Lightbox and Illuminated Signs

An illuminated sign earns its keep in the hours when everything else is dark. Winter on the coast means the sun is gone by five, and if your business is open past that, a lit sign is the difference between being found and being driven past.

We build, supply and install LED lightboxes across the Sunshine Coast, and we also do a lot of work replacing faces and retrofitting old fluorescent boxes with LED.

What we make

New lightboxes. Aluminium extruded or fabricated cases, powder coated or two pack sprayed to whatever colour you need, with an LED module array inside and an acrylic or flexface front.

Replacement sign faces. Very common job. The box on your building is fine but the business inside has changed hands, or the face has yellowed and cracked. We measure the existing case, make a new face, and swap it over. Usually far cheaper than a whole new sign.

Tensioned flexface. For larger boxes where a single acrylic sheet would be impractical or too heavy. A printed PVC face tensioned into the frame. Even light spread, no panel joins.

Intra cut aluminium faces. Aluminium face with the letters and logo routed out, backed with translucent acrylic. The letters glow, the background stays solid. Looks sharp and it is very durable.

Halo lit lettering. Fabricated letters mounted off the wall with LEDs behind them, throwing a glow onto the wall. Subtle and it photographs beautifully. More on the 3D letters page.

LED upgrades. If you have an old box running fluorescent tubes, converting it to LED cuts the running cost, gets rid of the flicker and the dead tube patches, and lasts a lot longer. We do these regularly.

Getting the colours right

The graphics on an illuminated face behave differently to a printed sign because the light comes through them rather than bouncing off. A colour that looks perfect on a flat panel can wash out completely once it is backlit.

We work with translucent cast films from 3M, Avery, Arlon and Orafol, and we will colour match to your PMS or brand colours. Where an off the shelf translucent film does not exist in your colour, we digitally print the graphic onto translucent stock so it still reads correctly when lit.

Power and electrical

LED illuminated signage needs a power supply and a connection, and in Queensland that connection needs to be done by a licensed electrician. We coordinate that as part of the install, or work in with your electrician if you have one on site already. We will also fit a photocell or timer so the sign turns itself on at dusk and off when you want it off, rather than burning power all night.

Frequently asked questions

Can you replace just the face of my existing lightbox?

Almost always, yes. Send us a photo of the sign and a rough width and height and we will tell you what is involved. It is one of the most cost effective signage jobs there is, because the expensive part, the case and the wiring, is already there.

How long do LED signs last?

The LED modules we use are generally rated in the range of fifty thousand hours, which for a sign running from dusk to late is many years of service. The failure point is usually a power supply rather than the LEDs themselves, and those are a straightforward swap. See sign maintenance.

Are illuminated signs expensive to run?

Not anymore. A modern LED lightbox draws a fraction of what the old fluorescent boxes did. Most small shopfront boxes cost a few dollars a month to run.

Do I need council approval for an illuminated sign?

Often, yes. Sunshine Coast Council treats illuminated signage differently to non illuminated, particularly near residential zones and roads. We will let you know before you order.