What Are Corflute Signs?

Need signage that is incredibly lightweight, surprisingly durable, highly professional, and most importantly - cost-effective? While permanent building signs and high-end 3D lettering have their place, there is one unsung hero of the signage landscape that ticks all these boxes. The simple yet effective corflute sign.

Corflute signage is the backbone of portable and temporary signage solutions in New Zealand. But what exactly is it, how is it made, and why has it remained the industry standard for so many decades? In this comprehensive guide, we go under the hood of this versatile material to help you decide if it’s the right choice for your next project.

What Exactly Is Corflute?

To the naked eye, a corflute sign looks like a thick piece of plastic cardboard. In fact, that is exactly the easiest way to describe it - plastic cardboard. The name corflute is actually a trademarked brand name that has become the common term associated with the product, similar to the way we commonly use ‘band-aid’ or ‘chilly bin’. More technically speaking, the actual material is called corrugated polypropylene plastic.

If you look at the edge of a corflute sheet, you will see a distinct structure, two flat sheets of plastic (the skins) separated by a series of parallel vertical ribs (the flutes). This fluted internal structure is the secret to the material's success. It creates an I-beam effect that provides remarkable structural integrity and rigidity while keeping the overall volume mostly composed of air.

For businesses, corflute represents the perfect marriage of utility and visibility. It is robust enough to withstand environmental conditions yet light enough to be carried under one arm and installed with nothing more than a few cable ties or a staple gun.

What Are Corflute Signs Made Of?

Understanding what corflute is made of explains why it performs the way it does. The primary ingredient is Polypropylene, a thermoplastic polymer known for its chemical resistance, elasticity, and toughness.

The Manufacturing Process

Corflute is created through a process called extrusion. Raw polypropylene pellets are melted down and pushed through a high-precision die that creates the twin-wall structure in one continuous piece. Because it is extruded as a single unit, the bond between the flutes and the outer skins is incredibly strong. Which means it won’t delaminate or peel apart like a corrugated paper box might when it gets wet.

UV Stabilisation

In New Zealand, we have some of the harshest UV conditions in the world, standard plastic can become brittle and yellow rapidly under the sun. Professional-grade corflute is treated with UV inhibitors during the manufacturing process. These chemical stabilisers protect the polymer chains from breaking down, ensuring the board stays flexible and white for the duration of its intended use.

Thickness Variants

corflute typically comes in two standard thicknesses for signage:

• 3mm: The standard for real estate and small indoor signs. It is ultra-flexible and very light.
• 5mm: The heavy-duty version. This is the preferred choice for construction sites and larger outdoor signs because it resists bowing or bending in the wind.

Recyclability

Polypropylene is a Type 5 plastic. One of the greatest misconceptions about corflute is that it is a permanent environmental burden. In reality, it is 100% recyclable. Once a campaign is finished, the signs can be granulated and melted back into pellets to be used for other plastic products, such as garden furniture, automotive parts, or even new corflute sheets. In New Zealand there is limited ability to recycle corflute, although local print companies like Adgraphix will take back used signs for recycling with companies like Future Post.

Best Uses And Common Applications Of Corflute Signage

Because corflute is so affordable, it is often dismissed as a budget option. However, its applications are vast, and in many industries, it is actually the preferred professional choice regardless of price.

• Real Estate Signage: Perhaps the most iconic use of corflute. From For Sale signs to Open Home directional pointers, corflute is the industry standard because it allows agents to move signs from property to property easily. Its high-white surface provides a perfect backdrop for high-resolution photos of homes, ensuring the property looks its best from the curb.
• Construction And Site Safety: If you walk past any building site in NZ, you will likely see 5mm corflute signs displaying Health and Safety regulations, PPE requirements, and site branding. It is chosen here because it can be easily hosed down if it gets covered in dust or mud, and it won't crack if it is accidentally bumped by machinery.
• Event Direction And Wayfinding: Whether it’s the Christchurch Marathon or a local school gala, corflute is the go-to for temporary event signage. Because it is so light, it can be attached to fences, lampposts, or stakes with minimal effort. At the end of the day, it can be ripped down in seconds and stored flat for next year, or recycled.
• Political And Election Campaigns: During election cycles, corflute becomes the most visible material in the country. Candidates use it because it allows them to flood a region with thousands of billboards on a limited budget. The rigidity of the flutes ensures the candidate's face doesn't warp or sag even after a week of rain.
• Retail Sale Bursts And POS: Inside a retail environment, corflute is often used for Header Cards on top of shelving units, free-standing impact signage or as large hanging ‘SALE’ signs. When die-cut into custom shapes it creates a high-impact visual that draws the customer's eye without requiring heavy-duty hanging hardware.

