Fascia options and what they cost to run
Most Glasgow shopfronts land on one of three specifications: a flat printed or vinyl-applied fascia panel, built-up letters fixed to the fascia, or illuminated built-up letters with LED modules behind or within them.
Flat panels are the cheapest to produce and the quickest to change when a brand refreshes. Built-up letters cost more but read as a permanent fit-out and hold their value on a longer lease. Illumination adds a power supply, a transformer position and a maintenance path, so it is worth deciding early rather than retro-fitting.
Advertisement consent and listed buildings
Many signs in Scotland need advertisement consent from the local authority, and internally illuminated signage almost always does. Glasgow City Council, South Lanarkshire and Renfrewshire each publish their own guidance, and conservation areas carry tighter rules on materials, projection and illumination.
If the building is listed, listed building consent may be required in addition to advertisement consent. That usually pushes the design toward hand-finished or externally lit lettering rather than illuminated acrylic. Factor several weeks into the programme for determination.
Window graphics alongside the fascia
The fascia gets you noticed; the glazing converts. Frosted bands at desk height give privacy without closing the unit off, cut vinyl carries opening hours and service lists, and a full printed graphic can hide a back-of-house area entirely.
Keep the sightline clear between roughly 1.2m and 1.8m if you want passers-by to see activity inside. Retail units that block that band tend to read as closed even when they are trading.
What makes a sign last
Scottish weather punishes cheap work. Aluminium tray fascias with powder-coated finishes and stainless fixings outlast timber and MDF substrates on a wet elevation. UV-stable inks with an over-laminate keep printed colour from fading toward the sunward side of the street.
The other half is fixing. Sealed penetrations, correct anchors for the substrate and drainage at the bottom of a tray are what stop a two-year-old sign from streaking or lifting at the corner.
For full detail on how we specify, produce and install this work, see our Shop Signs & Window Graphics service page, or read the rest of our signage guides.
