Sign material
ACM
Two thin aluminium skins bonded to a plastic core. The default for a permanent flat sign that has to stay flat.
| Also called | Aluminum composite, Dibond, Alupanel, Max-Metal |
| Thicknesses | 3mm is the workhorse. 6mm where the panel is large or has to resist a knock. |
| Weight | About 0.81 lb per square foot at 3mm, and about 1.44 lb at 6mm — worth doing the arithmetic before quoting an install, because a 4 x 8 in 6mm is over 45 lb on the wall. |
| Outdoor life | Five to ten years outdoors is realistic, and genuine Dibond is rated to ten. The face usually outlasts whatever graphics went on it. |
| Ballpark cost | Roughly 50 to 65 dollars a sheet for 3mm, noticeably more for 6mm and for genuine Dibond. |
Ballpark trade prices for a 4 x 8 sheet as of August 2026, before markup. Yours will differ by supplier, region and how much you buy at once — treat these as a sanity check on a quote, not a price list.
What it actually is
Two sheets of aluminium, typically around 0.012 in each, bonded either side of a polyethylene core. Dibond is a brand of it, the way Coroplast is a brand of corrugated plastic.
What it is good for
- → Storefront and fascia panels
- → Monument and pylon faces
- → Directional and wayfinding signs that must stay flat for years
- → Anything routed to shape
What to watch for
Printing and finishing
Takes vinyl beautifully and prints direct on a flatbed. The factory finish matters, since a brushed or polished face will read through translucent inks.
Pricing a ACM job?
Our free sign price calculator works the way a shop does: size times material, plus the options and the setup, with the margin shown as you go. No signup.
ACM — FAQ
Is Dibond the same thing as ACM?
Dibond is a brand of ACM, and a good one. All Dibond is ACM, not all ACM is Dibond, and the difference usually shows up in skin thickness and how evenly the finish weathers.
How heavy is a 4 x 8 sheet of ACM?
About 26 lb in 3mm and about 46 lb in 6mm. That is the number that decides whether an install is a one person job.
Can ACM be bent?
Yes. Rout a V groove through the face skin and core, leave the back skin intact, and fold it. That returned edge is how a flat panel starts looking like a fabricated one.
Your materials, priced once
Set your substrates, vinyls and laminates up once in PrinterFlo and every quote prices itself by size and options, with cost, profit and margin on the line as you build it.