Architectural metal letters are three-dimensional metal letters and logos used as part of a building, interior, reception area, retail environment, hotel, office, showroom, or branded architectural space.
For architects, designers, and sign companies, the appearance of the finished lettering depends on more than the overall size. Material grade, letter depth, stroke width, fabrication structure, surface finish, mounting method, and transportation requirements should all be considered before production.
At HESSCRAFT, our primary focus is custom non-illuminated fabricated stainless steel letters and logos.
What Should Be Specified for Architectural Metal Letters?
A useful specification should define more than simply “stainless steel letters.”
The main information should include the material, overall dimensions, depth, finish, construction method, mounting requirements, and installation location.
For custom logos, the actual artwork is also important because narrow strokes, curves, corners, and complex shapes can directly affect fabrication feasibility.
Material
HESSCRAFT primarily uses 304 stainless steel for fabricated architectural letters and logos.
For our current production, front and back panels are typically made from approximately 1.0–1.5 mm stainless steel sheet.
The appropriate construction depends on the letter size, depth, geometry, installation method, and project requirements.
Letter Height
Our current practical fabrication range starts at approximately 30 mm letter height.
Typical projects can extend to approximately 1.2 m in height.
Larger letters may also be possible, but structural design, packaging, transportation, installation access, and mounting conditions need to be reviewed individually.
Overall letter height alone does not determine whether a design can be fabricated.
The narrowest parts of the artwork are often more important.
Minimum Stroke Width
For our current fabrication process, a practical minimum stroke width is approximately 5 mm, subject to design review.
This is particularly important for:
- Script lettering
- Handwritten logos
- Thin serif details
- Narrow internal spaces
- Complex brand marks
A logo can be relatively large overall while still containing sections that are difficult to fabricate.
For this reason, vector artwork should be reviewed before final dimensions are approved.
Letter Depth
Fabricated architectural letters can be produced with real three-dimensional depth.
Our current practical depth range is approximately 10 mm to 300 mm.
Depth affects both appearance and fabrication.
A deeper letter creates stronger side surfaces and shadows, but very deep construction combined with narrow strokes may require additional structural consideration.
Depth should therefore be selected together with letter size and stroke width.
Fabricated Construction
Fabricated stainless steel letters are built from sheet metal components rather than cut from one thick solid block.
A typical fabricated structure can include:
- Front face
- Side return
- Back panel
- Welded joints
- Internal mounting components
HESSCRAFT can manufacture fully enclosed double-sided welded letters, where both the front and back are joined to the side return.
After welding, the joints are ground and refined to create a seamless finished appearance.
This construction also helps improve rigidity during handling, international shipping, and installation.
Surface Finishes
The finish should be specified clearly because different stainless steel finishes can create very different architectural effects.
HESSCRAFT currently offers:
- 8K mirror polished stainless steel
- Brushed stainless steel
- Mirror rose gold PVD
- Gold PVD
- Black titanium PVD
- Painted finishes
- Powder-coated finishes
Mirror surfaces require especially careful welding, grinding, polishing, cleaning, and handling because highly reflective finishes make small surface defects more visible.
For PVD finishes, the stainless steel surface is prepared and polished before the final PVD color treatment.
Front, Side and Back Finish
For fully enclosed letters, the back should not be treated as an unimportant unfinished surface.
HESSCRAFT can weld, grind, and finish both the front and back surfaces as part of the complete fabricated object.
This is particularly useful when the project requires a high level of finish quality, structural rigidity, or careful handling during installation.
Non-Illuminated Architectural Letters
HESSCRAFT currently focuses on non-illuminated architectural metal letters and logos.
There are no internal LEDs or electrical components inside the letter.
Instead, the visual effect comes from the stainless steel surface, reflections, depth, proportions, shadows, edge quality, and the lighting already present in the architectural environment.
This makes non-illuminated metal letters suitable for projects where the lettering itself is intended to behave as an architectural or decorative metal object.
Typical applications include luxury retail interiors, jewelry stores, hotel lobbies, reception walls, corporate offices, clinics, law firms, showrooms, and custom branded spaces.
Installation Planning
Installation requirements should be considered before fabrication begins.
For suitable projects, HESSCRAFT can provide a 1:1 positioning template together with mounting hardware.
The template allows the installer to transfer the position of each mounting point directly to the wall.
In one of our installation demonstrations, six letters were installed in approximately 11 minutes using a prepared positioning system.
Actual installation time depends on wall material, letter size, mounting method, height, site access, and installation conditions.
Shipping to the United States
For U.S. projects, HESSCRAFT can provide DDP air shipping with door-to-door delivery included in the quoted price.
The customer does not pay a separate shipping charge upon delivery for a shipment quoted under this arrangement.
Packaging requirements are considered during design review because large dimensions, narrow strokes, deep letters, and mirror-polished surfaces can require different protection during transportation.
What Should Be Included in an RFQ?
For an efficient technical review and quotation, send the logo or lettering artwork together with the approximate overall dimensions, required depth, preferred finish, quantity, wall type, installation location, and delivery ZIP code.
Vector files such as AI, EPS, PDF, SVG, or DXF are preferred when available.
If some specifications have not yet been finalized, the artwork and approximate dimensions are normally enough to begin a feasibility review.
Related Engineering Guides
For a detailed explanation of fabricated hollow construction, welding, polishing, and design limits, read:
What Are Fabricated Stainless Steel Letters? Construction, Finishes & Design Limits
For a broader explanation of non-illuminated dimensional lettering, read:
What Are Non-Illuminated Dimensional Letters? A Practical Guide for Sign Buyers