Keep the checked drawing beside the order. A supplier needs to know what you want supplied, while your workshop needs to know which parts and processes remain to be done. Print the checklist and mark each item as it is confirmed.
Say what you are ordering.
Specify full sheets, cut blanks, folded trays or an agreed set of parts. State the quantity of signs and the quantity of each piece. Agree who is cutting, folding and assembling them, so the material order and the workshop plan describe the same work.
Check the survey and finished dimensions.
Confirm face width, height and return depth in millimetres. Distinguish the finished face dimensions from the larger flat blank. Check the site measurements and mounting position. For a fascia around a corner, record each leg, its orientation and the corner angles.
Mark corners, joints and end details.
Show where sections meet and which ends need returns or other agreed details. Check panel sizes against manufacture, access and transport. Include separate joining pieces in the parts list. Identify the front and machining sides clearly, particularly when the artwork appears mirrored.
Specify the stock.
Record the material, grade or product, thickness, colour, finish and sheet dimensions. Ask for material suitable for your intended cutting and folding process. Confirm the specification and any required finish direction with the supplier. Keep the face, backing and acrylic requirements visible as separate items; do not combine unlike stock into a single sheet quantity.
Agree the artwork and face treatment.
Check the lettering, graphics, sizes and positions. Say which areas are fret cut, solid or covered with vinyl, according to the design. Use the agreed artwork revision. If cutting files are requested, check scale, orientation and machining detail in CAM before passing on the reviewed set.
Include backing and acrylic where needed.
Confirm whether the job has a backing tray and include its panels and joining parts. For a fret-cut face, specify the acrylic backers required by the design, including their material, colour, thickness and sheet quantity. Keep those parts distinct from the ACM face order.
Include lighting only when the job needs it.
For an illuminated sign, keep the agreed LED modules, layout, wiring reach and power-supply requirements with the job. Confirm which components the supplier is providing. An unlit job does not need a lighting order. Review the final arrangement through your normal workshop process.
Check the complete order before sending it.
Review every sheet and part against the latest drawing. Check joins, finish direction, cutter spacing and sheet-edge clearance. Confirm stock availability, included work and delivery arrangements with the supplier, along with any spares. Save the agreed specification so a later design change is easy to identify.
The café sign shown here is fictional. Its dimensions and sheet choices illustrate the checks; use the survey, materials and quantities for the sign you are ordering.