Self-Adhesive Lettering:
Practical Sign Making

Basic Lettering Can Be Better

A successful sign gets it's message out, it's just that simple. Sometimes a sign just needs to be clear and easy to read to do its job. A sign that is made neatly, with good contrast of colors and effective text layout can be all you need to send out that message.

If you have signs that don't necessarily require custom vinyl text, self-adhesive lettering is a very practical option. Sheets of vinyl with full sets of all the letters in the alphabet and numbers can be handy.

Getting The Most Out Of Self Adhesive Lettering

Most brands of vinyl lettering sheet packets come in a font known as Helvetica. This is a sans serif font that creates bold block lettering which is easy to read even from a distance. It's not supposed to be fancy, its strength is creating signs that can be read quickly.

The vinyl sheets have an adhesive backing, and you can see that the text has been cut right into the sheet because all of the vinyl is still intact. The term for removing this surrounding vinyl is "weeding", removing what is not needed from what is needed. This frees up the letters for easier removal.

The adhesive is low tack so the letters can be moved and placed as needed. Use an X-acto blade and be careful not to slice into the letters or scratch the surface the letters are going to be applied to. You can also use just about any thin piece of plastic to avoid unwanted cuts.

Be sure to measure the area of the sign and mark with horizontal lines for the text. It helps to write out your text on paper beforehand to determine the placement of words and spaces on your layout. A little planning can go a long way.

Standard self adhesive lettering sheets are most often available in black, though white and red are common also. This is usually sufficient for any basic sign making. Using two of these colors together can create desirable effects, like black and red or white and red with the red acting as a kind of bold or underline to emphasize certain words. This is just one more way to get more value for your sign production dollar.

If you're looking for great bargains on self-adhesive lettering packets, visit the Vinyl Letters page in our Sign Store.

I have set up a selection from some of the top stationary companies to you can comparison shop right there on one page and get the best price. The store system updates automatically, so even when prices change you will still find the latest price information on all similar lettering sets side by side to find the most affordable self-adhesive lettering for your sign needs.

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