Signage Products

Materials for Public Open Spaces

Our recommended material is Encapsulated Glass Reinforced Plastic (GRP). This is a full colour printing process with the images sealed into the GRP for durability, ease of cleaning and colour fastness. 

We undertake all printing in-house which gives us complete control over the process and print quality. Our state of the art Mimaki printer offers exceptional quality with clear text and bright vibrant colours. You will receive a paper proof for approval and can speak direct to our print and design team should anything need tweaking – you remain I control and will only sign off the proof when you are happy.

Proof of our durability is given by the use of Encapsulated GRP signs as gauge boards in rivers, reservoirs, docks and harbours. Continually submerged and in the most challenging environments this is a testament to the durability of GRP.

Colour Fastness. We are so confident of our colour fastness that the GRP option has a 10 year warranty against fading. This is based on experience on the ground – not artificial lab testing! This Castle Pulverbach sign was out for 11 years – with no fading.

Cleaning. A regular clean will help prolong the life of your signs and set off the display to best advantage. General dirt and grime can be cleaned off with a gentle detergent and a cloth or plastic kitchen scourer. Interpretation panels create better engagement with their audience if they are kept clean and tidy.

Graffiti can be easily cleaned off the surface of GRP. We supply ‘Antivan’ which is an aerosol product and veryeffective at cleaning graffiti and spray paint.

Envirnonmental Issues. This is a complex area but we print with minimum wastage, cure inks with cold UV lights, use no solvents and emit almost zero VOC’s in the printing process. All materials are produced to the highest environmental standards.

Recycling. At the end of their life please return old GRP signs to us. We can recycle by either a) stripping them down, reprinting and re-encapsulating or b) by using them as backers in new commissions.

Framing. We offer a wide range of framing options with choices of oak, pressure treated softwood, aluminium, steel and recycled plastic. Please follow this link for more information.

Acrylic, Polycarbonate & PETG. These 3 materials are all clear sheets which we print on the reverse and apply a white backer. They offer good colour fastness but the graphics are less durable than our recommended GRP. The surface of all 3 options can be fairly easy to damage and all 3 options offer less flexibility in fixing structures. Of the 3 materials we prefer to work with PETG and produce external grade interpretation panels frequently with this material.

Dibond is an aluminium composite material that is used extensively for both internal and external signs. At Shelley Signs we offer Dibond as an economy option – it does not offer anything like the same durability as Encapsulated GRP, but, if over-laminated can be a useful option.

Foamex is an indoor material and not suitable for external use. If you are looking for short term displays Foamex can make a good option.

PVC is often our recommended material for long term museum and internal displays. PVC are available in a range of thicknesses – the choice will depend on the size of the finished panels. Fixings, including concealed split battens can be fitted to the reverse. Our PVC signs offer great print quality and if over-laminated are easy to clean and highly durable.

Banners  At the economy end of the range printed PVC banners offer a low cost solution for

Timber Signs. Our range of timber signs offers a high level of individuality as we work in a variety of timber and can etch, sandblast, rout and hand paint. Timber signs provide an interesting way to add features of interest to an interpretation panels project as well as being attractive for general signage.

Routed Timber signs result in the text being indented into the surface of the sign to produce clear, legible graphics.  Routed timber is often used for park and nature reserve directional signs, as well as for entrance signs and finger posts. These signs can match interpretation panels and frames to provide a consistent signage style across the area.

Sandblasted Timber signs produce a unique and highly distinctive finish. The sandblast process reveals the grain of the timber to create an interesting and tactile appearance. This is a manual process and each sign will look slightly different.

Sandblasting provides great design flexibility and a wonderful way to create individual interpretation panels and display signs. It produces tactile text and images, detailed but tactile maps and illustrations – a great way to meet DDA requirements. Our normal approach is to paint text and map details but leave illustrations unpainted as silhouettes. Braille plaques can also be incorporated.

Hand Painted Signs continue traditional skills and creates attractive signs with either painted or gold leaf graphics. Suitable timber will be carefully prepared before painting by hand.

Combination Signs. Combining our full colour printing processes with sandblasted and routed timber can create unique signs that are attractive to look at and provide great design flexibility with varying levels of detail and interest. They can be a great solution for natural history interpretation.

Recycled Plastic offers an interesting solution for both sign frames and for routed text signs. Recycled plastic is a popular option for finger posts and routed plank signs. The text is indented and painted to suit. Recycled plastic is available in either black or brown.