A lightbox sign is a shallow enclosed box with a translucent face and LED lighting inside, so the whole panel, or just lettering routed into it, glows evenly at night.
Few signs work as hard for a business that trades after dark as a lightbox. Takeaways, convenience stores, pharmacies and barbers use them because the whole face lights up, logos and photos included, while the box hides the electrics. Modern LED boxes are far slimmer than the deep fluorescent cabinets of the past, and use a fraction of the power.
You don't always need a new box. If the frame is sound, a fresh face can change your branding for much less than a new sign, and old fluorescent tubes can be swapped for LED modules. This guide explains face types, box depth and fixing, when a replacement face makes sense, what retrofitting achieves and how consent applies to lit boxes.
What kinds of lightbox face are there?
The face decides both the look and the budget. A printed flex face is a tough, flexible sheet tensioned inside the frame; it spans long boxes without joins and is easy to replace. A rigid acrylic face, printed or covered in vinyl, gives crisp colour, but long boxes need joins where sheets meet.
For a smarter night-time look, the face can be painted aluminium with the lettering routed out. Thick acrylic letters push through and stand slightly proud, or an opal sheet sits behind the cut-outs. Only the lettering and logo glow; the rest of the face stays dark.
- Printed flex: long spans, easy to refresh
- Printed acrylic: sharp colour, rigid face
- Push-through: lettering glows and stands proud
- Opal-backed face: flatter, lower-cost lit lettering
How is a slim LED lightbox fixed?
Slimline LED boxes are often 100–150 mm deep, where older fluorescent cabinets were commonly 200 mm or more. LEDs sit on the back tray or around the edges, with the depth set so light spreads evenly across the face. Double-sided and very large boxes are usually a little deeper.
The frame is an aluminium extrusion with a removable face or hinged edge, so the LEDs and driver can be reached later. Boxes are fixed to a sound fascia or wall with brackets or rails and stainless steel fixings, with drainage holes along the bottom and a cable entry behind.
- Check the fascia can carry the box's weight
- Plan driver access before the box goes up
- Allow a cable route through the wall behind
Can you just replace the face?
Often, yes, and it costs far less than a new sign when you rebrand. If the frame is straight, watertight and free of serious corrosion, a new face is cut to the exact aperture and fitted into the existing channel or tension system. The lighting can be checked while the face is off.
It doesn't suit every box. Badly corroded frames, cracked extrusions or boxes letting in water are better replaced, and very old cabinets may need adapting to take a modern face. A survey checks the frame, fixings and lighting together, so the price covers everything needed.
- Measure the visible face and overall box
- Photograph the frame edges and any rust
- Note whether the face slides, clips or tensions
Is an LED conversion worthwhile?
In most cases, yes, if the box is sound. LED modules draw much less power than fluorescent tubes, need no starters or ballasts, and avoid the flicker and dark ends of ageing tubes. Replacement fluorescent tubes are also getting harder to buy.
A conversion strips out the tubes, holders, starters and ballasts and fits LED modules and a new driver across the back of the box. Layout matters: modules spaced to suit the box depth give an even face, while strips copied from the old tube positions can leave bands of light. Conversions are quoted after a look inside the box.
- Lower running cost and less heat in the box
- Fewer call-outs for tubes and starters
- More even light across the face
What makes a lightbox readable at night?
Keep the message short and the contrast high. A name, a short line about what you do and perhaps a phone number is plenty; people passing on foot or by car won't read a menu. Dark lettering on a light face, or light lettering on a dark one, reads further than mid-tones.
White backgrounds put the most light into the street and can glare at night, which is why many shops choose a coloured or dark face with lit lettering. That also gives off less light overall, which can help in sensitive streets. Brightness can be set at the driver to suit the location.
- Lettering sized for the viewing distance
- No more than two typefaces
- High contrast between lettering and background
Options and finishes
Printed flex face
Joint-free over long spans and simple to re-print later.
Routed push-through face
Only the lettering glows, standing slightly proud of the face.
Double-sided box
Lit on both faces, for gable ends, canopies or posts.
Shaped lightbox
Made to a logo or roundel outline instead of a rectangle.
Replacement face
A new face cut to fit a sound existing box.
How much do lightbox signs cost?
Guide prices: £1,250–£2,650 + VAT for a box up to 3 m with a printed face, and £2,450–£4,800 + VAT for a 3–5 m box with push-through letters. A replacement face is a guide £295–£950 + VAT. Prices exclude VAT and are confirmed after survey.
Length and face type drive most of the price; shaped or double-sided boxes, old-cabinet removal, fascia repairs, access equipment and consent drawings add to it.
| Item | Guide, ex VAT | Inc. VAT (20%) |
|---|---|---|
| Lightbox up to 3 m, printed face | £1,250 – £2,650 | £1,500 – £3,180 |
| Lightbox 3–5 m, routed and push-through letters | £2,450 – £4,800 | £2,940 – £5,760 |
| Replacement face for an existing lightbox | £295 – £950 | £354 – £1,140 |
Guide prices exclude VAT and are confirmed after survey or artwork check. Basis: slimline LED lightbox up to about 5 m, printed face or routed letters.
Permission and rules
In England, an internally lit box gets only limited deemed consent, and none in conservation areas, National Parks, National Landscapes, the Broads or areas of special control, so most fascia lightboxes need express consent. Brightness is commonly judged against the ILP's PLG05 guidance; keep the face steadily lit, not flashing. Decisions usually take up to 8 weeks and consent normally lasts 5 years; if you're re-facing an older box, ask whether a fresh application is needed. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own regulations. We can prepare the drawings and photos, or submit the application for you.
Specification at a glance
| Typical size | Up to about 5 m long; often 100–150 mm deep |
|---|---|
| Materials | Aluminium extrusion frame, flex or opal acrylic face, LED modules |
| Typical lifespan | LEDs often manufacturer-rated around 50,000 hours; prints fade sooner |
| Typical lead time | typically 2–4 weeks after proof approval, plus consent |
| Fixing / installation | Brackets or rails on a sound fascia; stainless fixings |
| Consent | Express consent usually needed for a lit fascia box |
Before you ask for a quote
- Measure the box or fascia: length, height, depth.
- Photograph the box straight on and from below.
- Decide: fully lit face, or lettering only.
- Note how the box is switched now.
- Send your logo and artwork as vector files.