Front-Lit Channel Letters: The Brightest Way to Put Your Name on the Street
When the goal is simple (be seen and be read, from as far away as possible) front-lit channel letters are the answer. The whole face of every letter glows, so your name stays legible from across the parking lot and down the block.
Standard front-lit letters start from CAD $12 per inch of letter height, per letter, plus GST.
- Free site visit & measurement
- Design included
- 2-year warranty
- Own workshop in Calgary
What Front-Lit Letters Are and How They Look
Each letter is a shallow box: sides (returns) made of aluminum or outdoor-rated plastic, LED modules inside, and a translucent acrylic face on the front. When the sign is on, light passes through the face, so the letter itself becomes the light source.
In daylight you see crisp dimensional letters in your brand colours. After dark the faces glow evenly while the returns stay dark, which gives each letter a sharp outline. That contrast is exactly what makes front-lit signs so easy to read.
Why Business Owners Pick Front-Lit
Maximum readability
The light comes straight toward the viewer, so the letters read clearly from long distances and at an angle.
True brand colours
Coloured acrylic or translucent film on the face lets your logo colours show day and night.
Works on any wall colour
Because the face carries the light, the wall behind does not matter: dark brick or light stucco both work.
Visible in bad weather
Snow, drizzle and long winter evenings are when a bright, direct light earns its keep.
The best value per inch
The standard configuration starts from CAD $12 per inch of letter height, per letter, plus GST; installation and extra options are quoted separately.
When Front-Lit Is the Right Choice, and When It Is Not
Front-lit letters are the default for good reason. They are the right pick when:
- Your sign faces a busy road and needs to be read from a car
- You share a plaza with brightly lit neighbours and must stand out
- Your brand colours are important and should show at night
- You open early or close late in winter, when it is dark
If you want a softer effect where the wall glows behind the letters, look at halo-lit letters. If you want both brightness and a halo, see front & halo-lit. The full comparison is in the guide front-lit vs halo-lit.
How Front-Lit Letters Are Built
3 mm milky acrylic faces
Milky acrylic diffuses the LED light into a smooth, even glow across the whole letter, without visible dots of light.
Colour options
When your exact colour exists in coloured acrylic, we use it. When it does not, white milky acrylic is finished with specialized translucent film, which opens up a much wider range of brand colours.
LED modules sized to the letter
LED modules rated for up to 50,000 hours are placed to suit the size and stroke width of each letter, so thin strokes and wide bowls glow the same.
Bodies for Alberta weather
Returns are aluminum or specialized high-strength outdoor plastic, chosen for the letter size and location. See what channel letters are made of for how the material affects the result.
Front-Lit Letter Pricing
Standard front-lit channel letters start from CAD $12 per inch of letter height, per letter, plus GST. The standard configuration has a black body and a white 3 mm milky acrylic face. Coloured faces, special shapes and mounting options are calculated for your project.
Installation is priced separately depending on height, wall and mounting (guide: about CAD $100 per hour plus GST).
- Number of letters
- Height of the letters
- Face colours
- Mounting: direct, backer panel or raceway
For a quick estimate use the channel letter calculator, or read how much channel letters cost in Calgary.
See your front-lit letters on your own building
We will measure the wall for free and send a design of the letters on a photo of your storefront.
From Order to Installation
After a free site visit you receive a design concept and a written quote. Production takes about two weeks on average once the details are confirmed and the 50% deposit is received. We handle all the sign permit paperwork: we prepare the drawings, specifications and documents and submit the application on your behalf. If you prefer to apply yourself, you get the complete package from us, ready to submit.
We build and test the letters in our Calgary workshop, install them ourselves, and cover them with a 2-year warranty on the LED lighting, power supply, sign structure, materials and installation.
Front-Lit Letter Questions
They are the brightest channel letter style because the light shines directly through the face toward the viewer. The glow is diffused by milky acrylic, so it is bright without harsh hot spots.
Yes, with coloured acrylic when the shade exists, or white milky acrylic with translucent film for a wider range of colours.
It is the starting price for standard front-lit letters with a black body and a white 3 mm milky acrylic face. Other colours, options and installation are calculated individually.
Yes. In daylight they read as clean dimensional letters in your face colour; the glow is a bonus after dark.
Yes, for example the letters and logo for a barbershop.
The LED modules are rated for up to 50,000 hours, and the sign is covered by a 2-year warranty. The letters themselves can serve 10 years and more: when the modules wear out, they are replaced and the sign stays on the wall.