Open Closed Signs & Opening Hours Signs — A Guide for Shops, Cafés and Businesses

An open closed sign seems like one of the simplest things a business can buy. Hang it on the door, flip it when you lock up. But there's more to it than that — the right sign for a busy café is different from the right sign for a florist, a dog groomer or a rural B&B. And an opening hours sign that looks professional and lasts five years is a very different proposition from a laminated sheet of paper in a plastic frame.

This guide covers every type of wooden open and closed sign and opening hours sign we make, explains the differences between them, and helps you work out which suits your business.

Open closed signs — what to consider

A good open closed sign does three things: it's visible from outside, it's easy to flip, and it looks like it belongs on your door rather than being an afterthought. Laser-engraved wooden signs do all three. The engraving is permanent, the material is warm and characterful, and they hang well on any door.

Size

Most of our open closed signs come in four sizes, from 102×74mm up to 225×164mm. The right size depends on how much glass your door has, how far away passing customers are when they first look, and whether you want the sign to be a subtle touch or a clear statement.

• Small (102×74mm) — suits boutique shops, treatment rooms, offices and anywhere the sign will be viewed at close range through a door panel. Discreet rather than prominent.
• Medium (158×115mm) — the most popular size. Visible from the pavement, readable through a standard door pane, works for most retail and hospitality settings.
• Large (225×164mm) — right for businesses where customers approach from a distance, or where you want the sign to make more of an impression. Cafés, studios, galleries and larger retail spaces.
• Extra large (A4/A3) — available on our opening hours signs for businesses that need their hours to be clearly readable from outside, or for display on a counter or reception desk.

Single-sided vs double-sided

Most open closed signs are double-sided — Open on one face, Closed on the other, so you flip the sign rather than swap it. This is the right format for a hanging door sign that customers see from outside.

Single-sided signs are for situations where only one face will ever be visible — for example a fixed wall-mounted sign that always says "We Are Open" during trading hours, or an opening hours display that never changes.

Oak or bamboo?

Both materials produce clean, sharp engraving and look equally good on a business door. The practical difference:

4mm oak veneered MDF is our most popular material for business signs. It engraves with a consistent, high-contrast finish — dark text on a warm honey-coloured background. Every sign looks the same, which matters if you're ordering several across a multi-site business. Slightly warmer in tone than bamboo.

FSC-certified Moso bamboo (certificate RINA-COC-001256) engraves with natural grain variation, giving each piece a slightly different character. Marginally more moisture-resistant than oak veneer, which can be a consideration for signs near entrances where condensation or damp is a factor. Bamboo is FSC-certified, which matters to businesses with sustainability commitments.

Neither material is suitable for prolonged direct exposure to rain — these are indoor or sheltered-position signs.

Our open closed sign range

Personalised open closed signs

The Personalised Wooden Open Closed Sign is our most popular open closed sign — double-sided oak veneered MDF with your business name engraved above the Open/Closed text and a jute string hanger. Available in four sizes. If you want the sign to carry your identity as well as the open/closed message, this is the right choice.

The Wooden Open and Closed Sign is the simpler version — same double-sided format and sizes but without the business name. Right for businesses that want a clean, unfussy sign or where the business name is already displayed elsewhere on the door.

Both are available in oak. The Bamboo Open Closed Sign is the equivalent in FSC-certified bamboo for businesses that prefer a natural material or have eco credentials to support.

Rustic open closed sign

The Rustic Wooden Open Closed Sign is a slimmer, more decorative format — a narrow horizontal sign with a rustic-style engraved design rather than the standard rectangular format. Popular with farm shops, delis, florists, vintage shops and independent retailers where the aesthetic leans traditional or artisan. Available in oak and bamboo, three sizes.

Dog friendly open closed signs

The Dog Friendly Open Closed Sign combines the standard open/closed function with a dog welcome message — so customers with dogs know they're welcome before they even try the door. Particularly useful for cafés, shops and hotels where the dog-friendly policy is a selling point worth communicating from the outside. Available in oak and bamboo, four sizes, personalised with your business name.

Welsh bilingual sign

The Welsh Bilingual Open Closed Sign reads Ar Agor (Open) on one face and Ar Gau (Closed) on the other. Made in our workshop in North Wales and ideal for Welsh businesses, visitor attractions, cafés and any business operating in a Welsh-language context. Four sizes, personalised with your business name.

