A backer panel is an optional feature that can help to optimize the appearance of your customer’s channel letter sign. These structures are also known as backing boards, backer plates, or simply, backers.
A backer panel is basically a flat structure mounted behind the sign letters—like a picture frame. Panels are typically painted a color that is selected to display the sign most favorably.
Despite the name “backer panel,” these structures are not necessarily rectangular. Backer panels can be custom designed and manufactured to differing shapes and colors.
Backer panels may be utilized with any channel letter type. A common application is to support reverse-lit letters (as these boards can provide an ideal halo reflection surface), but they are also specified for front-lit and front/back-lit letter signs.
Common Panel Design and Purposes
The primary purpose of a backer panel is to provide a strong contrasting background color for a sign.
For example, a channel letter set can be far more effective when it is mounted on a surface that provides a higher degree of letter and/or halo contrast than the actual building facade surface. A well chosen backing board can substantially increase the overall conspicuity of a letter set.
A second (and related) backer panel purpose is to cover a problematic building façade.
For example, if a building sports a multi-colored, interlaced brick exterior, the contrast and exposure of the sign may be compromised by the varying façade colors. A backer panel can eliminate this problem.
An additional panel purpose is to cover (or hide) a raceway mount. Some letter sign designs may be compromised to a degree by the appearance of a raceway mount, even when the raceway has been painted to blend in with the facade.
However mounting the backer panel (along with the channel letters) to a raceway solves this problem by reducing the potentially compromised sign appearance.
Construction Materials and Paint
Backer panels are typically constructed of aluminum. This material provides a compelling set of advantages—light weight, high tensile strength, and strong corrosion resistance.
Backer panels are typically painted a custom color to optimize both the sign appearance and the contrast to the building façade.
Cost Considerations
The added cost of a backer panel depends on the project and letter size.
If the panel can be cut from a single four-by-eight-foot aluminum sheet, that will add less to the project cost.
If the design requires multiple sheets (or a larger sheet size like five-by-ten feet), then this will result in a higher, additional cost.
More Panel Appearance Options
Also custom paint colors are not the only way to enhance the effectiveness of a backer panel. A panel may also receive vinyl applications for additional sign effectiveness.
Another design idea is to combine a backer panel with a reverse logo box. This layout can provide an excellent day/night effectiveness combination.
Here is one final backer panel design consideration. Reverse-lit channel letters should not be mounted to a glossy backing panel surface. Doing so generates a sort of “mirror image” on the panel and the actual LED modules (and sign wiring) may be seen in the sign reflection.
Obviously this is not ideal. It is actually much better to use a matte or satin finish when mounting reverse-lit letters to a backer panel, to avoid any unwanted reflections.
In conclusion, backer panels can be an important and effective component of a channel letter sign design. They can provide a forceful addition to a sign’s visibility and exposure.
By John Baylis, the marketing director at Direct Sign Wholesale in Denver, Colorado.
All photos: Direct Sign Wholesale.
