Material choices for channel letters are rather simple, but there’s also a lot more flexibility now, which makes adding channel letters to your product mix that much easier. There has been no better time in the history of the sign industry than now to offer channel letters as part of your product mix.
为发光字选择合适的材料是一件非常容易的事情，但是随着如今材料选择变得更加灵活，这使得为你的产品组合添加发光字变得更加方便。在标识行业的发展历程中，现在就是为你的产品组合添加标识发光字的最佳时机。
Whether you do it in-house with the help of automation from companies like Computerized Cutters, or if you employ a channel letter wholesale company like Sign America, Superior Wholesale Signage or a myriad of other qualified manufacturers, there’s a big market and it’s easier than it ever was before to do it. Plus, improvements in materials, printing and lighting provide more flexibility, creativity and value.
无论你是像Computerized Cutters公司一样在公司内部的自动化设备帮助下进行工作，还是交由Sign America、Superior Wholesale Signage或是其他许多发光字批发公司进行发光字的制作，这都是一个非常大的市场，而且也很容易做到。此外，在材料、打印技术和照明方面的改进也提供了更大的灵活性、创造力和价值。

Gauging Thickness
侧边材料的规格测定
Choosing channel letter materials is quite simple mainly because there’s no real need to deviate from industry standards. The industry standard for the backs (or the faces, in the case of reverse channel letters) and returns is aluminum, either mill finished or pre-painted. The difference is found in the thickness of the aluminum.
在行业标准的范围内，为发光字选择合适的材料是一件非常简单的事情。行业标准要求发光字的背面（或侧面以及发光通道）所用材料是铝材、光面材料或喷漆材料。不同之处在于铝材的厚度。
Other finishes include anodized, brushed anodized and mirrored. However, these are rarely used, and typically only used when an architect specifies these finishes. 
其他的表面处理步骤包括阳极氧化、磨砂阳极氧化和镜面处理。但是，这些技术很少使用，通常仅在建筑师有专门要求时，才会使用这些技术来处理。

“The cost goes up significantly when you use anodized or mirror finishes, and it’s usually specified for an interior project,” says Carl Ondracek of Computerized Cutters, Plano, Texas.
德克萨斯州普莱诺的Computerized Cutters公司的Carl Ondracek说：“当你使用阳极氧化或镜面抛光来处理发光字的外壳材料时，成本会大幅上升，而且它通常用于室内工程。”
In other words, there’s usually no need to consider special finishes since the point of the channel letter is to highlight the lighting. As you likely already know, LEDs have changed the market significantly over the past few years.
换句话说，对于发光字而言，重要的不是考虑精致的外壳，而是重点突出照明功能。毕竟LED在过去几年中已经对市场有了一个显著的改变。
For example, Ondracek says the depth of letter has decreased over the years since less depth is needed in the channels to house LEDs.
例如，Ondracek表示，之所以近年来发光字的深度不断缩小，是因为LED在发光字中所需的深度空间不断减少。
“Back in the day when we first came out with the Accu-Bend machines you could go up to 10 inches on the depth of the return, but you rarely see anyone go over six inches deep,” says Ondracek.
Ondracek说：“回到我们第一次推出Accu-Bend设备的那一天，发光字的发光通道高达到10英寸，但你也很少会看到其他人制作低于6英寸深的发光通道。”
This hasn’t changed what materials are used, but every little reduction in materials helps bring down the cost. Moreover, wholesale channel letter sign companies are there to provide direction on ways to make the most economical yet high-quality sign possible.
这并未改变使用的材料，但每次材料的逐渐减少都有助于降低成本。此外，发光字标识批发公司也会提供一些解决方案来保证成本实惠、质量优越的标识制作成为可能。

