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How We Fabricate TED & TEDx Stage Letters Signs



TEDx requirement for event organizers

What is TED and TEDx Events?

TED are a local gathering where live talks and videos take place in front of an audience and conferences, shared with the community. TEDx are previously recorded talk and videos of TED. The content and design of each TEDx event is unique and developed independently.

We start by receiving a CAD file (drawing file) from our customer

We feed that file into our computer connected to our CNC hot wire foam cutter. The computer will tell the machine how to cut using 2 different software: One will generate the GCode for drawing the shape required, the other will operate the machine itself.


TEDx Harker School rendering mock up

Next, our CNC hot wire foam cutter will cut the letters individually. We use EPS (Expanded Polystyrene) which is easy to work with for letters, signs, logo's, displays, props and exhibits.

This foam comes in different densities. The higher the density, the smoother is the foam (but also more expensive) and in higher densities you see less of the beaded foam texture.

We make the depth of the letters thick enough so that they will be stand alone to be standing on the stage, or we attach a foam base at the bottom of the letters and glue the letters onto the base.

Red painted TED Letters for an event
Red painted TED Letters for an event

We sand the foam letters, then we paint them. We use specific Pantone paint colors that are a requirement for those letters.

painted red TED letters sign for an event

For TEDx Signs, we glue the "X" to a piece of acrylic which we connect to the back of the letter "D". The acrylic is transparent and creates the sense of the "X" floating in the air.

TEDx Silicon Valley sign with Acrylic Connector
TEDx Silicon Valley Sign with acrylic connector and a base
TEDx Denver Teachers Sign with a base painted red and white
TEDx Denver Teachers Sign painted red and white with a base
TED Foam Stage Letters Sign for TED Women
TED Stage Foam Letters Sign for a conference event
TED sign for Women Conference Stage Letters
TED letters sign for Women Conference Stage Letters

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