Pricing and Sizing Models
Learn all about our unique models that power the pricing and sizing measurements designed for letter signs and every other sign type.
- Pricing and Sizing - Model OverviewOverview of the three pricing models in Sign Customiser: the Simple Letter Model, the Advanced Letter Model, and the Frame Fit Model.
- Charge for a backboard by the sign areaSet a rate per square inch or square centimetre on a backboard so the charge grows with the size of the sign.
- Set a different price for each letter positionSet a different price for each letter position in Simple Letter and Advanced Letter customisers, with free early letters and a final price for longer text.
- Automatic and manual width for Advanced signsLearn how width follows the text on Advanced Letter customisers, how customers set a manual width, and how the padlock returns the sign to automatic width.
- Choose how multi-line sign height is measuredChoose whether a Fixed Height size measures each line or the letters, and see how the space between lines changes the total height of a multi-line sign.
Simple Letter Model
- Getting Started with the Simple Letter ModelThe Simple Letter pricing model is for merchants who sell signs in standard widths or heights with simple pricing (for example 40 cm, 60 cm and 80 cm). You set prices by size, character count, and number of lines. If you need more flexible pricing and dynamic size scaling, see the Advanced Letter pricing model.
- Sizes – Simple LetterSizes in Simple Letter use a size strategy: fixed width or fixed height. Each size also has a maximum characters per line and a maximum number of lines.
- Pricing - Simple Letter ModelThis Sign Customiser guide covers Pricing - Simple Letter Model with the steps and context you need to complete the workflow.
- Fonts - Simple Letter ModelSet up your Pricing and Sizes sections before you set up fonts. Fonts in the Simple Letter model use these settings to calculate the sign size and the price.
- Request Essential Information – Simple Letter ModelThis guide shows how to get the information from your manufacturer that you need for the Simple Letter customiser.
Advanced Letter Model
- Getting Started with the Advanced ModelThe Advanced Letter Model is for merchants who need flexible pricing and scalable sign dimensions. The Simple Letter Model uses predefined sizes. The Advanced Letter Model calculates the dimensions and the price from the selected font, text, and size. This guide shows the main steps to build an Advanced Letter Model customiser. First, collect information from your supplier. Then set up Pricing, Sizes and Fonts.
- Sizing - Advanced modelThis guide explains how to configure Sizes for the Advanced Letter model. Each size has a Size Scale Multiplier. The multiplier scales the sign by a fixed factor from its base size. The base size comes from the font's minimum letter heights.
- Pricing - Advanced letter modelPricing in the Advanced Letter Model lets you combine several calculations into a price that matches your real production costs. When you choose Letter Material Cost, this model works out the cost from the material length each letter needs. The system measures the outline of every character, takes half of that length as an estimate of its midline (centreline) path, and multiplies it by your material rate. This guide shows how to set up Pricing for the Advanced Letter Model. Works with AI Sign Designer The Advanced Letter Model supports AI Sign Designer for neon signs and channel letter signs (Acrylic and Metal). The system measures an AI-generated SVG design in the same way as typed text. It measures every shape in the converted SVG, except a UV-printed face. For each shape, it takes half of the outline length as an estimate of the midline (centreline) path. A UV-printed face adds no material length, letter price or shipping. The system prices the measured length with your Letter Material Cost. To enable AI Sign Designer on an Advanced Letter customiser, see How to Enable AI Sign Designer.
- Fonts - Advanced ModelThis guide explains how to configure fonts for the Advanced Letter Model, assign pricing models, adjust font spacing, and test measurement accuracy.
- Letter Material CostLetter Material Cost is a pricing method used in the Advanced Letter Model. It calculates the price of letters from the calculated length of each letter's path. Key Benefits: Path-length pricing: Charge based on the calculated path length of each letter. Font-sensitive pricing: Fonts with longer letter outlines cost more. Flexible pricing tiers: Set different material costs for different sign dimensions. Real-time calculations: Prices update as customers change their text or fonts. AI Sign Designer compatible: The same length and rate calculation works for AI-generated SVG designs.
- Understanding Font Measurements in the Advanced Letter ModelThis guide explains how and what you need to consider when setting the minimum font size in the Advanced Letter model.
- Manually calculate shipping cost valueCalculate the shipping cost per square centimetre from your shipping cost matrix, for Advanced Letter and Frame Fit pricing.
