How to Order Custom Sign Letters From China

Artwork, approval drawing, lead time, shipping and payment — the whole sequence in order.

The Sequence, In Order

Ordering letter sets from a manufacturer on the other side of the world is straightforward once you know which decisions have to be made at which point. Most of the problems come from making them in the wrong order.

Here is the sequence we work to.

1. Send Artwork, Not a Description

Vector artwork is what we cut from. Send the file with the cap height marked and the colour reference quoted as RAL or Pantone — not as a colour name.
If all you have is a photograph or a sketch, say so. We will redraw it and send the drawing back for approval before anything else happens.
We do not redraw artwork you have already supplied as vectors. Stroke weights and letter spacing survive the trip to the workshop exactly as you drew them.

2. Settle the Build

Material and grade: stainless steel 304 or 316, or lacquered aluminium.
Construction: built-up relief, fabricated box, or flat-cut.
Finish: brushed grain, mirror polish, or lacquered colour.
Illumination: none, halo-lit from behind, or front-lit through the face. This one changes the return depth, so it cannot be added after fabrication without a rebuild.
Fixing substrate: concrete, brick, render or cladding — it sets the stud length.

3. Approve the Drawing

You get back a drawing showing every one of those decisions in writing. Nothing is cut until it is approved. This is the step worth spending an extra day on.

How to Order Custom Sign Letters From China — metal sign letters installed on a building — Letter sets of the kind discussed here, photographed after installation.

4. Fabrication and Transit

Fabrication runs 5 to 7 days from approval. Transit is a further 4 to 5 days by DHL, UPS or FedEx. Sea and air freight are available where the packed volume justifies them.

Letters are individually wrapped and packed flat, with the 1:1 mounting template in the same box.

5. Payment

Payment is by T/T, PayPal or Western Union.

Minimum order quantity is confirmed with your quotation rather than fixed in advance — it depends on the size and construction of the set.

What to Ask Any Supplier

Which stainless grade is quoted, and why that one for this site?
What is the material thickness and the return depth?
Is a 1:1 mounting template included?
Are the LED components certified — CE, RoHS, UL?
What is the fabrication time, and what is the transit time, quoted separately?
A supplier who answers those five in writing is quoting the same job you are buying.

Need this specified for a live project? Send the artwork with the letter height marked and the site address. We come back with a build specification, a price and a ship date.

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