Do you need a sign? Maybe you need a traditional house name sign, a modern welcome sign for your garden, or a unique sign to announce your business premises and stand out from the competition. Or you might need a sign for a different reason, but no matter what sign you need why not make a lasting impression and get a plasma cut custom metal sign?
Why choose a plasma cut custom metal sign
Plasma cut custom metal signs are increasingly popular with UK homeowners, businesses, garden designers and architects. They’re extremely affordable and versatile compared to laser cut metal signs plus they’re weatherproof so ideal for outdoor use as well as indoors.
Plasma cut custom metal signs also make creative, eye-catching and distinctive statements of style and quality and they continue to look great for decades so they’re real value for money. Not only that they’re completely recyclable so they’re super sustainable and positively planet-friendly too.
How to choose a plasma cut custom metal sign
There are lots of decisions to make when creating a plasma cut custom metal sign. They can be virtually any size, any style, have numbers, words, or your logo on, or even be a portrait of your favourite pet. They can be simple, multi-layered or illuminated, and any colours of the rainbow.
With so many options it’s hard to know what to choose, so in this article I’m going to answer the top questions people ask us about designing and making plasma cut custom metal signs:
- Who should I get to design and make my plasma cut custom metal sign?
- How do I decide on the size and style of my plasma cut custom metal sign?
- What fonts, images or logos can I use on my plasma cut custom metal sign?
- What colours and surface finishes can I have on my plasma cut custom metal sign?
- What metal should my plasma cut custom metal sign be made of?
- How do I put up my plasma cut custom metal sign?
- How much are plasma cut custom metal signs?
Click to read the one you like best or scroll to get the whole picture!
1. Who should I get to design and make my plasma cut custom metal sign?
The best sign designers/makers will take the time to understand what sort of plasma cut custom metal sign you want and can design and make it to a high standard.
Contact some sign makers, tell them your ideas, and see how you feel about what they say. Important things to ask them are:
- will they guide you through the process
- what ideas, experience and facilities they have
- if they offer free advice, examples, design proofs and quotes
We’re always happy to chat even if you’re still wondering whether to get a custom metal sign at all, so why not call us on 01286 882199 or message us now?
2. How do I decide on the size and style of my plasma cut custom metal sign?
Your plasma cut custom metal sign should suit it’s location and do what you need it to do.
Think about:
- where you want to put your sign
- what its purpose is
- how much detail it needs to have on it
Also consider:
- what style or styles the rest of the area is around your sign
- how you want people to feel when they see it
If you’re not sure about what size or style to make your sign ask your sign designer. I love talking about designs and working with people to perfect their sign!
3. What fonts, images or logos can I use on my plasma cut custom metal sign?
Some fonts, images and logos can be used directly on your plasma cut custom metal sign while some need adapting. The main reasons for adapting them are to make sure your design looks good and so it can be manufactured correctly.
Sometimes we’ll need to thicken a thin font slightly or simplify a detailed image or logo slightly. We might also need to make minor adaptations such as adding drop out tabs to prevent loss of areas that would otherwise be cut all the way round. Examples of such areas in letters and numbers include the centres of a, e, o, 0, 4, 6.
Ask your sign designer whether your font, image or logo will work on your sign. Solving dropouts while preserving the look of the original is one of the bits of sign design I love best.
4. What colours and surface finishes can I have on my plasma cut custom metal sign?
Firstly let’s talk surface finishes. If you’re like me and want to immediately talk colours let me explain. Surface finishes include colours, so the colours you can have depend on what surface finishes you use.
No surface finish and you see the raw metal – vibrant orange-brown, silver, brass, copper or bronze. Surface finishes include our own unique vintaging, plus polishing, brushing, blacking, powder coating and painting. It’s these last two that give us rainbows.
There are thousands of possible colours as you can choose any metal paint or powder coat. You can also make multi-coloured custom metal signs by making multi-layer signs with different coloured layers.
If you’re dying to know more about the colours and surface finishes you could have on your sign then contact your sign designer/maker. The best sign makers will offer you samples and colour cards of the finishes and colours they have (we do!). If you’d like to find our more about the huge range of colour, specialist & special effects powder coats for metal, get in touch or visit our powder coating page!
5. What metal should my plasma cut custom metal sign be made of?
This is probably the most important thing to get right to make sure your sign does it’s job, lasts well and is good value for money. The answer depends on the style, size and location of your sign. Here are the most common sign metals and their main advantages (+), things to think about (?) and disadvantages (-):
Mild steel
+ strong
+ inexpensive
+ easy to paint or powder coat
? weight may be an issue for large or multi-layer signs but not for most simpler or smaller signs
– will corrode so needs protection and maintenance with paint, powder coat or galvanising
“Corten” weathering/rusting steel
+ strong
+ very popular for modern and rustic signs
+ vibrant orange-brown fresh rust patina
+ maintenance-free
? can stain light surfaces from rain run off but easily dealt with during routine surface cleaning or painting
? more expensive than steel but keeps its looks without rusting away
– shouldn’t be painted or powder coated
Aluminium
+ lightweight so excellent for larger signs or signs suspended on wires
+ more corrosion resistant than steel
+ can be painted or powder coated
+ stunning effects can be created by polishing and coating with clear colour
? will corrode in coastal and industrial areas if not painted or powder coated
– more expensive than mild steel
– needs to be thicker than steel to be as strong
– will go dull silver if not painted or powder coated
Stainless steel
+ premium look and performance
+ strong and extremely durable
+ maintenance free
+ “marine” grade available for use near the sea
+ can be painted or powder coated
+ stunning effects can be created by brushing, polishing or coating with clear colour
– expensive
Brass, bronze and copper
+ traditional look of timeless quality
+ can be etched to give fine surface detail
+ etching can be filled to bring out the design
+ / – can be lacquered to maintain appearance but need routine re-lacquering
– expensive
– need regular polishing to keep the shine if not lacquered
6. How do I put up my plasma cut custom metal sign?
We recommend using one of our eco-friendly stainless steel fixings kits. They contain everything you need to easily put up your sign securely and with style. The polished dome head nuts add a smart finishing touch, the top quality stainless steel parts will last for decades, and the genuine Timber UNO Rawlplugs use 70% less plastic than any other wall plugs.
Use spacers behind your sign to make it stand slightly away from the surface. This prevents algae and black streaks. All our standard fixings kits include stainless steel spacers and we make custom kits with longer or shorter spacers.
7. How much are plasma cut custom metal signs?
Plasma cut custom metal signs cost less than laser cut ones as plasma cutting costs less for unique designs. The cost of plasma cut custom metal signs depends on how big they are, how much design work they need, how many layers they have, and what materials they’re made from. Our prices start from as little as a few pounds for large individual letters, and from around £40 for a small, simple sign in mild steel.
We create free drawings and quotes for all the custom metal signs we design and make. This means you’ll know exactly how much your sign will be before deciding to buy it. We also carefully check the costs of materials for each sign we make so you get the best price every time. Not only that, If we think your design will be popular we will offer to cover some or all of the design costs of your order and add it to our range of standard and personalised metal signs in our metalwork shop.
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There are thousands of possibilities and lots of decisions involved in getting your custom metal sign just right. I hope I’ve answered at least one of your questions. Maybe I’ve even answered a question you didn’t know you had. Now you’re more prepared to talk to your sign designer/makers and have plenty of questions for them.
If I haven’t answered one or more of your questions or you want to talk through your metal sign ideas I’d love to hear from you, so call me or message me now. You never know, your question may feature in my next article and help someone else!
Look forward to hearing from you,
Jo