Questions sign makers ask
Straight answers on buying, the machines, files and materials, what happens after you buy, finance, the showroom and the rules. If yours isn't here, ask the team in London.
Not answered here?
— 01Buying
Getting a price, and what comes with it.
How much does a channel letter 3D printer cost?
Ask us for a price: it depends on the machine and the bed size (800 × 800 or 1200 × 1200 mm). Send the enquiry form, ring 0203 620 1605, WhatsApp 07970 907010 or email sales@sg3dprinters.com, and we'll come back within 1 working day.
What's included in the price?
Every SG letter printer comes with its maintenance tools, all essential parts and wiring, the INC slicing software and on-site training at your workshop in the UK*. We arrange delivery in the UK. 2-year warranty*. *Conditions apply, ask us for the terms.
How does it compare with buying letters in?
Bought in from a UK trade fabricator, a face-lit built-up letter costs about £57 at 300 mm, £97 at 500 mm and £117 at 600 mm + VAT, and takes 7–10 working days. Those are typical UK trade prices for fabricated letters (five-letter job, checked 25 September 2026). Printed in your own workshop there is no minimum order, and the machine can print overnight, unattended. Bring a job you're quoting to a demo and we'll work through the cost with your numbers.
Will a letter printer pay for itself?
It depends on how many letters you make and what you pay to buy them in today. Bring a job you're quoting to a demo and we'll work it through with your own numbers.
Why buy from you rather than direct from a factory abroad?
Because you get everything around the machine here in the UK: the printers are assembled in the UK, on-site training is included*, spares are stocked in London, and there's a team to ring and a showroom to see one run. There's a 2-year warranty* and finance options are available for businesses. *Conditions apply, ask us for the terms.
I need letters for my shop, not a machine. Can you help?
Yes: Sign Group, the London sign company we're part of, makes and fits them.
— 02The machines
Six letter printers, two bed sizes.
What is a channel letter 3D printer?
A channel letter 3D printer is a large-format 3D printer made for sign work: it prints the body of a built-up letter, and the face if you want it, straight from your artwork. The returns are never cut, bent or welded.
Which letter printers do you sell?
Six, each with an 800 × 800 mm or a 1200 × 1200 mm bed: three models, each followed by its Pro version. The SG-S 3D ULTRA is the entry machine, with three colours and returns up to 100 mm; the PRO ULTRA adds liquid acrylic UV curing. The SG-S 3D L1S prints returns up to 130 mm in three colours and the SG-S 3D L2S in four, both with a recommended speed of up to 300 mm/s and a filament drier; the L1S PRO and the L2S PRO add UV curing, on a closed cabinet.
Which one should I choose?
Choose by how deep your returns go, how many colours you need and how you make your faces. If your returns are rarely deeper than 100 mm and three colours will do, the ULTRA, our entry machine, does the job for less; for liquid acrylic faces cured on the machine, the PRO ULTRA. For returns up to 130 mm, take the L1S in three colours or the L2S in four, each with a Pro version that adds UV curing. Book a demo and we'll help you pick the right machine, not the most expensive one.
Which machine has UV curing?
The three Pro models: the SG-S 3D PRO ULTRA, the SG-S 3D L1S PRO and the SG-S 3D L2S PRO. The catalogue gives the PRO ULTRA liquid acrylic UV curing, single or double layer. Every letter printer prints the face in the same run, and takes sheet acrylic or an infinity mirror fitted after the print.
How big can a letter be?
Up to the bed, 800 × 800 mm or 1200 × 1200 mm, with returns up to 100 mm deep on the ULTRA and PRO ULTRA and up to 130 mm on the L1S and L2S models. Bigger letters and logos are printed in sections and joined.
Are the printers assembled in the UK?
Yes: our letter printers are assembled in the UK, and the training, spares and support come from our team in London.
Will it fit through my door?
Check the packed size on the machine's page: the ULTRA with the 800 mm bed, for example, is packed at 1390 × 1340 × 870 mm. Not sure? Send us a photo of your doorway and we'll check.
What power does a letter printer need?
Our letter printers are rated at 720 W, on 110 or 220 V at 50–60 Hz.
Do you sell a bigger printer for sculpture work?
Yes: four sculpture 3D printers, with build volumes from 500 × 500 × 600 mm to 1000 × 1000 × 1050 mm. The SG-T1 100 and the SG-T1 60 print four colours in one print, with a built-in filament drier. Ask us for a price.
— 03Files and printing
From your artwork to a letter.
Do I need 3D design skills?
No: if you can draw it in CorelDRAW, you can print it. CDR or DXF in, one click in the INC software, no 3D modelling, and on-site training is included*.
Which files does it take?
