Signage encompasses terms like directional signs, identification signs, functional signs, index signs, and indicator signs. Depending on the context, signage is commonly referred to as: advertising signage, identification plates, directional signage, guide signs, door number plates, floor index signage, road signs, indicator signs, illuminated signage, 3D signage, and more. #Signage#

Signage materials and manufacturing processes are incredibly diverse, and it's precisely the different names given to various materials and techniques that often confuse people. Today, as a signage manufacturer's editor, I'd like to share some insights into signage materials and manufacturing techniques, accompanied by signage images for a detailed explanation. We categorize common signage into the following 24 types:

Acrylic Signage: Acrylic carved signs; base plates available in various colors; select acrylic color based on the base plate color designed by the artist; the letters are also acrylic laser-cut stickers applied to the surface. The acrylic letters can be spray-painted in a matte finish to contrast with the glossy base plate, take a look at how this acrylic carved signage looks.


Acrylic carved signboard
2. Type Signs: Acrylic silk-screened or UV signs; signs made by cutting transparent or colored acrylic into shape, with silk-screened patterns or text on the front. Transparent acrylic can have a UV-resistant or reverse-printed pattern/text visible on the front, while other colored acrylics can only be printed on the front. The previous set of images of transparent acrylic UV-resistant signs is for reference only.


Acrylic silk screen or UV label
3. Third-Category Signs: Painted Silk Screen or UV-Printed Signs; Painted substrate can be made of metal (commonly iron, steel, aluminum), painted, or acrylic plates, aluminum composite panels, PVC boards/Snowboard, etc., painted. The surface paint color can be customized, available in glossy or matte finishes. Text or patterns can be silk-screened on this, and complex designs can also be UV-printed.


Enamel Printing or UV Label Plates
4. Fourth Type of Signage: Double-color Plate Engraved Signs; base plate with single-color lettering displayed on double-color plates, while other colors of text or graphics are applied using UV or silk-screen printing techniques. The base plate can be shaped or square/circular.


Two-color board engraved sign
5. Category 5 Signage: Acrylic Heat-Bent Signage; This type is not unfamiliar. The L-shaped signs commonly used for desktop QR code payment are made with this process, with the content printed on the back with UV printing.


Acrylic Heat-Bendable Signage
6. Category 6 Signs: Metal Bending Signs; also known as luminescent signs, these are shaped by machine bending, then welded, sanded, painted, and acrylic reversed, containing LED-illuminated letters. This process is widely used.


Metal Bending Sign
7. Category 7 Signs: Cutout Signs; Cutout signs refer not only to metal cutouts but also include options such as PVC leather cutouts with baked paint, acrylic cutouts, and aluminum-plastic panel cutouts. Cutout signs can be designed as either illuminated or non-illuminated characters. Small cutout signs also have a wide range of applications.


Hollowed-out signboard
8. Category 8 Signs: Vacuum-formed Signs; Surface material is vacuum-formed acrylic board, supported by a metal steel frame base. Commonly seen vacuum-formed light box signs at gas stations. Check out the effect of the vacuum-formed signs.


Blow Molding Signage
9. Category 9 Signs: Corrosion Signs; Traditional corrosion signs are familiar to many, but when combined with other materials, they can be crafted into various signs. However, regardless of the designer's creativity, the primary manufacturing process is either carving or corrosion.


Corrosion Identification Plates
10. Category 10: 3D Letter Signs; the 3D letters can be made of metal, acrylic, or other 3D precision letters like PVC, combining small letters to form a functional sign, which we refer to as a 3D letter sign. Check out the previous set of 3D letter signs to see the effect of the precision 3D letter signs.


3D Letter Signage
11. Category 11: Notice Board Signs - Whether for companies, factories, or our residential community elevator walls, we require signs for posting announcements. Regardless of the material, we refer to these as notice board signs; typically made of acrylic, take a look at the previous photos to see how others have made them.


Bulletin Board Sign
12. Category 12: Signage Plaques; Certification Plates, Medals, Distributor Authorization Plates, or various plaques awarded by industries, which we categorize under Signage Plaques. These are special signage, with different designs, materials, and size specifications. Below is a selection of signage plaque photos for your reference.


