Acrylic Sign Glossary

Welcome to the acrylic sign glossary!

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Our sign glossary is easy to use! Just click on a letter to find a definition, or scan the page for information on acrylic signs, materials, and processes. Click on your browser's back button to return to the top of the acrylic sign glossary page and choose another letter.

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A

ABS (Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene): a subdivision of thermoplastic made from three monomers, butadiene, acrylonitrile, and styrene, producing a plastic that is strong, long-wearing, and stain and chemical resistant.

ACRYLIC: a hard thermoplastic made from acrylic acid or acrylic acid derivatives. Best known as a glass substitute under trade names such as Lucite and Plexiglas.

ACRYLIC BUSINESS SIGNS: acrylic signs made especially for use in office environments, buildings, and other public places of business. See our acrylic business signs page for a list of business signs.

ACRYLIC RESINS: a class of thermoplastic resins produced by polymerization of acrylic acid derivatives and raw natural resources like natural gas and petroleum.

Hint: For more specific information about ADA signs listed in the acrylic sign glossary, visit our ADA Indoor Restroom Signs section!

ADA SIGN: all signage in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act codes, including specific colors, display options, and raised text and Braille writing.

B

BOND: to attach by means of adhesive. All Slenderline sign products involve bonding to create multi-layered boards allowing for inserts.

BROCHURE HOLDER: a sign displaying a brochure, pamphlet, menu, or other periodical for distribution.

BUDGET SIGNS: inexpensive signs bought in single or bulk, for use businesses or homes to send simple and direct messages.

Hint: Click the acrylic sign glossary link below for information about Slenderline Building Directories, and learn how to find the right directory for your office!

BUILDING DIRECTORY: a sign displaying a list of office numbers, names, and other information to aid in locating destinations within that building.

BUSINESS SIGNS: any signs designed to communicate with an emphasis on business-related language. Most of the signs featured on the Acrylic Sign World website are designed for a variety of functions suitable to office buildings and small businesses alike.

C

CHANGEABLE SIGNS: signs with clear windows, slots, or other areas made for separate parts to be placed and removed. Text is placed on these removable parts so the message can be changed without removing or reinstalling the sign.

COMPOUND: a combination of ingredients before being processed or made into a finished product.

COPOLYMER: two or more chemically different monomers combined with each other through the process of inter-polymerization, uniting their properties.

Hint: Remember to click the links on the left of this page for more sign information. The acrylic sign glossary is here to help!

D

DEGRADATION: the degenerative change in the physical properties of a plastic due to wear, time, weather, or other potentially destructive conditions.

DENSITY: weight per unit volume of a given substance.

E

ELASTIC LIMIT: the amount of a load which warps a plastic beyond it's ability to return to it's original form after the load is removed.

ELASTICITY: that property of plastics materials by virtue of which they tend to recover their original size and shape after deformation.

ENGRAVED SIGNS: signs made by cutting grooves into the surface of acrylic sheet. The surface of the sheet is panted and the groove allows the color of the plastic to show through forming letters.

EXTRUSION : the process of molding plastics into sheets, rods, or other shapes by forcing the polymers through a die forming it into the desired shape.

F

FILLER : an inert powder or fiber material added to a plastic to modify strength, durability, working properties, or other qualities.

FUSE: use of heat or solvents to join two plastic parts. The process softens or liquefies the material, and produces a stronger connection than adhesive bonding.

G

H

I

INJECTION MOLDING: method of forming plastic to the desired shape by forcing heat-softened plastic into a relatively cool cavity where it rapidly solidifies. Most mass-produced plastic products are made using injection molding.

J

K

L

LAMINATE: to build up to a desired thickness by bonding layers of material using pressure and heat. Any material formed by this process is known as a laminate.

LASER CUTTERS: a machine utilizing a laser beam to cut through a variety of materials. The acrylic signs featured on this website were made using laser cutters. Small, affordable laser cutters covered on this site also cut acrylic materials with incredible results.

Hint: Looking for vinyl lettering in the acrylic sign glossary? Our Vinyl Lettering Guide has tons of advice for lettering signs.

LITERATURE DISPLAY: any device used to display important information to the public or personnel of an organization. Building directories and other Slenderline acrylic frames are literature displays.

LITERATURE HOLDER: any device used to contain and display text or symbols as a method of communication. Many of the products reviewed on this website are literature holders.

M

MONOMER : a simple compound with a low molecular weight. Monomers are combined to form polymers, producing a higher molecular weight material. See polymerization.

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O

Hint: Check out our Site Map page for a convenient list of the signs and materials found in this acrylic sign glossary.

P

PETG: (polyethylene terephthalate glyco) polyester chemically modified to produce a copolyester with greater strength and UV-resistance.

PHENOLIC (phenol - formaldehyde) a filler- reinforced polymer with superior weatherability and UV-resistance. Often used to make ADA signs mounted outdoors.

PLASTIC: polymers developed from oil refining and coal distillation by-products. Plastic is stable and retain its shape until altered using chemicals or heat and pressure.

PLASTICIZER : a filler used to produce a more flexible property in a polymer.

POLYCARBONATE: a hard thermoplastic highly resistant to softening and impact. Polycarbonate is used to make anything from bulletproof glass to directory inserts.

POLYMER : a compound formed by chemically merging two or more monomers of the same type.

POLYMERIZATION : the chemical process of linking monomers to form new compounds called polymers. Styrene polymerized into polystyrene is an example of this process.

POLYSTYRENE: a plastic produced using a resin made by the polymerization of styrene as the only monomer.

PVC: (polyvinyl chloride) a tough thermoplastic resistant to water, acids and abrasions.

Q

R

REINFORCED PLASTIC: a plastic processed with more durable fillers to increase its strength.

RESIN: a shapeless polymeric substance which can be combined to form plastics with various properties. This substance is used to make most of the signs listed in the acrylic sign glossary.

S

Hint: Many of the signs listed in the acrylic sign glossary are Slenderline Changeable Signs. Click the link to read more about how they can save you time and money!

SLENDERLINE CHANGEABLE SIGNS: the brand name for low-profile signs produced by hand in our sign shop for a variety of business uses.

T

THERMOFORMING : the shaping of heat softened thermoplastic sheet through heat and/or vacuum.

THERMOPLASTIC: widely used materials, such as acrylic, ABS, polycarbonate and PVC, which can be softened and melted repeatedly, and hardens when cooled.

THERMOSET: a plastic resin cured by heat causing a chemical reaction rendering the substance unable to be softened again using heat. Silicone, epoxy, and urethane are examples of thermoset plastics.

THERMOSETTING: a method of thermoforming in which plastics can be melted only once, and hardens as further heat is applied.

U

V

VINYL LETTERING: letters created by cutting a thin sheet of adhesive-backed vinyl.

Hint: The acrylic sign glossary entry below for Vinyl Wall Graphics contains a link to dozens of uses for wall graphics.

VINYL WALL GRAPHICS: graphics created with cut thin sheets of adhesive-backed vinyl. These graphics can be very large and cover lots of wall space for easy viewing.

VULCANIZATION : the process which makes rubber molds flexible and elastic.

W

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Z

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