Neon light signs are colorful, nostalgic lighting installation that brightens up your home decor in a unique and fun way. Neon signs are experiencing a resurgence right now for anyone looking to add personality to their home or business.
But did you know you can make a DIY neon check in the comfort of your own home or workspace?
1. What Are Neon Light Signs?
Traditional neon signs are square in shape and made up of versatile, sealed glass tubes crammed with chemical elements. The tubes are bent and twisted to form a word or shape, and they are usually powered by electricity. Once obstructed, electrons flow through the gas, causing its atoms to illuminate and resulting in a color determined by the type of gas used.
Other glass tubes may be filled or made with:
- Hydrogen: to produce a red color
- Mercury: for blue
- Helium: for a yellow color
A mix of neons and gas are also accustomed to developing secondary colors that aren't a primary color like those on top.
Nowadays, you'll be able to get flexible plastic (EL wire), which is used in DIY crafts, to make your own neon signs. EL wire comes in a variety of colors and contains a battery pack. This suggests you'll be able to use your neon sign nightly with simply the press of a button.
Whether decorated in your business or your home, neon light signs are a fun lighting possibility that displays your passion without upping your electric bill.
2. What do you need for neon lights?
2.1. Long Life Expectancy
While standard light bulbs have a service life of six months to one year, neon lights have a service life of five to ten years on average. When properly maintained, neon lights can last up to 20 years. Their lifespan is typically shortened by factors such as proximity to electrical charges and heat exposure, which can cause deterioration of the light's electrical wiring. They are, however, easier to maintain when compared to other options that necessitate perennial bulb replacements.
2.2. Energy-Saving
Because neon lighting options generate light through the interaction of electricity and flexible plastic, they use significantly less energy than traditional lights. Traditional lights use electricity as light sources, whereas neon lights use electrical energy to produce light. Furthermore, it is estimated that neon lights can save up to 50% more energy than other types of lighting. Dimmers can even be installed on your neon lights to further reduce their energy consumption.
2.3. Modifiable
This is one of the most significant advantages of neon lights. They allow for greater design flexibility. Because the glass tubes used in neon lights are bendable, they can be shaped into any desired design. Professional neon light manufacturers can shape neon lights into a variety of designs to suit your company's aesthetic. Furthermore, neon lights are available in a wide range of vibrant colors to suit the needs of any business.
2.4. Exceptional visibility
The ability of neon lights to make a place stand out is one of the primary reasons why many businesses are drawn to them. In contrast to other types of lights, such as directional LED lights, neon lights can provide 360-degree illumination. As a result, they will be visible even from a distance.
Of course, the size of your neon light will determine how far it can be seen. However, a one-inch letter height will typically be visible up to 30 feet, while larger signs are frequently seen up to 100 feet.
3. Learn about LED and traditional neon lights work
3.1. LED Neon Lights
LED neon lights are made up of a cluster of LEDs that are put on a strip. The LEDs are manufactured of various materials and are wrapped in a transparent jacket to allow their light to shine brightly. They don't take much electricity to function and may be muted quickly if necessary.
LED neon light strips come in a variety of colors. From bright, flashy neon hues to more subdued color choices. A single LED strip may contain LEDs that produce several colors, allowing you to be as creative as you want with your illumination.
3.2. Traditional Neon Lights
Electrodes are attached to both ends of neon tubes. They can operate on either DC or AC current. However, if they use a direct current, you will only see a glow around one of their electrodes. This is why most neon lights are powered by alternating currents.
When an electrical current flows through the terminals, enough energy is accumulated to remove the outer electrons from the neon gas atoms.
If insufficient voltage is applied, the neon light will not glow because the kinetic energy produced is insufficient to shake the neon atoms.
Traditional Neon Lights
The tube’s negative terminal attracts the positively-charged atoms while the positive terminal attracts the electrons that escape from the atoms. This completes the light circuit.
