Custom Neon Signs Add A Nostalgic Feel
Each time I walk past a shop and see custom neon signs in front, I always feel that pang of nostalgia. It reminds me of those days when the sky was a mass of bright colors at night when the neon signs in front of each store shone brightly.
Just recently, I realized that I associate neon signs with the feeling of home, and I am more apt to stop by a coffee shop that has a neon sign. I'm sure that I'm not the only one who feels the same.
These days, the LED lights take up a big part of the neon sign market. Although they are becoming popular, there is just something about neon signs that scream history. So let's talk about its history, shall we?
Neon Sign History...
Neon signs have a great history dating as far back as 1910. Neon signs were first discovered by a French Engineer, and Chemist, Georges Claude. He patented his great discovery five years later, after it gained a favorable response.
Although the neon sign discovery was in 1910, it came to the United States 13 years later in 1923. The first pair of neon signs was sold to Earle Anthony for $12,000 each. The signs were for a Packard dealership in Los Angeles.
The purchase of the first two neon signs by the Packard dealership opened the floodgates, and by the late 1960s, neon signs were everywhere. Literally, every storefront had a custom neon sign announcing its presence to the world. It didn't take long before neon signs became the biggest tool of advertising.
As time went by, many other innovations came, such as the phosphor coating on the tubes patented by Jacques Risler. The phosphor coating minimized the emission of UV light and opened the floodgates for more colors.
How Are Custom Neon Signs Made?
The process of making neon signs is beautiful to behold. It is art in its rawest form - from the blowing of the glass to the careful bending. Although labor intensive, those who make them would tell you that seeing the final product is very satisfying.
Before work on a custom neon sign begins, the client must specify what they want. This could be on a piece of paper as a drawing. After that, the glass blower buys meter lengths of straight tubes of glass.
He then uses different burners to heat the sticks of glass in sections, bending them to the required shapes. The glass is allowed to cool.
The custom neon tubes are filled with a purified gas mixture depending on the color. Then the purified gas is ionized by passing a high voltage via the cold cathodes attached to the sealed ends of the tube.
At this point, the custom made neon sign is ready as the tube lights up.
Why You Should Consider Getting Neon Signs
There are several reasons why you should consider getting a custom neon sign. Let’s take a look at a few reasons.
- They Last for Decades
Over time, your neon sign colors never fade. This the reason why neon signs are so colorful.
- They Are Quite the Attention Grabbers
Who wouldn't notice a custom neon sign? No one! The light shines brightly even in the day time, although the effect is exceptional at night. Also, Neon lights cut through the fog, and they are used in airports for this reason.
- Neon Signs Give Your Business a Homey Feel
There is something so personal about having a great custom neon sign. Maybe it is the fact that the production is personalized. Whatever it is, each time people look at it, it evokes a pleasant feeling in them and encourages them to step into your store.
Neon Signs or LED?
In recent years, LED lights have been touted as the new champion of small business. Some businesses have switched their custom neon signs to LED signs which make use of diodes.
Perhaps this is because the LED signs are cheaper. However they soon find that nothing can beat the long lasting brightness and uniqueness of a custom neon sign. LED sign diodes fade over time.
It doesn't just call out to you; it evokes feelings of warmth and welcome. As a business owner, you want potential customers to feel at home in your establishment. Neon signs would do that for you.
If you haven’t clocked that nostalgic feeling you get each time you pass a storefront lighted up with a neon sign, no problem. As you take a stroll outside this evening, look out for neon signs and try to give that feeling a name.