At Jet Star Signs, we believe a great business sign does more than just display a name—it tells a story. It communicates your brand’s quality, stability, and attention to detail before a customer ever steps inside. But how do you get from a brilliant idea to a stunning, durable sign that elevates your property?

The secret lies in the process. Unlike off-the-shelf solutions, true quality is born from a meticulous, step-by-step sign fabrication journey. We’re pulling back the curtain to show you exactly how we transform your vision into a tangible asset you can be proud of for years to come. This is the Jet Star Signs difference.

Step 1: The Creative Conversation – Discovery & Consultation

Every masterpiece begins with a conversation. We don’t just take an order; we start a partnership. This initial stage is all about understanding the why behind your sign.

• What We Do: We sit down with you (in person or virtually) to discuss your business goals, brand identity, target audience, and the specific challenges of your location. We’ll ask questions like:
  • What feeling do you want your sign to evoke?
  • What are your visibility needs from the road?
  • Who is your ideal customer?
• Why It Matters: This deep dive ensures that the final product isn’t just a beautiful object, but a strategic tool designed for your unique success. It’s the foundation upon which everything is built. For inspiration on how signage impacts branding, the Sign Research Foundation offers fantastic insights.

Step 2: From Vision to Blueprint – Design & Engineering

Once we understand your goals, our creative team gets to work. This is where your ideas start to take a visual form.

• What We Do: Our designers use state-of-the-art software to create detailed, realistic renderings of your sign. You’ll see photorealistic mockups of exactly how it will look on your property. But we don’t stop at aesthetics. Simultaneously, our engineers are planning the how. They determine the structural integrity, select the appropriate materials, and plan for electrical components, ensuring the design is not only beautiful but also safe, durable, and compliant with local codes.
• Why It Matters: This dual approach means there are no surprises. You get to approve a visual representation of your sign and have peace of mind knowing it’s been professionally engineered to stand the test of time and the elements.

Step 3: Dotting the I’s and Crossing the T’s – Permitting & Approval

Navigating the world of municipal permits can be a labyrinth of paperwork and confusing regulations. We take this burden off your shoulders.

• What We Do: Our team handles the entire permitting process for you. We prepare and submit all necessary applications, architectural drawings, and engineering stamps to your local building department. We act as your liaison, answering any questions and moving the project forward smoothly.
• Why It Matters: This crucial step prevents costly delays and legal issues down the road. Our expertise ensures your project is approved efficiently, so we can get to the fun part: building your sign.

Step 4: The Heart of the Matter – Fabrication & Craftsmanship

This is where the magic truly happens—in our workshop. Our sign fabrication process is a blend of advanced technology and old-school craftsmanship.

• Material Selection: We source only the highest-quality materials—from heavy-gauge aluminium and stainless steel to durable acrylics and commercial-grade LEDs. The right material for the right job is non-negotiable.
• Precision Technology: We use CNC routers, laser cutters, and plasma cutters to fabricate components with microscopic precision. This ensures every letter, every bracket, and every panel is perfectly formed and consistent.
• Artisan Touch: Technology is then paired with human skill. Our craftspeople weld, weld, bend, and assemble each component. This is where a channel letter gets its perfect seams, where a monument sign gets its flawless finish, and where your sign truly comes to life. We pay obsessive attention to details that you may never see but will definitely experience through the product’s longevity and finish.

Step 5: The Final Touches – Finishing & Quality Control

A sign isn’t complete until it’s dressed for success. The finishing stage is what provides the weather resistance and stunning visual pop.

• What We Do: Components are meticulously finished through processes like:
  • Paint & Powder-Coating: We apply durable, UV-resistant coatings in any colour you can imagine, ensuring your brand colours stay vibrant for years.
  • Vinyl Application: Expert installers apply premium cast vinyl for graphics and lettering, ensuring a bubble-free, seamless finish.
  • Electrical Assembly: For illuminated signs, we carefully wire and install energy-efficient LED modules, transformers, and controllers, rigorously testing every connection.
• Why It Matters: Before your sign ever leaves our shop, it undergoes a rigorous multi-point inspection. We check for structural integrity, electrical safety, lighting consistency, and cosmetic perfection. We sign off on nothing less than excellence.

Step 6: The Grand Reveal – Professional Installation

The final step of our sign fabrication process is bringing it all together at your location. A beautifully fabricated sign deserves an equally professional installation.

• What We Do: Our certified and insured installation team arrives on time and with the right equipment for the job. We handle everything—from pouring concrete foundations for pylon signs to safely mounting heavy monument signs and wiring complex illuminated channel letters. We treat your property with respect, leaving the site clean and tidy.
• Why It Matters: Proper installation is critical for safety, performance, and warranty. Our expertise ensures your sign is level, secure, electrically sound, and positioned for maximum impact. The result is a flawless finished product, ready to go to work for your business.

Your Vision, Our Craftsmanship

As you can see, our sign fabrication process is a journey we take with you. It’s a detailed, transparent partnership built on communication, skill, and an unwavering commitment to quality. We don’t just build signs; we build confidence.

You don’t have to wonder how your sign will turn out. With Jet Star Signs, you’ll see and approve every step, resulting in a landmark that truly represents the quality of your business.

Ready to experience the difference a meticulously fabricated sign can make? Contact Jet Star Signs today for a consultation and let’s start building your brand’s most powerful asset together.

Your business sign is your most loyal employee. It works 24/7, through sun, rain, and wind, constantly promoting your brand. But what happens when this hard worker starts to get tired, damaged, or just can’t perform its job anymore?

