LJMSU: Brand-Matched Blue Aluminium Light-Up Letters for Liverpool John Moores Students' Union
When Liverpool John Moores Students' Union came to us, the brief was refreshingly clear: five letters, in their blue, that could stand outside on a wet Wednesday in October and still look immaculate on a stage the following weekend. That single sentence rules out a lot of materials. Here's how the LJMSU letters were made, and why aluminium was the only sensible answer.
The brief: five letters, one very specific blue
LJMSU wanted a set of illuminated initials to anchor their campus events — freshers' week, open days, graduation photography, awards evenings and the outdoor activations that fill the university calendar. The letters needed to work as a photo backdrop, a wayfinding marker and a piece of brand furniture, often on the same day.
Three requirements shaped every decision that followed:
Brand-matched blue, not "close enough"
Colour is where most custom signage quietly fails. A logo blue that drifts two shades warm is the sort of thing a brand team notices immediately and nobody else can quite put their finger on — it just looks slightly off.
We matched the LJMSU letters to the union's own brand blue and finished every visible face in it: the fronts, the returns and the inside of each letter's channel. That last detail matters more than people expect. When the bulbs are on, light bounces off the internal faces, so a letter finished only on the front reads as two different colours the moment it's illuminated.
The result is a set that photographs as one flat, consistent blue whether it's lit or unlit, in daylight or after dark.
IP67-rated wiring: the part nobody sees
An IP rating describes how well an enclosure resists solids and liquids. The first digit covers dust; the second covers water. IP67 means fully dust-tight and protected against temporary immersion in water — conventionally tested to one metre for thirty minutes.
For an outdoor letter set, that's the specification that actually matters. British weather doesn't politely mist; it arrives sideways. Wiring rated to IP67 means a downpour during a campus open day is a non-event rather than a call to the technical team.
It also protects the asset over time. Water ingress rarely kills a letter set on the day — it corrodes connections quietly over a season until half a letter starts flickering at the worst possible moment. Specifying properly rated wiring at build stage removes that failure mode entirely.
A note on responsible use: an IP rating describes the protection of the wiring and fittings, not permission to submerge a letter or leave it permanently installed outdoors without assessment. Letters used outside should always be sited on firm, level ground and secured against wind loading.
Why we build in aluminium
Aluminium is the material we reach for whenever a letter set has to live outdoors, travel frequently, or be handled by people who aren't full-time technicians. Here's the reasoning.
It doesn't rust
Aluminium forms a thin, self-repairing oxide layer on its surface. Scratch it and the protective layer reforms. Steel, by contrast, needs its coating to remain intact — a chip on a steel letter's edge is the beginning of a rust bloom that will eventually lift the surrounding paint. For a letter set that gets loaded, unloaded and knocked about across an academic year, that difference compounds fast.
It's light enough for two people
Aluminium is roughly a third the density of steel. A letter set that two people can carry, position and pack away is a set that actually gets used — rather than one that needs a crew and a plan every time it leaves storage. For a students' union with rotating officers and volunteer teams, that's the difference between an asset in service and an asset in a cupboard.
It holds a crisp edge
Aluminium fabricates cleanly, which means sharp corners, tight radii on curved letters and consistent return depths across the whole set. Look at the S and the U in the LJMSU set — the curves are smooth and even rather than faceted, which is what separates a handcrafted letter from a flat-pack one.
It takes a colour-matched finish beautifully
A properly prepared aluminium surface gives an even, durable finish with no grain or seam telegraphing through — which is precisely what you need when the whole point is an exact brand colour.
It's recyclable
Aluminium is infinitely recyclable without loss of quality, and recycling it uses a fraction of the energy required for primary production. For institutions with sustainability commitments — and most universities now have them written into procurement policy — it's a materially better answer than composites or coated timber.
The bulbs
The LJMSU letters carry clear faceted cabochon-style LED bulbs. The facets scatter the light into a starburst rather than presenting a single flat point, which is what gives a marquee letter its character on camera — you get visible rays in photographs instead of a row of blown-out white dots.
Where a set like this earns its keep
For a students' union, an owned letter set stops being an event line item and starts being infrastructure. The LJMSU letters will appear at:
- Freshers' week — as a meeting point and the most photographed object on campus that fortnight
- Open days — outdoor brand presence that works in daylight and holds up in the rain
- Graduation — a photo backdrop families actually queue for
- Awards and balls — stage dressing that already matches the brand
- Sports and society events — indoors or out, with no material caveats
The same logic applies to any organisation with a recurring event calendar: a hotel group, a venue, a sports club, a visitor attraction, or a brand that activates repeatedly through the year. You can see more of our work in the portfolio.
Purchasing your own letters
Every set we make is handcrafted to order. We work from your brand reference for colour, your site requirements for size and specification, and your event calendar for delivery. Sets are made in our workshops and delivered nationwide — the LJMSU letters travelled to Liverpool.If you're considering initials, a full word or a bespoke logo piece in aluminium, tell us what you need it to do and where it needs to stand, and we'll specify it properly from there.
Frequently asked questions
Are aluminium light-up letters suitable for outdoor events?
Are aluminium light-up letters suitable for outdoor events?
Yes. Aluminium is corrosion resistant and, when paired with IP67-rated wiring, is well suited to outdoor use. Letters should always be placed on firm, level ground and secured appropriately against wind.
What does IP67-rated wiring actually mean?
What does IP67-rated wiring actually mean?
IP67 means the wiring and fittings are fully dust-tight and protected against temporary immersion in water — conventionally tested at one metre for thirty minutes. In practice, it means rain during an outdoor event is not a problem.
Can light-up letters be matched to our exact brand colour?
Can light-up letters be matched to our exact brand colour?
Yes. We finish letters to a supplied brand reference, including the returns and the internal channel faces so the colour stays consistent when the bulbs are lit.
Why choose aluminium over steel for light-up letters?
Why choose aluminium over steel for light-up letters?
Aluminium doesn't rust, weighs roughly a third of steel, fabricates to a crisper edge and is fully recyclable. For letters that travel between events or spend time outdoors, it outperforms steel on every practical measure.
Will aluminium letters corrode or fade over time?
Will aluminium letters corrode or fade over time?
Aluminium forms a self-repairing protective oxide layer, so it resists corrosion even if the surface is scratched. With sensible handling and storage, a set will stay presentable for many years of repeated use.
Can we have our organisation's initials or logo made?
Can we have our organisation's initials or logo made?
Yes. Initials, full words, numbers and bespoke shapes are all made to order. Send us the artwork or brand guidelines and we'll work from those.
Do the letters work indoors as well as outdoors?
Do the letters work indoors as well as outdoors?
Yes. The LJMSU set is specified for both — the same letters work on a stage, in a foyer or on a lawn with no change of setup.
How can I order the Light up Letters?
How can I order the Light up Letters?
The first step is to get in touch through our contact page. Once we have your enquiry, we will send you a quote and our purchase brochure, then talk through your requirements from there.