The glossary has been added to our site to help you prepare for your visit to SignArt, Inc. The terms listed below will allow you to communicate your thoughts to us in a way that will be easy for us to understand you, which in-turn will make the sign buying process move along quickly. To navigate through the glossary, simply select the letter that you wish to view and you will be taken there. When you would like to choose another letter, simply click return to the top and you can choose a different letter.
-- A --
Acetate: A tough, clear plastic film that is ink-receptive and a popular substrate for point-of-purchase advertising.
Acid-etching: A method similar to sandblasting, used primarily for marking glass & metal. A stencil of the artwork is either hand- or computer-cut and applied to the glass, which is then brusshed with an acid mixture such as ammonium and sodium bifluoride. After a specified length of time, the surface is washed and the stencil removed.
Acrylic: Although sometimes used as a generic term to describe plastics, acrylic is a particular type of plastic characterized by its clarity and colorability. Also known as plexi glass.
Acrylic paint: A paint with an acrylic resin base.
Adhesion: The ability of two materials to be held together at the molecular level, usually created through the use of an adhesive. May also occur through suction.
Adhesive: A material able to hold two similar or different surfaces together. Often activated by heat or pressure. Examples include glue, paste, and synthetic resins.
Airbrush: A device utilizing compressed air to generate a fine spray of paint. As air passes through the head of the airbrush, a vacuum is created, siphoning the paint up from its container. Airbrushes come in a variety of sizes with different heads and tips depending on the use.
Alignment: The condition of type and or art materials as they level up on a horizontal or vertical line.
Alphabet: A commonly-used expression for font, type face or letter style.
Alucobond: "Alucobond" is the trade name for the product which is a plastic resin sandwiched between two thin aluminum layers. Primarily used for routed faces.
Ambient light: The light in a given area. May be natural or man-made, but does not include direct or internal illumination.
Angle iron: Describes any piece of structural iron or steel bent to a right (90-degree) angle for use in sign cabinets and other structures.
Animated sign: A sign that shows motion or changes in copy or color, most often through the use of electric or electronic means. See "flasher".
Application: The installation of vinyl on a surface. Two main methods are used: wet and dry. Wet application involves the use of a soapy solution or special fluid on a surface, allowing the vinyl and its transfer-tape carrier to be positioned before final placement. Dry application places the vinyl and transfer tape immediately at its final position, and usually involves hinging (see "Hinging") for setting the material.
Application tape: See "Transfer tape"
Approach: The area along a street or sidewalk from where a sign first becomes visible until the display is no longer readable as the viewer passes by.
Art: All copy, graphics, and logos used in preparing a job.
Art Work: Any materials or images that are prepared for graphic reproduction.
Ascender: In a given typeface, the portions of the lowercase "b", "d", "f", "h", "k", and "l" that extend above the height of the main body of the lower case "x".
Awning: A shelter constructed of non-rigid materials on a supporting framework which projects from and is supported by the exterior wall of a building. An awning may or may not be illuminated and/or decorated with graphics to serve as a sign.
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-- B --
Back lighted (back lit) sign: A sign consisting of a cabinet containing a light source surrounded by one or more translucent face(s).
Background: That portion of a photograph or line art drawing that appears furthest from the eye; the surface upon which the main image is superimposed.
Ballast: A power conversion unit used to illuminate fluorescent lamps.
Banner: A sign made of fabric, plastic or other non-rigid material, which has no enclosing framework. May be painted, screen printed or decorated with vinyl or digitally printed.
BASE: a) the trim beneath the bottom molding of a sign or bulletin,
b) the background color in screen printing,
c) platform on which a ground sign rests (may be brick, concrete, wood, etc.) can be portable or permanant.
Base Line: This is a term used to describe the imaginary horizontal line upon which stand capitals, lower case letters, punctuation points etc.
Bezier Curve: A line segment where the angle deflection is mathematically calculated. Bezier segments usually feature control points that allow nearly unlimited alterations of the segment to a variety of angles.
Billboard: A large outdoor board used for posting advertising.
Binder: A substance that binds two others together. Lacquer is used as a binder when painting with some metallic dusts.
Bitmap: Images made of monochrome or multi-colored pixels (or dots) for displaying or printing.
Bleed: In printing, refers to the portion of the job which extends beyond the area of the finished print.
