You may be curious to know exactly what a particular material looks like up close. You may even be a little confused- afterall, it isn't too hard to become confused with the way sign shops throw brand names and material terms at customers nowadays, rather than what the sign is intended to do.

  Rather than bore you with irrelevant technical specifications, brief descriptions and why Rocket Signs uses that particular material, may be more useful.

There are literally thousands of different materials and brands that can be used for the products featured on this site.  Over the years, Rocket Signs has selected just a handful of materials that have been found to be the most economical (in the long run) for that application.

The belief is, carefully selected material choices will save customers money and result in longer lasting products.

Canvas can be used for many indoor displays including photo enlargement printing which can then be stretched and framed.

This board has a smooth, glossy finish which results in beautiful and attractive signs once printed. These boards are used for long-term or promotional outdoor signs.  They also have various indoor applications.

It's smooth finish is it's best quality aside from strength and when displays are needed in quantity, this is the most economical choice.

Less expenive inks can be used and giant master rolls of Tyvek are stocked which winds up being much less than comparable material and saves the customer money.

This material had a paper liner which, when removed will expose the adhesive. Long life vinyl is used which features easy to remove adhesives which can clean up quickly if you want to take it off.

This material is best used for displays in small quantities because it can be cost prohibitive for large runs. Card Board is a good alternative.  This is for indoor use only but can repel water better than unprinted cardboard. 

This has excellent strength and is not as prone to warping as cardboard, although it can warp if not cared for properly.

This is also commonly referred to as "Coroplast" which is a brand name, although over the years, the term "Coroplast" has in a way replaced the words "Corrugated Plastic".  In any case, now you know it's the same thing.

The 4mm version of this material is what is used for lightweight signs and posters such as Step Stake Signs.  With the corrugations, or flutes, wire step stakes slide into the sign boards.  The rigidity of this stock makes it useful for so many outdoor promotional displays.

This material may be cost prohibitive for large runs of simple artwork.  If you are not using full color in your design, it will be less costly for other material.

A matte (non-glossy) version of this paper used to be kept in inventory, although the glossy paper was a much better seller, so matte was discontinued.  This has been the most requested poster paper.

This is also commonly referred to as "Coroplast" which is a brand name, although over the years, the term "Coroplast" has in a way replaced the words "Corrugated Plastic".  In any case, now you know it's the same thing.

The 4mm version of this material is what is used for lightweight signs and posters such as Step Stake Signs.  With the corrugations, or flutes, wire step stakes slide into the sign boards.  The rigidity of this stock makes it useful for so many outdoor promotional displays.

This 6mm version is used for extra strength outdoor posters.  It is also used for indoor displays as it can be die cut and used as a supporting backing for other printed material.

This is commonly what is used for Photo Signs (Life sized human cut-outs) because it can freestand without flexing as much as the 4mm.

This is a lightweight paper that will tear easily.  It is not rated for extra long life because it can be destroyed very easily if not cared for.

This is also commonly referred to as "Coroplast" which is a brand name, although over the years, the term "Coroplast" has in a way replaced the words "Corrugated Plastic".  In any case, now you know it's the same thing.

The 4mm version of this material is what is used for lightweight signs and posters such as Step Stake Signs.  With the corrugations, or flutes, wire step stakes slide into the sign boards.  The rigidity of this stock makes it useful for so many outdoor promotional displays.

The 6mm version is used for extra strength outdoor posters.  It is also used for indoor displays as it can be die cut and used as a supporting backing for other printed material.

This 10mm version which is approximately 0.5" is what is used on large heavy duty outdoor signs.  This stuff will last a long time, in many cases outlasting many plywoods.

From a distance you can not see the corrugations on the surface, so it looks like plywood.

It is also much lighter than plywood, which makes installing it much easier.  It is about half the weight.

As the thickness of these boards increases, so does the wall thickness, so it is much stronger than it's younger cousins, the 4mm and 6mm.

This board is one of the favorites as it comes in different colors, so it doesn't have to be painted.

Aside from being warp resistant, it also resists dents, dings, and scratches better than a surface-painted plywood or aluminum.

With that said, it is best used for permanent signs that are out of reach.  These are also commonly used for traffic control signs, because of their long life, they don't need to be replaced often.

Aluminum sign boards are relatively thin compared to other sign boards such as corrugated plastic, which is a fraction of the cost.

