Choosing from different surfaces to get the best results with metal outdoor signs
When businesses need metal outdoor signs that can handle Chicago weather, serve diverse communities in multiple languages, and arrive ready in two weeks, they can trust Chicago Signs to deliver. Our friends at Just Roots Chicago came to us when they needed a complete outdoor signage system for their “It Takes A Village” Community Farm. We produced 35+ custom aluminum composite signs and six grommeted Coroplast signs. Aluminum signs are versatile and suitable for various applications, including indoor and outdoor settings such as offices, streets, and reception areas.
Custom Metal Signs Built for Real Conditions
Aluminum Composite Panel signs are built to last. They don’t rust, rot, warp, or fade under harsh weather conditions. Rain, snow, UV rays, and temperature swings are what Chicago delivers year-round, and aluminum signage holds up through all of it without deteriorating. With proper care and placement, well-made aluminum signs can last between 10 and 15 years, which makes them the right call for any organization that needs outdoor signage to stay sharp over the long term.
Beyond durability, metal outdoor signs also communicate something before anyone reads a word. A premium-quality aluminum sign conveys reliability and established presence. For a community organization like Just Roots, that matters — the signs needed to represent the farm professionally and hold up through seasons of outdoor use.
Custom Aluminum Signs for a Community Farm System
Just Roots operates the It Takes A Village Community Farm across multiple Chicago neighborhood locations. Each location needed its own signage — farm titles, area identification, community outreach, and directional signs — and all of it needed to work cohesively as a system.
That’s the kind of project where material selection and production organization matter as much as print quality. As a result, we built the package around two options: aluminum composite signage and Coroplast, each chosen for a specific purpose.
JBond Aluminum Composite Signs for Permanent Outdoor Installation
JBond is an aluminum composite panel — a smooth aluminum face bonded to a polyethylene core. Its flat surface and reinforced core make it rigid, stable, and built for permanent outdoor use. Unlike a standard aluminum sign, aluminum composite panels don’t flex or bend, making them a sturdy choice for businesses, park districts, and other organizations.
For the farm title signs and area identification signs, JBond was the right material. These signs go up once and need to stay sharp for years. We can produce them in various shapes — square, rectangular, rounded corners, and custom outlines using CNC routers for precision cutting. In other words, a custom cut can turn your sign into virtually any shape you need. We can also drill holes to prep for installation.
We print your design directly onto the aluminum surface using high-quality UV printing, which delivers vibrant color and accurate color matching. The result is a professional look that holds up under outdoor conditions without peeling, bubbling, or fading.
Installation options for JBond signs vary between indoor and outdoor uses. For indoor use, we recommend installing aluminum signs with standoffs — drill holes into the wall, insert anchors, then attach the sign using spacers and caps. For outdoor use, standoffs also work well, but for more versatile applications like fence mounting, zip ties threaded through pre-drilled holes offer a secure and flexible alternative.
Coroplast Signs for Directional and Community Engagement Use
For the “Get Involved” community information signs, Coroplast was the practical choice. Coroplast is a 4mm corrugated plastic substrate — lightweight, weather-resistant, and finished with grommets for easy mounting. It doesn’t offer the same permanence as aluminum composite, but it handles outdoor use well and gives organizations a cost-effective option for semi-permanent signage.
The finished Coroplast signs were easy to hang and reposition as needed across farm locations.
Multi-lingual design ideas that stand out
The Just Roots package required English, Spanish, and Chinese product configurations. Multilingual production adds complexity at every stage, so having the right team behind it matters. CSSP’s seasoned sales reps make what could be a stressful process with other providers run as smoothly as possible. As a result, signs reached multiple Chicago neighborhoods serving diverse communities, and everything was ready by the April 1 deadline.
Custom Dibond Signs (JBond) and Aluminum Signage Options for Any Organization
The Just Roots project demonstrates what aluminum composite outdoor signs can do for community organizations, parks, nonprofits, and businesses that need durable, professional metal outdoor signs across multiple locations. However, the same production capability applies to any organization that needs outdoor signs built to last.
These signs work well for real estate signs, directional signage, regulatory signs, business identification, and more. They mount easily using standoffs, zip ties, or other hardware, depending on the installation. Aluminum is rust-proof and corrosion-resistant, making it an ideal choice for both indoor and outdoor uses where long-term durability matters. Furthermore, most metals used in signage — including aluminum — are 100% recyclable, which makes them an environmentally responsible choice in addition to a durable one.
If you need custom metal signs, a multilingual signage package, or a multi-format order delivered on a firm deadline, contact us to discuss your project.
Coroplast, and Custom Aluminum — What’s Right for Your Project
Not every outdoor sign needs to last 15 years, and not every project calls for a single material. The right answer depends on how long the sign needs to last, where it’s going, and what the budget allows.
JBond aluminum composite is the premium metal outdoor sign option — rigid, weather-resistant, and built for permanent installation. It’s available in double-sided printing for increased visibility from both directions, making it practical for freestanding or post-mounted applications. Coroplast, on the other hand, is the right call when you need professional outdoor signs at a lower cost per unit, particularly for directional signs or seasonal outreach materials.
Both materials come in custom sizes, custom shapes, and multiple configurations. We’ll help you figure out which substrate makes sense for each sign in your order. Contact us to get a custom quote, and we’ll walk through the options with you.
5-star printing in the 4-star city. Hundreds of happy customers agree — see what they’re saying and join them. Check out our reviews.
FAQ — Custom Aluminum Signs and Coroplast Signs
- How long do custom aluminum signs last outdoors?
- Aluminum composite signs are the perfect metal outdoor sign solution. They are rust-resistant and designed to hold up through harsh weather conditions, including rain, snow, UV exposure, and temperature extremes. With proper care and placement, a well-made aluminum composite sign can last a minimum of five years, and often 10 to 15 years, without significant deterioration. For outdoor signs, high-contrast colors and simple, legible fonts improve readability from a distance.
- What’s the difference between JBond aluminum composite and standard aluminum signs?
- JBond is an aluminum composite panel — a smooth aluminum face bonded to a polyethylene core. The reinforced core adds rigidity and makes it more stable for larger-format signs than a flat aluminum sheet of comparable thickness. Aluminum composite signs are available in multiple thicknesses, typically ranging from 3mm to 6mm. Standard aluminum signs are typically 0.040 to 0.080 inches thick and are better suited to smaller signs or applications where a lighter panel is appropriate. Both are rust-proof and weather-resistant.
- Can aluminum signs be printed on both sides?
- Yes, you can get double-sided aluminum signs. This makes them practical for post-mounted or freestanding applications where the sign needs to be readable from multiple directions. Single-sided printing is standard for wall-mounted or fence-mounted signs. Contact us to confirm the right configuration for your installation.
- What finishing options are available for custom aluminum signs?
- Options include drilling holes or selecting drilled holes for mounting hardware, rounded corners, sharp corners, and contour cutting for custom shapes. Standard and popular sizes, and custom sizes are available on every order. We can accommodate all design ideas and mounting requirements.
- Do you produce aluminum signs for nonprofits and community organizations?
- Yes. The Just Roots project is a good example — a multilingual, multi-format sign package produced for a nonprofit community farm on a two-week turnaround. We work with nonprofits, parks, schools, churches, city programs, and community organizations across Chicago. The process is the same regardless of organization type.
