Visibility matters. When driving or walking around Manhattan, your customers will notice your business long before they forget it.
Whether you have a restaurant in SoHo, a luxury retail boutique on Fifth Avenue, or even a commercial office space in Midtown, your storefront signage should help attract attention even after dark.
New York City is a competitive commercial environment. Your business competes with surrounding storefronts, digital billboards, traffic, and nonstop pedestrian traffic. In crowded areas with heavy nightlife foot traffic, professionally illuminated signage can be one of the first things your customers will notice about your business.
That’s just one reason illuminated channel letters are one of the most popular signage options throughout Manhattan.
Channel letters feature custom fabricated 3D lettering with internal LED lighting to create bold, visible storefront signs. They allow business to project a more modern look while increasing brand visibility day and night.
Reasons Illuminated Channel Letters Shine in Manhattan
In the suburbs, businesses typically stand alone or amongst a small cluster of neighbors. Buildings in Manhattan are jam-packed with restaurants, retail shops, hotels, and office buildings fighting for consumers’ attention.
Traditional flat signs tend to disappear into the walls and windows around them after dark. Illuminated channel letters, on the other hand, create dimension, brightness, and contrast from other businesses around you. Channel letters draw the eye with their 3-D appeal, and LED lighting makes your signage easy to read from far away.
Visibility after dark is crucial for Manhattan neighborhoods like SoHo, Chelsea, Tribeca, Midtown, FiDi, LES, and more. If your business is located in one of these areas, consider how nighttime visibility may affect pedestrian traffic.
Nine times out of ten, customers make up their mind to walk into your store while standing in front of it. In Manhattan, you don’t get much more face time than that! You want your signage to communicate professionalism, credibility, and brand awareness in a matter of seconds.
What Exactly Are Channel Letters?
Channel letters are custom-formed letters typically made with aluminum and acrylic. These standalone letters are most commonly lit from within by LED lighting and mounted to a wall or raceway.
Channel letters can be customized to your heart’s desire. Some common customizations include:
- Typeface
- Depth
- Lighting
- Colors
- Finishes
- Size
- Mounting options (wall or raceway)
Because of how customizable channel letters are, you can create a look that complements both your brand and the building you are mounted on.
That’s why many businesses in Manhattan go with illuminated channel letters. They give your business a sleek and sophisticated look without overpowering your storefront.
Choosing Illuminated Signs For Businesses In Manhattan
Front Lit vs Halo Lit Channel Letters
One nice feature of custom channel letter signage is that you can typically choose from different styles of lighting.
Front lit channel letters light up from the face of each letter. This is ideal for businesses that want bright and noticeable signage. It’s used by many retail stores, restaurants, pharmacies, convenience stores, etc.
Halo lit channel letters are also known as reverse lit letters. Instead of lighting up from the front, these systems light up from behind the sign creating a glow around each letter. Halo lights are very popular with luxury retail shops, corporate offices, hotels, law offices, and fine dining restaurants in Manhattan.
Halo lights offer a more elegant and high-end look which is why you see them so much throughout Manhattan.
Some business will also go with dual illuminated channel letters that offer both front and halo lighting for an even more dramatic effect.
Why LED Became The Norm For Commercial Signs
Neon signs were once the standard when it came to illuminated signs in NYC, but today LED illuminated channel letters are much more common.
Not only do LED lights provide brighter and more even lighting, but they also use less energy and typically last longer while requiring very little maintenance.
If you plan on keeping your store open during the evening hours in Manhattan, this can mean big savings for your business over time. You’ll be able to maintain that bright visibility night after night.
Another benefit of LED lights is how cleanly they distribute light. This allows your sign to look crisp and professional once the sun goes down.
Illuminated Signs Create A Stronger Brand Identity
When walking down the streets of Manhattan, you’ll notice that many stores use illuminated signs. This is because storefront signage can be a huge factor when establishing your brand.
Lighted channel letters can make your business seem:
- Larger
- More modern
- More professional
- More recognizable
- Higher quality
Illuminated signs are great for luxury-based businesses because they help set you apart from the competition. Your sign becomes a representation of your business.
That is why so many luxury retailers, restaurants, hospitality businesses and commercial office spaces go the extra mile and invest in high-end illuminated signage. They understand that customers will often judge the quality of business by its storefront.
NYC Channel Letter Installation & Custom Signs Manhattan
When it comes to installing illuminated channel letters in NYC you’ll find that there is much more to the process than simply hanging letters on a building.
Whether obtaining permits, coordinating with your landlord, electrical engineering or researching NYC signage regulations installing commercial signs in New York City is usually a process.
Manhattan buildings also create their own challenges with installation because of architectural differences, mounting surfaces and zoning restrictions.
By working with a knowledgeable commercial sign company you can rest easy knowing your project will be designed, fabricated, permitted and installed correctly all while meeting NYC specifications.
Professional sign fabrication is also important to the longevity of your illuminated signs. ILL-fabricated signs will start to develop issues such as inconsistent lighting, fading colors, electrical problems or weathering.
Manhattan Businesses Still Invest in Illuminated Signs
Illuminated channel letters are still popular in business throughout Manhattan because they offer powerful branding, maximum visibility, and a clean modern look.
In a city like New York you have to stand out if you want customers to pay attention. That’s where great storefront signs come into play.
Restaurants in the East Village, clothing store in SoHo, or even your company’s logo in the Financial District can benefit from custom illuminated letters.
If you’re looking to make your business more noticeable at night, channel letters are one of the best ways to achieve that goal.
