Sign

Sign

Type	Non-Solid Block
Requirements	None
Physics	No
Transparency	Yes
Luminance	No
Blast resistance	5
Hardness	1
Tool
Renewable	Yes
Stackable	Yes (16)
Flammable	No, but catches fire from lava Yes‌[Bedrock Edition only]
Drops	Itself
Block Entity ID	sign
Data values	See § Data values
Name	See § Data values

Signs are non-solid blocks that can display text.

Obtaining

Signs can be broken with any tool, or without a tool, but an axe is fastest.

Block	Sign
Hardness	1
Tool
Breaking time
Hand	1.5
Wooden	0.75
Stone	0.4
Iron	0.25
Diamond	0.2
Golden	0.15

A sign will also break and drop itself as an item if the block the sign is attached to is moved, removed, or destroyed.

If a sign is broken while being edited, the player will‌^{[Java and Legacy Console editions only]}/will not‌^{[Bedrock Edition only]} continue to edit the sign.

Crafting

Signs can be crafted from wood planks and a stick.

Ingredients	Crafting recipe	Description
Any Planks + Stick	3	[until 1.14] [until BE 1.9]
Matching Planks + Stick	333333	‌[upcoming BE 1.9]

Natural generation

An oak sign can be found in igloo basements.

Spruce signs generate in some taiga village houses.‌^{[upcoming 1.14]}

Spruce signs can be found inside taiga village house chests.‌^{[upcoming 1.14]}

Usage

Signs can be used to display text.

Placement

Signs may be placed on the top or side of other blocks (including some non-solid blocks like fences, glass, and other signs). To place a sign, use a sign item while pointing at the block the sign should be attached to, enter the desired text (possibly none), and click the "Done" button or press "escape" on a keyboard (or press × in Bedrock Edition, in an Xbox controller, in a PlayStation controller). To place a sign on a block that can be interacted with by the use control (for example, chests, note blocks, etc.), sneak while placing the sign.

Signs placed on the top of a block stand on a short post and will face in the direction of the player who placed it, in any of 16 different directions. Signs placed on the side of a block simply float there, even if the block doesn't make contact with the sign.

Text

When entering text, four lines of text are available. To switch between lines, the player can press Enter or the up/down arrow keys. The line which is currently selected will have a greater-than (>) at the beginning and a less-than sign (<) at the end.

While editing, typing and backspacing occur only at the end of a line. It is impossible to insert text in the middle of an already typed line - the player must delete and re-enter text in order to make edits.

After the editing window is closed, the sign's text can only be changed by removing and replacing it, removing the text in the process. Copy and Paste cannot be performed, and no more than the basic/shifted characters on a keyboard may be entered. The Xbox 360 Edition and Bedrock Edition supports both the on-screen keyboard and direct editing of text using a USB keyboard or controller chatpad.

The combination Ctrl + pick block can be used to copy an already-placed sign and place it down again with the same text shown as the original.‌^{[Java Edition only]}

With a map editor, the color of sign text can be changed with formatting codes.

Signs can be created with JSON text which allows complex formatting (colors, bold, italic, etc.), hover and click events, localized translation (for Minecraft technical terms, like "Redstone Repeater", otherwise translations must be provided in language files in resource packs), and the incorporation of scoreboard values into text. Use the /data merge block command to create or alter JSON signs.

Example: /data merge block ~ ~1 ~ {Text2:"{\"text\":\"line2\",\"color\":\"blue\"}"}

Signs can post the success count of JSON text hover and click events to scoreboard objectives. The objectives to be used can be specified by running the /execute store command or by modifying the sign's NBT data directly with the /data merge block command.

The text color can be changed by right clicking with dye.‌^{[upcoming 1.14]}

The text displayed on a sign will not be affected by lighting.‌^{[upcoming 1.14]}

Interaction

Signs act as though they have a use action, so the player is unable to place blocks or use items while the cursor is pointed at them without sneaking.

Signs will be removed and drop as an item when pushed by a piston (trying to pull them does nothing), except in Java Edition, where a sign will cause the piston to not extend.

Signs have no collision mask (they are completely non-solid), so items and mobs can move through sign blocks. Other blocks (including other signs) can be placed on any edge of a sign.

Water and lava will flow around signs. Lava can create fire in air blocks next to signs as if the signs were flammable, but the signs will not burn up (and can't be burned by other methods either, except in Bedrock Edition).

