Exterior signage
Channel letters for Central Ohio storefronts
Channel letters are the individual letters mounted on a storefront. Artiplex designs, builds, and installs letter sets for Central Ohio businesses, including a first storefront or a rebrand on an existing raceway.
We fabricate letters in-house, so face color, returns, lighting, and mounting are specified together instead of split across vendors. Typical options include front-lit, halo-lit, and non-illuminated letters, plus raceways or individual mounts that match the building.
Exterior letters on commercial buildings in Columbus often need a permit and an electrical inspection when they are illuminated. We include installation and permitting in the project path so the set that leaves the shop is the set that goes on the wall.
Exterior letters on commercial buildings in the City of Columbus often need a graphics permit, especially when they are illuminated. Columbus sign permit decoder.
How a channel-letter job works
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01
Survey
We start from the address, photos of the facade, and any landlord sign criteria. Letter height follows viewing distance and the sign band, not a logo drawn for a screen.
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02
Proof
You see a layout on the building before anything is cut. Raceway color, letter depth, and lighting are specified on that drawing.
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03
Fabricate
Faces, returns, and lighting are built in-house so the set that leaves the shop matches the proof.
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04
Install
The same project path covers mounting and, when the letters are lit, the electrical hookup. Permitting stays on that path when the address requires a filing.
Letter and mounting options
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Lit or non-lit
Front-lit faces read from the road after dusk. Halo-lit letters put a glow on the wall behind the letter. Non-illuminated letters remain an option when the street is already bright or the landlord forbids electrical signs.
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Raceway or flush mount
A raceway is the panel behind the letters that hides wiring and lines up neighboring bays. Flush or individual mounts attach letters to the wall without that panel. Many strip centers require a raceway; some landlords prohibit it. The criteria sheet decides.
What is included
- Custom letter design sized for viewing distance and facade width
- In-house fabrication, including CNC-cut faces and returns
- LED illumination when the site and budget call for it
- Installation and permit coordination for Central Ohio locations
Industries that use this
- Restaurants, bars & cafes Storefront letters, blade signs, menu boards, window graphics, patio banners, and repair of signs that have gone dark.
- Medical, dental & offices Building and monument signs, suite and tenant panels, ADA wayfinding, and lobby identification for clinics and professional suites.
- Retail & strip centers Tenant panel replacements, channel letters on raceways, window graphics, and grand-opening banners that follow the center’s sign criteria.
- Churches & places of worship Exterior identification, interior wayfinding, lobby directories, and event banners for churches and other places of worship.
- Auto service shops Channel letters, monument or pylon signs, window graphics, and bay directionals for auto repair, body shops, and dealerships.
Related services
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FAQ
Channel letter questions
- What is the difference between front-lit and halo-lit letters?
- Front-lit faces light through the letter face and read farther from the road. Halo-lit letters are opaque on the face and light the wall behind them. If a landlord or historic review specifies one, that decides it. Non-illuminated letters are a third option.
- Do we need a raceway?
- You need one when the landlord criteria or the existing bays use one. A raceway hides wiring and keeps a row of tenants on the same line. Individual letters mounted to the wall are a different detail, and some buildings do not allow them.
- Do channel letters need a Columbus permit?
- Illuminated permanent exterior letters in the City of Columbus typically need a graphics permit, regardless of how short the set is. Larger non-illuminated letters can also need one. Suburbs and townships use their own rules. See the Columbus sign permit decoder for the city’s published triggers. We do not publish fees or review times.
- Can you match an existing raceway or letter style?
- Yes, when you send photos of the current set or a neighboring bay and any written criteria. We size to the band that is already there. We do not copy another tenant’s logo.
- How do we request a channel-letter quote?
- Use the quote form, call 614-706-6706, or email henry@artiplexsigns.com. Include the city, facade photos, and landlord criteria if you have them. There is no public storefront.
Ready to start? Request a quote or call 614-706-6706.