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Letters and Figures Sets: Piece Counts, Sizes and How to Specify One
A letters and figures set is what turns a grooved or perforated display board into a board that can say something. Without it the board holds cards; with it the board spells out room numbers, function names, dates, rates and messages.
Plusmark lists the set in four letter sizes — 12 mm, 18 mm, 24 mm and 36 mm — as a letters set of 112 pieces and a figures set of 100 pieces.
What is in the set
The catalog gives the piece counts, and the distribution across digits is not even — which is deliberate, because some digits are used far more often than others.
| Item | Count | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Letters set | 112 pieces | Alphabets for spelling out names and messages |
| Figures 1, 5, 0 | 14 each — 42 pieces | The most-used digits, supplied in the highest quantity |
| Figure 2 | 10 pieces | |
| Figures 3, 4, 6 | 8 each — 24 pieces | |
| Figures 7, 8, 9 | 8 each — 24 pieces | |
| Figures set total | 100 pieces | |
| Punctuation and symbols | Remaining pieces of the set | Includes . , { } & % / and others |
Choosing the letter size
The four sizes are chosen against the board and the reading distance, not against preference.
- 12 mm — dense text on a small board, read at close range: room numbers, key labels, small grooved cards
- 18 mm — the general reception and counter size, readable from a few feet away
- 24 mm — lobby and corridor boards where the message is read while walking past
- 36 mm — large display boards and public areas where the board is read from across a room
Matching the set to the board
A set that is too large for the board crowds the message; a set that is too small disappears on it. Order the board and the letters together and quote both, since the board dimensions and the reading distance decide the size.
It is also worth counting the longest message the board has to carry. A 112-piece letters set spells a reasonable number of short words, but a board that has to display long names repeatedly may need a second set.
Where sets are used
Hotels and reception areas use them on grooved boards for room numbers, function names and rate displays. Offices use them on perforated boards for department and personnel signage. Public places use the larger sizes for messages that have to be read from a distance.
All three sit in the Display Boards collection in the Plusmark catalog, which is why grooved boards, perforated boards and letters and figures sets are usually ordered as one line of supply.
Questions on this topic
- What sizes do letters and figures sets come in?
- Plusmark lists four letter sizes: 12 mm, 18 mm, 24 mm and 36 mm. The letters set is 112 pieces and the figures set is 100 pieces.
- Are punctuation marks included?
- Yes. The catalog lists punctuation and symbols among the remaining pieces of the set, including . , { } & % / and others.
- Which letter size should a hotel reception board use?
- 18 mm is the general reception and counter size, readable from a few feet away. Lobby and corridor boards that are read while walking past usually go to 24 mm.
Boards mentioned in this guide
Sizes, surfaces and frame variants listed here are made to order. Send Plusmark your room details and quantity and the team will confirm what is available in that series.
