Aluminum signs are a popular medium available in a variety of types and specifications. 

We offer custom signs made of various metallic compositions and finishes. Metallic signs made of aluminum are long lasting, weather resistant and have a polished look. Custom aluminum signs can be made of different types of aluminum sheets: standard aluminum signs, brushed aluminum signs and reflective aluminum signs.

Standard, brushed and reflective aluminum signs have a lot of common specifications as well as unique ones. All three are made of a versatile, durable material that can be mounted, hung, posted or framed. These metallic signs can be used indoors as well as outdoors with a highly professional look.

Let’s go over each of them separately.

Facts About Standard Aluminum Signs

Standard Aluminum Signs are unique because of their lightweight, thin, and durable properties along with their double-sided print option.

Standard aluminum signs are made of two thin aluminum sheets with reinforced plastic known as polyethylene sandwiched in-between the metal faces. The polyethylene core resists bending and other damage in ways aluminum alone can’t. Standard aluminum signs are made of a composite material known as E-pane which is extremely strong and durable. The display is 2mm thin and very light.

Another characteristic of this type of aluminum sign is the appearance of the material. Keep in mind that these aluminum signs don’t have a typical metallic look. Our standard aluminum sign is printed with solid white. Any section of the sign that doesn't have a design will have a white appearance. You can, however, choose a different background color for the sign if you don’t want it to be plain white. You can select any custom color and graphics for your printing on aluminum.

One more important specification of the standard aluminum signs is that it can be printed double-sided. These metallic signs can have mirrored or different designs on each side. This also makes the signs more versatile in terms of placement and more effective for advertising..

Standard aluminum signs are widely used both indoors and outdoors. They’re popular for branding, real estate, wayfinding, informational sharing, public service and regulations, corporate plaques and so on. The installation and mounting methods for standard aluminum signs are vast and diverse to suit your needs.

image displaying the difference between standard and brushed aluminums

Facts About Brushed Aluminum Signs

Brushed aluminum signs are popular due to their sterling and industrial look. These signs leave a professional first impression on your business, granting a modern look to any space.

Brushed aluminum signs have similar technical features as standard aluminum signs although there are a couple of technical differences to consider. The displays are made of aluminum sheets with E-pane in the middle. This makes the metallic sign more durable and long-lasting. This metallic sign variant is a bit thicker (3mm) which makes brushed aluminum signs just a little heavier compared to the standard aluminum signs. 

The appearance of the raw metallic sheet is different as it has a rustic metallic “silver” finish with a brushed effect. This feature is what most people expect from a brushed metal sign. Printing on this type of aluminum can be done with most of the same inks and colors as for the standard aluminum sign. However, unlike the standard option, the parts of the sign without graphics will show the metallic color as a background instead of white.

An important note about brushed aluminum printing is that they cannot display white ink. If you have a part of your sign design in white, it will show up as the background color of metallic silver.

One more significant feature of brushed aluminum signs is the absence of a double-sided aluminum printing option. Brushed aluminum signs are built to be displayed on one side only, making them ideal for wall-mounting. The back of these signs does not have the brushed aluminum appearance, and can’t be printed on.

Brushed aluminum signs can be used both indoors and outdoors. These signs are most often used for offices, lobbies, reception areas, waiting rooms, hallways, bathrooms and beyond. Similar to standard aluminum signs, brushed aluminum signs are unique in terms of durability, quality, and long lifespan.

Facts About Reflective Aluminum signs

The aluminum material of these metallic signs is composed of two sheets of .008 inch aluminum combined with a polyethylene core, just like the standard and brushed aluminum signs. However, in the case of reflective aluminum signs, direct aluminum printing is not an option. 

The design first gets printed on a special reflective vinyl and then it is posted on the metallic sign with an adhesive back. Also, unlike the standard aluminum signs, the reflective aluminum signs are single-sided. For safety purposes, the reflective aluminum signs also come with rounded corners.

The main feature of reflective aluminum signs is the product’s nighttime visibility. It has a mirror-like surface that bounces light back to its source and seems to light up without requiring internal electricity. 

Just as the above-mentioned aluminum signs, a reflective aluminum sign is durable and long lasting. It’s intended for indoor and outdoor use. It’s versatile when it comes to mounting and purpose but it’s most popular for spotlighting road regulations. 

You can find more detailed information about our standard aluminum signs, brushed aluminum signs and reflective aluminum signs under each product link.