Aluminum is not a good choice for temporary or promotional signs because the material can be cost prohibitive for those uses.

It isn't as durable as corrugated plastic, although it has it's advantages.  It can be a lower cost option if a double sided sign is needed in small quantities do to the size these sheets come in.  Only one side is printed, but they can be folded in half.  So the time to make them double sided is cut in half. 

Surprisingly the corrugated plastic is purchased at a lower cost due to the large volume ordered and the savings are passed on to you.  Corrugated plastic yard signs and posters are usually lower prices when you buy them from Rocket Signs.

These are great for economical indoor posters where a little extra durability is needed.  Heavier than the other poster papers and they are not as easy to tear.

This material can't be rolled up, but still lasts longer.  If you need to order Show card posters, which are for indoor use, you might get lucky because the inventory of this is usually not as plentiful as Poly Card.  Your posters may even be printed on weather resistant stock which will repel water, if there is not enough poster stock in inventory. Both are identical and the same thickness.

This stock comes on large rolls and can be converted to large decals or cut down to small decals or special shapes.  It is available in clear or any color can be printed on it. 
It always has a paper backing, which when removed will expose the side that will adhere to flat surfaces such as glass windows.

It has a very long life if cared for.  In fact, the material may actually outlive the printing which will be many, many, many years after purchased.

Magnetic material has a fairly long life if cared for and not used outdoors on vehicles every day.  If it is used on vehicles, the printing will surely outlast the material, which has a life span of several years if used everyday.

To ensure that your magnetic signs have a long life, they should be cleaned and cared for properly.  There should be care instructions in with your order.

In thicker versions of this sheet product, long lasting outdoor signs can be made.  It's glossy appearance and availability in a variety of colors makes it very professional for outdoor signs.

It is also great for indoor signs.  It cuts smoothly and is used for a process called thermoforming, where large sheets of this material are heated up and pressed into a mold or along a pattern for a specific shape. 

These can also be seamlessly welded together for all kinds of 3 dimensional geometric shapes used for indoor retail displays.

It is less costly than aluminum and not as prone to dings and scratches like aluminum which makes it great for so many uses.

Acrylic plastic is a durable and attractive material for indoor and outdoor signs.  It is used on a wide variety of signs from large electric signs to small indoor office door plaques. 

This material comes in a variety of colors and can be printed on in large or small quantities.

One of the biggest downsides to this material is that cutting it can be time consuming.  It tends to melt away with a saw for undersized or inaccurately measured pieces.  More time must be spent to cut the material properly.  The slightest wrong maneuver and the whole sheet will crack, while cutting.  

Acrylic plastic is used for thermoforming and welding.  This is a process where large sheets of this material are heated up and pressed into a mold or along a pattern for a specific shape. 

These can also be seamlessly welded together for all kinds of 3 dimensional geometric shapes used for indoor retail displays.

Acrylic plastic is more costly than PVC foam board, although PVC foam board is preffered for most applications.  Acrylic plastic mostly for displays that are illuminated, where light needs to be transmitted through the sheet.

This material had a paper liner which, when removed will expose the adhesive. Long-life vinyl is used with easy to remove adhesives which can clean up quickly if you want to take it off.

Another common use of this vinyl is for computer cut lettering, which is where artwork such as wording or logos is cut on a machine that feeds rolls of this stock through it.  After it's cut, it can then be applied to many different surfaces.

It has a glossy appearance which makes it desired for indoor banners, especially full color banners.  Printing on this material is somewhat more difficult and requires large purchases of inks that aren't used on anything else, which is why this material may not be the most economical for a small quantity of banners.

It is comparable to the plastic drop cloths you can find in the paint department of your local hardware store, only a little thicker.  But as you might imagine, these are easy to tear, and wind can rip them to shreds.

It's glossy and printing looks great on it.  It also withstands a lot of what Mother Nature can throw at it better than some of the other less costly banner materials, especially when hems are put in.

Although it can be used outdoors for a short time, this material when cut into shapes is best used for indoor displays where it can create magnificent multi-layer signs.

This material often used for routing (carving) letters and shapes which are then painted.  This material is inexpensive and can be broken apart with hand tools if needed.  It is also lightweight which makes shipping even large signs much less costly, especially for short term applications.