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Signs

A-Frame Signs

An A-frame sign is a folding two-sided stand that sits on the sidewalk with a printed insert on each face, read by people walking past from either direction. Restaurants, cafes, shops, salons, real estate agents and event organisers use them for today's special, opening hours, an open house or the way to the entrance. Tell us the frame type, the insert size and whether you need frames, inserts or both, send your artwork, and you receive a quote with a digital proof at final size before printing.

Best forRestaurant and cafe specialsRetail sales and store hoursReal estate open housesSalon and clinic walk-ins

Two printed inserts, seen from both directions
Moulded plastic frame with a fillable base, or aluminum frame
Inserts swap out when the message changes

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Size, quantity and email. We reply with pricing and options.

Ships to the USA and CanadaProof before printNo obligation

Specifications

Size	24 x 36 in inserts in the standard plastic frame; 18 x 24 in and other sizes in aluminum frames
Material	Inserts on 4 mm corrugated plastic for sidewalks or on rigid PVC for a smoother face; your quote states the insert sheet
Printing	Full-colour, UV-resistant inks on each insert
Hardware	Moulded plastic frame with a hollow base for sand or water, or an aluminum snap or slide-in frame; frames and inserts quoted separately
Sides	Two inserts, one per face, with the same or different artwork
Proof	Digital proof at final size, showing the area hidden by the frame lip, before printing

Popular sizes

24 x 36 in inserts (plastic frame)
18 x 24 in inserts
Plastic frame about 25 x 45 in overall

Any other size is printed to order; put yours in the quote.

Ordering

Minimum order: Stated on your quote; none is assumed
Lead time: Confirmed with your quote before you approve
Proof: Digital proof at the final size before anything prints
Artwork: What to send and how
Ships to: USA and Canada

Popular uses

Restaurant and cafe specials
Retail sales and store hours
Real estate open houses
Salon and clinic walk-ins
Event entrances and wayfinding
Church and school welcome signs

Frames, inserts and where to put an A-frame

An A-frame is two hinged panels that open into an A and fold flat to carry inside at closing time. The printed part is the insert: a sheet of corrugated plastic or rigid PVC printed with UV-resistant inks and cut to slide behind the lip of the frame or snap into its edges. Because the frame and the inserts are separate pieces, a shop buys the frame once and reprints the inserts whenever the offer changes.

The standard plastic sidewalk frame takes a 24 x 36 in insert, which is large enough for a headline, three or four lines and a logo read from 20 ft away. Smaller aluminum frames with 18 x 24 in inserts suit a doorway or a counter. Choose the plastic frame for outdoor use, because its base fills with sand or water; choose aluminum for indoor or sheltered spots where a lighter, slimmer frame looks right.

Put the sign where foot traffic naturally slows: beside the door, at the corner, at the edge of a patio. Angle it so each face catches people walking in one direction. Fill the base before the first windy day, bring the frame in overnight and after closing, and check the municipal rules on sidewalk signs, since many towns limit how far a sign can stand from the building line.

Plastic frames live outdoors for years; the inserts are the consumable, fading slowly in sun and picking up scuffs from being carried in and out. Corrugated plastic stays usable for a season or more, PVC longer in a sheltered spot. Keep a second set of inserts for the next promotion, and each set is proofed at final size with the hidden margin marked so the headline never sits under the frame.

Make it yours

Options for a-frame signs

Plastic sidewalk frame

A moulded plastic A-frame, about 25 in wide and 45 in tall, holds a 24 x 36 in insert on each side behind a lip and has a hollow base that is filled with sand or water so it stays put in wind. It is the frame most restaurants and shops use outdoors.

Aluminum frame

An aluminum A-frame with snap-open edges or a slide-in slot holds a thinner insert and looks tidier indoors, in a lobby or at a hotel entrance. It is lighter and folds flat, so it needs a sheltered spot or a weight outdoors.

Insert material

Corrugated plastic inserts are light, weatherproof and the usual choice for sidewalks. Rigid PVC gives a smooth, flat face for photographs and fine type. Ask for a dry-erase laminate on one insert if staff will handwrite the special each day.

Inserts only

If you already own frames, order inserts alone. Send the frame type and the visible insert size, and the new inserts are cut to fit and proofed with the frame lip marked so no text sits under it.

How ordering works: quote, digital proof, print, then delivery to the USA or Canada. Nothing prints until you approve the proof.

FAQ

A-Frame Signs: questions answered

Still unsure? Ask a printing specialist.

What is an A-frame sign used for in a business?

To catch people already walking past: a restaurant's daily special, a shop's sale, a salon's walk-in hours, a sign pointing to an open house or an event entrance. It stands on the sidewalk at the point where someone decides to come in.

Can I change the inserts on an A-frame sign?

Yes. The inserts slide out from behind the frame lip or snap out of an aluminum frame in a few seconds. Many businesses keep two or three sets printed for different promotions and swap them through the week.

Will an A-frame sign blow over?

A plastic sidewalk frame has a hollow base that is filled with sand or water, which keeps it standing in everyday wind. Aluminum frames are lighter and need a sheltered spot or a weight. Bring any A-frame in during storms.

What size are A-frame sign inserts?

24 x 36 in is the standard insert for the moulded plastic sidewalk frame, which measures about 25 x 45 in overall. Aluminum frames commonly take 18 x 24 in or 24 x 36 in inserts. The proof at final size shows the margin hidden by the frame.

Can I order just the inserts, or just the frame?

Either. Frames and inserts are quoted as separate lines, so you can buy a frame with its first pair of inserts, inserts alone for frames you already own, or a frame on its own to use with signs you print later.

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