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 in Bedrock Edition)
First appearances	See History
Drops	Sign (1)
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.

Crafting

Signs can be crafted from wood planks and a stick.

Ingredients	Crafting recipe
Any Wood Planks + Stick	3

Natural generation

A sign can be found in igloo basements.

Usage

Signs can be used to display text.

Placement

Signs may be placed on the top or side of other blocks (including non-solid blocks like fences, glass, rails, 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 your keyboard. 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 occurs 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 reenter 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 your keyboard may be entered. The Xbox 360 Edition supports both the Xbox 360 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 /setblock command to create JSON signs and the /blockdata command to alter JSON signs.

Example: setblock ~ ~1 ~ standing_sign 0 replace {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 /stats command or by modifying the sign's NBT data directly with the /blockdata command.

Interaction

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

Signs block a piston from moving, except in Bedrock Edition, where a sign will drop when pushed.

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]}

Data values

A sign is defined by its ID, block data, and block entity. A sign also has a block state which is expected to replace the functionality of block data in a future version.

ID

A sign's ID defines whether it is standing on the top of a block or attached to the side of a block:

Name	ID Name	Numerical ID
Standing Sign	minecraft:standing_sign	63
Wall Sign	minecraft:wall_sign	68
Sign (item)	minecraft:sign	323

Block data

See also: Data values

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 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
  • 
     CommandStats: Information identifying scoreboard parameters to modify relative to the last command run.
    • 
       SuccessCountName: Player name to store success of the last command. Can be a player selector but may only have one resulting target.
    • 
       SuccessCountObjective: Objective's name to store the success of the last command.
    • 
       AffectedBlocksName: Player name to store how many blocks were modified in the last command. Can be a player selector but may only have one resulting target.
    • 
       AffectedBlocksObjective: Objective's name to store how many blocks were modified in the last command.
    • 
       AffectedEntitiesName: Player name to store how many entities were altered in the last command. Can be a player selector but may only have one resulting target.
    • 
       AffectedEntitiesObjective: Objective's name to store how many entities were altered in the last command.
    • 
       AffectedItemsName: Player name to store how many items were altered in the last command. Can be a player selector but may only have one resulting target.
    • 
       AffectedItemsObjective: Objective's name to store how many items were altered in the last command.
    • 
       QueryResultName: Player name to store the query result of the last command. Can be a player selector but may only have one resulting target.
    • 
       QueryResultObjective: Objective's name to store the query result of the last command.
  • 
     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.

Block state

See also: Block states

Standing

Name	Value	Description
rotation	0—15	The direction the block is facing: 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

Name	Value	Description
facing	north south east 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.

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

History

Classic
0.24_SURVIVAL_TEST					Tested signs as entities, however they had a preset text and could only be spawned in by pressing B.
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.
Alpha
1.0.1					Signs can now be placed on walls.
1.0.5					Signs no longer require a free block above it to place.
Official release
1.3.1			12w18a		Editing a sign no longer pauses the game in singleplayer.
			12w27a		Signs are now stackable up to 16.
					The same crafting recipe now produces 3 signs instead of 1.
1.7.2			13w37a		Block IDs 63 (free-standing sign) and 68 (wall mounted sign) were removed from the /give command.
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 now depends on character width.
			14w29a		Now displays the cracking animation.
1.9			15w43a		A sign now generates within igloo basements.
1.11			16w33a		Signs can now be used to fuel furnaces.
Upcoming
1.13			18w10d		Water can now be placed on the same block as signs.
Pocket Edition Alpha
0.5.0					Signs were added, though they could only be obtained through inventory editors. You also can't write on them.
0.6.0					Signs can now be legitimately obtained in survival and creative mode, thus you can write on them.
0.10.0			build 1		Signs now have a selection overlay.
Pocket Edition
1.1			build 1		Sign can now be found in igloo basements.
Legacy Console Edition
TU1	CU1	1.0	Patch 1		Added signs.
TU9					Signs are now stackable up to 16.
					The same crafting recipe now produces 3 signs instead of 1.

Gallery

• 

  Signs before their release.

Issues

Issues relating to “Sign” are maintained on the issue tracker. Report issues there.

Blocks

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Items

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