Custom Channel Letters – Front-Lit & Halo-Lit Storefront Signs

Planning custom channel letters: four decisions

Before we build your channel letters, we settle four questions: how tall the letters need to be, whether they are front-lit or halo-lit, whether they sit on a raceway or flush on the wall, and where the electrical feed comes from. Colors, typeface and depth usually follow from those. If your landlord or city has sign criteria, send them along – they often answer two of the four.

What letter height do I need?

The rule of thumb: about 1 inch of letter height for every 8 feet of reading distance (1 cm per meter). 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.

Front-lit vs. halo-lit channel letters

This is mainly a question of effect – and of the wall behind the sign.

• Front-lit: the face glows and the lettering stays clear from a long way off. The first choice for storefront signs on busy roads and in retail centers.
• Halo-lit (reverse channel letters): 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, medical offices, hotels and showrooms. More on our backlit logo signs page.
• Front- and halo-lit: face and halo glow together, with colors chosen separately. The most eye-catching option if your brand really needs to stand out at night.

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

Raceway or flush mount?

Flush (direct) mount: each letter is fixed individually to the wall. It looks the lightest because only the letters are visible, but every letter needs its own holes and its own wire penetration.

Raceway: all letters sit on a slim rail that also carries the wiring. That means fewer holes, faster installation and easy removal if you ever relocate. The raceway is color-matched to the facade. On EIFS, or if you lease your space, it's often the better option – and some landlords require it.

Your letters arrive with mounting hardware and installation instructions. Channel letters are hardwired by a licensed electrician; they do not plug into an outlet. If you don't have an installer, we can help you find one near you.

Power and wiring

The LEDs inside the letters run on low voltage. A power supply converts line voltage and sits behind the wall, inside the raceway or in a small enclosure nearby. Work out early where the electrical feed will come from. The sign is switched like any other light circuit and is not dimmable; a timer or a photocell makes sure it is only on when you want it to be.

Sign permits and landlord sign criteria

Most cities ask for a sign permit before a new storefront sign goes up, and the rules on size, placement and illumination are local. Retail centers and office buildings usually add their own sign criteria in the lease: letter height, colors, front-lit or halo-lit, raceway or flush mount.

So before you order, check with your city's permitting or zoning office and with your landlord or property manager. We supply a dimensioned drawing and a visual of the channel letters on your building, which is what both normally ask to see.

What drives the cost of channel letters

Channel letters are made to order, so 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: front- 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: raceway or flush mount.

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

How to order custom channel letters

Channel letters are quoted individually. Send your logo, the letter height or sign width you have in mind and a photo of the storefront through our design request form. You receive a free design preview on your own building and a firm quote before you order.

Production takes approx. 2–3 weeks after your order, then express delivery in 2–4 days, delivery included. If you have an opening date to meet, rush production and rush shipping can be selected at checkout at a surcharge.

Channel letters and other storefront signs

We build channel letters for businesses nationwide, including New York, Miami and Chicago. If individual letters are not the right fit for your building, compare them with light box signs, blade signs and other storefront signs.