Custom Signs
CNC Router Signs Chicago
Letters, logos and panels cut on a CNC router from aluminum, acrylic, PVC or HDU. Where a shape has to be exact, this is how it gets made.
- Cut to your vector artwork
- Metal, acrylic, PVC or HDU
- Interior or exterior finishes
- Licensed Chicago sign contractor
- Built in our own shop
- Permits and drawings handled
- One team from quote to install
The problem
Where routing earns its place
What customers tell us before we start, and what we do about it.
What usually goes wrong
- Your logo has fine detail that a printed panel flattens and a fabricated letter cannot hold.
- You want dimensional lettering without the cost and lead time of a lit channel letter set.
- The shapes have to match the brand artwork exactly, not approximately.
How SignFreaks handles it
- Cutting directly from your vector file, so the shape on the wall is the shape in the artwork.
- Solid cut letters in a range of thicknesses, finished to suit the position and mounted off the wall.
- Tolerances tight enough that layered and inlaid work lines up properly.
What you get
What we cut
The parts that matter, and why each one is specified the way it is.
Dimensional letters
Individual letters and logos in acrylic, aluminum, PVC or HDU, in thicknesses from a few millimeters upward.
Layered logos
Two or three cut layers assembled at different depths, which is how a multi-color mark gets real dimension.
Panels and inlays
Shapes cut into a panel and backed with a contrasting material, for a crisp edge that printing cannot match.
Carved HDU
V-carved or relief-cut lettering in high-density urethane, painted, for a traditional look without timber maintenance.
Fabrication parts
The routed components inside other signs — channel letter faces and backs, cabinet faces, mounting patterns.
Finishing
Painted to Pantone, brushed, polished or left as cut, depending on material and position.
Compare
Material by application
What holds up where.
| Material | Interior | Exterior | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acrylic | Excellent | Good as sign faces | Polished edges, wide color range |
| Aluminum | Excellent | Excellent | Brushed, painted or anodised |
| PVC | Good | Sheltered only | Light and economical |
| HDU | Good | Excellent when painted | Carves well, no grain, will not rot |
| Brass and stainless | Excellent | Good | Premium, heavier, more involved to fix |
Swipe to see the full table.
Approvals
Permits and what to expect
The part of the job most likely to move your timeline.
Most routed work is interior and needs no sign permit, which keeps it quick. Exterior dimensional letters on a facade are a permanent sign like any other and go through the usual approval. The practical constraint on this work is artwork: we cut from vectors, so a logo supplied as a low-resolution image has to be redrawn first. Sending the original vector file saves that step.
We handle the drawings and the filing as part of the job. There is more detail on our sign permit page.
Our work
Projects we have built
Real installations, photographed on site.
Get a real number for your cnc router signs
Send a photo, a rough size and your deadline. You get a written quote with line items, not a range and not a guess.
Who uses it
Industries we build this for
The requirements change with the building. These pages go into how.
Corporate Buildings
Learn moreHotels
Learn moreSalons
Learn more
Coverage
Where we work
The City of Chicago and more than 150 suburbs, from three by-appointment offices. Every village writes its own sign code, so we check yours before we design.
Budget
What moves the price
Roughly in the order they matter.
We do not publish price lists, because a number without your size, site and deadline attached would be fiction. Give us those three and you get a real quote.
- Material and thickness.
- The amount of cutting — intricate shapes and fine detail take longer on the machine.
- Layering, since each layer is a separate cut and an assembly step.
- Finishing: painted to Pantone costs more than a stock color or a raw finish.
- Quantity, as setup is a fixed cost spread across the run.
- Whether artwork needs redrawing into vectors before anything can be cut.
Questions
Questions we get asked
Call (872) 250-4743, Monday to Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.
Questions we get asked
What artwork do you need?
A vector file — AI, EPS, PDF or SVG — with the text converted to outlines. A JPG or PNG cannot be cut from directly; we can redraw it, but that is extra work and the result is our interpretation of your logo rather than your logo.
How thick can you cut?
It varies by material, and thicker stock takes more passes and more time. For most signage the useful range is a few millimeters to around an inch; beyond that, stacking cut layers is usually better than machining a thicker block.
Can you cut metal?
Yes — aluminum routinely, and brass and stainless for premium interior work. Metal cuts more slowly than plastic and the edge finishing is a bigger part of the job, which is reflected in the cost.
Is routed the same as laser cut?
No. Routing cuts mechanically and suits thicker material and metal; lasers cut acrylic with a polished edge and handle very fine detail better. We use the one that suits the material and the detail, and will say which we are proposing.
Can routed letters go outside?
Yes, given the right material and finish. Aluminum and painted HDU are both good outdoors for years. PVC is best kept sheltered, and unprotected acrylic letters will weather over time.
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