Three Types of Channel
Letters
The most common type
is Standard Channel Letters. These letters are made up of a U-channel base, with
colored Plexiglas faces.
Reverse Channel Letters are
ones that have metal faces and returns (sides of letters) but have a clear
plastic backing. These letters are designed to be mounted an inch or two away
from the wall. At night, these letters create a halo-lit effect.
The third type of Channel
Letters is one with 'open' faces. Though not actually open, the faces of these
letters are clear plastic with the balance of the letters built just like
Standard Channel Letters. This allows for the raw neon to be seen, as well as
the inside of the U-channel letterform itself. Open Face Channel Letters are
very effective for aggressively grabbing attention.
Mounting Methods
Channel Letters can
be mounted in one of two ways. They can be mounted either directly to the wall,
individually, or mounted on a rectangular box called a raceway. Individually
mounted letters look better than raceway mounted letters. To mount letters
individually, Cotter Advertising first lays out the mounting pattern to your
storefront, then drills holes for hanging the letters as well as running the
electric through the wall. This superior looking method of mounting Channel
Letters also costs slightly more, since raceway mounting takes far less time to
install. Raceway mounting is mostly done in our factory. Each letter is
pre-spaced and mounted to the raceway. This allows for easier installation, we
mount the raceway to the wall rather than each letter, and all necessary wiring
is contained primarily in the raceway as well.
