In general, a home theater sign is any kind of a decorative sign used to announce the presence of a home theater. They are typically as plain or as fancy as the theater owner wishes, and can mimic classic theater signs, posters or other designs. When choosing a home theater sign a decorator can create virtually any look he or she wishes to complement the overall theater decor. Such signs may use the family name, a name for the home theater, or they can be a marquee style and changed as often as necessary to announce what is showing.
A wood or metal home theater sign most often gives the family name followed by the word "theater." It is usually either printed with the information or engraved and then painted. Such signs are typically custom-made, though larger shops may have an inventory of signs using common last names. These can be used to identify the theater room or as a decoration in the room.
Another type of home theater sign that is popular with some people is a plaque that features a reprint of an old movie poster. Typically the classics are used for these signs, and they are almost always used as decoration inside the theater room. The plaque may be made of wood or metal, but the poster is usually printed on heavy paper and then glued onto the surface of the sign. Plastic or another type of protective coating is most often used to cover and protect the poster.
Those wishing to recreate even more of a theater-like atmosphere may find a lighted home theater sign more to their liking. One type is created to look like a theater marquee and comes with changeable lettering so the movie of the day can be posted. A marquee such as this may be posted over the door of the home theater and helps to recreate more of an authentic theater feeling.
Lighted signs that resemble the old-fashioned signs that once were found on the outside of theaters are available from many different sources. A home theater sign of this type is usually made in a single color, often red, and looks very much like a neon sign. Typically, though, these signs use light emitting diodes (LEDs) as a light source. This makes them generally safer to have around, since there are no gas-filled tubes involved. Since LEDs are normally quite economical to use, this also makes them relatively inexpensive to operate.