Sign material
Foam Board
Indoor only, light as anything, and dented by a fingernail. Perfect for the job it is actually for.
| Also called | Foamcore, Gatorfoam, display board |
| Thicknesses | 3/16 in and 1/2 in are standard. |
| Weight | Almost nothing. This is the material you ship flat and cheaply. |
| Outdoor life | None worth quoting. Paper faced board delaminates in the first rain and the core yellows in sun. Treat it as indoor only and you will never have a complaint. |
| Ballpark cost | Roughly 15 to 30 dollars a sheet, with Gatorfoam and similar hard faced boards costing appreciably more. |
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
A polystyrene foam core faced both sides with paper or a harder laminate. Gatorfoam is a tougher faced version that survives handling far better.
What it is good for
- → Presentation boards, easel signs and event graphics
- → Retail and trade show displays
- → Short term interior signage
- → Mounted photographs and artwork
What to watch for
Printing and finishing
Prints direct on a flatbed and takes mounted prints readily. Watch the vacuum table, since aggressive suction will emboss the pattern into a thin sheet.
Pricing a Foam Board 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.
Foam Board — FAQ
Can foam board be used outside?
No, not usefully. The faces delaminate as soon as they get wet. Coroplast does the same job outdoors for about the same money.
What is the difference between foamcore and Gatorfoam?
Foamcore has paper faces and dents easily. Gatorfoam has a much harder wood fibre face that resists handling damage and stays flat in bigger sizes, at a higher price.
How thick should a presentation board be?
3/16 in for anything handheld or up to about 24 x 36. 1/2 in once the board is large enough to flex under its own weight on an easel.
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.