McDonald’s — Behind the Signs

Trade sign manufacturing for more than 30 branches

Long green McDonald’s fascia with yellow arches and white lettering laid out on our workshop bench

Customer: An unnamed specialist lighting and maintenance contractor
End brand: McDonald’s
Our role: Trade manufacture and supply
Categories: Commercial Signage; Illuminated Signs & 3D Letters
Related services: Shop & Retail Signage Illuminated Signs & 3D Letters

Recognised everywhere. Made with care in our workshop.

The golden arches need little introduction. Behind their familiar appearance is precise fabrication, careful assembly and attention to finish.

We have manufactured replacement signage for more than 30 McDonald’s branches, working as a trade supplier to a specialist lighting and maintenance contractor. Our customer looks after lighting for a portfolio of major brands and commissions us to produce replacement signage as part of that work.

Our contribution happens at the workbench: turning aluminium and acrylic into finished sign faces, lettering and logos ready for our trade customer’s installation team.

Precision-cut aluminium and inlaid acrylic

For selected sign faces, we CNC-route solid aluminium to create the lettering and logo apertures. The panels are then powder coated before accurately cut acrylic elements are inlaid into the openings.

The finished pieces combine a clean coated surface with carefully fitted lettering and logos, ready for use within illuminated signage. The workshop photographs show the progression from machined panels to the finished green fascias.

CNC router cutting lettering apertures into a solid aluminium panel — CNC machining in progress, before finishing.

White acrylic lettering being fitted into routed aluminium panels on the workshop bench — Acrylic fitting during production.

Green sign faces with fitted acrylic lettering laid out in the workshop — Green sign faces at a later production stage.

Workshop detail of the green fascia and fitted acrylic arches; protective masking is partly present.

The detail behind the golden arches

Other replacements call for individually fabricated acrylic logo faces. The photographs show the yellow arches taking shape on our workbench, with edging carefully fitted around the sweeping curves.

These details matter. A familiar shape leaves little room for inconsistency, and the quality of the finished piece depends on both accurate cutting and patient hand assembly.

Assembled yellow acrylic arches with fitted edging lying on a workshop bench — Assembled acrylic arches with fitted edging, on our workbench—not illuminated or installed.

Cut acrylic arches with protective masking and coiled yellow edging material before assembly — Cut acrylic and edging material, before assembly.

Close-up of yellow edging being hand fitted around the curve of an acrylic arch — Edging being fitted around the acrylic curve.

Large-format acrylic for totem signs

Our work also includes the large red acrylic sign faces used on tall McDonald’s totem poles.

To produce these oversized panels, we feed the acrylic through our laser in stages, carefully positioning the sheet as the lettering apertures are cut. Separate acrylic letters are then fitted into the panel to complete the face.

Alongside fascia panels and golden arches, the work shown includes replacement “Open 24 Hours” panels—illustrating the range of components required to maintain signage across multiple branches.

Oversized acrylic sheet with protective masking positioned through the workshop laser — Oversized acrylic positioned through the laser for staged cutting.

Separate white acrylic letters being fitted into an oversized red totem sign face with protective masking — Separate acrylic letters being fitted; protective masking remains in place.

Assembled McDonald’s totem sign face with protective masking still covering the acrylic surface — Assembled sign face with protective masking still present—not an installed totem pole.

A manufacturing partner behind the scenes

This ongoing trade relationship brings together CNC machining, laser cutting, coated finishes and hands-on assembly.

Whether producing a substantial totem face or refining the curves of an acrylic logo, our role is to supply well-made replacements that help our contractor customer keep its clients’ signage looking consistent.

Replacement Open 24 Hours sign panel with a yellow crescent on a workshop bench — Replacement “Open 24 Hours” panel in the workshop.

Project scope

Replacement signage manufactured for more than 30 McDonald’s branches.
CNC-routed solid aluminium panels.
Powder-coated finishes with inlaid acrylic lettering and logos.
Fabricated yellow acrylic arches with fitted edging.
Large-format laser-cut acrylic totem sign faces.
Replacement fascia and “Open 24 Hours” panels.
Trade manufacture and supply.

Need a trade partner?

We manufacture replacement sign faces, lettering and bespoke components for sign companies, maintenance contractors and installation teams.

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