Why We Recommend Foamex Boards for Signage and Displays
For robust signage projects, one material comes up again and again: Foamex board. At Tradeprint, Foamex boards are one of our most popular rigid-board options and for good reason. They’re affordable, versatile, and remarkably sturdy. What are Foamex boards, why they’re such a smart choice for a wide range of applications, and how long you can expect them to last?
What Exactly Is a Foamex Board?
Foamex is not what it sounds like; it isn’t soft or squishy foam. Rather, it’s a rigid PVC foam board that’s been compressed to form a solid, lightweight sheet. This gives it a smooth, consistent surface that’s perfect for high-quality printing.
At Tradeprint, we offer Foamex in several thicknesses: 3 mm, 5 mm, and even 10 mm. For most uses, 3 mm and 5 mm are ideal, while 10 mm is great for more structural or long-term applications.
Durability and Lifespan: How Long Do Foamex Boards Last?
One of the things we always check when recommending materials is how long they’ll stand up to use, and Foamex doesn’t disappoint as a temporary measure where you need something between cardboard and Dibond.
Outdoors: With the right specs (especially 5 mm or 10 mm), a Foamex board can be used for temporary outdoor signage – add a lamination to stretch its lifetime.
Indoors: If it's going to live inside, the lifespan will be longer, especially with a protective finish.
Extend their life by choosing a laminate finish (matt or gloss) for extra protection.
Why Use Foamex Board Printing? (And When It’s the Right Choice)
There are several reasons why you might choose Foamex board printing and why many of our customers do too. Here are some of the key benefits, along with real-world use cases:
- Very Customisable
You can cut Foamex into custom shapes such as circles, speech bubbles, clouds, logos, curves or any bespoke design. You can also choose to add drill holes so signs can be hung or mounted simply.
- Lightweight Yet Sturdy
It’s surprisingly light but rigid enough to feel like a solid board. That makes it great for transport, hanging, or installing without needing heavy-duty fixings.
- Weatherproof and UV Stable
Foamex boards are water resistantand UV stable, so they work well for both temporary event signage and outdoor displays.
- Affordable Signage Option
Compared to more heavyweight materials, Foamex represents a very cost-effective way to get rigid, quality signage.
- Double-Sided Printing
If you want to make the most of your board, you can print on both sides; ideal for freestanding signs, exhibition panels, or any display where viewers will approach from multiple angles.
When you’re ready to order your board, use this checklist to make sure your print is ready to go, or use the online designer on the Foamex page.
If designing yourself, please supply your artwork as a CMYK PDF:
- Use a scale of 1:1
- Include 3mm bleed on all sides and be sure not to place anything important close to the edge. If you’re adding drill holes, they’ll be placed either 15mm or 30mm from the edge, so be sure to design around those, too.
- Outline or embed your fonts and keep the minimum font size at 18pt and a line weight of 2pt
- 150dpi resolution – read the DPI resolution guide for more information.
- Custom shapes: To get a curve or custom shape, supply a cut path in magenta (or the specified spot colour) so that it can be cut exactly how you want. How? It’s easier than you think; follow this custom-shaped board guide.
- Drill holes are 5mm wide, and drill holes will be placed 30mm from the edges if all sides are longer than 400mm.
- If any side is less than 400mm, drill holes will be placed 15mm from the edges.