CDR or DXF on the ULTRA and PRO ULTRA, and CDR, DXF or STL on the L1S and L2S models. From Illustrator, export a DXF.
Which software comes with it?
INC, the slicing software included with every letter printer: it turns your outline into a 3D letter in one click and shows a 3D view before you print. It runs on Windows 7 or later, 64-bit.
How many colours can it print?
Up to three colours in one print, and up to four on the L2S and L2S PRO.
Can it run overnight?
Yes: it can run overnight, unattended. If the power drops it carries on where it left off, and it detects a broken filament and stops.
What kinds of lit letter can I make?
Face-lit, halo, side-lit, RGB colour-changing and infinity-mirror letters, as well as unlit ones. The printer makes the body and, if you want it, the face; you fit the LEDs.
Can it replace making letters by hand?
For most built-up letter work, yes: the printer makes the returns, and the face if you want it, so there's no cutting, bending or welding. You fit the LEDs and fix the letters as you would any built-up letter.
— 04Materials and outdoors
One filament, four faces.
Which filament do the letter printers use?
HFPC, the letter filament we supply for the SG-S range. It is a modified polycarbonate and PETG blend.
Will printed letters last outdoors?
They're printed in HFPC, which is rated from −40 °C to 65 °C and resists UV and oxidation. It is a modified polycarbonate and PETG blend, made for illuminated signs.
Which faces can I make?
Four kinds: printed in the same run as the returns; liquid acrylic, UV-cured on the Pro models (the SG-S 3D PRO ULTRA, L1S PRO and L2S PRO); sheet acrylic, fitted after the print; and infinity mirror.
Do you sell a filament drier?
Yes: the Filament Drier, which dries up to 10 large rolls; ask us for a price. The L1S and L2S models have a filament drier on the machine.
— 05After you buy
Delivery, training, support and spares.
Do you deliver?
Yes: we arrange delivery to your workshop in the UK.
Is training included?
Yes: on-site training in the UK is included with every machine*. We come to your workshop and get your team printing.
What happens if it breaks?
Ring or WhatsApp our London team: spare parts are stocked locally, so a fault doesn't wait on overseas shipping. 2-year warranty*. *Conditions apply, ask us for the terms.
How do I reach support?
Ring our London team on 0203 620 1605 or WhatsApp 07970 907010. Tell us which machine you have and what it's doing; a photo or a short clip helps.
Is there a warranty?
Yes: a 2-year warranty*. *Conditions apply, ask us for the terms. This does not affect your statutory rights.
— 06Finance
Finance and tax.
Is finance available?
Finance options available for businesses. Ask us.
Can I claim the machine against tax?
Usually: plant and machinery bought for a business normally qualifies for capital allowances, such as the Annual Investment Allowance. How it applies depends on your business, so check with your accountant.
— 07The showroom and demos
See one print before you buy.
Can I see one before I buy?
Yes: book a demo at our showroom in Edgware, north London. Visits are by appointment, so tell us a day and time that suits you and we'll confirm it.
Where is your showroom in London?
At 17 Burnt Oak Broadway, Edgware, London HA8 5LD, a short walk from Burnt Oak station on the Northern line.
What happens at a demo?
You see a machine print, and we take you through the workflow end to end: your CorelDRAW or DXF file, slicing in INC, the 3D view, the print. Bring a job you're quoting and we'll work through the cost with your numbers, and help you pick the right machine, not the most expensive one.
I can't get to Edgware. Can I still see one?
Demos are at our showroom in Edgware. If that's hard for you, tell us what suits you.
— 08Rules and safety
Lit signs and the rules.
Are printed illuminated letters legal on a building?
Yes, with the right LEDs, wiring and consent: in the UK the letter body itself needs no certification. Use SELV (12 or 24 V) LED modules with a UKCA or CE-marked driver, have them wired to BS 7671 by a competent electrician, build and fix to BS 559-1:2023, and check advertisement consent. This is a summary, not legal advice.
Do I need advertisement consent for a lit sign?
Often not. In England, Class 4B deemed consent covers many illuminated signs on business premises, within limits on letter size, height on the building and brightness. It does not cover conservation areas, National Parks, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty or the Broads. Check with your local planning authority. This is a summary, not legal advice.
Do printed letters need UL listing?
No: UL listing is a US requirement. In the UK the letter body itself needs no certification; what matters is the LED system, the wiring and the fixing.
Talk to us
Ask us anything else.
Book a demo, ask for a price or put your own question to the team in London. We'll be in touch within 1 working day.
- Showroom in Edgware
- On-site training included*
- Support and spares from London
- Real letters from our machines
- Call0203 620 1605
- WhatsApp07970 907010
- Emailsales@sg3dprinters.com
- Showroom17 Burnt Oak Broadway, Edgware, London HA8 5LD, by appointment