Fuel

Signs can be used as a fuel in furnaces, smelting 1 item per sign.‌^{[Java and Legacy Console editions only]}

Collecting cacti

When attempting to place a sign on a cactus, the cactus will break and the sign will drop as an item.‌^{[Bedrock Edition only]}

When attempting to place a sign on a cactus, the cactus will break and the sign will drop as an item after the menu is closed.‌^{[Java Edition only]}

Breaking double tall grass

When replacing the top half of tall grass, the grass will break and the sign will drop as an item.‌^{[Bedrock Edition only]}

Data values

ID

Java Edition:

Sign	Name ID	Item form
Sign[until 1.14] Oak‌[upcoming 1.14]	sign[until 1.14] oak_sign‌[upcoming 1.14]	Yes
Spruce‌[upcoming 1.14]	spruce_sign‌[upcoming 1.14]
Birch‌[upcoming 1.14]	birch_sign‌[upcoming 1.14]
Jungle‌[upcoming 1.14]	jungle_sign‌[upcoming 1.14]
Acacia‌[upcoming 1.14]	acacia_sign‌[upcoming 1.14]
Dark Oak‌[upcoming 1.14]	dark_oak_sign‌[upcoming 1.14]
Wall[until 1.14] Oak Wall‌[upcoming 1.14]	wall_sign[until 1.14] oak_wall_sign‌[upcoming 1.14]	No
Spruce Wall‌[upcoming 1.14]	spruce_wall_sign‌[upcoming 1.14]
Birch Wall‌[upcoming 1.14]	birch_wall_sign‌[upcoming 1.14]
Jungle Wall‌[upcoming 1.14]	jungle_wall_sign‌[upcoming 1.14]
Acacia Wall‌[upcoming 1.14]	acacia_wall_sign‌[upcoming 1.14]
Dark Oak Wall‌[upcoming 1.14]	dark_oak_wall_sign‌[upcoming 1.14]

Bedrock Edition:

Sign	Name ID	Numeric ID
Standing[until BE 1.9] Oak Standing‌[upcoming BE 1.9]	standing_sign	63
Spruce Standing‌[upcoming BE 1.9]	spruce_standing_sign	?
Birch Standing‌[upcoming BE 1.9]	birch_standing_sign	?
Jungle Standing‌[upcoming BE 1.9]	jungle_standing_sign	?
Acacia Standing‌[upcoming BE 1.9]	acacia_standing_sign	?
Dark Oak Standing‌[upcoming BE 1.9]	darkoak_standing_sign	?
Wall[until BE 1.9] Oak Wall‌[upcoming BE 1.9]	wall_sign	68
Spruce Wall‌[upcoming BE 1.9]	spruce_wall_sign	?
Birch Wall‌[upcoming BE 1.9]	birch_wall_sign	?
Jungle Wall‌[upcoming BE 1.9]	jungle_wall_sign	?
Acacia Wall‌[upcoming BE 1.9]	acacia_wall_sign	?
Dark Oak Wall‌[upcoming BE 1.9]	darkoak_wall_sign	?
Item[until BE 1.9] Oak Item‌[upcoming BE 1.9]	sign	323
Spruce Item‌[upcoming BE 1.9]	spruce_sign	?
Birch Item‌[upcoming BE 1.9]	birch_sign	?
Jungle Item‌[upcoming BE 1.9]	jungle_sign	?
Acacia Item‌[upcoming BE 1.9]	acacia_sign	?
Dark Oak Item‌[upcoming BE 1.9]	darkoak_sign	?

Block data

See also: Data values

In Bedrock Edition, a sign's block data specifies the direction it is facing.

Standing

Bits	Description
0x1 0x2 0x4 0x8	A four-bit field storing a value from 0 to 15 specifying the block's orientation: 0: south 1: south-southwest 2: southwest 3: west-southwest 4: west 5: west-northwest 6: northwest 7: north-northwest 8: north 9: north-northeast 10: northeast 11: east-northeast 12: east 13: east-southeast 14: southeast 15: south-southeast

Wall

Bits	Description
0x1 0x2 0x4	A three-bit field storing a value from 2 to 5 specifying the block's orientation: 2: north 3: south 4: west 5: east
0x8	(unused)

Block states

See also: Block states

Floor

Name	Value	Description
rotation	0	The block is facing south.
	1	The block is facing south-southwest.
	2	The block is facing southwest.
	3	The block is facing west-southwest.
	4	The block is facing west.
	5	The block is facing west-northwest.
	6	The block is facing northwest.
	7	The block is facing north-northwest.
	8	The block is facing north.
	9	The block is facing north-northeast.
	10	The block is facing northeast.
	11	The block is facing east-northeast.
	12	The block is facing east.
	13	The block is facing east-southeast.
	14	The block is facing southeast.
	15	The block is facing south-southeast.
waterlogged	false true	Whether or not there's water in the same place as this sign.

