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ACTUAL WIDTH is the measured distance of the width, as defined
in "width" below, of the horizontal
of the face of a number or letter. For actual widths of numbers for
selected fonts see the dimensions tables for the fonts linked to our
Fabricated Stainless Steel
index. |
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AVERAGE WIDTH: Average width
refers, in the case of cast metals & molded plastic, to the averaged measurement from left side to right side of
the numbers & letters in the font set. For cut materials the average
width in the dimensions tables is for numbers only. See "width"
below for explanation of how width is determined.
NOTE:
Average widths for Numbers are set forth on the individual font pages for Cut Materials. Average widths for uppercase Letters are set forth on our individual font pages for Cast Metal or Molded Plastic. |
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CAB: Cellulose Acetate Butyrate is a highly impact-resistant plastic used for thermoforming our formed and
injection-molded house numbers and letters. CAB is made from cotton and wood fibers. This product is manufactured from a renewable
resource and is recyclable.
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CAST METAL: Molten metal poured (cast) into a mold and then allowed to cool in the shape of the mold.
See the Specifications page for
Cast Metals for further discussions
of finishes and manufacturing. |
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CUT ACRYLIC OR METAL: Flat sheets of acrylic
or metal are the form of material from which our numbers
or letters are cut. These
sheets are manufactured in various thicknesses, e.g.
1/8", 3/16", 1/4", 3/8", 1/2", 3/4", & 1" for acrylic.
An industrial laser is used to cut the acrylic. A
water-jet is used to cut the metal. See the Specifications page
for
Cut Acrylic or
Cut Metal
for further discussions of finishes and manufacturing. |
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DEPTH: Measurement of the distance from the face to the back of a number or letter. See "Return" below.
For Cut Metals the depth call-out is a nominal size. Actual depth depends on the
type of metal, the producing plant, and other factors. Cut Metal depths will
vary slightly from the indicated measurement. |
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FABRICATED STAINLESS STEEL: Thin strips (22-guage
in most cases) of stainless steel alloy c304 are welded
together to form the face and returns (sides) of a
number or letter. The mounting hardware is installed by
welding stud bosses within the hollow backsides of these
pieces. See the Specifications page for
Fabricated Stainless Steel for further
discussion of finishes and manufacturing. |
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FACE: The front surface of a number or letter.
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FINISH: The look of a piece after it has been finished (completed) with a certain process. Different finishes are achieved by different processes. For example, brushed
metals are sanded raw metals finished with a final process
applying a low-gloss, clear powder-coat. |
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FONT: The style (design) for a set of letters, numbers, & punctuation.
NOTE: Many of our fonts have been
perfected for effective display as architectural numbers
and letters. These fonts may differ from a font of a
similar name that derives from a source not associated
with this web site. |
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FORMED PLASTIC: Flat, heated, pliable plastic sheet is drawn by vacuuming against a mold of numbers or letters. The result is a number or letter "formed" shell-like within the mold. Technically this process is called thermo-forming.
See the Specifications page for
Molded Plastic for further discussion of
finishes and manufacturing. |
HEIGHT:
- Nominal: Our font sizes or material heights are labeled
with a "nominal" height. Font sets do not have a uniform height. Digits
with a curved top and/or bottom, such as 0
and 3, will usually be taller than the "nominal" height. At an 8"
nominal height this variance may be +1/2". The measurement given for a
particular font set is usually applicable to a number or letter with flat edges
on the top and bottom - see for example, Helvetica's
number 1.
- Actual: Measurement of distance from top to bottom of
number or letter. Height & width are the distance of the vertical and horizontal sides of a level rectangle holding the level, measured piece & where the edges of such piece touch the sides of the rectangle.
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INJECTION-MOLDED PLASTIC: Heated, molten plastic injected under pressure into hollow spaces of a closed steel mold. For house numbers & letters the mold's hollow space is in the form of these numbers or letters.
See the Specifications page for
Molded Plastic for further discussion of
finishes and manufacturing. |
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RETURN: The side of a number or letter. Distance (depth) of the return is measured from the face of the piece to the back edge of the piece.
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STAND-OFF: The distance between the back surface of the number or letter and the wall to which it is mounted. Stand-off is created by placing spacers (small metal tubes) over the studs so that a letter or number is held off the wall. Standoff is used to create a drop-shadow effect or to allow easy painting of the wall surface without marring the number or letter.
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STROKE: The width of the various face elements of a number or letter. The
Americana Bold number 4, for example, has a vertical, a horizontal, and a diagonal stroke. The "stroke" measurement will consist of the narrowest and widest widths of these 3 strokes. When the measurement of a font's stroke has a range such as 1/4" to 1/2", the font has an asymmetrical stroke - see for example Americana Bold. When the measurement of a font's stroke is a single dimension such as 1/4", the font has a uniform (symmetrical) width for all the face elements - see for example, Ribbon.
NOTE: Measurements are approximate and subject to variations produced by the manufacturing processes.
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STUD: A stud is threaded (all-thread) aluminum or stainless steel hardware that screws into the rear of the number or letter. (See the illustrations in the Kit Install section.) By default the stud is
c. 2" long. Stainless steel studs are used for large pieces.
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WIDTH: Maximum measurement of a number or letter from left to right. "Average width" refers to the averaged measurement of all numbers and letters in the font set. Height & width are the distance of the vertical and horizontal sides of a level rectangle holding the level, measured piece & where the edges of such piece touch the sides of the rectangle. NOTE:
Average widths for Numbers are set forth on the individual font pages for Cut Materials. Average widths for uppercase Letters are set forth on our individual font pages for Cast Metal or Molded Plastic.
Reminder: Actual widths of selected sizes for certain fonts are
set forth in the
Fabricated Stainless Steel section. |