Mount on foam board for a print that will be used indoors for days or weeks, such as a presentation board or an event sign. Use Dibond, an aluminum composite panel, for anything that must stay flat for years or go outdoors. Choose an acrylic face mount when the print is a photograph or artwork on show in a lobby or gallery, and you want depth and gloss. PVC board, sold as Sintra, sits between foam board and Dibond for indoor signs.
What are Dibond, acrylic, foam board and PVC?
| Material | What it is | Indoor or outdoor | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foam board | Polystyrene foam core between paper facers; 1/8, 3/16 or 3/8 in thick | Indoor only | Presentation boards, event signs, renderings for a meeting |
| PVC (Sintra) | Expanded PVC sheet, commonly 3 or 6 mm | Primarily indoor; short-term or covered outdoor | Interior signs, retail displays, boards that get handled |
| Dibond | Two 0.3 mm aluminum skins on a polyethylene core; 3 mm is typical | Indoor and outdoor | Long-term displays, exterior signs, large photographs |
| Acrylic face mount | Print bonded behind clear acrylic, usually backed with Dibond | Indoor | Lobby art, gallery photographs, reception displays |
Sources: 3A Composites, the maker of Dibond, Sintra and Fome-Cor foam board, in its Dibond product guide and its Sintra and Fome-Cor product sheets.
Is Dibond better than foam board?
For anything that has to last, yes. Dibond is rigid, waterproof and UV resistant, and 3A rates it for temperatures from -30 to 80 Celsius, about -22 to 176 Fahrenheit. The company says customers report a service life of up to 20 years, depending on where the panel is installed. Foam board is far lighter and cheaper, cuts easily and is fine for a few weeks indoors, but the paper facers take in moisture and the foam dents if it is knocked.
Distributor Laird Plastics lists 3A's Fome-Cor with Encore for indoor applications only. If a board has to survive repeated transport indoors, gator board is stiffer and holds up better than standard foam board.
How much does a Dibond panel weigh?
A 3 mm Dibond panel weighs 3.8 kg per square meter, about 0.78 pounds per square foot, per 3A's technical data. A 24 x 36 inch panel is six square feet, so it weighs a little under 5 pounds before hardware; a full 4 x 8 foot sheet is about 25 pounds.
| Material | Common thickness | Weight | Lifespan in use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foam board | 3/16 in | The lightest; 3A calls it extremely lightweight | Weeks to months indoors |
| PVC (Sintra) | 3 mm or 6 mm | Lighter than Dibond, heavier than foam board | Years indoors |
| Dibond | 3 mm | 3.8 kg per sq m, about 0.78 lb per sq ft | Up to 20 years reported, per 3A |
| Acrylic face mount | Acrylic plus a Dibond back | The heaviest of the four | Long-lived indoors; clear acrylic is UV resistant |
When is an acrylic face mount worth it?
When the print is the point: a photograph, an architectural rendering in a sales gallery, or art in a lobby. The print is bonded to the back of a clear acrylic sheet, so the image sits under a glossy, glass-like surface that deepens blacks and saturates color. Polyvantis, which makes Plexiglas acrylic sheet, describes its clear sheet as highly resistant to weathering, guaranteed for 30 years against yellowing, and half as heavy as glass; see its Plexiglas clear sheet specification.
Acrylic face mounts are the heaviest and most expensive of the four, and the glossy face reflects windows and downlights. Hang them where you control the lighting, and expect them to be fixed with standoffs or a rail on the back rather than a nail.
Where does PVC or Sintra board fit?
PVC is the choice for interior signs that get touched, moved or cleaned. It is denser than foam board, resists dents and scratches, can be printed on both sides, and comes in gauges from 1 mm up. 3A rates standard Sintra Class A under ASTM E-84 at 3 mm and thinner, a flame-spread rating some building managers and venues ask for. Laird lists it as designed primarily for interior use and suitable for short-term outdoor use, with a maximum service temperature of 140 Fahrenheit, so keep it out of sun-baked windows. For lobby and wayfinding signs on PVC and acrylic, see our guide to lobby and building signage.
Which mount suits which print?
- Photo enlargements: satin, gloss or matte prints on Dibond for long display, or acrylic face mounted for the most depth. Foam board for a print that is only needed for an event.
- Architectural renderings: foam board or PVC for a client meeting or a community board hearing; Dibond or acrylic for a sales gallery that will be open for months. Renderings can also be supplied rolled.
- Subway and transit posters: these are paper posters printed to the media company's spec, not mounted. The Outdoor Advertising Association of America lists a rail 2-sheet at 46 x 60 inches and an urban panel at 30 x 60, built at 80 to 100 ppi at full size; see the OAAA print production specifications. Always get the current spec sheet from whoever sold you the space before you design.
- Mounted posters for an open house or event: foam board or gator board, which our poster printing guide covers alongside sizes and stocks.
Decide the mount before the artwork is finished. If a face mount or panel will hang on standoffs, the holes go through the corners of the print, so keep faces, type and logos out of the corners. Build large prints at 100 to 150 DPI at final size and keep text and logos as vector, because a mounted print is seen up close more often than a banner is. And treat foam board as single-use: a board carried across town under an arm and leaned against a radiator will bow and dent long before the event is over.
Getting mounted prints to the wall
Large mounted pieces are awkward to carry on the subway or in a cab. We deliver free anywhere in Manhattan, so a rendering, a lobby panel or a set of presentation boards can go straight to the office, the gallery or the hearing room.
Mounting questions
Can Dibond be used outdoors?
Yes. 3A describes Dibond as waterproof, UV resistant and suitable for indoor and outdoor use from -30 to 80 Celsius, with customers reporting service lives of up to 20 years depending on location.
Can foam board go outside?
Not for long. It is polystyrene foam with paper facers, and suppliers list it for indoor use only. For outdoor use choose Dibond, or PVC for short-term or covered locations.
What thickness of Dibond is standard for prints?
3 mm is the usual thickness for mounted prints and signs. 3A also makes 2, 4 and 6 mm panels.
Is acrylic heavier than Dibond?
An acrylic face mount is heavier, because it is a sheet of acrylic plus a backing panel, usually Dibond. Acrylic is still about half the weight of glass at the same thickness.
Is PVC board the same as Sintra?
Sintra is 3A Composites' brand of expanded PVC board, and the name is widely used for PVC sign board in general.
See large format printing and Dibond and acrylic mounting, or send the print size and where it will hang and we will recommend the mount.
Need this printed? We are at 40 Wall Street, and we deliver free anywhere in Manhattan.