a light bar neon business sign

Neon VS LED Signs: Choosing What’s Right For Your New Business

You can have amazing products and even better service delivery and fail to hit your sales target because you aren’t putting the word out. If nobody knows what you do, no one will buy it from you.

A marketing professor, Steuart Henderson Britt, reckons that not advertising is like playing a losing game.

“Doing business without advertising is like winking at a girl in the dark. You know what you are doing, but nobody else does.”

LED Display - Hotel signageIn the same vein, having a boring or ordinary business sign can be counterproductive. Effective business signs provoke an emotional response from prospects. You won’t get any walk-ins if your signage is not stimulatory. And that is why we always get the “neon vs LED signs” question from our clients.

This blog explains these signs, how they compare against each other, and which will suit your business the most.

What Are Neon Signs?

Neon signs are electric signposts with glass tubes that contain neon and other rarified gases. Passing electricity through these tubes reacts with the gas in them to release energy that appears as colors to the human eye.

What are LED Signs?

LED signs are screens containing several tiny light sources called light-emitting diodes (LEDs). These LEDs are bent to make out your business name or logo. Think of LED signs as making tiny holes in the cardboard to spell out your business name.

Neon vs. LED Signs

Neon and LED signs are two commonly used signs by businesses because they are colorful and associate brands with modernity.

However, they are different. Here are a few differences between both types of signage.

1. Type of Business

Neon signs offer more room for creativity and a better chance at having exclusive designs.Channel LED Letter Fabrication Aqua Vita Spas

They can come in art, print, on a mirror, or in optical illusion form.

On the other hand, LED signs are not nearly as dynamic design-wise. They can be used as a single display, as two independent displays, and as a monument, combining tradition, history, and technology.

2. Brightness

Neon signs glow and uniformly shine in all directions, but the light from LED signs travels further straight ahead but with minimal side illumination. While LED signs may shine brighter as a light source, neon signs may provide more uniform illumination.

3. Sign Maintenance

Installation of business sign made of LED Neon signs are more likely to break, making them less durable. It is costlier to have a neon sign expert fix a neon sign due to the added expense of supplying neon.

LED signs are not as fragile as neon signs and do not require specialized services. More than that, neon signs last longer under favorable conditions but do poorer than LED signs in temperate regions. This category usually influences clients’ choices in the neon vs. LED sign conversation.

4. Controllability

LED signs are easier to control than neon signs. Using wireless remotes and modems, you can switch LED signs on/off or between different illumination levels and colors. Neon signs are not as controllable. Switching colors would mean changing the gasses in the tubes, and you cannot easily vary the electricity passing through the tubes for your desired brightness.

5, Generational Appreciation

There seems to be a leaning toward LED neon signs. You read that right: LED neon, not neon or LED. LED neons are LEDs lumped in pipes; they have the aesthetics of neons but the durability and cost-effectiveness of LEDs.

6. Price

LED signs are 10% less expensive than neon signs. But this depends on the size of the signage and the light sources within the signs. You should also consider the costs of repairs and the predominant weather conditions in your location.

Consult Colorado’s Sign ExpertsDiner with sign in bright red neon in a retro style restaurant

You should consult Artcraft Sign Company, the sign experts, to help you get started on your next LED sign project. We have been in the signage industry for 140 years, helping businesses become more visible to their prospects. Our 55,000sq ft. facility is equipped with the latest machines and experts to meet your most unique LED and neon sign demands.

Still Wondering About the Neon and LED Sign Difference? Ask Artcraft Sign Company!

LED signs are cost-effective and easier to maintain, while LED neon signs offer an enhanced aesthetic appeal indoors and a more retro vibe. At Artcraft Sign Company, we are happy to provide your business with the most unique and captivating sign for better visibility. Contact us today for a free quote!

Laser cutting metal industry concept:

Laser Cutting: How Custom Metal Signs Are Made

Custom signage is more than just about letters, words, graphics, and even colors. It is about the materials used and how precisely they convey your message and branding to those who view them. One choice growing in popularity is custom-cut laser signs. This option can help deliver a message of quality, stability, and seriousness about your business. Here is a look at how custom laser-cut metal signs are made.

What Is Laser Cutting

high-tech metal cutting laser tool in operation.Laser cutting uses laser technology to vaporize materials, providing markings, etchings, engravings, and/or a cut edge. It is used today in various applications to cut, etch, and mark hard and soft wood, acrylic, plastic, granite, rubber, foam, leather, glass, and more. It is also valuable and versatile in etching and cutting a wide selection of metals, including brass, aluminum, titanium, stainless steel, anodized aluminum, and more. Laser-cut metal signs tend to raise the level of the message or brand of which they are charged to deliver. Laser cutting metal for signage is detailed and precise.

How to Make Custom Metal Signs by Laser Cutting

Laser cutting uses a highly focused beam to burn, melt or vaporize materials, including metals. As materials are vaporized, they are cleared away by a jet stream of gas, leaving the desired finished edge, etching, or engraving behind. The laser follows a computer, CNC, or even a hand-generated pattern or template to deliver a precise reproduction of the desired image. Even detailed artwork, graphics, and logos can be reproduced with integrity.

Kind of Metal to be Used

worker working in metal cuttingWhile virtually any type of metal can be cut into metal signage, various steel and aluminum products are the most popular. This is due to their availability, affordability, flexibility, and durability. They are a superior medium for laser-cut signage. Mild steel and stainless steel, along with anodized aluminum, are particularly suited for metal custom-cut laser signs. Where weight is a concern, aluminum is an excellent option.

Design and Color

The choice of design and color of a custom metal laser cut sign often depends on its location, size, and purpose. Highly detailed graphics, for example, may lose their impact when viewed from a distance. The colors selected should reflect an organization’s branding and messaging. Custom laser cut signs can be used by everyone from heavy industry to high-tech companies.

Custom laser cutting through bonded and layered materials can provide a deeper, richer-looking three-dimensional impact. When it comes to custom-cut metal signs, this can take exceptional knowledge and experience. The quality of the final product will, of course, depend on your choice of custom signage service provider.

Best Laser Cutting Services

engineer prepares to set up for laser metal cutting Laser cutting services are not the same. Some specialize in industrial cutting or etching for other purposes. If you are interested in signage to help your company stand above the crowd, choose a laser-cutting company with specific experience in laser-cutting metal signage, equipment tags, and machine labels. You should choose a trustworthy company that is dependable and knowledgeable. In the Denver area, that heritage sign company is Artcraft Sign Company.

Sign Company in Denver

When choosing signage for your organization, we invite you to learn more about Artcraft Sign Company. There, you’ll find an experienced team of signage, graphics, and marketing experts to help you maximize your return on investment. Artcraft has over 140 years of experience as an innovative fabricator and designer. Artcraft provides the latest in sign manufacturing technology available, including accurate grade 2 Braille translation from a 55.0000 square foot, UL-approved facility in Denver.

For illuminated signs, screen printing, computer engraving, routing, metal stamping, sandblasting, fleet graphics, and for answers to how custom laser-cut metal signs are made, connect with Artcraft Sign Company.