If our modern world were to receive time travelling visitors from the Victorian age, they would be sure to notice many startling differences in day to day life. While they may quickly come to terms with our choices of clothing styles and modes of transportation, and would no doubt wonder at our technological achievements such as computers and mains electricity, it is likely that modern developments in the related fields of materials technology and mass production methods would be responsible for the most fundamental changes they would observe.
Up until a couple of hundred years ago, most products were painstakingly manufactured by hand from raw materials. From the garments in the tailor’s shop window to the hand painted sign above his door, most items were made by skilled artisans working with basic hand tools. The letters on every billboard and sign had to be carefully painted with brushes and ladders.
But with the advent of production line techniques, new substances could be formed into useful products quickly, cheaply and consistently. Many of these new materials were types of plastic, which were easy to shape, would not rot, and were resistant to the effects of moisture and temperature changes.
One of the types of plastic most commonly encountered since its invention in the early 20th century is acrylic. When you walk down the high street of any modern city or town, the letters which make up the signs above many of the shops will be made from acrylic. Acrylic has many favourable properties which make it well suited for use as advertising letters and signs:
- Acrylic letters are lightweight, which means that large signs can be installed without damaging the doorways or facade of a building.
- Acrylic letters are strong. While acrylic can be susceptible to heavy blows and scratches, it does not readily deform under the kind of light loads which are typically borne by advertising signs.
- Acrylic letters are highly workable. As a type of plastic, acrylic letters, logos, and images can be manufactured in any size and shape.
- Acrylic letters are UV resistant, and do not degrade in sunlight. It would not do for the shiny new sign above your shop doorway to fade or melt on the first sunny day of the year!
- Acrylic letters can be visually striking. The purpose of a shop sign is to attract the attention of potential customers. Acrylic is a naturally transparent material which takes vibrant colours and finishes easily. When finely polished it offers a smooth, slick-looking surface which will reflect well on your business.
- Acrylic letters are cheap when compared to many other types of plastics and other materials. For the price of an artist with his paintbrush and ladder, you could have a bright, bold, custom-made shop front sign which will stand the test of time.
3D Acrylics & Metals of Gateshead manufacture bespoke letters and signs in acrylic and range of other materials. Contact us to find out more.
