Corflute signs are the workhorses of Australian outdoor advertising. From real estate boards in Melbourne suburbs to election signs staked into front lawns, they’re everywhere, and for good reason. They’re affordable, fast to produce, light enough to carry in one hand, and tough enough to handle the weather. If you’re considering corflute for your next campaign, here’s everything you need to know.
What Is Corflute?
Corflute is a corrugated fluted polypropylene plastic, marketed under the brand name TEKflute. Think of the structure of corrugated cardboard, but made entirely from plastic: two flat outer sheets with a ribbed, hollow core running between them. That fluted core is what gives corflute its rigidity without adding much weight.
Unlike cardboard, polypropylene is waterproof, UV-stabilised, and resistant to most chemicals. It won’t swell, warp from moisture, or fall apart in the rain. This makes it the default choice for outdoor signage that needs to hold up for weeks or months, not years.
Corflute comes in two standard thicknesses:
- 3mm is the most common choice for short-term signage, event use, and campaigns with a defined end date.
- 5mm adds extra rigidity and is better suited to outdoor installations that need to stand up to wind, heat, and extended exposure.
Why Businesses Choose Corflute
Cost is the obvious answer, but there’s more to it than that.
Price: Corflute signs start from $5.68 AUD inc GST. At that price point, ordering 20 signs for a property campaign or 50 directional signs for an event makes financial sense.
Weight: A 600×900mm corflute sign weighs next to nothing. That matters when you’re installing and removing dozens of signs across a suburb, or setting up an event site at 6am.
Speed: Production takes 3-4 working days. When a listing drops or an event comes together quickly, that turnaround keeps you moving.
Recyclability: Polypropylene (PP plastic) is recyclable. When a campaign ends, your signs don’t have to go straight to landfill.
Versatility: Corflute cuts easily, accepts eyelets for hanging, slots into A-frame stands, and attaches to fences and stakes. One material, many installation options.
Main Uses for Corflute Signs
Real Estate
This is corflute’s home territory. Real estate agents across Australia rely on corflute for “For Sale”, “For Lease”, “Open House”, and directional signage. The 600×900mm size is the industry standard for lawn boards. Agents install them on Friday, remove them Sunday after the open, and reuse them for the next listing.
The combination of low cost, fast replacement if a sign gets damaged or stolen, and easy installation on a stake or into an A-frame makes corflute the clear choice for property advertising.
Events and Markets
From community markets in Brisbane to large-scale outdoor festivals, corflute handles event signage reliably. Directional signs, sponsor boards, wayfinding arrows, and entry point markers all work well in corflute. The ability to stack flat, transport in a ute tray, and set up quickly is a significant operational advantage.
Retail Footpath Promotions
Retailers use corflute for outdoor specials boards, footpath promotions, and temporary window displays. An A-frame fitted with a corflute insert lets you swap messaging without replacing the frame. If you’re using corflute for footpath advertising, read our guide on corflute A-frame signs for setup tips and placement strategy.
Construction and Development Sites
Building sites need signage for safety notices, contractor branding, site identification, and development marketing. Corflute handles all of these well. It ties to fencing, withstands construction site dust and occasional water, and is cheap enough that if a sign gets damaged during works, replacing it isn’t a drama.
Elections and Political Campaigns
Election season in Australia means corflute. Candidates order hundreds of signs for residential areas, polling booth approaches, and high-traffic intersections. The 600×900mm size is standard in residential settings; larger formats work for intersections and major roads. Fast production and low per-unit cost let campaigns scale quickly as election day approaches.
Corflute Sign Sizes
Choosing the right size matters. Too small and your sign gets overlooked; too large and it becomes impractical to install and store.
| Size | Dimensions | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| A3 | 297×420mm | Counter displays, indoor notices, small point-of-sale |
| A2 | 420×594mm | Small footpath use, indoor retail, community notice boards |
| A1 | 594×841mm | Outdoor footpath, event directional, construction safety notices |
| 600×900mm | 600×900mm | Most popular. Real estate boards, elections, retail outdoor, events |
| 900×1200mm | 900×1200mm | High-visibility outdoor, large events, construction site ID, major road intersections |
The 600×900mm format dominates because it hits the sweet spot: visible from a passing car, manageable to carry and install, and sized to fit standard A-frame stands and real estate sign systems.
3mm vs 5mm: Which Thickness?
3mm TEKflute is the standard for most applications. It’s light, cost-effective, and more than adequate for campaigns running up to a few months. Real estate, events, retail promos, and short-run election campaigns all suit 3mm.
5mm TEKflute is worth the upgrade when:
- Signs will be outdoors for more than 2-3 months
- You’re installing in exposed, windy locations (coastal sites, large open areas)
- Larger format signs (600×900mm and above) need the extra stiffness to resist bowing
- The sign needs to look sharp for a longer period, such as a development marketing campaign
For most short-term applications, 3mm is the practical choice. For campaigns where the sign needs to hold its shape and print quality over an extended outdoor run, 5mm is the better investment.
How Corflute Signs Are Printed
Paperlust Printshop prints corflute on the EFI Vutek Q3h XP UV LED Press, a high-speed wide-format UV LED printer built for rigid substrates. UV LED printing cures ink instantly using ultraviolet light rather than heat or solvent evaporation. The result is sharp, vibrant colour that bonds directly to the polypropylene surface and holds up outdoors without cracking or peeling.
This process is why the print quality on a properly produced corflute sign looks sharp even after months in the sun. The EFI Vutek platform is industrial-grade, designed for exactly this kind of work.
Installation Options
Corflute installs in several ways, depending on the application:
- Eyelets: Pre-punched metal eyelets allow signs to be hung from fences, gates, and structures with cable ties or wire.
- A-frame slots: Corflute slides directly into the channels of a standard A-frame sign stand. See our corflute A-frame signs guide for details on making the most of footpath placement.
- Corflute stakes: H-shaped wire stakes push into the sign’s fluted channels and anchor into soft ground. Standard for real estate and election signs.
- Fence ties: Cable ties through eyelets attach signs to chain-link, pool fencing, and construction hoardings.
Limitations of Corflute
Corflute is not a permanent signage material. It’s designed for short-to-medium term outdoor use. If you need signage that will last several years fixed to a building or permanent structure, corflute isn’t the right choice.
Specific limitations to be aware of:
- UV degradation: Extended exposure to Australian sun will fade colours and weaken the material over time, typically beyond 6-12 months depending on conditions.
- Wind damage: Large unsupported signs in exposed locations can bow, flex, and eventually fail. Proper installation matters.
- Not suited to permanent fixtures: Corflute shouldn’t be used as a permanent external sign on a building or fixed structure. For that, look at aluminium composite, ACM, or rigid PVC.
- Heat warping: In extreme summer heat, particularly in outback and northern Australian locations, thin 3mm sheets can warp when left flat in direct sun.
For temporary and campaign-based signage with a defined lifespan, corflute is hard to beat. For permanent installations, you need something else.
Ready to Order?
Corflute signs start from $5.68 AUD inc GST with 3-4 working day production. Flat-rate shipping of $10 AUD covers anywhere in Australia, with free shipping on orders over $100 AUD.
Order corflute signs from Paperlust Printshop and get professional outdoor signage delivered fast.
Ready to order? Browse corflute signs at Paperlust Print Shop – from $5.68 AUD with $10 flat-rate shipping Australia-wide. Also available: PVC signs, A-frames, and election signs.
