Make sure your 3-D letters are legible

If we do black 3D letters that aren’t super thin, we also paint the edges gray. If not, from an angle the letter will be less readable because the black edges make it difficult to distinguish the letter faces. Black doesn’t show shadows, so you can’t differentiate the edges from the faces. But if you paint the edges gray—even a charcoal gray—you don’t have that problem. Your eye can make out the faces and read the letters.

It makes a huge difference. Otherwise, if you are looking at a thick black 3D letter from a 45-degree angle, you won’t be able to make out many of the letters. The open portion of a letter A or E will disappear because you can’t tell the letter from the face.

The letters on the “Gavin’s On The Square” sign are 1½ in. thick. We painted the edges of the letters gray for the same reason. If these letters had black edges and you looked at it from the same angle, “On The Square” would be impossible to read.