Wall

Name	Value	Description
facing	east north south west	The direction the block is facing. For example, a block facing east is attached to a block to its west. Opposite from the direction a player faces when placing the block.
waterlogged	false true	Whether or not there's water in the same place as this sign.

Block entity

See also: Block entity format

A sign has a block entity associated with it that holds additional data about the block. The block's block entity ID is sign.

• Block entity data
  • Tags common to all block entities see Template:Nbt inherit/blockentity/template
  •  Color:‌^{[upcoming 1.14]} The color that has been used to dye the sign. The default value is "black". One of "white", "orange", "magenta", "light_blue", "yellow", "lime", "pink", "gray", "light_gray", "cyan", "purple", "blue", "brown", "green", "red", or "black".
  •  Text1: First row of text.
  •  Text2: Second row of text.
  •  Text3: Third row of text.
  •  Text4: Fourth row of text.

The character limit for the Text tags depends on the width of the characters. Although the Text tags are string objects, they should contain JSON text which will evaluate as compound objects.

Achievements

Main article: Achievements

Icon	Achievement	In-game description	Actual requirements (if different)	Availability				Xbox points earned	Trophy type (PS)
				Xbox	PS	Bedrock	Nintendo
	It's a Sign!	Craft and place a Sign.		Yes	Yes	Yes	Wii U, Switch	15G	Bronze

Video

Note: This video is outdated, since signs in different wood types were added in 1.14 snapshot 18w43a.

History

Java Edition Classic
0.24_SURVIVAL_TEST					Tested signs as entities, however they had a preset text and could only be spawned in by pressing B.
Java Edition Infdev
June 7, 2010					Sign re-implemented as a block. They also have a crafting recipe and the text can be edited.
June 8, 2010					Signs are now broken faster.
Java Edition Alpha
v1.0.1					Signs can now be placed on walls.
v1.0.5					Signs will now no longer require a free block above it to place.
Java Edition
1.3.1			12w18a		Editing a sign will now no longer pause the game in singleplayer.
			12w27a		Signs are now stackable up to 16.
					The same crafting recipe will now produce 3 signs instead of 1.
1.7.2			13w37a		The item forms of block IDs 63 (free-standing sign) and 68 (wall mounted sign) have now been removed from the game. They can now no longer exist in inventories, only as blocks in the world.
June 9, 2014					Searge tweeted a picture of a sign showing a username and a scoreboard score.
1.8			14w25a		Added support for JSON text.
					Sign character limit will now depend on character width.
			14w29a		Signs will now display the cracking animation.
1.9			15w43a		A sign will now generate within igloo basements.
1.11			16w33a		Signs can now be used as fuel in furnaces.
1.13			17w47a		The standing sign ID has now been changed from standing_sign to sign.
					Prior to The Flattening, these blocks' numeral IDs were 63 and 68, and the item's 323.
			18w10d		Water can now be placed on the same block as signs.
Upcoming Java Edition
1.14			18w43a		"Sign" has now been renamed to "Oak Sign".
					Added spruce, birch, acacia, jungle and dark oak signs.
					The sign's text has now been changed from black to white.
					A sign's recipe will now require the same type of wood instead of a random assortment.
			18w44a		Signs can now be used while holding a dye to change the text color.
					Default text color for signs has now been changed back to black.
			18w45a		Added a new movable cursor for free text editing.
					Added selection and copy/paste support.
Pocket Edition Alpha
0.5.0					Signs have now been added, though they can only be obtained through inventory editors.
					The player cannot write on signs.
0.6.0					Signs can now be legitimately obtained in survival and creative mode, thus the player can now write on them.
0.10.0			build 1		Signs will now have a selection overlay.
Pocket Edition
1.1			build 1		Sign can now be found in igloo basements.
Upcoming Bedrock Edition
1.9			beta 1.9.0.0		"Sign" has now been renamed to "Oak Sign".
					Added spruce, birch, acacia, jungle and dark oak signs.
					The sign's text has now been changed from black to white.
					A sign's recipe will now require the same type of wood instead of a random assortment.
			beta 1.9.0.2		Changed default sign text color back to black.
					Sign variants are now grouped in their own inventory category.
Legacy Console Edition
TU1	CU1	1.0	Patch 1	Patch s1	Added signs.
TU9					Signs are now stackable up to 16.
					The same crafting recipe will now produce 3 signs instead of 1.

• 

  Signs before their release.

• 

  Test of signs in early classic.

Issues

Issues relating to "Sign" are maintained on the bug tracker. Report issues there.

Trivia

• If a sign is placed within a ring of four cacti, only certain cacti will break, depending on the direction.

References

Blocks

View at: Template:Blocks/content [edit]

Items

View at: Template:Items/content [edit]