Illuminated Letters – Built-Up 3D Letters, Face-Lit or Halo-Lit

Built-up letters for UK shop fronts, retail parks and offices

On a high street shop front, built-up letters usually sit directly on the fascia above the window, where they are read from the pavement opposite. On a retail park unit they are read from across the car park, so letter height matters more than fine detail. In an office or reception they are seen up close, and the finish counts for most.

• Face-lit: an acrylic face on an aluminium letter glows evenly. The clearest option for fascias and retail parks after dark.
• Halo-lit (back-lit): a solid-faced letter in stainless steel or aluminium stands off the wall and throws a soft glow behind it. It suits receptions, clinics and professional offices.
• Non-illuminated: the same built-up letter without LEDs, in stainless steel, aluminium or acrylic. It needs no power supply.

Illuminated built-up letters are hard-wired to the mains by a qualified electrician and switched on and off like any other light fitting. They are not dimmable.

Advertisement consent for illuminated letters

Illuminated signs often need advertisement consent from the local planning authority. In a conservation area or on a listed building you should normally expect to need consent, and listed building consent may apply as well. The rules depend on the location and on the sign itself, so check with your local planning authority before you order. We supply a dimensioned technical drawing and a visual that you can use for the application.

Planning illuminated letters: four decisions

Before we build your letters, we settle four questions: how big they need to be, how they should light up, how they go on the wall and where the power comes from. Colours, typeface and depth usually follow from those.

What letter height do I need?

The rule of thumb: 1 cm of letter height per metre of reading distance. What counts is the distance from which customers should read your sign, not the distance from which they can just about make it out.

For lower-case lettering, measure the height of the “x”, not the ascenders. And the narrower the typeface, the more sense it makes to go one size up.

Face-lit, halo-lit or both?

This is mainly a question of effect.

• Face-lit: the front glows and the lettering stays clear from a long way off. The first choice on main roads and in business parks.
• Halo-lit: the light falls onto the wall while the letter itself stays dark. It looks refined but needs a light, smooth wall. Ideal for law firms, clinics, hotels and showrooms. More on our backlit logo signs page.
• Face- and halo-lit: face and halo glow together, with colours chosen separately. The most eye-catching option if your brand really needs to stand out at night.

From experience: on dark brick or timber cladding a halo loses much of its effect. There, face-lit letters are usually the better choice.

Mounting: straight onto the fascia or on a rail?

Direct fixing: each letter is fixed individually to the wall on stand-off spacers. It looks the lightest because only the letters are visible, but every letter needs its own holes and its own cable entry.

Mounting rail: all letters sit on a slim rail that also carries the wiring. That means fewer holes, faster installation and easy removal if you ever move. The rail is colour-matched to the facade. On insulated walls, or if you rent, it's often the better option.

Your letters arrive with fixings and installation instructions. The mains connection is always made by a qualified electrician. If you don't have an installer, we can help you find one near you.

Power and drivers

The LEDs inside the letters run on low voltage. A driver converts the 230 V mains supply and sits behind the wall, inside the rail or in a small enclosure nearby. Work out early where the power supply will come from. A timer or a dusk-to-dawn sensor makes sure the sign is only on when you want it to be.

What drives the cost

We quote a price for your specific logo. These are the factors that affect it most:

1. Height and number of characters: every letter is built individually, so every character counts.
2. Type of illumination: face- and halo-lit combined takes more work than either one alone.
3. Typeface and logo: fine serifs, script fonts and small details need more handwork.
4. Mounting: rail or individual fixing.

If the budget is tight, the specification can be adjusted: for example, the logo as illuminated letters and the strapline as unlit flat cut acrylic letters.