Signs in Egypt: Office, Clinic, Pharmacy and Shop Signs by Material

In Egypt, "yafta" (يافطة) is the word for any sign: the name above a shop, the plate beside a lawyer’s door, the lit cross over a pharmacy, the cladding front of a company. This guide goes through the signs businesses order most, the materials they come in, and what to check before you pay a sign maker. For shop fronts in detail, see our shop sign guide.

Signs by where they go

Office and door signs

The most searched sign in Egypt is the office sign. Inside a building it is usually a plate of acrylic, "crystal" (thick clear acrylic) or wood beside the door, with the company or professional’s name and, if it helps visitors, the floor and the field of work. Keep it to the name and one line. Stand-off bolts that hold the plate a centimetre from the wall make even a small sign look finished.

Lawyer’s signs

A lawyer’s sign normally gives the name, the title (for example "Lawyer at the Court of Cassation") and the office’s field. A classic choice is brass or gold-finish lettering on black or dark acrylic. Check the Bar Association’s rules on what a lawyer’s sign may say before ordering; promotional wording is a common reason to redo a sign.

Doctor and clinic signs

Clinic signs give the doctor’s name, degree and specialty, and often the clinic hours. The Medical Syndicate’s code of ethics governs how doctors present themselves, so keep to the facts and check the current rules. Outside the building, a lit sign that can be read from the street at night matters more than the design: many patients look for the clinic after dark.

Pharmacy signs

Pharmacies run late, so the sign is almost always lit: a light box or lit letters with the pharmacy’s name, plus the green cross or a projecting sign that can be seen from along the pavement, not only from in front. A double-sided projecting sign does the most work for the money because people walking along the street see it before they reach the door.

Shop and company fronts

Shop fronts are where the materials below matter most. The shop sign guide covers sizing letters for the reading distance, contrast, night visibility and fonts.

Signs by material

• Cladding (aluminium composite). Panels that cover the whole front, usually with acrylic or stainless letters fixed on top. It gives a shop or company a clean, modern front and hides old walls. Ask for the panel thickness and how it is fixed; cheap thin panels warp in the sun.
• Acrylic. The most versatile material: cut letters, plates, lit faces. Coloured acrylic fades less than printed vinyl. Clear "crystal" acrylic is popular for office signs.
• Lit letters and light boxes. LEDs inside letters (face-lit) or behind them (a halo on the wall), or a printed face in a lit frame. For anything that trades after dark, which in Egypt is most businesses, a lit sign is worth it.
• Stainless steel. Mirror or brushed letters for a premium look; durable outdoors. Mirror finish can be hard to read in direct sun, so many choose brushed.
• LED neon. Flexible strips shaped like neon tubes for logos and short phrases in cafés, restaurants and salons. Uses far less power than glass neon.
• Wood. Engraved or laser-cut wood for cafés, studios and offices that want a warmer look. Indoors it lasts for years; outdoors it needs sealing and still weathers.
• Flex and vinyl banners. Printed fabric or vinyl, cheap and quick, good for openings and offers. Not a permanent sign: the print fades and the fabric sags within months in the sun.

Before you order: a checklist

• Measure the space. Exact width and height, and the distance people will read it from.
• Write the final wording. Name and one line. Check the spelling in both Arabic and English; a misspelt sign is common and costly.
• Get comparable quotes. Give two or three sign makers the same specification: size, material, thickness, lighting, installation.
• Ask about the electrics and warranty for anything lit: who replaces the LEDs or the power supply when they fail.
• Check the licence. Outside signs need a licence under Law 208 of 2020. See our licensing guide.

Beyond your own sign

Your sign works on the people who already pass your door. To reach the main road or the next district, the step up is renting a billboard. You can browse and compare more than 8,000 listed billboards on a map in Cairo, Giza, Alexandria and other cities, and see what they cost in our billboard price guide.