“Sometimes the specifications are overkill, so we’ll recommend that we go to a lighter material to save on price. Sometimes they’re just the opposite where someone specifies a channel letter that’s too light and we’ll have that discussion about increasing the aluminum or plastic gauge,” says Russ Florio of Superior Wholesale Signage, Daytona Beach, Fla. “If someone calls and asks for a standard channel letter, we’ll go with our standard gauges and materials. That’s our starting point. Based on the size and the elements of where the sign is going, then we make adjustments as we need to.”
佛罗里达州代托纳比奇的Superior Wholesale Signage公司的Russ Florio说：“当发光字的规格过大时，我们建议选择更轻的材料以达到节省成本的目的；有时则相反，当需求的发光字过轻时，我们将在讨论后相对地增加铝材或是塑料的重量；当需求的发光字规格正好符合标准时，我们将使用标准规定的材料规格对发光字进行制作。这是我们的出发点，我们会根据具体情况下发光字的大小和搭配元素来根据需要进行调整。”
Florio adds that Superior Wholesale Signage typically uses .040 pre-finished aluminum for the backs and returns, and 1/8" or 3/16" acrylic for the letter faces. For reverse channel letters, it’s typically .090 aluminum for the faces and .063 for the returns, which are then welded together, with 1/8" Lexan on the back.
Florio补充说，Superior Wholesale Signage公司通常使用0.04英寸的未加工铝材作为发光字背面和发光通道的制作材料，并使用1/8英寸或3/16英寸的亚克力材料用于发光字正面的制作。对于背光发光字，其正面通常采用0.09英寸的铝材，发光通道则使用0.063英寸的铝材，背面材料选择1/8英寸的聚碳酸酯材料，然后将它们焊接在一起。
“Customers should consider using polycarbonate material for faces 60 inches or larger. Also, aluminum retainer should be used to secure the faces to the channel letters in this case. When using aluminum retainers on larger letters, you can also screw the polycarbonate material to the flange on the channel letters and put the retainers over the screws. We also recommend the use of polycarbonate on larger letters because it’s more resistant to cracking than acrylic,” says Homer Hilty, owner of Sign America Inc., Richmond, Ohio. “If you use trim cap then you must use a glue method that ensures a strong bond from trim cap to face material. 
俄亥俄州里士满Sign America公司的所有者Homer Hilty说：“客户应考虑将聚碳酸酯材料用于60英寸或更大的正面外壳的制作。此外，在这种情况下，应使用铝制固定器将正面外壳固定到发光字上。在大型的发光字上使用铝制固定器时，你也可以将聚碳酸酯材料拧到发光字的边缘上，并将固定器安装在螺钉上。我们还建议在制作大型的发光字时使用聚碳酸酯材料，因为它比亚克力材料更耐开裂。如果你需要使用装饰帽，那么你必须使用胶水以确保从装饰帽和正面材料能够牢固的粘合。”
Be very careful when gluing trim cap to polycarbonate material so that the glue you use is making a strong and secure bond.” Again, these are fairly standard gauges and material types throughout the sign industry based on years of experience. As noted earlier, the only thing LEDs have really changed is the depth of the letters, though some adjustments have been made to channel letter face materials.
“小心地将装饰帽粘合到聚碳酸酯材料上，让你使用的胶水形成一个非常牢固的粘合。”这些都是根据多年的经验所总结的标识行业中标准的规格和材料类型。如前所述，尽管发光字的表面材料进行了一些调整，但LED真正改变的是发光字的深度。
However, you don’t want to go too shallow with the letter depth since that can cause lighting issues, according to Bob Hilty, VP of operations for Sign America Inc. “With the advent of LEDs, customers want to reduce the depth of cabinets and channel letters to depths that would be difficult to light evenly with neon or fluorescent lamps. When putting LEDs in shallow cabinets or channel letters you should carefully consider the brand and type of LEDs you are going to use, so that you can achieve an evenly lit face without shadows or hot spots. It also should be noted that LED companies are constantly working to develop different LEDs that are designed for shallower depth channel letters and cabinets,” explains Hilty.
然而，Sign America公司运营副总裁Bob Hilty表示：“任何人都不希望因为发光字的深浅问题而导致相应的光照问题。随着LED的出现，客户希望降低灯箱深度，而灯箱深度降低后，霓虹灯和荧光灯都难以照射均匀。当你准备将LED安装进浅层灯箱和发光字中时，应该仔细考虑所使用的LED的品牌和类型，以获得均匀的照明外观，而不产生阴影或是光斑。还需要指出的是，LED公司正在不断努力开发不同的LED产品，专为浅层发光字和灯箱而设计。”