Block In: To sketch the primary areas and points of reference of an illustration in preparation for going to final design or production.
Blockout: a) A type of paint used in the production of neon signs to block out the crossover connections between letters. Special enamel paints have been formulated for this purpose that offer a high degree of adherence to glass, as well as resistance to weather, heat, light, high voltages and corona discharge. b) a liquid type of mask used to seal holes in stencil areas not intended to be printed.
Blow Up: To increase art to a workable size.
Boiler Plate: Repetitive blocks of type that are picked up and included routinely without recreating them.
Boldface: Any type that has a heavier black stroke that makes it more conspicuous.
Boom: A beam used to lift heavy objects. Popular expression for the arm of a crane.
Border: Most commonly a line or repetitive design used to emphasize or set apart portions of a sign's art.
Bounding box: The area of an on screen image at its maximum X and Y axis measurements. Bounding boxes allow scaling of all graphic images in PostScript file types.
Bronze: An alloy of copper and zinc with traces of other metals, long associated with traditional institutional signage. Bronze signs are cast, then lacquered, pre-oxidized or left to oxidize naturally.
Brushed finish: A non-glossy, textured surface applied to metal for decorative purpose.
-- C --
Cabinet: An electric sign not including the components and structure. A cabinet is made up of a face and back, or two faces, along with the edge.
Canopy sign: A sign which is suspended from or forms part of a canopy or marquee and which does not usually extend horizontally beyond the limits of such canopy or marquee.
Caps & Lower Case: Instructions in the typesetting process that indicate the use of a capital letter to start a sentence and the rest of the letters in lower case.
Caps & Small Caps: Two sizes of capital letters made in one size of type.
Casting: A method for mass-producing metal or plastic letters or individual metal signs. Depending on the material, a rubber or metal, sand or plaster mold of the item to be cast is prepared. The molten material is poured into the mold. It is removed and finished after cooling.
Changeable copy sign: A sign on which the copy can be changed, either manually through the use of attachable letters (usually plastic) or electronically using incandescent bulbs or light emitting diodes(LEDs).
Channel letter: The outline of a letter, with metal sidewalls into which a neon tube, fiberoptics or LED's are placed. A channel letter's sign prevents the neon from having a run together appearance. The depth of the channel letter may vary. Variations include: open channel letter, reverse channel letter, and front and back lit letters.
Chase: 1) The illusion of movement in neon tubes or incandescent bulbs created by turning the light sources on and off in sequence. Chasing is more closely related to animated signs than to flashing. It is achieved by using a "chaser", and electrical component which can be programmed to provide the on and off sequence.
Circuit breaker: Electrical switch that literally breaks the circuit if it begins to overload. It can prevent damage to signs and other electrically driven equipment by automatically disrupting the flow of current.
Clearance: The shortest distance between the lowest portion of a sign or awning and the grade. Also referred to as height above grade.
Coating: The process of applying a protective film to a sign. Coating includes such diverse activities as applying a layer of varnish over gold leaf to laminating clear vinyl over a digitally produced graphic.
Code: Typically refers to a municipality's sign code. It may be part of the government body's land-use planning regulations, or it may be a separate document designed to interact with other land use codes. As part of the police powers granted to local governments, a sign code normally seeks to promote the health, safety and welfare of the public. In some areas, codes may also regulate the morals and aesthetics of sign content and design.
Component: One of the parts or pieces that together make a complete system or design. Reference is often made to design components or electrical components of a sign.
Condensed Type: A narrow, elongated type face. A font in which the proportion of the letters, numbers and symbols has been altered by reducing their width.
Conduit: A pipe for carrying wiring or for protecting electrical cables.
Contrast: The degree of tonal separation or gradation in the range from black to white.
Copy: Most commonly, the words or message to be displayed on a sign.
Cove lighting: A type of indirect decorative illumination that is created by placing either neon, fiber optics, LED's or fluorescent tubes inside a light box to produce a halo effect. (also see halo)
Crop: To eliminate a portion of the art in order to simplify composition and/or information.
Cross Bar: A horizontal arm that is attached to a sign. It is used with guy wire to help stabilize building mounted signs.
Crossover: The connection between two portions of a neon tube that is not supposed to be seen in the finished sign. Typically, crossovers are coated with blockout paint, although they can also be wound with tape.