As the atoms move through the tube, they collide and transfer energy to other atoms. This releases a lot of heat.
The heat released causes the electrons to travel back to their initial state by releasing energy (photons/light).
4. How much do neon lights cost at a wedding?
"How much does a neon sign cost?" is a question that many people have. because, well, everything depends. Pre-made signs are obviously less expensive than customized ones, but it's difficult to know where to start when some are $10 and others are $3,000.
Wedding Neon Sign
If you're looking for a ballpark figure for customized neon signs, HowMuchIsIt.org estimates that they typically cost between $200 and $1,500. "For example, when researching some customized neon signs, we were quoted around $450 for a basic 1824-inch sign," wrote the HowMuchIsIt.org team. "A business will ask you what percentage lines you want, what size you want, and whether you want any photos when customizing."
Wedding neon lights priced between $175 and $280 are ideal for our Zanvis Neon store.
5. Are neon light signs still trendy?
Unicorn Neon Sign
However, according to designer Chauncey Boothby, the trend has run its course. "At this point, neon signs have soaked the market and are reeling on kitsch," Boothby says. For a more sophisticated combat neon, she suggests looking to the highlighter hues that will grace the 2020 runways. Bright colors will be used as lighting accents, such as Urban Electric's neon yellow pipe hang or forme fixtures.
6. What are 5 interesting facts about neon light signs?
One of the lesser-known neon facts is that neon only comes in one color. When you fill a transparent tube with pure neon gas, it glows a reddish-orange color and gives off that warm glow that comes to mind when you think of neon. Other colors can be obtained through a variety of methods, such as powder-coated tubes, combining neon with other noble gases such as Argon, or possibly using colored glass tubes. In some cases, all of the above is done to produce some of the most vibrant colors you'll ever see.
6.1. Neon is used in television collections and lasers
Neon is used in lasers and television collections. Because of its unique properties, neon is used in a variety of applications, including advertising signs, vacuum tubes, wave meter tubes, lighting arrestors, high voltage indicators, television tubes, plasma tubes, and helium-neon lasers. Nowadays, fluid neon is commercially available and used as a cryogenic refrigerant, so it's not only common on the streets of Las Vegas, but it's also in your home!
Astronaut Led Neon Sign
6.2. Neon gas is rare
Neon gas is extremely rare. A noble gas is also known as a rare gas. These six gases account for about 1% of the Earth's atmosphere. Neon, discovered in 1898 by two British scientists, is the fourth most abundant element in the universe, but it only accounts for 0.0018 percent of Earth's atmosphere. So now many people use EL wire instead to save costs and use longer.
6.3. The first neon sign lights were revealed in 1910
As mentioned previously, Georges Claude displayed his neon lamps at a Paris exhibition, he created them by combining an earlier discovery with a new one. George’s business was in air liquefaction and therefore the neon gas was originally produced as a by product.
6.4. Neon is a greek word
Neon obtains its name from the Greek word ‘neos’ which signifies new.
6.5. In 1910, the first neon light signs were unveiled.
As previously stated, Georges Claude exhibited his neon lamps at a Paris exhibition, which he created by combining an earlier discovery with a new one. Because George's business was in air liquefaction, the neon gas was initially produced as a byproduct.
The term "neon" comes from Greek. Neon gets its name from the Greek word 'neos,' which means "new."
7. Conclusion
Neon signs include a place in creation if your aesthetic calls for it. If it doesn't match up with your style, it can take the form of bright colors as opposed to bright lights. As we continually say when it reaches to design: To each their own!
If your aesthetic asks for it, neon signs have a place in your design. It can take the shape of bright colors rather than dazzling lights if it doesn't compliment your taste. When it comes to design, we always say, "To each their own!"
Come to Zanvis store and buy the right neon sign lights for you right away. By the way, you could join our Zanvis fanpage network to stay up to date with the latest offers. Find Zanvis' best sellers neon models here.