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Front-Lit Channel Letters.
The classic American storefront sign. A translucent acrylic face glows from internal LEDs — bright, even, visible from across the parking lot. The most common channel letter on the market, and the one customers expect when they think "lit sign."
- Starts at: $285 minimum
- Best for: Plaza tenants, retail, fast-service
- Warranty: 5-year LED, 2-year fabrication
Watch · Channel letters
How a channel letter is fabricated.
A narrated walkthrough of channel-letter fabrication — bending aluminum returns, routing the acrylic face, wiring the UL-listed LED modules, and the final on-wall install. The same process anchors front-lit, halo-lit, dual-lit, and trimless variations; this is the production reel for the whole family. See the halo-lit, dual-lit, and trimless pages for what each looks like lit at night.
- Aluminum returns bent and welded in-house
- 3/16″ cast acrylic faces, trim-cap edges
- UL-listed LED modules, 80,000-hour life
How it's built
Aluminum returns, acrylic face, LEDs inside.
Each letter is a self-contained box: a routed acrylic face on the front, painted aluminum sidewalls (called "returns") that wrap around the back, and weather-sealed LEDs that fill the inside cavity with light. A trim-cap edge holds the face to the returns. The whole letter mounts to your building wall with hidden studs and a low-voltage power feed.
3/16" cast acrylic
Routed to your letter shape. White is standard; colored faces or 3M translucent vinyl overlay available.
Plastic edge cap
Holds the face to the returns. Black or white standard, 9 stock colors, or paint to match.
.063" or .090" aluminum
Bent and welded sidewalls. Powder-coated to your spec. Available in 3" or 5" depth.
UL-listed LED modules
Premium white LEDs. 80,000-hour life, dimmable, weather-rated. Wired to a remote power supply.
Colors & finishes
Four parts to color: face, vinyl, returns, and trim cap.
Most customers go with a standard white face that lights up bright at night, then add a 3M translucent vinyl overlay for a colored face. Returns and trim caps come in stock colors, or we'll match anything custom for a small upcharge.
Acrylic face — 7 standards
White and Lexan White light up with white LEDs at standard pricing. Other colors require colored LEDs (custom quote).
Vinyl overlay — 3M media
Add a translucent vinyl over the white acrylic for a colored face. 3M 3630 has 37 colors, 3M 3635 is opaque or day/night dual-color, and digital print accepts any artwork.
- 3M 3630 Translucent — 37 colors, glows colored at night
- 3M 3635 Blockout — opaque, hides face for sharp graphics
- 3M 3635 Day/Night — one color by day, another by night
- Digital Print — full-color photographic media for logos
Return color — 5 standards + custom
The aluminum sidewalls. Most customers go Gloss Black or match the face. Custom Sherwin-Williams matches add a small fee.
Trim cap — 9 stock colors
Sizes & pricing
Priced per inch of letter height.
Cap height (the height of your tallest letter) is the biggest price driver. Add return depth on top — 3" is standard, 5" is an upgrade for big letters that need more visual weight.
| Spec | Standard | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Letter height | 4" to 60" | Most storefronts run 12"–24". Anything over 36" usually needs a permit. |
| Return depth | 3" standard, 5" upgrade | Bigger letters look better with deeper returns. |
| Rate per inch | $10.85/in (height) per letter | So a 12"H letter is roughly $130 per letter, before vinyl/colors. |
| Minimum order | $285 | Most jobs run $1,800 to $4,500 for a typical storefront set. |
Mounting
Three ways to put it on the wall.
How you mount affects both the look and the install cost. We'll spec the right method based on your wall and any landlord rules.
Flush mount
Letters bolt directly to the wall. Lowest cost, cleanest look. Best when you have access to run wire behind the wall.
Stud mount
Letters held off the wall on threaded studs. Lets the light wrap a bit, hides any wall imperfections.
Raceway mount
Letters mounted to an aluminum raceway box that holds the power supply. Required by most landlords for shopping-center tenants. $71/linear foot.
When to pick this
Best for
- Shopping center / plaza tenants
- Fast-service retail and restaurants
- Auto, hardware, and big-box adjacent
- Anywhere bright, readable signage matters more than understatement
Skip this for
- Premium architectural buildings → try Halo-Lit
- Historic districts → try Sandblasted Cedar
- Full-logo or multi-line marquees → try Cabinet Signs
Ready to design yours?
Pick your style, type your business name, see it lit up at dusk in seconds.