​One year ago, Dr. Tariq and Uzma Quraishi contacted Signs A La Carte for help rebranding signage for their new business facility. Dr. Uzma Quraishi has been providing general medical care and cosmetic treatments in the Kennett Square area since 2004. At Brandywine Med Spa, she offers the latest innovations in cosmetic medicine. 
 
Our part of the project included creating new exterior signs and a lobby sign. First, Dr. Quraishi wanted to change out the pylon in front of the building. Signs A La Carte refurbished the sign that had belonged to a previous restaurant. We kept the octagonal shape of the sign, cutting two new acrylic faces and applying a translucid black cut vinyl with the doctor’s name, phone number, and business name. This type of vinyl allows light to go through.

​Now for the story of the two freezer doors outside the building. Initially the couple discussed a landscape. Our designer sent them a few proofs, but they were still undecided. One day, our designer found some photos and arranged them in a new proof. The proof was approved, but then winter arrived. If temperatures are below freezing, it’s impossible to install vinyl outdoors. We had to wait for the weather to get warmer. 

​Finally, after a spring warm up, we were able to install the high-quality, laminated, large-format printing on the two freezer doors. The photos have a lasting impact on customers—when we talk about other businesses in the area, we mention these photos and automatically, people know where to go. 
 
Dr. Tariq and Uzma Quraishi were great to work with! Despite the weather challenges, they were very understanding. As we know, the weather isn’t the only challenge we sometimes face when installing signs, and we were just lucky we had such patient clients. The finished Brandywine Med Spa sign is classy and chic. 

​Adding a sign to your business can make a big difference. You want to make sure you find a sign that fits your facility space in a location where your company’s name, logo, and tagline are visible.
 
A lobby sign usually stands on the wall, and it’s the first thing your customers will see when they enter your office or store. With so many font, color, size, and lighting options, you can create a unique sign that stands out—and at Signs A La Carte, we can help! 

​Types of Lobby Signs
What types of lobby signs can you choose from? Here are some options for customizing your future lobby signage:

• A standoff clear or white acrylic with printed vinyl on the front or back
• A standoff completely translucent acrylic with etched vinyl in the back
• Cut letters on clear or white acrylic
• A small cabinet with illuminated acrylic and cut letters or entirely wrapped vinyl that allows light to pass through
• A large printed vinyl
• Aluminum/acrylic dimensional letters directly applied to the wall
• A mix of everything above 

​Examples
 
For the acrylic base, you can have it corner rounded or squared, border flat or beveled, lighted or non-lighted. The stand-off mounting gives your sign a dimensional look.
 

At Signs A La Carte, our signs are manufactured in house, and vinyl is printed on a large format, latex water-based, eco friendly printer. 

You have a variety of options to promote your brand with a lobby sign. If you think you need more than a lobby sign, Signs A La Carte can provide other signage including window and wall graphics, door decals, or sign stands.
 
We’ll help you find the right solution for your budget that best promotes your brand and matches the decor and aesthetic of your store or office. Whether you’re moving to a new building, opening a new location, or simply improving or rebranding your current location, give us a call! Our design team can work from your existing brand or create a custom concept for you. Each project begins with an initial consultation to provide the best options for your specifications.
 
Contact us today to learn more about your lobby sign or interior signage options! 

​Drexelbrook Special Event Center hosts a variety of events, from boardrooms to ballrooms, corporate conferences to weddings, and everything in between. They assist clients with their catering, design, and planning needs so their event guests can enjoy themselves and have a great time.

​The Challenge
 
CEO Domenick Savino, CPCE decided to renovate all signs inside the building to make them more elegant and modern. Signs A La Carte was invited to tour the building and see the signs that needed to be changed and updated. Existing signs were black or gold, and they felt outdated. After sending several proofs back and forth with the CEO, we designed, manufactured, and installed more than 60 signs in the event center.

​The Solution
 
Drexelbrook wanted to use their existing logo and add it to all signs. Signs A La Carte created the sign template to be used throughout the facility from scratch using the teal and white logo. Most of the directory signs were 3D with reverse brushed aluminum material and a black acrylic face. On top of the frame, we added the cut-out logo made from a white circle acrylic with UV printed graphic.
​Typically, with this type of mock up, we provide ADA signs, directional and directory signs, and name plaques for boardrooms. Directional and directory signs with one name have black applique letters on the first surface. Directional signs with many directions have black text vinyl on the first surface. Frames are mounted to the wall with standoffs, which are made from brushed aluminum to match the identification signs. 

