Open-Back vs. Fully Enclosed Fabricated Metal Letters

September 27, 2026

Open-back and fully enclosed fabricated metal letters can look similar from the front, but their internal structure is different.

The main difference is simple:

Open-back letters do not use a complete rear panel.

Fully enclosed letters use a back panel that closes the three-dimensional structure.

Both constructions are used in the signage industry. The appropriate choice depends on letter size, depth, finish, mounting method, transportation, installation, and the visual standard required for the project.

At HESSCRAFT, our main focus is fully enclosed, double-sided welded stainless steel letters and logos.

What Is an Open-Back Fabricated Letter?

An open-back fabricated letter normally includes:

Front face
Side returns
Welded or joined edges
Mounting components

The rear side is left partially or completely open.

This construction can simplify fabrication and can be suitable for projects where the back of the letter will never be visible and the structure does not require a fully enclosed rear surface.

What Is a Fully Enclosed Fabricated Letter?

A fully enclosed fabricated letter includes:

Front face
Side returns
Back panel
Welded joints
Mounting components

The front, sides, and back form a complete three-dimensional metal object.

For HESSCRAFT letters, the front and back can both be welded to the side return, followed by grinding and finishing of the welded joints.

This is what we mean by double-sided welded, fully enclosed construction.

Structural Rigidity

Adding a rear panel changes the structure of the letter.

A fully enclosed structure connects both sides of the return and creates a more complete three-dimensional shell.

This can improve rigidity, especially during:

Handling
Packaging
International transportation
Installation
Positioning on the wall

This becomes more important as letters become larger, deeper, or contain narrow strokes.

Why Transportation Matters

A finished stainless steel letter may travel thousands of kilometers before installation.

During packaging, loading, unloading, customs handling, air transportation, final delivery, and installation, the letter can experience pressure and repeated handling.

For highly finished letters, deformation is especially undesirable because even small changes in shape can affect reflections, alignment, edge quality, or mounting accuracy.

A fully enclosed structure provides additional support to the finished form during these stages.

Front and Back Finishing

On many wall-mounted signs, the rear surface is rarely visible after installation.

However, HESSCRAFT does not treat the back simply as an unfinished hidden surface.

For fully enclosed letters, the rear panel can also be welded, ground, polished, and finished as part of the complete object.

Our goal is for the finished letter to feel like a complete fabricated metal object rather than only a decorative front face.

Seamless Welding and Grinding

A fully enclosed letter requires more than simply adding a back panel.

The welded joints between:

Front face and side return
Back panel and side return

must be ground and refined.

For mirror-polished letters, these areas become especially important because reflective surfaces reveal irregular transitions much more clearly than matte finishes.

The typical process can include:

Cutting → forming → fitting → welding → grinding → polishing → cleaning → optional PVD → inspection → packaging

The final appearance depends on the quality of the complete fabrication process.

Mirror-Polished Fully Enclosed Letters

Mirror-polished stainless steel creates strong reflections.

This means scratches, uneven grinding, distorted edges, welding marks, and surface irregularities can become easier to see.

For this reason, fully enclosed mirror-polished letters require careful finishing on the front, side returns, welded corners, and rear surface.

HESSCRAFT currently offers finishes including:

8K mirror polished stainless steel
Brushed stainless steel
Mirror rose gold PVD
Gold PVD
Black titanium PVD
Painted finishes
Powder-coated finishes

Letter Size and Depth

Our current practical fabricated stainless steel range includes:

Minimum letter height: approximately 30 mm
Practical minimum stroke width: approximately 5 mm
Depth: approximately 10–300 mm
Typical maximum height: approximately 1.2 m

Larger sizes may be possible depending on structure, artwork, packaging, transportation, and installation requirements.

For very deep letters or narrow strokes, the structure should be reviewed before production.

Thin Script Logos

Fully enclosed fabrication is also possible for many script logos and custom shapes.

However, overall logo size is not enough to determine feasibility.

The narrowest stroke can affect:

Side-return forming
Welding access
Grinding
Polishing
Structural rigidity
Mounting

Our current practical minimum stroke width is approximately 5 mm, subject to design review.

Vector artwork should be checked before final production dimensions are confirmed.

Installation

For suitable projects, HESSCRAFT can provide:

1:1 positioning template
Mounting hardware
Installation drawing
Project-specific mounting preparation

A prepared template helps transfer the location of the mounting points directly to the wall.

In one installation demonstration, six letters were installed in approximately 11 minutes.

Actual installation time depends on wall material, letter size, mounting method, working height, and site 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 under this arrangement.

Packaging is designed around the finished letter because mirror surfaces, narrow strokes, deep structures, and custom shapes require different levels of protection.

Which Structure Should Be Specified?

There is no single construction that is correct for every project.

Open-back letters can be suitable when the design, installation, and structural requirements do not require a complete rear surface.

Fully enclosed construction is particularly relevant when the project requires:

A complete three-dimensional metal object
Double-sided welded construction
Increased rigidity
High-end mirror or PVD finishes
Careful international transportation
Refined front, side, and rear surfaces

At HESSCRAFT, fully enclosed double-sided welded construction is our preferred approach for premium non-illuminated stainless steel letters and logos.