Lighting the Face
正面照明
Acrylic is typically used for the letter faces and comes in a variety of colors. Some colors are better than others at transmitting LED light from behind the acrylic, and there are variations of white as well.
亚克力材料通常用于发光字的正面外壳制作，颜色多样。在普遍白色外壳的衬托下，亚克力材料可以为照射光线的颜色提供更好的传输效果。
“When a customer is choosing what color faces to use, they have a few things to consider,” explains Hilty. “They should consider material type, either acrylic or polycarbonate. There are more colors available in acrylic than there are in polycarbonate. Customers can also use vinyl to achieve a color that is not available in acrylic or polycarbonate material. When white faces are used, 7328 White is commonly used. A good replacement for 7328 White is 2447 White; it is more translucent and will be a brighter white when lighted.”
Hilty解释说：“当客户为发光字正面选择合适的材料颜色时，他们需要思考一件事情，那就是材料的类型，是选择亚克力材料还是选择聚碳酸酯材料。亚克力材料的颜色选择范围比聚碳酸酯材料更广。客户有时还可以使用乙烯基材料来获得亚克力材料和聚碳酸酯材料均不具备的颜色。当外壳材料呈现白色时，7328白色通常是最普遍的选择，而2447白色也是7328白色一个很好的替代色，它更透亮，当发光字被点亮时，所发出的光源更明亮。”
“When using vinyl to achieve a certain color we recommend using 2447 White,” Hilty continues. “If you are going to apply a digital print to a face then the type of material you are printing on may determine the color of acrylic we would recommend. When printing on a clear material you should apply the print to 7328 White. If you are printing on white material you should apply print to 2447 White.”
Hilty继续说道：“当使用乙烯基来制作发光字的外壳时，我们通常建议使用2447白色。如果你要对发光字的正面外壳进行图形打印处理时，那么你打印的材料类型可能会决定我们推荐的亚克力材料的颜色。当你在透明材料上打印时，应将打印图形应用于7328白色亚克力材料上。如果在白色材料上打印时，应将打印图形应用于2447白色亚克力材料上。”

What do you do when a customer wants the face to be one color during the day and another color at night? 
若客户希望发光字在白天和夜晚所呈现的颜色不同时，你会怎么做？
“This can be achieved in a few different ways,” says Hilty. “One way is to put colored LEDs behind white faces to achieve white during the day, and depending on the LED color, that color at night. If you use perforated vinyl on faces there are many day/night color combinations you can achieve. We recommend the use of the perforated vinyl for the ability to get many combinations and the best lighting results for day/night applications.”
Hilty说：“以下有多种方法可以实现客户需求，一种方法是将彩色LED安装在白色外壳之下，发光字在白天呈现白色，在夜间则呈现LED的光源颜色。如果你使用穿孔乙烯基材料制作发光字的外壳，则可以实现多种日/夜颜色组合。因此我们建议使用穿孔乙烯基材料，以获得多种颜色组合，并为发光字的日/夜应用提供优质的照明效果。”
Applying a digital print to the face adds another wrinkle, albeit a very small one. It’s a good idea to test how a digital print lights on the face before going into production. You may find it requires a different white, a diffuser, or even a clear acrylic, depending on the print material being applied to the face.
将数字印花应用于正面外壳容易产生褶皱，尽管有的褶皱很小。在投入生产之前应将数字印花图形覆盖在发光字的外壳上以测试光源亮度。根据应用在外壳上的打印材料，亚克力在白色、漫反射和透明程度上都有相应的选择空间。
Moreover, especially with LEDs, it’s important to match the color of the face with the type of lighting being used.
此外，特别是对于LED光源，将正面外壳颜色与所使用的照明类型相匹配非常重要。
Superior Wholesale Signage’s Florio explains: “We don’t have a problem with the faces being too translucent for the LEDs. It has more to do with the colors you use, so we buy those that are friendly to LED illumination. We use 2447 White or 7328 White. The 2447 is also known as ‘milk white;’ it resembles the old milk glass they used to put on theater marquees. 7328 is also known as ‘sign white,’ and is the standard you see on a lot of cabinet signs. For reds we usually use a 2793 Red, then you get into your blues and greens and there are a number of different shades that are friendly for LED lighting.”
Superior Wholesale Signage公司的Florio解释说：“对于LED光源来说，当发光字的外壳是透明时是非常有利的。这种发光字更多的是与内部的使用颜色相关，因此我们应该购买适合LED光源照明的颜色。通常情况下我们会在2447白色和7328白色中进行选择。2447被称为‘乳白色’，它类似于以前用于剧院看板的乳白色玻璃。 7328也被称为‘白色标识’，你可以在很多灯箱标识上看到这样的标准白色。对于红色，我们通常使用2793红色，随后再对你的蓝色和绿色进行调试，这样你就会拥有许多不同的色调，而这些颜色都非常适用于LED的照明。”
You can try different variations of acrylic colors, digital printing and sign vinyls to get different effects. For instance, says Computerized Cutters’ Ondracek, you can mix and match translucent and opaque vinyls for a different look at night where only the translucent vinyl lights up.
你可以尝试应用不同颜色的亚克力材料、数字印刷图形和乙烯基材料，以获得不同的效果。例如，Computerized Cutter公司的Ondracek说：“你可以将透明和不透明的乙烯基材料进行混合搭配，那么在夜晚时，透明乙烯基材料部分的光源就会投射出来，展现出不同的照明效果。”
Though material choices haven’t changed all that much over the years, now there’s far more flexibility for color and lighting creativity with channel letters.
虽然材料选择多年来没有发生太大变化，但现在随着发光字技术的发展，可以更灵活地实现色彩和灯光的创意。