Cut-outs: Lettering or graphics that are cut from another material, then attached to the sign face to provide depth.
-- D --
Decal: Words, graphics or a combination of the two screen printed on the non-adhesive side of vinyl film, then cut to a specified shape.
Decals: are often created when a large number of identical pieces are required for a particular job or customer.
Delamination: The separation of layers in a laminated substrate. The main cause is adhesive failure.(see substrate)
Density: The quality of being close or compact. In sign making, it is a measurement used to express the hardness of foam boards, expressed in pounds-per-cubic-foot.
Descender: In a given typeface, the portions of the lowercase "g", "j", "p", "q", "y" and sometimes the Uppercase "J" that extend below the baseline.
Design: A synonym for layout. Also, the process involved in creating a sign.
Die-cut: Refers to a cut made with a steel rule die manufactured for the purpose of cutting out a particular shape or "job". It also refers to the object that has been cut.
Directional sign: Signage used to provide direction for the interior of buildings or street/site signage to privide directions to travelers.
Directory sign: An on-premise sign that identifies the names and locations of tenants in a multi-tenant building, or in a development made up of a group of buildings.
Double face: A sign with two parallel but opposing faces, a back to back sign, a sign with two sides.
Dry Mount: Pasting with heat sensitive adhesives.
Dummy: A term used to describe the preliminary assemblage of copy and art elements to be reproduced in the desired finished product; also called a comp.
-- E --
Edge: The part of the sign that encloses the back and face or faces. The frame, or the side of any substrate.
Electronic changeable copy sign: A sign that utilizes computer generated messages or some other electronic means of changing copy. These signs include displays using LED, LCD or a flipper matrix.
Electronic display: A general term referring to any type of electronic programmable display.
Elevation: A plan or drawing made from ground level showing the features of one side of a structure or sign.
Emboss: The process of producing raised letters, particularly those produced by engraving dies or plates. (Opposite = deboss)
Engrave cut: Routing method where the toolpath follows the letter perimeter dead center. (Used for scribing of back cutting lexan or plex)
Engraving: Method of marking metal, plastic or glass in shallow, negative relief utilizing a bit or engraver.
Expanded Type: Type with width greater than normal producing a rectangular effect.
Exploded view: Type of sketch where the components of the sign are shown separately or in groups, rather than as a whole. The segments are arranged to show their relationship to each other, a larger view of a detailed area of a sketch.
Exterior illumination: Illumination that is provided from a source separate from the sign itself, such as a spotlight. Indirectly illuminated.
-- F --
Fabricate: To manufacture a sign or major sign components from raw materials or parts.
Facade: The front, side or back of a buildings exterior.
Face: The decorated surface of a sign; the area on which the copy and art is placed.
Fasteners: Items that help hold a sign together, including nuts and bolts. Different types of fasteners are required depending on materials involved (i.e. wood vs. concrete)
Fiber optic display: A type of sign that transmits its message utilizing light directed through thread-like fibers of glass or plastic.
Filename extensions: In DOS and Windows based software, the three letters after the period (or dot) in a filename. With graphics files, the three letters denote a file type, such as the vector and bitmap based Encapsulated PostScript (EPS); the vector based Dynamic Exchange Format (DXF) and Hewlett-Packard Graphics Language or Gerber based files (PLT); and the bitmap based PhotoPaint (PCX) and Tagged Image File Format (TIFF or TIF).
Finish: The surface quality.
Flasher: A mechanical device designed to interrupt the electrical current in a sign at regular intervals, turning the light source on and off to create a flashing image.
Flat: 1) Refers to substrates, particularly metal and plastic sheets, as they are received from the supplier.
2) and undecorated substrate.
3) a finish that is duller than matte, and has little reflective quality.
Flexible Face material: Woven vinyl translucent cloth that is decorated and stretched across a frame to form awnings, billboards and other types of signage.
Flush face: Characters are painted or applied vinyl even with the face (no depth.)
Flush mount: Mounting signage flat against a wall.
Font: The characters which make up a complete typeface and letter style.
Footing: The projecting base of a sign pole or pylon, including the porting that is buried in the ground and holds the pole in place.
Formed: Refers to a plastic face or letter that has been heated and shaped to give it dimension or shape.
-- G --
Galvanized: Indicates steel that has been protected by a zinc coating.