​When we toured the building to find out exactly where the signs would be installed, we suggested a vinyl application for the elevator doors. We sent the CEO a proof of what this would look like, and he agreed with our recommendation. After seeing the beautiful elevator doors, the owner decided the fire extinguishers also needed a new look. Throughout the building, gold covers were transformed into a beautiful palette of teal, black, gray, and white.
 

All embossed aluminum wall sculptures give the building an elegant style. Signs A La Carte enjoyed working with Drexelbrook and appreciated their trust as we updated the building signs.
 
See More of Our Custom Signs
 
Like what you see from our work with Drexelbrook? See how we helped Hope Brain and Body Recovery Center design a new lobby sign and window graphics.
 
Contact Signs A La Carte today at 484-464-0111 to find out how we can help you with your sign needs.
 
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As a business owner, you’ve probably asked yourself what type of sign is best for your storefront. Nowadays, three-dimensional letters are almost everywhere—they have greater visibility, a professional appearance, and excellent versatility and illumination. Channel letters and dimensional letters are the best options for three-dimensional letters.
 
Signs A La Carte, your West Chester, PA sign company, will help you decide what storefront sign is best for your building. 

Channel Letters
Channel letters are one of the most commonly requested signs for clothing stores, restaurants, jewelry stores, offices, supermarkets, and even schools. These building signs can be customized to represent any logo, message, or idea. The decorative sign is made of polycarbonate and aluminum and customized to fit your requirements, including color, size, letters and numbers, fonts, and symbols. The appearance of the sign is unlike a traditional lightbox. Channel letters are a modern and chic way to promote your brand.
 
The most important detail of channel letter signs is the illumination. They’re generally face-lit or reverse halo styles. Face-lit channel letters project light onto the front of the letters, while reverse halo-style letters project light out the back of the letters at night and are mounted on a raceway. Lighted signs attract your potential customers’ attention as they pass by your business.
 
Fortunately, if one letter is damaged, it’s easy to replace. Signs A La Carte doesn’t have to replace the entire sign, which can be pricey.

​Dimensional Letters
Unlike channel letters, dimensional letters are illuminated by an exterior source that can be added later if desired. These exterior signs can be made with a variety of materials such as acrylic, painted foam, acrylic-faced foam, formed plastic or metal letters (brushed or unbrushed). They’re installed directly into the building’s facade. Signs A La Carte will guide you through the process of creating an eye-catching sign for your business.
 
Another advantage of dimensional letters is their versatility. They can be used inside the building or incorporated into a monument sign or a post and panel sign. 

​What’s Best for My Business?
Want to attract attention to your sign at night? Channel letters are your best option. If your business doesn’t require light at night, dimensional letters would be a better choice. At Signs A La Carte, we can help you select and install your dream sign on the front of your building. Both signs are great for promoting your brand.
 
Still unsure which letters to choose? All photos on this page, taken from one of the last jobs we completed, show the difference between channel letters, dimensional letters and other jobs we can do.
 
If you’re a new business owner or want to update your existing exterior signage, we can work with you to create a sign that suits your needs. Call Signs A La Carte at 484-464-0111.

Illuminated Storefront Signs

Different material for Dimentional Letters

Are you the owner of a new commercial property like a restaurant, a medical office, a retail location, a shopping center or a real estate agency?  Are you located near West Chester, PA?
If you answered yes, you need some outdoor signage.  But what kind of sign do you need?
We, at Signs A La Carte, have a variety of materials to help you find the perfect sign for your brand.  
In this post, you will find some examples of storefront signs that you probably see everyday.  But which is right for you? Below you’ll see examples of signs that are either attached to the wall or perpendicular at the front facade like a rider sign.

​The most exciting question you have to ask yourself is:  Do you want your sign illuminated?
The benefit of an illuminated sign is that at night, customers will still be able to notice you in the dark and it can help them to remember your location during the day. We work with an electrician to install your illuminated sign -- and you can choose whether you want to use LED or neon lights.

