Rigid Boards, Big Impact: 7 Applications to Elevate Your Signage Offering

From handy directions conveniently placed to help you find your way from A to B to adverts so vibrant and creative that you just can’t help but give them a second glance as you walk by, signage boards are everywhere. As a large-format trade printer, we may be biased, but we think you could go as far as to say that signage makes the world go round.

We could (and sometimes do) go on about the plethora of signage opportunities to choose from but this time it’s all about rigid boards - a mainstay of signage that many Venture Banners customers are already utilising with great success. But just in case you were in need of some application inspiration, we’ve compiled some use-case ideas to help you to boost your profit even more!

First up is a material with much depth, much like the many layers of an onion or should that be a ‘sandwich’? That’s right, it’s Aluminium Composite Material or ‘ACM’. Known as a 'sandwich panel', ACM consists of two aluminium sheets ‘sandwiching’ a rigid polyethylene core. Both sides of an ACM board can be directly printed onto with UV inks, opening up the doors to plenty of application possibilities. Its lightweight and smooth surface means it is often used to create beautiful interior design installations and feature walls.

Another benefit of ACM’s lightweight but corrosion-resistant nature is that it makes a great option for storefront signage. This form of rigid signage often has a long lifespan and can remain on the front of a store until they are in need of refreshing. This means they are also exposed to all the challenges the Great British weather throws at them. The resilient and corrosion-resistant nature of ACM means these signs remain looking smart and fresh for much longer.

As consumers become more eco-conscious, brands are under increasing pressure to reduce their impact on the environment. This is feeding into print buyers’ signage and graphics purchasing habits, with brands looking for sustainable material alternatives. ACM also ticks the box here as it is fully recyclable, reducing the impact on the earth after its use.

For example, think building hoardings that are only going to be erected during the time the building is being built, a recyclable yet durable solution that also looks sleek and high quality is needed here, and ACM ticks all of those boxes! Additionally, within the retail space, property developers will often require high quality and visual presentations to showcase their development and yes, you guessed it, rigid boards can be used to produce these too!

Offices, meeting rooms, board rooms, staff break areas, and reception spaces can sometimes need a little TLC and brightening up to spark inspiration and motivation amongst teams, not to mention ensuring that a company’s brand identity extends beyond its website. For branding, vibrant artwork and wall displays, PVC Foamboard is a great solution for giving a space a pop of personality thanks to its lightweight nature and ability to be installed easily with adhesive or strong double-sided tape or screwed straight through. PVC Foamboard is also M1/B1 fire-rated to comply with UK and European fire safety standards, an important factor for public spaces such as offices with high capacities.

So you’ve brightened up the office space, but because of its lightweight nature, the possibilities that PVC Foamboard offers can extend beyond the workspace, making them an ideal solution to transform the home such as for feature walls or pieces of artwork, especially in spaces that can’t be decorated permanently. Think high-quality photos of fond memories or a bathroom transformed into a jungle oasis thanks to a large high-quality print installed - the options are limitless! Or you could use ACM to bring history to life with background walls or help to add context and enhance the experience with information boards in museums and other public areas.

You will have most likely spotted a fluted board or two (or maybe even ten) lining streets and residential areas featuring a tell-tale ‘For Sale’ sign. Yep, you guessed it - they are commonly used for estate agency boards. This is because their lightweight nature makes them easy to handle and transport to various locations. And because this material is water-resistant and durable, it can withstand that good old Great British weather we mentioned earlier.  

Printed direct to substrate with UV inks, fluted board is easy to install, flexible and durable and can be stuck, screwed, nailed or riveted to any suitable surface. It is also suitable for both indoor and outdoor use. So if you’re not already capitalising on the opportunities that real estate signage brings, what are you waiting for?

A fluted board is no one-trick pony. As well as estate agent boards, there are a huge range of other products that can be created utilising fluted board. For example, its flexible and durable nature means it also works well for bollard wraps, offering advertising opportunities to brands in high footfall areas outside shops and other buildings, as well as for short-term event graphics such as weddings, marathon direction signs, or those helpful signs that build excitement by guiding you to the correct entrance or car park for a festival site or other major event. 

Wayfinding and directional signage is another area of opportunity and one that we get a lot of demand for. These can be lucrative projects to complete as they will naturally require multiple pieces of signage for a site or location and rigid boards are an ideal solution here.  

Rigid boards offer a bounty of opportunity to be realised. As your trusted trade-only large-format printer, we are always happy to advise on design ideas and application options, and we’re always happy to hear your ideas too, as long as you leave the ‘rigidity’ to the board and not your imagination!