What Are the Benefits of Photopolymer Signs and Raster Braille Signs?
While the majority of ADA compliant signage manufactured across the industry today is made with the raster braille method (which involves drilling holes and inserting beads), there are a growing number of designers who are also calling for photopolymer signs (made by exposing ultraviolet light to a photo-sensitive sheet).
Some might wonder which of these two methods is ultimately superior. However, each is a completely acceptable means of creating ADA compliant signage, with each having its own unique advantages.
Let’s take a look at some of the specific benefits each of these methods might have over the other:
- Quick, small jobs: If you need a small shipment of signs and you need it done quickly, raster braille tends to be the best method. You are able to pay a comparatively small amount of money while still holding on to your ability to customize what you’re getting in your sign. Those same signs fabricated in the photopolymer method would potentially cost 50 percent more, because there is are certain costs for setup and materials that make it less efficient for smaller jobs.
- Surface sealant: One advantage photopolymer signs have over raster braille signs is that they include a top coat of paint that essentially seals off the sign’s entire surface. This is particularly useful in nursing homes or medical environments, where regular deep cleaning is performed.
- Braille dots: Each method is perfectly acceptable for creating braille dots on custom signage. There had once been myths that braille dots came out too flat on photopolymer signs, but this is a problem that was corrected years ago through evolving technology. A similar myth claimed the braille does on raster signs did not hold up over the course of time, but again, there is nothing to indicate this is the case.
Ultimately, the method you choose for creating your signs depends on the kind of job you have and the deadline you have for completing that job. For more information about how we create our custom photopolymer ADA signage, contact us today at Erie Custom Signs.