- Determine Material Cost from Average Cost per LetterYour supplier gives you an average cost per letter. It is not a material cost for each centimetre or inch. You can still use the Advanced Letter model. This guide shows how to calculate a Letter Material Cost from the average.
- Request essential information - Advanced modelThis guide explains how to collect the information required from your manufacturer to configure the Advanced Letter Model customiser.
- Get your shipping cost matrixThis Sign Customiser guide covers Get your shipping cost matrix with the steps and context you need to complete the workflow.
- Test Sign Measurement AccuracyUse this guide to test how accurate the measurements of a font are. Make a sample SVG of any text in any font. Measure the width, height and material length in Adobe Illustrator. Then compare these values with the customiser.
Frame Fit Model
- Sizing - Frame Fit ModelFrame Fit prices a sign by its width and height. On a lightbox sign with volumetric (parcel) shipping, the depth also sets the price, unless you select Add weight to product instead of calculating price. Then the width, the height and the depth set the product weight. If your store uses weight-based shipping rates in Shopify, those rates use that weight. This option shows on Shopify stores. The image below shows the width and the height of a sign. Metal cut-out signs also use Frame Fit sizing. You can design a metal cut-out sign with the AI sign designer. Then the bounding box of the design sets the proportions of the sign. The sign scales to fit inside the size that the customer chooses or types.
- Pricing - Frame Fit modelFrame Fit prices a sign from its width and height. With a Volumetric parcel, the shipping charge also uses the depth and the packaging allowances. Frame Fit adds no charge for each letter. A Frame Fit pricing is not tied to a font. A Frame Fit customiser uses one pricing. Cut-out metal signs also use Frame Fit pricing. The width and height of the sign control the calculation. Lightbox, Braille, Aluminium Plate and Wood Frame customisers also use Frame Fit. For Neon Letter, Channel Letter and Wood Letter signs, you choose Frame Fit when you create a customiser. On the How do you price your signs? step, select Price per square meter/foot. For Metal Cut-Out, Lightbox, Aluminium Plate, Braille and Wood Frame signs, Frame Fit is set for you. The step does not show.
- Frame Fit ModelFrame Fit lets customers choose a sign width and height. For a Lightbox, customers also choose a depth. A size boundary sets the sign's base price. You can add component and mounting charges. A separate parcel calculation can add a shipping charge. It can also send weight to Shopify.
Fixed Height Model (Legacy)
- Legacy: Fixed Height model (migrate to Simple Letter)Important: The Fixed Height model is no longer available. You cannot choose the Fixed Height model when you create a customiser. Use the Simple Letter model. Set Size Strategy to Fixed Height - Width scales dynamically, and set Multi-line height measurement to Letter height. Enter the same height you used for the Fixed Height size, and the sign has the same size. Prices can differ between the two models, so check your prices after you migrate. If you have a Fixed Height customiser, the Customisers list shows a Migrate badge on it. The customiser page shows Action required: migrate this customiser to the Simple Letter model. Create the customiser again with the Simple Letter model. Do not duplicate it, because a copy of a Fixed Height customiser is also a Fixed Height customiser. For the steps, read Sizes – Simple Letter Model. A fixed height model is a collection of sizes. Each size has a set height. For example, Small is 10cm, Medium is 20cm and Large is 30cm. This article uses centimetres. For each size, you can set these parameters: The height The minimum number of characters The maximum number of characters on each line The number of lines of text that the size allows In the legacy model, the app scales each size so that its tallest line has the height you set. A single-line sign has one line, so that line is the tallest line. Illustration: one line with a height of 50cm.
- Pricing - Fixed Height Model (Legacy)The Fixed Height model is a legacy pricing model. Sign Customiser does not offer it for new customisers. You cannot change an existing customiser to this model. A copy of a customiser on this model stays on this model. This article is for customisers that already use it. A customiser on this model shows the banner Action required: migrate this customiser to the Simple Letter model. The Customisers list shows a Migrate badge for it. For a new Neon Letter Signs, Channel Letter Signs or Wood Letter Signs customiser, use the Simple Letter model. On the Pricing step, choose Fixed height per size (badged Simple ). Stencils and Address Sign Numbers have only the Simple Letter model. For them, the create flow skips the Pricing step and sets fixed height sizing without showing that option. To move an old customiser, create a new customiser in the same way. Keep Include demo data on, which is the default. If you turn it off, open the Sizes page and set Size Strategy to Fixed Height - Width scales dynamically on each size. For more information, see Pricing - Simple Letter Model and Sizes – Simple Letter Model.