Outdoor Sign Boards
Built to Stay Up
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Three Materials
Corrugated plastic, PVC or aluminum composite
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H-Stakes and Grommets
Stake it, mount it or hang it
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Single or Double Sided
One message twice, or two messages
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Gloss or Matte Lamination
Adds years to outdoor life
Outdoor Sign Board Printing in Vancouver
A rigid sign does one thing a banner cannot. It holds its shape, so it reads the same on a still morning and in a February southeaster. Stake it in a lawn, bolt it to a wall, zip tie it to a fence, and it stays exactly where you put it.
We print outdoor sign boards in Vancouver on three rigid materials, cut to any size and finished for the way you plan to mount them.
Corrugated Plastic, PVC or Aluminum Composite
Pick by how long the sign needs to survive, not by size. That is the decision that actually matters.
Corrugated Plastic
A hollow fluted plastic sheet, also known as coroplast. Light, waterproof, cheap per square foot and the standard choice for anything temporary. Real estate listings, open houses, campaigns, event directions, site notices.
Standard is 4mm. We move to 6mm or 10mm for larger formats, exposed corners and anything mounting to a frame rather than sitting on a stake. Expect roughly two to three years outdoors before fading shows.
One honest note: the flute structure leaves faint parallel lines across the printed face. It is subtle and normal, and at any real viewing distance you will not see it. It is only worth mentioning because nobody tells you beforehand.
PVC Board
A solid plastic sheet with a smooth face and no flute lines at all. Noticeably more rigid than corrugated, takes a cleaner cut edge, and looks like a finished product rather than a temporary one.
Available in 3mm and 6mm. The right call for storefront signage, wall mounted panels, menu and hours boards, and anything a customer will read from a few feet away. Three to five years outdoors.
Aluminum Composite
Two thin aluminum skins bonded to a polyethylene core, usually 3mm total. Rigid, flat, and effectively immune to weather. This is the material for signage you intend to forget about.
Building identification, permanent wayfinding, parking and property signage, multi year construction hoarding. Seven to ten years and beyond, and it will not warp, absorb water or go brittle in the cold.
Flute Direction for H-Stakes and Grommets
This is the single most common mistake on corrugated plastic orders, and it cannot be fixed after printing.
Corrugated plastic has hollow channels running through it in one direction only. An H-stake works by sliding its wire legs up inside those channels. So:
- Using H-stakes? You need vertical flutes. Horizontal flutes and the stake has nothing to slide into. The sign is unusable
- Hanging with zip ties or hooks? Horizontal flutes are better, because the grommets pull against the flute walls instead of tearing along them
- Mounting flat to a wall or frame? Either works
Tell us how the sign is going up and we will set the flute direction for you. If you are not sure, say so and we will ask rather than guess.
Sign Board Sizes, Shapes and Double Sided
Common sizes we run constantly:
- 12 x 18 for directional and parking signs
- 18 x 24, the standard lawn and real estate sign
- 24 x 24 and 24 x 36 for listings and site notices
- 36 x 48 and up for construction hoarding and storefront panels
- Up to 48 x 96 as a single sheet
Custom sizes are standard, and boards can be contour cut to any shape you supply as a vector path. Rounded corners are worth asking for on anything at head height or in a walkway.
Double sided is available across all three materials. Essential on lawn signs and anything approached from two directions, since a single sided sign is invisible from half the street.
H-Stakes, Grommets and Wall Mounting
- H-stakes. Wire frames that slide into the flutes and push straight into soft ground with no tools. One per sign, two on anything larger than 24 x 18
- Grommets. Metal or clear eyelets for hanging with zip ties, wire or rope, typically along the top edge
- Drilled holes. For screwing directly to a wall, post or frame
- Standoffs. For a raised, finished look on PVC and aluminum composite
- Post mounting. For freestanding real estate and development signage
Gloss or Matte Lamination Outdoors
Optional on every material, and the cheapest way to buy extra years. A gloss or matte laminate seals the printed face against UV, rain and abrasion.
Matte is the better choice for anything read at close range or facing direct sun, since gloss throws glare at certain angles. Gloss lifts colour saturation and suits signs read from a distance.
