Indoor or outdoor sign material: choosing by location

The right outdoor sign material depends on two things: how exposed the spot is, and how long the sign has to last there. For weeks outside, use Correx. For indoors or a sheltered porch, use Foamex. For years on an exposed wall or fence, use Dibond. For glass, vans and smooth surfaces, use self-adhesive vinyl, and for small labels on kit that lives outside, use waterproof polypropylene.

This article works through that decision by location. If you want the full technical comparison of the three board materials (weight, cutting, finishing), read our Foamex, Dibond or Correx guide; here we focus on where the sign is going.

Outdoor sign material at a glance #

Location	How long	Material	Thickness	From
Indoors: offices, receptions, corridors	Long term	Foamex	3 mm, 5 mm or 10 mm	£22.01
Sheltered outside: porch, under a canopy	Months	Foamex (5 mm or 10 mm) or Dibond	5 mm / 10 mm, or 3 mm	£22.01 / £52.61
Exposed outside, temporary: sites, events, For Sale boards	Weeks to a season	Correx	3.5 mm or 5 mm	£20.88
Exposed outside, long term: shop fronts, car parks, gates	Years	Dibond aluminium composite	3 mm	£52.61
Glass, doors, vans, smooth panels	Varies with surface and sun	Self-adhesive vinyl	Thin film	£4.46
Small labels on outdoor equipment	Long term	Waterproof polypropylene	Label stock	£27.22 per pack

From-prices are for the smallest size and simplest options on Correx boards, Foamex boards, Dibond signs and custom vinyl stickers. The configurator shows the live price for your size.

Indoors: Foamex does the job #

Foamex is rigid PVC foam board. It is light, flat and easy to fix with screws, sticky pads or cable ties, and it takes print well. Indoors there is rarely a reason to pay more. Choose 3 mm for door and wall signs, 5 mm where the sign needs to feel more solid or span a bigger size, and 10 mm for freestanding displays and signs that people will lean against or knock.

Our indoor business signs are offered in 3 mm and 5 mm Foamex for that reason. Standard turnaround on Foamex boards is 3 working days to dispatch, and 2 on Express.

Outside for weeks: Correx #

Correx is fluted polypropylene, the twin-wall plastic used for estate agent boards and site signs. It shrugs off rain and is cheap enough to treat as temporary. Choose 3.5 mm for posters fixed flat to a fence or wall, and 5 mm where the board is bigger, more exposed, or cable tied at the top only. You can order it printed on one side or both, drilled at the top corners or all four corners, and profile cut to a shape.

Correx is the usual outdoor sign material for building sites, events, open days and lettings. It is less suited to a permanent shop sign: the fluted edges and a slightly less rigid face give away that it is a temporary board. Correx boards dispatch in 3 working days on Standard and 2 on Express.

Outside for years: Dibond #

When a sign has to last for years in the open, Dibond is the outdoor sign material to choose. It is aluminium composite: two thin aluminium skins with a solid core. It is flat, rigid and weatherproof, which suits shop fronts, business signs, car park rules and entrance gates. It is 3 mm thick and can be drilled, profile cut and laminated gloss or matt on one side.

What shortens the life of any outdoor sign is sun, wind and how it is fixed. A Dibond sign screwed flat to a wall at every corner will outlast the same sign cable tied to a fence that flexes in the wind. Standard turnaround for outdoor business signs on Dibond is 6 working days to dispatch.

Smooth surfaces: self-adhesive vinyl #

If the surface is glass, a painted door, a van panel or a machine casing, a board is the wrong answer. Self-adhesive vinyl goes straight onto the surface. Our custom vinyl stickers and shop window graphics use matt monomeric adhesive vinyl, in squares and circles from 300 mm up to 1000 mm, or custom sizes. Many of our safety signs can also be ordered as self-adhesive vinyl instead of board.

Vinyl needs a clean, smooth, dry surface to stick well. It will not bond properly to rough brick, render or textured plastic, so fix a board there instead. Clean the surface with a degreaser first and apply in dry weather.

Small outdoor labels: polypropylene #

For compliance and asset labels on boilers, meter boxes, outdoor air con units or plant, paper is not enough. Our trade labels come in waterproof polypropylene with a matt laminate for indoor and outdoor use, written on with a permanent marker. Read paper or polypropylene labels for the full comparison.

Choosing outdoor sign material for safety signs #

Our safety signs are made in three versions: 3 mm Foamex, 3 mm Dibond and self-adhesive vinyl. Indoors, Foamex or vinyl is usually all you need. On an outside wall, a gate or a yard where the sign must stay readable, pick Dibond. On a site hoarding for a few months, Correx site boards from the construction site signs range are made for the job.

Checks before you order outdoor sign material #

• What is the sign fixed to? A flat wall suits screws; a fence suits cable ties and drilled corners; glass suits vinyl.
• Is it seen from both sides? Correx, Foamex and Dibond can all be printed double sided for fence tops and hanging signs.
• How far away is the reader? Size matters more than material for legibility.
• Is it a permanent advert on a building? Check the government guide to outdoor advertisements and signs for when consent is needed.

Boards up to A0 ship at the normal £7.95 UK mainland rate (free on goods of £99 or more); boards larger than A0 add a £15 oversize charge once per order.

Still not sure? Send us a photo of the spot and tell us how long the sign needs to last, and we will suggest the material. Ask for a quote or call 0161 315 1151.