Signboard
13. Category 13: Nameplate Signs; Nameplates include machine nameplates, tree nameplates, etc., which are easy to understand. The key point is that machine nameplates are usually made of zinc alloy, stainless steel, and aluminum plate; while acrylic, dual-color board, and aluminum-plastic plate are more common. Let's view a series of photos to showcase the nameplate signs.


Nameplate Signs
14. Category 14: Parking Signage; Whether it's a shopping mall or a building, any location with parking requires a "P" parking sign indicator to inform drivers of the parking entrance and exit. Therefore, the "P" parking sign is a standard signage required at every parking spot. Let's take a look at the previous set of parking signage.


Parking Signage
15. Category 15 Signs: Underground parking entrance signs; commonly, when entering an underground parking garage of a building, a nearly 6-meter-long entrance directional sign is fixed above the entrance on the wall, which can be either reflective or non-illuminated, primarily serving as a sign to indicate the parking entrance.


Underground parking entrance sign
16. Category 16: Tag Labels; Hanging labels are commonly used in shopping malls and supermarkets, serving as area identification cues. They are typically hung with two rods, available in both simple and decorative styles; most supermarkets use illuminated versions. View a set of hanging tag label photos.


Hanging Tag Label
17. Category 17: Side Wall Signs; Side wall-mounted signs, besides being commonly used in restrooms, are actually more frequently applied in many public areas. Places like administrative units, libraries, and parks require signs that can be seen from a distance, allowing people to identify the location at a glance. A set of photos will better illustrate the side wall installation of these signs.


Side Wall Signage
18. Category 18 Signs: Guidance Signs; Most of these signs are metal powder-coated, with etched designs and sheet metal work, featuring built-in LED illuminated labels; commonly used as advertising and directional signs indoors in shopping malls or mixed-use complexes.


Guidance sign
19. Category 19: Underground Parking Guidance Signs; Many high-rise buildings have interconnected underground parking garages. The sense of direction underground differs from that on the ground, so there are often more directional signs in underground parking areas, especially in large complexes. Underground parking guidance signs are specific to the environment and are mostly illuminated due to the darkness of underground lighting. Illuminated signs can also serve as lighting.


Underground parking lot directional sign
20. Ten Types of Signs: Hotel Signs; Hotel signs are part of a system design; Room number signs are part of each hotel's identification system.


Hotel Signage
21. Eleven types of signs: Traffic signs; Traffic signs are subdivided into many types, including safety warning signs, reflective signs, informational signs, road signs, etc., which we collectively refer to as traffic signs; the road name guidance signs commonly seen on highways or major roads can be categorized under this category of traffic signs. Traffic signs are mostly made of aluminum plates, with 3M reflective film applied to them; the reflective film comes in advertising and engineering grades, with prices differing based on quality.


Traffic Sign
22. Twelve Types of Signboards: Painted Signboards; Painted signboards are closely related to vehicles, often found at parking spaces, parking lot pillars, parking lot walls, and busy roads, etc. They are used to indicate where the car owners have parked their vehicles, including solid and dashed lines, as well as to differentiate various areas in underground parking lots.


Painted Signage
23. Thirteen Types of Signs: LED Electronic Signs; Large LED display screens cannot be classified as signs, but small ones that can be placed on desks or viewed from close range are referred to as Electronic Screen Signs. Why are they categorized here? It's because, with the synchronization of digital technology in the future, their usage will increase, as they can synchronize with mobile data. Therefore, they are also known as Digital Signs.


LED electronic sign board
24. 14 Types of Name Tags: Chest Name Tags; Although used less frequently, they are still in use by some, and they cannot be omitted from the statistics. Chest name tags are also known as chest cards, and they come in various materials such as acrylic etched silk printing, aluminum alloy, and stainless steel etching. The shapes include irregular, round, square, and more.


Name Tag
Here are 24 common types of signage shared with you. If my sharing has been helpful, remember to follow. Look forward to the next issue, where I'll provide a detailed explanation of the signage production process.