The galvanized coating protects the underlying metal 15 to 30 years, but requires a special primer before painting.
Gauge: A method for measuring the thickness of sheet metal and aluminum.
Grade: The contour of the ground surface, whether in natural state or after development. The placement of signs is often measured as height above grade.
Grommet: A reinforced metal eyelet found in banners used to receive cords or other fasteners.
Ground sign: A free-standing sign that is mounted on poles or braces, without any secondary support.
-- H --
Halo: A ring of light. In sign making, the effect achieved by reverse channel letters, which appear to be ringed by light because the light source is reflecting on the background from which the letters are pegged out away from a flat surface.
Hanging sign: A double face sign which hangs from a bracket or support and projects from a wall, building or pole. Projecting sign.
Header: A separate board above the rest of a sign that gives it a headline or contains a different message.
Hinged side: The face on a double face sign that swings open for service.
Hinging: Vinyl installation process where a cut vinyl image, the carrier liner and the transfer tape are placed on the target surface; a piece of masking tape is then attached to the top edge of the transfer tape. The liner is then slowly rolled off from the top edge, and the transfer tape (& vinyl image) are slowly smoothed onto the surface. A variation on this is to leave an exposed strip of the transfer tape above the top edge of the liner to act as the hinge.
Housing: Made from porcelain or pyrex glass, a housing is mounted in the sign and provides the contact between the electrode and the lead-in wire and provides the proper insullation from conductive surfaces.
-- I --
Illuminated sign: A sign which is lighted either from an internal (electric) source or external floodlights.
Internally illuminated: A sign which is lighted through the use of internal electric fixtures, fiberoptics, LED's or flourescent lamps.
Italic: Text that is used to denote emphasis by slanting the type body forward.
-- J --
Job Number: A number assigned to a project used for record keeping and job tracking. Also used to retrieve old jobs for repair or reworking by customer.
JPEG: Bitmap file. Commonly used for saving photos. Normally not good enough to produce from.
-- K --
Kerning: The narrowing of space between two letters so that they become closer and take up less space. The process of moving pairs of letters further apart or closer together to make them appear more evenly spaced.
Keyline: Lines that are drawn on artwork that indicate the exact placement, shape and size of elements.
Kiosk: A small structure used for posting temporary signs and notices. May be portable or permanent.
-- L --
Layout: A rendition that shows the placement of all the elements, roughs, thumbnails etc., of the final piece for approval before it goes to completion.
LCD (liquid crystal display): A type of electronic changeable copy sign utilizing liquid crystals that become opaque or clear when exposed to a controlled voltage. They are sometimes used in time and temperature displays.
LED (light-emitting diode): A type of electronic changeable copy sign that utilizes hundreds of light-emitting diodes - electronic ship and colored lens assemblies - in single and tri-color matrixes. LEDs are physically flexible and inexpensive to operate when compared with other message centers.
Legibility: The quality of a sign's typefaces that allows it to be easily read and understood.
Letterspacing: The addition of space between typeset letters within a word.
Logo: An often stylized group of letters, words or symbols used to represent a business or product.
-- M --
Magnetic sheeting: Magnetized strip laminated to a flexible plastic sheet and sold in rolls. Works well for temporary vehicle signs.
Marquee: A projecting structure permanently attached to, but not a part of, the roof. Also, known as a canopy.
Masking: A process where tape, paper or other products are applied to an area to protect it from painting being done on adjacent areas.
Matrix: The number and amount of lighting units in a changeable message sign.
Monument sign: A mounted ground sign, sometimes affixed to a base or a pedestal. A freestanding sign that is a low rise with a base or pole cover.
-- N --
Name Plate: A sign identifying only the name, occupation or profession of the occupant of the premises on which the sign is located.
Negative: Film that contains the same images as the original print, except that all colors and shades are reversed. Reference, positive.
Neon: A tasteless, colorless, inert gas. When an electric current is discharged through it, neon produces a reddish-orange glow. Neon is also used synonymously with a type of luminous tube sign where a glass tube is bent to a desired shape, fitted with an electrode at each end, the atmosphere is pumped and burned out, and the resulting vacuum is filled with a rare gas, such as neon, helium, argon, mercury vapor or a combination of gases.
Network: Connection of computers with cables and software for constant, on demand communication.