Corflute Printing Options

For long-lasting signage, the method of printing is just as important as the material itself. Your options with corflute tend to include:

1. Direct-To-Substrate UV Printing

The ultimate standard for corflute is HP Latex Flatbed Printing. Instead of printing onto a vinyl sticker and then applying that sticker to the board (which can lead to bubbles or peeling) the ink is printed directly onto the plastic. The print heads travel over the corflute, dropping microscopic droplets of ink. The result is a crisp, vibrant, satin finish that is instantly dry and waterproof. Because the ink is Latex, it is resistant to scratching and fading, and won’t chip on the edges so colour can be edge to edge, unlike UV curable ink printing.

2. Single vs Double Sided

Because the material is mostly opaque, you can print on both sides without the image showing through. This is essential for directional signage (like Open Home arrows) where the sign needs to be visible from both traffic directions.

3. Custom Die-Cutting

While the standard corflute sign is a rectangle, signage experts have the technology to cut the material into any shape. Using a digital cutting table they can follow the outline of your logo, a person’s silhouette, or a specific product. This transforms a simple sign into a high-end display piece.

Timeframes, Costs, And Limitations

To get the most out of your corflute investment, it is important to understand the logistical side of things, here is a quick breakdown of what you need to know.

Unmatched Speed: One of the biggest advantages of corflute is the turnaround time. Because the printing process is direct and requires no lamination or drying time, often dozens of signs can be produced in a matter of hours. For businesses under time constraints for events, corflute is the fastest signage solution available.

Cost-Effectiveness: On a square-metre basis, corflute is significantly cheaper than ACM (Aluminium Composite Material) or PVC Foam board. If you are ordering in bulk, for example, 50 site signs or 100 event pointers, the price per unit drops dramatically, making it the most economical way to achieve mass visibility.

The Limitations: What corflute Is NOT! While we love corflute, it isn't the solution for every problem. It is not suitable for permanent building signs, high-end finishes and strong wind zones.

• Permanent Building Signs: While UV-stable, the plastic itself will eventually become brittle after 2–3 years of constant exposure to New Zealand’s high-UV environment. For a sign intended to stick around for 5+ years the use of ACM (Aluminium Composite Material) is recommended instead.
• High End Finishes: Because the board has internal ribs, if you look very closely at a large area of flat colour, you see very faint lines (the ghost of the flutes). For 99% of signage, this is less visible from a metres away, but for high-end photography meant to be viewed at eye level, a smoother material like PVC foam might be better.
• Strong Wind Loading: Because it is so light, a large corflute sign can act like a bit like a sail. If it isn't secured properly to a flat surface, the wind can fold it or tear it off its fixings.

Why Choose Corflute?

If you need a sign that is:

• Waterproof and weatherproof
• Professional and high-resolution
• Light enough to hang anywhere
• Ready in a hurry
• Easy on the marketing budget

...then corflute is your answer!

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At Adgraphix, we’ve printed thousands of kilometres of corflute signage over the years for Christchurch’s leading developers, real estate agents, and event planners. Ready to get your message out there? Whether you need one sign or one thousand, the team at Adgraphix is here to help you turn a simple sheet of plastic into your most effective marketing tool. Contact us today for a quote or a sample of our high-resolution Latex printing on 3mm and 5mm corflute.

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