Opening hours signs

An opening hours sign is a different proposition from an open closed sign — it's a permanent display of your trading hours rather than a daily flip. Most businesses benefit from having both: an opening hours sign that's always visible, and an open closed sign that confirms current status at a glance.

Standard opening hours sign

The Opening Hours Sign is laser-engraved with your business name, logo and specific hours for each day. Available in four sizes (A5 landscape, A5 portrait, A4, A3) with or without a freestanding base. The base option is useful for counter and reception displays; the non-base version hangs flat against a wall or door.

Opening hours sign with logo

The Custom Wooden Opening Hours Sign with Logo is the most popular version for businesses that want their branding prominently displayed alongside their hours — logo at the top, business name, and a full seven-day hours grid. Available in four sizes from small counter signs up to large A3 wall displays. This is the right choice for the majority of retail and hospitality businesses.

Large format opening hours sign

The Large Format Opening Hours Sign is an A3 sign — right for businesses where hours need to be clearly readable from outside through a window, or for prominent wall mounting at a venue entrance. Available drilled and strung for hanging, or undrilled for wall mounting with your own fixings.

We Are Open sign

The We Are Open Sign is a simple single-sided sign for businesses that are always open during stated hours and just need a welcoming prompt rather than a flip sign. "We Are Open, Please Come In" with your business name and logo. Available in oak and bamboo, four sizes.

Use cases — which sign for which business

Retail shops

A medium or large personalised open closed sign on the door is the standard choice for most independent retailers. If your shop has irregular hours or seasonal variations, a full opening hours sign in the window or on the door frame avoids customers arriving when you're shut. The personalised version with your shop name makes a noticeably better impression than a standard plastic sign.

Cafés, restaurants and pubs

Opening hours are particularly important in hospitality because customers plan around them. A large opening hours sign visible from the street reduces the number of people who turn up and find you closed — and the frustration that creates. A double-sided open closed sign near the door helps during service when your hours might vary. If you're dog-friendly, the combined dog friendly open closed sign is worth considering.

Hair salons and beauty businesses

Salons often have different hours on different days and may open late on some evenings. A full opening hours sign with your salon name and logo looks significantly more professional than a handwritten card in the window and doesn't need replacing every time your hours change — if your hours are stable, the engraving is permanent. For frequent changes, a chalkboard insert or digital display may suit better alongside a branded wooden frame sign.

Hotels, B&Bs and holiday lets

Reception opening hours signs are a standard requirement for any property where check-in times matter. A clear, professional sign stating reception hours, check-in and check-out times reduces queries and sets expectations from arrival. The opening hours sign with logo works well here. Dog-friendly open closed signs are popular with pet-welcoming properties.

Offices and professional services

A professional wooden opening hours sign in reception or on the office door is a small detail that adds to the overall impression of the space. Particularly useful for businesses that see walk-in clients — accountants, solicitors, estate agents — where hours are fixed and a permanent display is more appropriate than a flip sign.

Farm shops, delis and artisan businesses

The rustic format open closed sign is the natural choice here — it fits the aesthetic of independent food and artisan businesses without looking generic. The narrow horizontal format also suits the door styles common in converted farm buildings and older properties.

Welsh businesses and visitor attractions

The bilingual Ar Agor / Ar Gau sign is made for businesses operating in a Welsh-language context — particularly visitor attractions, cafés and shops in predominantly Welsh-speaking areas, or any business that wants to signal a Welsh identity from the outset.

Multi-site businesses and franchises

Bulk discounts apply automatically from 20 units — 10% off at 20, 15% off at 50, 20% off at 100. For businesses fitting out multiple locations with consistent signage, ordering in bulk keeps the per-unit cost low while ensuring every site has the same quality and format. Get in touch if you're ordering for multiple locations and we can advise on the best approach.

How to order

All signs are made to order. When you place your order, provide:

• Your business name — exactly as you want it to appear on the sign
• Your opening hours — for opening hours signs, include each day of the week with open and close times. If you're closed on a particular day, note that too
• Your logo — if you want your logo engraved, upload a PNG or JPG using the logo upload button. Black and white artwork gives the sharpest engraving result

We provide a free templated design service — upload your details and we handle the layout. If anything isn't clear about your order we'll be in touch before engraving.

Dispatch time is shown at checkout based on current production times. UK orders via Royal Mail Tracked 24. International via Royal Mail International Tracked. Signs are not suitable for direct outdoor exposure to rain or moisture.