Floor signs and walkways made of light
An overhead LED projector puts a STOP sign, a crosswalk or a walkway line on your floor. Nothing to peel, scuff, repaint or trip over, and when the layout changes you re-aim it in minutes.
Get a free specificationDownload the guide (PDF)
Paint and tape are consumables. Plant floors are hostile.
A painted crosswalk lasts as long as the forklift traffic lets it. Tape lifts, collects grease and fails below freezing. Every re-mark closes an aisle. A projected sign is mounted overhead, out of the traffic path, and the floor underneath is never touched.
| Paint or tape | Projected sign or line | |
|---|---|---|
| Forklift traffic | Wears through; re-mark every season | Nothing on the floor to wear |
| Freezers and wet floors | Adhesive fails, paint will not cure | Works on any surface condition |
| Layout changes | Grind off, mask, cure, re-open | Re-aim or swap the gobo in minutes |
| Visibility | Hidden under dirt and in low light | Bright, in the walking line, seen from across the floor |
| Downtime to install | Aisle closed for prep and cure | None on the floor; overhead install only |
Signs and lines
Every installation uses one or both. Image projectors throw a shape. Line projectors throw an edge.
Projected signs and zones · ECO Spot
The image is cut into a glass disc, the gobo, inside the unit. No video, no controller, no network.
- STOP, YIELD, 4-way STOP, crosswalks
- Keep-clear zones at panels and extinguishers
- PPE warnings, bay and zone IDs, custom logos
Virtual walkways and boundaries · ECO Lines
No gobo: the optic draws a crisp line 3–6 in wide. Its length is set by the lens and the mounting height.
- Pedestrian walkways across vehicle aisles
- Aisle edges, lanes and stop lines
- Crane and dock danger-zone perimeters
Will it be bright enough? Check in ten seconds.
A projected image competes with every other light on that floor. Mount higher and the image gets bigger and dimmer: double the distance and the floor gets a quarter of the light. Measure your light with any phone lux app, held flat on the floor where the sign will land.
Enter a mounting height to see the options.
Strong = 3× your light or more. Readable = 1.5–3×. Manufacturer open-beam figures; a gobo passes less light, so we confirm every specification against a reading from your floor before you order.
Photometric chart: 300 W image projector
Size = distance × lens multiplier. Brightness in foot-candles (fc); multiply by 10.76 for lux. How to read it: on the 25° lens, mounted 20 ft away, the image is 8.3 ft across at 234 fc (about 2,500 lux). At 24 ft: 10 ft across at 163 fc (about 1,750 lux).
| Lens · distance (ft) | 6 | 9 | 12 | 15 | 20 | 24 | 30 | 36 | 42 | 64 | 88 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10°220 mm | Size (ft) | 1.9 | 2.6 | 3.2 | 4.3 | 5.1 | 6.4 | 7.7 | 8.9 | 13.6 | 18.7 | |
| fc | 2,844 | 1,600 | 1,024 | 576 | 400 | 256 | 178 | 131 | 56 | 30 | ||
| 13°210 mm | Size (ft) | 2.1 | 2.8 | 3.5 | 4.6 | 5.5 | 6.9 | 8.3 | 9.7 | 14.7 | 20.2 | |
| fc | 2,649 | 1,490 | 954 | 536 | 373 | 238 | 166 | 122 | 52 | 28 | ||
| 20°140 mm | Size (ft) | 2.1 | 3.2 | 4.2 | 5.3 | 7.0 | 8.4 | 10.5 | 12.6 | 14.7 | 22.4 | 30.8 |
| fc | 3,200 | 1,422 | 800 | 512 | 288 | 200 | 128 | 89 | 65 | 28 | 15 | |
| 25°115 mm | Size (ft) | 2.5 | 3.8 | 5.0 | 6.3 | 8.3 | 10.0 | 12.5 | 15.0 | 17.5 | 26.7 | 36.7 |
| fc | 2,600 | 1,156 | 650 | 416 | 234 | 163 | 104 | 72 | 53 | 23 | 12 | |
| 30°92 mm | Size (ft) | 3.3 | 5.0 | 6.6 | 8.3 | 11.0 | 13.2 | 16.5 | 19.8 | 23.1 | 35.2 | 48.4 |
| fc | 1,240 | 551 | 310 | 198 | 112 | 78 | 50 | 34 | 25 | 11 | 6 | |
| 40°56 mm | Size (ft) | 4.9 | 7.4 | 9.8 | 12.3 | 16.4 | 19.7 | 24.6 | 29.5 | 34.4 | 52.5 | 72.2 |
| fc | 540 | 240 | 135 | 86 | 49 | 34 | 22 | 15 | 11 | 5 | 3 | |
Manufacturer data, open beam. Large zones are covered by two or more projectors working together; that is a normal configuration.
