Raceway: A metal structure enclosing the electric components of a sign.
Retainer: The portion of the edge of a cabinet that holds the translucent face in a sign cabinet.The projecting rim around a face that holds it in place.
Reverse channel letter: Channel letters which have face and sides, but no back and are pegged out
from a background surface. When the light source inside the letter is lit, it produces a halo effect
around the letter.
Routing: Elimination of material in a substrate or cutting of shapes and letters.
Setback: The distance measured from the line of travel to the center of the sign.
Spacers: A device used to extend signs or letters from the background.
Substrate: The material of which the face is made (also known as the background).
Supports (stand-offs): Insulators that support a neon tube, as well as hold it away from the
background surface and provide some impact resistance.
Thermoforming: Taking a flat sheet of material and giving it dimension by heating and then forcing
it into a mold either mechanically or pneumatically. Pan-forming.
Transformer: The mechanical or electrical component that transforms the voltage coming into the
sign (the primary voltage) into a higher or lower voltage (the secondary voltage) necessary to run
neon or LED's.
Translucent: The property of a material to allow the passage of some light through it without being
transparent.
Variance: A method where a governing body deviates from the terms of its sign or zoning code.
Vectorization: A Function of tracing around a bitmap image to create an outline comprised of line
segments or vectors.
Vinyl: Polyvinylchloride (PVC) film that, in signmaking, is backed with an adhesive that will create
a strong bond to a surface when pressure is applied.
Wall sign: A sign painted on a wall, or a flat sign mounted to a wall or Fascia.