It really depends upon the specific needs of the project. 

Environments where change is likely, i.e. hospitals, colleges, or corporate facilities, can benefit greatly from having a sign program that’s easy to update with new messaging.

On the other hand, facilities like hotels and sports venues may not need the vast majority of their signs to be updatable, so a custom solution, or a combination of custom and modular, is likely a better fit.

 A modular system may cost 5-10% more than a fully custom solution on the front end (although not always!), but if any replacements are needed during the following several years, a modular sign, where only the display panel has to be updated instead of the entire sign, can present significant cost savings to the end user… and will also avoid wall damage and repair during the process.  

While vinyl tape or a combination of vinyl tape and silicone is the fastest and most economical method of interior sign installation and generally works in most cases, there are more and more wall coatings these days, including low-VOC and anti-microbial paints, that aren’t compatible with adhesives. To absolutely ensure a secure installation, mechanical fasteners are the safest option, and a modular system is more compatible with screw-mounting than custom plaques or stacked acrylic signs.

The debate regarding modular or custom signs will undoubtedly continue, and that’s okay. 

At the end of the day, there’s a good fit for both options depending upon the project. However, if we had to choose, we would argue that today’s modular signs offer many of the benefits of custom solutions, but custom solutions never offer the benefits of modularity.