Sign projectors
Rugged PCE range: fanless, sealed, rated for wet, cold and outdoor positions. Every unit takes a choice of lenses.
ES-C20PCE20 WWall signs and small IDsView product →
ES-C40PCE40 WSmall floor signsView product →
ES-C60PCE60 WMedium floor signsView product →
ES-B90PCE90 WSTOP bars, larger signsView product →
ES-B150PCE150 WIntersections, brighter floorsView product →
ES-B300PCE300 WHigh bays, big zones, daylightView product →
Line projectors
Line length = mounting distance × lens factor: 53° × 0.9, 73° × 1.4, 90° × 1.9. At 20 ft, the 90° lens draws a 38 ft line.
SpectroSIGN™ complete systems
Projector, matched glass gobo and mount in one order, so there is nothing left to get wrong. Tap any sign to ask for a quote sized to your mounting height.
The glass disc that decides what the sign says
Glass in a fanless fixture is why a projected sign is fit-and-forget. Choose from the stock gobo library or send your own artwork for a custom gobo. The design work is free.
- Price follows colour count, not detail: each colour is a separate piece of glass
- Only coloured areas project. Black stays dark, so lettering is knocked out of the colour
- Bilingual and Quebec sites: French and bilingual signs are a custom gobo; tell us at the start
- We need a vector file (or a photo we redraw), the exact wording and the read distance
Signs that appear only when they matter
Add a control module and a sensor and the sign reacts: a crossing that lights only for approaching traffic, a dock door that projects NO PEDESTRIANS while a truck is inside, a machine zone tied to equipment state. Engineered and quoted per site.
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Mounting and power
Ceiling, joist, wall bracket, column, crane rail (the projector travels with the crane) or an existing fixture position. Standard mains, installed by your site electrician from our position drawing. Plan the circuit on input power: the 300 W unit draws 280 W, 2.3 A at 115 V.
Where projection is not the answer
It needs a clear line of sight from the mount, which racking can block, and power at that position. Full direct sun beats any floor image, and anything parked on the spot hides it. Where a regulation requires a permanent sign, use projection as a supplement, because it depends on power.
Running in plants
Environments
Cold storage and freezers →
Adhesives fail below freezing and paint will not cure. There is nothing on the floor to fail.
Distribution centres →
Layouts change with the season; re-aim instead of re-marking.
Mining and heavy industry →
Dust, damp and abrasion destroy floor marking. An overhead fixture is out of the abrasion path.
Yards, docks and compounds →
Workable, with higher-output units; daylight is the constraint.
FAQ
Does a projected sign satisfy a signage requirement?
Treat it as a supplement to required permanent signage, not a replacement, unless you have confirmed otherwise for your jurisdiction and hazard. A projected sign depends on power; permanent signage does not. Where projection is strongest is communicating a rule effectively: traffic control, keep-clear zones, pedestrian routes and areas that change with the layout.
How long do they last, and what maintenance do they need?
Rated LED life is about 35,000 hours to 70% output, and there are no moving parts, filters or fans. Our longest-running install has run since 2013 without a service call. Maintenance is wiping the lens.
Can it project a large filled zone, not just a sign?
Yes. One 300 W unit covers a zone of roughly 10–14 ft depending on height and lens; larger zones use two or more projectors working together, laid out on your floor plan so the edges meet cleanly.
Will it work in a bright plant or near dock doors?
Usually, with the right model and lens. Use the calculator above with a lux reading from your floor; we aim for 3× your ambient light. In full direct sun a floor image will lose, and we will tell you so before you buy.
Can I use my own artwork, logo or a bilingual sign?
Yes. Send a vector file or a photo and we redraw it as a custom gobo, free of design charge. Price depends on the number of colours.
Are the projectors certified?
Electrical listing and IP rating are confirmed per model, in writing, with your quotation. The rugged PCE range is IP65 sealed.
How long does it take, and who installs it?
1 to 3 weeks from written approval of the artwork proof, confirmed against capacity. Your site electrician installs to our position drawing, which gives the mount point, aim and image size for every unit. Across southern Ontario we can usually come and measure.
What do you need to quote?
A photo of the area, the mounting height and what you want on the floor. A lux reading helps. That is enough to specify it and draw a proof, free and with no obligation.
Send a photo, the ceiling height and what you want on the floor
We come back with the projector, lens, gobo and mounting position drawn on your photo or floor plan, with a written price. Specifying is free, and it is the same work we do anyway before quoting.
Get a free specificationDownload the full guide (PDF)info@cyanvisuals.com · 1-855-919-9392
Specifications are typical manufacturer figures; final figures are confirmed per model with your quotation. CYANvisuals.com, Brantford, Ontario. Also see the 5S shadow boards and cleaning stations guide and the visual management boards guide.