Choosing material for your project
MDF Wooden Letters
A pressed material using sawdust and glue. When the MDF is pressed, it creates a really smooth face. This makes is easier to paint the face smooth. The edges are highly absorbent and needs to be sealed prior to painting. You can use Mod Podge or primer to seal the edges. Otherwise it may take up to 10 coats of paint to finish. The color is also consistent in MDF and typically doesn’t have dark spots. If painting a light color like white or pale yellow, you should prime first.
- Rot resistant – Poor
- Water resistant – No
- Outdoor use – No
- Strength – OK
- Weight – Heavy
- Paint – Yes
- Stain – Poor
- Clearcoat – Poor
- Available Thicknesses – 1/8″ | 1/4″ | 1/2″ | 3/4″
Baltic Birch
One of our most popular materials to use to make letters. Stable and often used in high end cabinets makes this a great all around material for inside use. The way this is made results in virtually void free edges. This is one of our strongest materials available and we offer a wide selection of thicknesses.
- Rot resistant – OK
- Water resistant – No
- Outdoor use – No
- Strength – Good
- Weight – Medium
- Paint – Ok
- Stain – Ok
- Clearcoat – Good
- Available Thicknesses – 1/8″ | 1/4″ | 1/2″ | 3/4″ | 1″
MDO
Perfect for painted wooden letters going outside. This material is often used in outdoor signs as a base to build the sign off of. The faces feature a resin paper that is smooth, the smoothness and color is comparable to MDF. The core of MDO is Pine and it make a great light weight product, but it also a little weaker than our Birch Plywood.
- Rot resistant – Excellent
- Water resistant – Good
- Outdoor use – Yes with a quality exterior finish
- Strength – Good
- Weight – Light
- Paint – Excellent
- Stain – No
- Clearcoat – No
- Available Thicknesses – 1/2″ | 3/4″
Maple Wood
Perfect for finishing with a clear coat or a transparent stain. The price of Maple is costly compared to Baltic Birch or MDF for painting.
- Rot resistant – Poor
- Water resistant – No
- Outdoor use – No
- Strength – OK
- Weight – Heavy
- Paint – Yes, but not recommend due to price
- Stain – Excellent
- Clearcoat – Excellent
- Available Thicknesses – 3/4″
Red Oak Wood
Perfect for finishing with a clear coat or a transparent stain. The price of Oak is costly compared to Baltic Birch or MDF for painting. Red oak is a traditional wood used in cabinets and furniture.
- Rot resistant – Poor
- Water resistant – No
- Outdoor use – No
- Strength – OK
- Weight – Heavy
- Paint – Yes, but not recommend due to price
- Stain – Excellent
- Clearcoat – Excellent
- Available Thicknesses – 3/4″
Eastern White Pine
Perfect for finishing with a clear coat or a transparent stain. The price of Pine is costly compared to Baltic Birch or MDF for painting.
- Rot resistant – Poor
- Water resistant – No
- Outdoor use – No
- Strength – Weak
- Weight – Medium
- Paint – Yes, but not recommend due to price
- Stain – Excellent
- Clearcoat – Excellent
- Available Thicknesses – 3/4″
PVC
While this is not a wood material, it is still a great material to work with. Offered only in white, it doesn’t require and prep work if you need white letters.
- Rot resistant – Excellent
- Water resistant – Excellent
- Outdoor use – Yes
- Strength – Medium, while it can break it tends to be more forgiving when handled
- Weight – Light
- Paint – Excellent with a high quality exterior latex paint and sanding prior to painting
- Stain – No
- Clearcoat – No
- Available Thicknesses – 1/8″ | 1/4″ | 1/2″