Where Outdoor Sign Boards Are Used
- Real estate listings, open houses and directional arrows
- Development and pre sale marketing on a property
- Construction site identification, safety notices and trade recognition
- Storefront panels, hours boards and service listings
- Parking, wayfinding and property management signage
- Building and unit identification
- Restaurant patios, menu boards and outdoor seating
- Schools, parks, sports fields and community facilities
- Election and campaign signage
- Events, festivals and site direction
Sign Board, A-Frame or Banner
Everything on this page is a rigid panel that gets fixed in place and left there. Three things sit close to it.
If the sign moves every day, you want a sandwich board. It stands on its own, folds flat and comes inside at close. Worth knowing that corrugated panels also drop into most A-frame holders, so you can order the frame once and swap printed inserts with each promotion.
If you are covering a large area cheaply, a vinyl banner costs far less per square foot. And on a long fence or scaffolding where wind is the issue, use a mesh banner instead.
If it is going indoors, you do not need this much material. Foam boards are lighter and cheaper for interior use, and for branding a window or wall directly, large format stickers need no panel at all.
Sign Board Artwork and File Setup
- Print ready PDF in CMYK, vector logos wherever possible
- Raster images at 150 DPI at full print size
- Add a sixteenth of an inch bleed and outline all text
- Keep critical content an inch clear of the trim, and further from the bottom edge on staked signs where grass and snow build up
- Size type for the real reading distance. A lawn sign read from a moving car needs a phone number twice the size you think
- Contrast beats colour outdoors. Dark on light survives grey Vancouver light far better than mid tone on mid tone
- Supply a separate vector cut path for contour cut shapes
No layout yet? Send your logo and content and our design team will build it at no charge.
Serving Vancouver and Across Canada
We print in Vancouver and deliver throughout Burnaby, Richmond, Surrey, North Vancouver, West Vancouver, Coquitlam, New Westminster, Delta and Langley, with shipping across Canada. Rush production is available when a listing goes live or a site opens sooner than planned.
Tell us the size, how long it needs to last and how it is going up, and we will confirm the material, thickness and flute direction. Request a quote or browse the full banner and sign printing range.
Outdoor Sign Board FAQ
Which material should I choose?
Corrugated plastic for anything temporary, up to two or three years. PVC for storefront and close range signage, three to five years. Aluminum composite for permanent installations, seven to ten years and beyond.
What is coroplast?
Another name for corrugated plastic, the hollow fluted sheet used for most lawn and yard signs. Same material either way.
Why does flute direction matter?
H-stakes slide up inside the hollow channels, so they only work with vertical flutes. Order horizontal flutes with stakes and the sign cannot be installed. Tell us your mounting method before we print.
What size is a standard lawn sign?
18 by 24 inches is the standard for real estate and campaign signage. 24 by 36 when you need more presence or more information.
How many stakes does one sign need?
One is enough up to 24 by 18. Anything larger takes two for stability in wind.
Can these be printed on both sides?
Yes, on all three materials. Recommended for anything freestanding, since a single sided lawn sign is blank from one direction.
Do I need lamination?
Not always, but it is the cheapest durability upgrade available. Worth it on anything staying up past a season or facing direct sun.
Are there rules about where I can put a sign?
Often, yes. Municipalities set their own limits on size, placement and how long temporary signage can stay up, and rules differ across Metro Vancouver. Check with your municipality before ordering a large run.
Can boards be cut to a custom shape?
Yes, on all three materials. Supply the shape as a vector cut path and we will cut to it.
Do you offer volume rates?
Yes. Real estate offices, construction firms and multi site campaigns print in one run so colour matches across every board, and volume rates apply.
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info@firebirdprints.com
+1 778 368 0288
Outdoor Sign Boards That Work Around the Clock
Outdoor sign boards are not decorative extras. They are working assets that promote your business every hour of the day.
At Firebird Prints, we help Vancouver businesses create outdoor signage that is durable, visible, and effective.
Contact us today to get started with outdoor sign board printing in Vancouver.
