Signage Materials 101 with Victoria and Kristen
The Branding Signage and Technology Podcast
Victoria and Kristen from The Howard Company’s graphics and production team explain why the material a sign is printed on matters as much as its design. They cover choosing materials for indoor, outdoor and multi-location use, how long common materials last, planning LTO graphics, and when static signage beats digital.
Key takeaways
Choose the material before the design. It decides how long a sign lasts, how it looks and where it can go.
Quality printable vinyl is rated for about seven to eight years on a wall.
Stocked temporary LTO graphics usually need about a week of lead time.
Static and digital work best together.
What is a substrate in signage?
A substrate is any material used to make a sign, whether it’s printed on, routed or cut. Common examples are vinyl, acrylic, PVC and polycarbonate.
Why choose the substrate before the design?
A design printed on the wrong material can fade, warp or peel early. Indoor or outdoor placement is one of the biggest factors, because some materials can’t be used outside at all.
What signage materials are available?
Howard works with printable and perforated window vinyl, acrylic, PVC, polycarbonate, wall coverings, backlit drive-thru graphics, magnetic price strips, low-tack removable stickers and custom dry erase boards. The right choice depends on how and where the sign will be used.
Why is printable vinyl so useful?
The team calls it the most underrated material, even though it’s the most popular. It works indoors and outdoors and can be printed in any color and cut to any shape. Howard adds a gloss or matte laminate with UV protection to slow fading.
How do you choose materials for different climates?
For multi-location rollouts, the team looks first for one material that works everywhere. If none holds up in every climate, Howard’s engineering team recommends regional options and reviews them with the customer before production. New materials are sun-tested in-house before they’re recommended.
How do you keep outdoor graphics from failing?
Apply window vinyl when the glass is warm enough for the adhesive to set, roughly 50 to 55°F or warmer.
For menu boards in direct sun, print on the back of the acrylic so the image stays protected.
For outdoor box signs, cut vinyl logos usually last longer than printed ones.
How much lead time do LTO graphics need?
Stocked temporary poster graphics usually take about a week, depending on project size. They remove cleanly but held up for more than a year in testing. Brands with rotating flavors often use swappable slats or double-sided merchandisers, so only the changing pieces need updating.
When does static signage outperform digital?
Static often fits better for rotating flavors that staff can swap by hand, for signs that rarely change like hours of operation, and for anything that has to stay visible during a power or network outage. It also needs no ongoing content management. The team’s caution is against going digital just because others are.
Can static and digital work together?
Yes. Hybrid systems pair static menu boards with a digital screen, often for promotions.
What if you’re on a budget?
Howard quotes good, better and best options, so customers can weigh upfront cost against lifespan and appearance.
Guests: Victoria and Kristen, Graphics and Production, The Howard Company
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