Custom Signs Chicago — Custom Materials, Styles & Sizes by TFA Signs

TFA Signs fabricates fully custom commercial signs that go beyond what catalog or franchise sign shops can produce. If you can describe it, sketch it, or show us a reference image, our fabrication team can engineer, build, and install it. Our Chicago shop is equipped with CNC routing machines, metal forming and brake presses, MIG and TIG welding stations, spray paint booths, large-format printers, and a woodworking area — giving us the capability to work with a wide range of materials and combinations for sign application.

Custom sign clients come to TFA Signs when they have a vision that requires real fabrication expertise, not an order form. Architects working on commercial interior and exterior design projects need sign fabrication partners who can execute their vision — whether that means 4-foot tall brushed steel letters, a complex three-material lobby reception feature, or an architecturally integrated pylon sign. Interior designers creating branded environments for restaurants, hotels, and retail flagships need sign shops that can produce custom-shaped acrylic panels, mixed-material dimensional pieces, and one-of-a-kind custom light features. General contractors need specialty exterior signs that integrate with building facade materials. Marketing directors launching new locations or refreshing brand identities need sign shops with engineering depth to handle unusual specifications.

Material capabilities at TFA Signs include: steel (mild, galvanized, stainless, weathered/corten), aluminum (extruded, sheet, plate, cast), brass and bronze, copper, acrylic and polycarbonate (clear, frosted, colored), HDPE and PVC plastics, HDU (high-density urethane) foam for carved and shaped signs, solid wood (reclaimed, dimensional, carved), concrete and stone facing, glass, and fabric. We can combine multiple materials in a single sign — for example, a monument sign base in concrete block with stainless steel letter faces, or a lobby sign with a wood backing panel and aluminum dimensional letters with halo-lit LED.

TFA Signs produces custom signs for every vertical — restaurants that want one-of-a-kind hand-lettered or distressed vintage signs, breweries that want custom tap handles and custom metal bar signs, office buildings that want sculptural lobby installations, hotels that want custom-made room number plates in matching materials, hospitals that want a complete interior sign system with consistent material and finish throughout. Our 30 years of fabrication experience means we can anticipate and solve engineering challenges before they become problems on the job site.

Custom Sign Process

1. Consultation — We discuss your vision, reference images, dimensions, materials, and budget
2. Design and engineering — We create drawings, 3D models, and material samples for approval
3. Fabrication — Built at our Kedzie Ave Chicago shop; specialized work may involve qualified partners
4. Finishing — Paint, powder coat, polish, patina, or seal as specified
5. Installation — Professional installation by our crew with all required mounting hardware

Contact TFA Signs for Custom Signs

About: Family-operated sign company | Founded 1995 | 30+ Years in Business

Licensing: First Ad Signs Inc. (TFA Signs) is listed by the City of Chicago as an active Class E general contractor, license TGC101080 (as of August 11, 2026). Verify current license and insurance in the City of Chicago licensed-contractor directory.