Light Box Face Replacement: A New-Looking Sign Without a New Cabinet
A yellowed, cracked or faded face makes a whole storefront look tired, even when the cabinet behind it is perfectly fine. Replacing just the face gives you a sign that looks new for a fraction of the cost of starting over.
We fit a new acrylic face with fresh UV-printed graphics into your existing light box (cabinet sign). Removal and reinstallation are included in the price. If the lighting inside is tired too, we can replace it at the same time.
- Free site visit & measurement
- Design included
- 2-year warranty
- Own workshop in Calgary
What a Face Replacement Involves
The face is the translucent front panel of a light box. Over the years sunlight, cold and impacts take their toll: acrylic can yellow, crack or lose its colour, and graphics fade. The cabinet, frame and lighting often outlast the face by a long way.
In a face replacement we measure the existing cabinet, make a new acrylic face to fit, UV-print your graphics, then remove the old face and install the new one. The graphics are always made new together with the face. You keep the structure you already paid for, and the sign looks freshly made.
Why Replace the Face Instead of the Whole Sign
Lower cost than a new cabinet
You pay for the face and graphics, not for a new structure, mounting and electrical work.
Removal and reinstallation included
No separate installation charge: taking the old face out and putting the new one in is part of the price.
Fast visual upgrade
Fresh, bright acrylic and new print make the storefront look cared for again.
Good for a rebrand or a new tenant
A new business moving into a unit can use the landlord’s cabinet with its own face.
Less waste
The cabinet stays in service instead of going to the landfill.
When a Face Replacement Is the Right Option
A new face makes sense when the cabinet is structurally sound and the lighting works well enough. We check all of this on the free site visit:
- The cabinet frame is solid, square and securely mounted
- There is no serious water damage or corrosion inside
- The lighting is working or can be serviced
- The face is cracked, yellowed or the graphics are faded or outdated
If the acrylic itself is still in good shape and only the artwork needs to change, graphics replacement may be even cheaper. If the cabinet is failing, a complete new light box is the honest recommendation. The guide light box re-face vs a new cabinet compares all three.
What You Get With a New Face
New acrylic, cut to your cabinet
The face is made to the measured opening of your existing cabinet, so it fits properly and sits flat.
UV-printed graphics
Your artwork is UV-printed directly onto milky acrylic or onto translucent film for backlit use: sharp detail, rich colour and good resistance to fading. See light box graphics: UV print on acrylic or film.
Design included
We lay out your graphics on the exact face size and send a proof before printing.
Price and What Affects It
A new acrylic face with printed graphics costs CAD $450 plus CAD $30 per square foot, plus GST of the face, for one face. A 4 × 8 ft face, for example, comes to about CAD $1,410. Because removal and reinstallation are included, that is the full price for the job. We confirm the exact amount after measuring the cabinet.
- Face size
- Single-sided or double-sided cabinet
- Print coverage and colours
- Access to the sign (height, obstacles)
For a quick idea of the budget, see the light box calculator.
Is your sign box worth saving?
Book a free site visit. We will check the cabinet and tell you whether a new face is all you need.
Process and Timeline
Site visit and measurement → graphic proof on the exact face size → written quote → production in about two weeks → we remove the old face and install the new one.
The work carries a 2-year warranty on the new face and its installation. The existing cabinet, LED lighting and power supply are not covered by this warranty; if they show problems, we will point them out at the site visit.
Face Replacement Questions
CAD $450 plus CAD $30 per square foot, plus GST for one face, with removal and reinstallation included. A 4 × 8 ft face comes to about CAD $1,410.
Yes. For a new acrylic face with graphics, removal of the old face and installation of the new one are included in the price.
We check the lighting on the site visit. If it needs replacing, new lighting can go into the same cabinet in the same job, or we recommend a new cabinet if that is more sensible.
Yes. A new face is a blank canvas. Any logo or layout that fits the cabinet size can be printed.
According to calgary.ca, a development permit is not required to change the copy of a legally existing sign. We confirm this for your sign on the site visit.
Sources
- City of Calgary: Sign permits, accessed 2026-10-28