Graphink builds and installs light box signs in Miami. A light box, also called a cabinet sign or box sign, houses the whole sign face inside one illuminated enclosure, rather than lighting each letter separately the way channel letters do. We have been fabricating storefront signage from our Doral shop since 1998.
The face is the decision
Almost everything about how a cabinet sign looks, and what it costs, comes down to how the face is made.
- Printed translucent face. Artwork printed onto translucent vinyl and applied to an acrylic or polycarbonate panel. The most flexible option for full color logos and photographic artwork, and the easiest to change later.
- Routed and backed. An aluminum face with the lettering and logo cut out on a CNC router, backed with acrylic so only the copy glows and the rest of the cabinet stays solid. The sharpest look at night, and the most durable.
- Push through acrylic. Letters cut from thick acrylic and pushed through the routed face so they stand slightly proud. Adds depth that a flat face cannot.
- Flex face. A single tensioned vinyl skin stretched over the frame. Used for large cabinets where a rigid panel would be impractical to make or transport.
Single sided or double sided
A wall mounted cabinet is read from the front, so it needs one face. A projecting or blade sign hangs perpendicular to the building and is read from both directions along the sidewalk, so it needs two. Double sided cabinets are the usual choice on a busy street where traffic approaches from both ways.
When a light box beats channel letters
Channel letters look more considered and are usually specified for a premium frontage. A cabinet sign wins in three situations:
- The logo is complex, photographic or has fine detail that will not survive being cut into individual letters.
- The budget matters. One cabinet is normally cheaper than a set of individually fabricated and wired letters.
- The tenancy is short. A cabinet is one unit to mount and one to remove, and refacing it later costs a fraction of a new sign.
Refacing an existing cabinet
If you have taken over a unit with a sign cabinet already on it, you rarely need a new sign. We measure the existing frame, build a new face to fit, and swap it. The cabinet, the mounting and the electrical all stay. This is one of the quickest ways to rebrand a storefront, and one of the cheapest.
We also repair cabinets that have stopped lighting, the same way we handle neon sign repair. Failed LED modules and power supplies are usually replaceable without touching the face.
Construction
Cabinets are built from aluminum extrusion rather than steel, because coastal air corrodes steel and a sign on a Miami frontage takes salt air and UV year round. Lighting is LED rather than the fluorescent tubes used in older cabinets, which draws less power and fails less often. Faces are hinged or removable so the inside can be serviced without taking the sign down.
Landlord criteria and permits
Most Miami-Dade municipalities require a permit for illuminated exterior signage, and shopping centers publish their own sign criteria covering cabinet size, projection and illumination. Send us the criteria with your artwork and we will design to it.
Get a quote
Send your logo artwork, a photo of the storefront, and the dimensions of any existing cabinet. Call (305) 468-9463 or request a quote.
