What Is Coroplast? Durable Corrugated Plastic Signs

So what are Coroplast signs, exactly? Coroplast is a brand name for corrugated plastic sheeting, technically corrugated polypropylene. The name stuck so hard that people say Coroplast the way they say Band Aid for a bandage. The material is waterproof, UV resistant, and far cheaper than metal or wood signage.

You have seen these signs thousands of times. Every open house sign staked in a lawn, every campaign sign lining the highway at election time, every directional arrow at a 5K race is Coroplast. It is the workhorse of temporary and semi permanent signage, tough enough to live outside for weeks yet light enough to reprint on a whim.

If you are lining up other print projects, our guide on how to clean rubber stamps and the walkthrough on how to fold a brochure pair well with a signage order.

Not every Coroplast sign does the same job. Standard Coroplast is the everyday option, perfect for yard signs, directional signage, and short term promotions. It handles sun and rain without flinching, and it accepts bright full color printing so your message reads clean from across a parking lot.

Most standard signs run on 4mm sheets, which is roughly the thickness of two stacked credit cards. That is the sweet spot between rigidity and weight, and it covers the vast majority of sign needs before you ever reach for a specialty surface.

Reflective Coroplast uses a retroreflective surface that bounces light back toward its source. Place one near a road at night and passing headlights make it glow. Construction zones, nighttime events, and parking lot directionals all rely on it wherever visibility matters after dark.

Reflective panels also resist fading better than standard sheets thanks to that surface coating. You can compare all three surfaces on the Reflective Coroplast and Standard Coroplast pages before you decide which one fits the job.

Real estate agents are probably the single biggest users of Coroplast. They need a sign cheap enough to order in bulk, tough enough to survive a yard for weeks, and polished enough to represent a listing. Most agents run 18 by 24 inch signs on H stake wire frames that slide right into the vertical flutes.

Election season turns whole neighborhoods into Coroplast galleries, since campaigns order signs by the hundred and need bright full color at a low price. Races, festivals, farmers markets, and school fundraisers use it for wayfinding, and retailers and restaurants swap it seasonally for window signs and sidewalk displays.

For ideas on how other businesses put print to work, browse the showcase gallery, or plan matching promo pieces with our custom magnets guide.

The fastest way to a clean print is to start from the correct canvas. A Coroplast template locks in the trim size and drops in bleed guides so your artwork extends past the cut line and you never risk a white edge on the finished sign.

Download the ready made Coroplast template to set up your file, and browse the full blank templates library for every other product you print alongside your signs.

Ignoring flute direction. The flutes run either horizontally or vertically. If you plan to use H stakes, you need vertical flutes so the stakes slide in, so always specify flute direction when you order.

Using tiny text. This is the number one design mistake. People cram too much onto a sign meant to be read from 20 to 50 feet away. Keep the headline to 3 to 5 words, and if someone has to squint, the sign has failed.

Choosing single sided for freestanding signs. A yard sign with a blank back looks unfinished from one direction, so go double sided whenever the sign stands in the open. The extra cost is small next to losing half your visibility.

Skipping the bleed. Extend artwork past the cut line so you do not risk white edges, and use the templates that already include bleed guides.