​Another option for an illuminated sign is having us create an acrylic sign in a case. Inside that case we would add lights and the entire sign would glow in the dark like this company, Unique Hearing Aid Solutions, chose.

​Maybe you prefer illuminated letters!  In this case, you need channel letters, which are generally made of acrylic faces that allow light to be projected through the letters in a multitude of colors. We do it all!

Not looking for an illuminated storefront sign? No problem. We also make PVC, wood, aluminum or stainless-steel panels.  
To embellished them, we use different methods like printing, engraving, laser cutting, and painting. We also use colorful vinyl or can add material like raised metal, acrylic, backlit or plastic colorful letters. Signs A La Carte can customize your durable exterior signage with your unique specifications. We can even help with a colorful underlay or installing a spotlight underneath to keep your sign noticeable in the dark.

​We also install letters directly on your storefront like Gus & Ruby Letterpress. The material we use are very durable and easy to install. The letters are cut and shaped into any font style you choose! 

​Here in West Chester, the most affordable storefront used is a called a “sign rider”.  A sign rider is usually a smaller sign that accompanies a larger sign or graphic (similar to what you see in a real estate frames). Sign riders are usually placed either below or above (or both) the larger graphic in the frame. Additionally they are used on posts and even hang from iron or wooden hangers. The sign is attached perpendicular to your business. We attach your vinyl to wood or an aluminite sheet, with the information you need 

​Did you know that your location is on a specific zoning map? That means that you’re not exactly able to do whatever you want. You have to follow the directives from your city or township. Illuminated signs require a permit, not just the preexisting sign rider. You can simply replace sign riders with new information if you keep it the same size. But to make it bigger or change any other specifications to your outdoor signage, you need to check with your city or town -- and definitely your landlord.
Signs A La Carte can produce any sign you can dream up! Just come with your ideas (and permits lol) and we will bring your dreams to life.
​

​
​Signs A La Carte, your favorite sign company here in downtown West Chester, PA, was lucky enough to work with the health food restaurant: Bango Bowls on all of their signage.

Anthony and Katrina Sandstrom are opening their eighth location right here in West Chester as a company and they have six business partners who opened the Long Island stores as well. We feel so lucky to be working with them because number one, they are great to work with and number two, we got to eat their delish food! (We’re personally addicted to the poke bowl).
This chain offers incredible acai and pitaya bowls, poke bowls, oatmeal bowls, smoothies, cold brew coffee, and much more!

Anthony and Katrina asked us to do all their interior and exterior signs. They needed a sign for the front of the store, decals for windows and walls, and anything else you can imagine from menus to promo cards at the counter.
They had a lot of specifications and we needed to do it on time before the grand opening.

​
The sign out front is made with black plexiglass and white and green acrylic letters for the wording and the leaves. Signs A La Carte customized the black PVC with the exact shape and size that Katrina requested.
On the windows, we applied white vinyl cut letters. The vinyl has two great qualities, it will survive to the weather. It can get wet and will never lose stickiness and the sun will never fade it. 

​

​Above the entryway, we used a matte printed laminated vinyl for the restaurant’s name and logo. The final effect is perfect. The choice of the color is very important, with the contrast black and white with a touch of green.  The restaurant’s name appears very chic! 

​​For eye-catching wall menus, we created frames that “stand-off” from the wall. The standoffs go through the acrylic panels’ edges and attach right to the wall, leaving a small gap between the display and the wall. This created a sophisticated, high-quality look. We printed and laminated the vinyl menu and applied them over clear acrylic standoff. As you can see, the menu is easily readable because of the matte vinyl, which prevents too much reflection from the light.

​For the wall graphic below, we printed on graphic film overlaminate. The quality of the picture is very important so that we do not see the pixels when we enlarge the photo. ​

​It was a real pleasure to work with Anthony and Katrina. We have stopped by a few times since they opened and they always greet us with smiles! If you want to eat healthy in West Chester, please try this amazing place!
Bango Bowls: 107 W Gay St, West Chester, PA 19380
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If you like the work we have done with Bango Bowls and you need something similar, please call Signs A La Carte at 484-464-0111.