Like any valuable asset, your sign needs occasional care. Ignoring the warning signs doesn’t just hurt your curb appeal—it can damage your reputation and even create safety hazards.

The good news is that your sign will usually tell you when it needs help. You just have to know what to look for. Let’s walk through the five most common warning signs that your business is in urgent need of professional sign repairs.

1. The Silent Treatment: Flickering or Dead Lighting

This is the most obvious cry for help. When your sign’s lights start to fail, it’s like your business is closing early in the minds of potential customers.

• What to Look For:
  • The Flicker: A few LEDs blinking inconsistently or whole sections that flicker on and off.
  • The Dark Patch: Sections of your illuminated sign that have gone completely dark, making your business name or logo hard to read.
  • The Total Blackout: The entire sign fails to light up after dusk.
• Why It’s a Problem: A dark or flickering sign screams “neglect” or “closed.” It severely reduces your visibility at night, directly impacting foot traffic and sales. It also indicates underlying electrical issues, which could be a transformer, wiring fault, or failing LED modules. The U.S. Small Business Administration notes that curb appeal directly impacts customer perception, and lighting is a huge part of that.
• The Solution: Don’t just assume it’s a single burnt-out bulb. Modern LED signs require professional diagnosis. Our team can pinpoint the exact electrical or component failure and perform the necessary sign repairs to get your brand shining brightly again.

2. The Visible Battle Scars: Physical Damage & Wear

Your sign is on the front lines, facing everything from harsh UV rays to stormy weather and the occasional stray baseball. Physical damage is more than just a cosmetic issue.

• What to Look For:
  • Cracks & Holes: In the sign face or cabinet, often from impact or weather.
  • Fading & Peeling: The colours on your sign look washed out, or the vinyl graphics are peeling away at the edges.
  • Rust & Corrosion: Especially on metal frames, channels, or fasteners.
  • Water Damage: Moisture or condensation inside an illuminated sign, which is a major electrical hazard.
• Why It’s a Problem: Physical damage makes your business look unkempt and unprofessional. It tells customers you don’t pay attention to details. Worse, structural damage (like a bent frame) can become a safety risk, especially in high-wind areas. Peeling or faded graphics simply make your sign—and by extension, your brand—look old and tired.
• The Solution: A professional assessment can determine if a simple patch-up (like re-wrapping with new vinyl) will suffice, or if a more significant repair or replacement is needed to ensure safety and restore a pristine image.

3. The Identity Crisis: Outdated Information or Branding

This warning sign is less about the sign’s physical condition and more about its message. Your sign is your number one branding tool, and if it’s telling an old story, it’s costing you business.

• What to Look For:
  • An old logo, phone number, or website URL.
  • Promoting a product, service, or slogan you no longer offer.
  • The name of a previous business (common with new tenants).
• Why It’s a Problem: An outdated sign creates confusion and frustration. A wrong phone number means lost leads. An old logo creates brand inconsistency, making your business seem disorganised. For new businesses, failing to replace the previous tenant’s sign is a massive missed opportunity.
• The Solution: This is one of the most impactful sign repairs or updates you can make. Updating your graphics, whether on a channel letter sign or a monument sign, is a cost-effective way to ensure your signage accurately and effectively represents your current brand.

4. The Unsteady Soldier: A Wobbly or Misaligned Structure

If your sign isn’t standing tall and proud, it’s a major red flag. This applies to everything from a wall sign that’s come loose to a large pylon sign that sways more than it should.

• What to Look For:
  • Visible gaps between the sign and the building.
  • A sign that visibly shakes in a gentle breeze.
  • Posts or supports that look bent or are pulling out of the ground.
• Why It’s a Problem: This is primarily a safety hazard. A loose or falling sign can cause serious injury and property damage, opening you up to significant liability. It also, once again, projects an image of neglect and instability.
• The Solution: This is not a DIY job. Structural sign repairs require professional expertise to properly assess the foundation, supports, and mounting hardware. Safety is our top priority, and we have the tools and training to secure your sign correctly and safely.

5. The Mysterious Spike: Unexplained Increase in Energy Bills

This one is a bit sneakier. If your illuminated sign is using older, inefficient technology, or has an electrical fault, it can start guzzling energy and driving up your operating costs.

• What to Look For: A gradual but noticeable increase in your monthly electricity bill that you can’t attribute to anything else, like HVAC use.
• Why It’s a Problem: Older neon or fluorescent lighting and faulty transformers are incredibly inefficient compared to modern LEDs. This hidden cost silently eats into your profits month after month.
• The Solution: An energy audit of your signage can be enlightening. Often, the best sign repair in this case is an upgrade. Retrofitting your sign with modern, energy-efficient LED lighting can drastically reduce your energy consumption, lower your bills, and provide brighter, more reliable illumination. It’s a repair that pays for itself over time.

Don’t Ignore the Warning Signs

Your business sign is a vital investment. Addressing these issues promptly with professional sign repairs protects that investment, ensures your safety, and maintains the professional image you’ve worked so hard to build.

Procrastination usually turns a simple, affordable repair into a complex, expensive one. A small leak today could lead to a catastrophic electrical short tomorrow. A little rust could become a structural failure.

Need a Professional Diagnosis?

If you’ve spotted any of these warning signs, it’s time to call in the experts. At Jet Star Signs, we don’t just install signs; we maintain and repair them with the same level of care and craftsmanship.

Don’t let a failing sign damage your business. Contact Jet Star Signs today for a comprehensive sign inspection and a clear, honest quote for any necessary sign repairs. Let’s keep your brand shining bright and standing strong.