can single pieces be ordered?

Accepted Answer

There's no minimum. We manufacture from a single piece, though the unit cost drops considerably once you order a full sign, since much of the work is file preparation and machine set-up. If in future you need a replacement letter because someone knocked one off, we keep the file and the material specification and can remake exactly the same piece years later.

Question 10

What's the difference from a tray sign?

Accepted Answer

A tray sign is a continuous box that covers the whole face of the sign and hides what's behind it; it's cheaper, works well on wide or poor-condition facades, and lets you change the graphics without touching the structure. Dimensional letters are individual pieces fixed directly to the wall, giving more relief and a more solid, considered brand feel, especially with indirect backlighting, but they leave the facade on show, so the wall surface needs to be presentable, and changing the name means manufacturing new letters. If you're set on dimensional letters, the specific page for the commercial signage project shows how the two fit together.

Material	Best for	Outdoors	Look	Relative cost
Stainless steel	Corporate façades, hotels, offices	Yes, maintenance-free	Brushed or mirror	High
Lacquered aluminium	Large façades, warehouses, brand colours	Yes	Any RAL colour	Medium
Acrylic	Receptions, interiors, lit letters	Yes, with a protected edge	Gloss, can be lit from inside	Medium
Foam PVC	Interiors, events, tight budgets	Sheltered only	Matt and light	Low
Brass and bronze	Hotels, offices, classic brands	Yes, lacquered or patinated	Warm, ages over time	Highest

Dimensional
letters

Get a quote for your letters

Letters already
on a facade

HAVI

ALSA

Optima Retail

ASICS

Corolla Cross

Las Vegas

NTT Data

IVF Barcelona

What built-up letters are and when they pay off

The material changes
the whole result

Stainless steel

Powder-coated aluminium

Acrylic

Expanded PVC

Brass and bronze

Combinations and letters on a backing panel

Finishes, fixings
and workshop detail

From vector file
to letter on the wall

File and wall review

Prototype and finish sample

Cutting and finishing in the workshop

Setting-out and installation

Which letter material to choose

How much built-up letters cost

Size and number of letters

Material and depth

Finish

Lighting

Wall type and fixing

Access and equipment

Permits

What our clients say

We answer your questions

Give your name real depth

Dimensional letters