Notched: Metal that has v-cuts in it so that it may be shaped to a form, such as a letter bay.
-- O --
Off premise sign: A sign which advertises or directs attention to a business at a location other than that on which the sign is located.
Opaque: Not clear or translucent. Not allowing light to show through.
Open Channel Letter: A channel letter which has no face and in which the neon tubing is visible.
Outline/Inline: A closed loop path that copies an original's shape, but is offset by a positive measurement outside the original (outline) or a negative measurement inside the original (inline).
-- P --
Pan (pan channel): Denotes a face for a letter/cabinet with side walls, a face and a flange.
Pattern: A full-size layout of the design used for installation of individual letters and shapes.
Permit: A license granted by the appropriate authorities to allow a sign to be erected.
Plexiglas: A trade name for a brand of acrylic sheeting, often used as a generic term for acrylic.
Plot plan: A drawing showing the layout looking down on the site on which a sign is to be erected. It commonly shows the sign's relationship to buildings, roads and property lines. Sometimes required to obtain a permit.
Pole sign: A free standing sign, usually double-faced, mounted on a round pole, square tube or other fabricated member without any type of secondary support.
Polycarbonate: A type of plastic used in sign faces, noted for its heat resistance and impact strength.
Positive: Film that contains an image with the same tonal values as the original; opposite of a negative.
Primary wiring: Electrical wiring that directly connects a transformer to the breaker box.
Projecting sign: A sign which is attached to a building, but extends beyond the building structure. A decorated awning is an example of a projecting sign. Also, "stick-out sign".
Prototype: A full-sized example to serve as a model from which other similar or identical signs will be produced. A trial model.
Push-through: A letter or graphic which is cut out, then pushed through a corresponding space that has been removed from the signs substrate. It is typically a different color and material from the rest of the sign.
Pylon: Any freestanding sign that is not a pole or a ground sign.
-- Q --
Quill: A brush used to hand letter signs.
-- R --
Raceway: A metal structure enclosing the electric components of a sign.
Register: The arrangement of two or more images in exact alignment with each other.
Retainer: The portion of the edge of a cabinet that holds the translucent face in a sign cabinet. The projecting rim around a face that holds it in place.
Reverse channel letter: Channel letters which have face and sides, but no back and are pegged out from a background surface. When the light source inside the letter is lit, it produces a halo effect around the letter.
Routing: Elimination of material in a substrate or cutting of shapes and letters.
-- S --
Scaling: The enlargement or reduction of an image or copy to fit a specific area.
Score: Impressions or cuts in flat material to facilitate bending or breaking.
Service: Generally limited to the standard maintenance and upkeep of a sign, it can, and usually does, includes repairs of ballasts, transformers, sockest and wiring.
Setback: The distance measured from the line of travel to the center of the sign.
Spacers: A device used to extend signs or letters from the background.
Substrate: The material of which the face is made (also known as the background).
Supports (stand-offs): Insulators that support a neon tube, as well as hold it away from the background surface and provide some impact resistance.
-- T --
Thermoforming: Taking a flat sheet of material and giving it dimension by heating and then forcing it into a mold either mechanically or pneumatically. Pan-forming.
Transformer: The mechanical or electrical component that transforms the voltage coming into the sign (the primary voltage) into a higher or lower voltage (the secondary voltage) necessary to run neon or LED's.
Translucent: The property of a material to allow the passage of some light through it without being transparent.
-- U --
No definitions are available.
-- V --
V-type sign: Two in the shape of the letter "V" or triangle when viewed from above with their faces oriented in different directions. Vee-Shaped
Vacuum forming: See Thermoforming.
Variance: A method where a governing body deviates from the terms of its sign or zoning code.
Vectorization: A Function of tracing around a bitmap image to create an outline comprised of line segments or vectors.
Vinyl: Polyvinylchloride (PVC) film that, in signmaking, is backed with an adhesive that will create a strong bond to a surface when pressure is applied.
-- W --
Wall sign: A sign painted on a wall, or a flat sign mounted to a wall or Fascia.
Wayfinding: The ability of a person to find his or her way to a given destination.
Weed: To pull extraneous sections of vinyl from a section of vinyl, leaving only the sections representing the final image on the backing sheet.
-- X --
No definitions are available.
-- Y --
No definitions are available.
-- Z --
No definitions are available.