At Design Office, we design and install bespoke illuminated signs for businesses across Crewe, Nantwich, Middlewich, Chester and the wider Cheshire area. As a small, family run illuminated sign company, everything we design and install is built around what actually works for your location, not a one size fits all solution.
Illuminated signs in Cheshire give your business a clear, professional presence both day and night. Because the lighting is built into the sign itself, LED illuminated signage creates a much cleaner and more reliable finish than relying on external lights, and it means your sign is doing its job even when you're closed.
What We Mean by Illuminated Signs
When we talk about illuminated signs, we're really talking about professionally designed LED signage that's built to be seen properly. That might be lettering that lights up from the front so it's easy to read from a distance, or individual letters that glow softly from behind to give a more subtle, high end look.
Most of the illuminated signs we install across Cheshire use LED lighting. It's bright, energy efficient and long lasting, which means lower running costs and less maintenance over time. As experienced illuminated sign makers, we usually work with materials like acrylic, fabricated aluminium and aluminium composite, as these are the best and most cost-effective materials for illuminated commercial signage.
The end result isn't just a nicer looking sign, it's an illuminated business sign that people actually notice, remember and can find without hesitation.

Types Of Illuminated Signage
Front Lit Lettering
Front lit lettering is one of the most popular illuminated signage options in Cheshire, including Crewe, Nantwich, Chester, Wilmslow and Macclesfield. These front illuminated signs use LED modules housed within each letter to illuminate the face, creating excellent visibility both day and night.
Typically manufactured from acrylic or aluminium, front lit letters are clean, modern and highly legible, making them ideal for illuminated shop signs, offices, retail units and industrial premises. Front lit LED signs are energy efficient, long lasting and can be fully customised in terms of size, font, colour and branding to suit your business.
Back / Halo Lit Lettering
Back lit lettering, also known as halo lit signage, offers a more premium and architectural finish and is widely used by professional businesses throughout Cheshire and the North West. LEDs are positioned behind each individual letter, projecting a soft glow onto the wall or fascia behind to create a subtle halo effect.
This style of illuminated sign in Cheshire is particularly popular in locations such as Chester, Knutsford, Alderley Edge and Wilmslow, where a high end appearance is important. Halo lit signs are perfect for offices, hotels, restaurants and corporate buildings looking for understated LED illumination with strong visual impact.
Illuminated Tray Signs (Fret Cut or 3D Lettering)
Illuminated tray signs are a highly versatile LED signage solution for businesses across Cheshire, from Crewe and Winsford to Northwich and Sandbach. Manufactured from folded aluminium, tray signs can be fret cut to allow light to shine through the lettering, or used as a solid background with illuminated 3D lettering mounted onto the face.
Internal LED illumination provides even, bright lighting, making illuminated tray signs ideal for large shopfronts, retail parks and commercial units. This type of illuminated signage offers excellent branding space while remaining durable, weather resistant and cost effective.
Illuminated Flex Face Signs
Illuminated flex face signs are ideal for businesses that require large, highly visible illuminated signage across Cheshire and surrounding areas. These signs consist of a robust aluminium frame with a stretched PVC graphic face, illuminated evenly from behind using LED panels.
Commonly used for supermarkets, gyms, warehouses and roadside signage in towns such as Chester, Crewe, Middlewich and Ellesmere Port, illuminated flex face signs provide excellent night time visibility across wide distances. They are perfect for bold branding, logos and messaging, offering a clean, professional appearance with uniform LED illumination across the entire sign face.


Where Illuminated Signs Make the Most Difference
Illuminated signs for shopfronts and building fascias are especially effective on busy streets in places like Crewe or Chester, where you're competing with a lot of visual noise. Once the light starts to fade, an illuminated business sign immediately sets your premises apart.
They're just as effective indoors too. We regularly install indoor illuminated signs in reception areas, offices, gyms, bars and restaurants, where they help create a strong first impression and give the space a finished, professional feel. Illuminated signage is also a great option for feature walls, events and exhibitions where branding needs to stand out without being overpowering.
Every location is different, which is why we always take the time to assess where your illuminated signage in Cheshire will be installed and how it will be seen before recommending a solution.
How We Design and Build Your Sign
We don't work from templates. Every bespoke illuminated sign we make in Cheshire is designed around your business, your building and your budget.
We start with a free site visit so we can see things for ourselves, how far away the sign needs to be visible from, what the surrounding light levels are like, and what will actually look right on your building. From there, we design an LED illuminated sign that fits naturally, rather than something that feels added on as an afterthought.
All of our illuminated signage is made using reliable LED systems and quality materials, and anything going outdoors is built to cope with British weather conditions. If you already have artwork or a clear idea of what you want, we're happy to work from that too, or refine it so it performs properly in the real world.
Planning and Installation Across Cheshire
Some illuminated signs in Cheshire require planning permission, others don't. It depends on the size, location and local authority. We'll always be honest about what's required and can provide drawings or technical details if you need to apply.
Once everything's agreed, we take care of manufacturing and illuminated sign installation across Cheshire. Our team works around your opening hours where possible to keep disruption to a minimum.
A Family Run Business, Not a Sign Factory
Design Office has been designing and installing illuminated signage in Cheshire for over 30 years. We're a family-run illuminated sign company, and that shows in how we work, straightforward advice, realistic timescales and signs that are made properly, not rushed out.
You'll deal with the same people from the first conversation through to installation, and we're always around afterwards if you need updates, changes or advice down the line.
If You Already Know What You're Looking For
If you're searching specifically for illuminated signs in Cheshire and already have a good idea of what you want – front lit, back lit, indoor or outdoor – we can move things along quickly. As experienced illuminated sign makers, we're happy to work from existing drawings, brand guidelines or previous signage and make sure the final result looks right and lasts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Looking for Illuminated Signs in Cheshire?
If you want an illuminated sign in Cheshire that helps people find you, recognise you and remember you, we'd be happy to help.
Get in touch with Design Office for a free site visit anywhere in Cheshire, and we'll talk through what will work best for your business – honestly, clearly and without pressure.

