Advice and Answers

Straight answers to your signage questions.

Explore our signage advice and answers across everything from vehicle wraps and building signage to approvals, installation, costs and sustainable solutions.

Lightboxes and Illuminated Sign Cabinets

How are lightboxes installed?

Yes. We can manage the installation as part of the job, and we prefer to think about installation while the signage is being designed rather than at the end.

Access, fixing surfaces, power, working heights, trading hours and site rules can all affect the best solution. A sign that looks great in a proof but is unnecessarily difficult to install is not a well-resolved sign.

Can a lightbox be mounted under an awning or perpendicular to a building?

Yes. We can manage the installation as part of the job, and we prefer to think about installation while the signage is being designed rather than at the end.

Access, fixing surfaces, power, working heights, trading hours and site rules can all affect the best solution. A sign that looks great in a proof but is unnecessarily difficult to install is not a well-resolved sign.

What is a lightbox sign?

It depends on the application, and this is one of those questions where seeing the actual site makes the answer much better. We look at visibility, brand, materials, expected life, access and budget before recommending the final solution.

If it were my project, I would start by getting the basics right rather than adding complexity for the sake of it. Send us a photo and the key dimensions and we can talk you through the options in plain English.

Can you colour-match a lightbox to our brand?

Yes. This is where having the design, production and installation thinking connected makes a difference. We can work from existing brand guidelines or, if you only have a logo, build the signage direction from there.

My view is that good signage should look like it belongs to the business and the site. We don’t want to force the same construction onto every brand just because it is easy for us to make.

What is the difference between a lightbox and illuminated 3D letters?

The main difference is usually how the product is constructed, how long it is intended to last and what job it is trying to do. Two signage products can look similar in a photo but behave very differently once they are exposed to sun, wind, cleaning, traffic or repeated handling.

If you’re deciding between two options, tell us where it is going and how long you need it for. I would rather recommend the simpler option when it is genuinely enough than overspecify the job.

What maintenance does a lightbox need?

It depends on the application, and this is one of those questions where seeing the actual site makes the answer much better. We look at visibility, brand, materials, expected life, access and budget before recommending the final solution.

If it were my project, I would start by getting the basics right rather than adding complexity for the sake of it. Send us a photo and the key dimensions and we can talk you through the options in plain English.

Are lightboxes still a good signage option?

It depends on the application, and this is one of those questions where seeing the actual site makes the answer much better. We look at visibility, brand, materials, expected life, access and budget before recommending the final solution.

If it were my project, I would start by getting the basics right rather than adding complexity for the sake of it. Send us a photo and the key dimensions and we can talk you through the options in plain English.

What should I compare when getting quotes for a lightbox?

I would compare more than the final price. Look at what material is actually being specified, how it will be manufactured, who is installing it, what is excluded, the warranty and whether the company has thought about the site rather than simply priced a square metre rate.

A cheaper sign can be good value if it is the right product. It becomes expensive when it is underspecified, hard to maintain, fails early or needs to be remade. We would rather explain why we are recommending something than just tell you it is ‘premium’.

How much does a lightbox sign cost?

There isn’t one useful fixed price for this because size, materials, quantity, access and installation can change the job enormously. My preference is to price the actual project rather than throw out a number that may send you in the wrong direction.

If you send us a photo of the site or vehicle, approximate dimensions, your logo or artwork, quantity and location, we can normally narrow the options down quickly. And if you have a budget, tell us. It genuinely helps us design around what is realistic rather than presenting an option that was never going to fit.

When would Signs SA recommend a lightbox instead of 3D letters?

It depends on the application, and this is one of those questions where seeing the actual site makes the answer much better. We look at visibility, brand, materials, expected life, access and budget before recommending the final solution.

If it were my project, I would start by getting the basics right rather than adding complexity for the sake of it. Send us a photo and the key dimensions and we can talk you through the options in plain English.

Can lightboxes be single-sided or double-sided?

Yes. In most cases we can, but the exact way we would do it depends on the site, material, scale and how long you need it to perform.

This is where a photo is incredibly useful. Send us the location or item you want signed, along with your logo and approximate dimensions, and we can tell you what we would recommend rather than give you a generic answer.

Can you make custom-shaped lightboxes?

Yes. In most cases we can, but the exact way we would do it depends on the site, material, scale and how long you need it to perform.

This is where a photo is incredibly useful. Send us the location or item you want signed, along with your logo and approximate dimensions, and we can tell you what we would recommend rather than give you a generic answer.

Got more questions?

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