Signage Education: Neon and LED Channel Letters

Neon signs are the first thing most of us think of when anyone mentions New York City or Las Vegas. They light the night sky and bring about beautiful, brilliant colors. The concept behind them was first conceived in 1675, when the French astronomer Jean Picard observed a faint glow in a mercury barometer tube. Today many businesses use LED channel letters to call attention to their company, while others use them to promote store hours or feature specific products. For many years this type of advertisement set companies apart and brought with it business. Most restaurants, taverns, stores, even tanning salons are frequent purchasers. Today, neon signs and LED channel letters are synonymous. In fact, most outdoor signs installed in past decades consisted of covered channel-letter signs lit with neon tubes.

Channel letters are the most commonly used type of electric signs. The term “channel letter” was coined for letters containing deep sidewalls with recessed light sources that channel the illumination’s direction. And, the materials used for channel letters are improving as well. New acrylic face materials with more color choices are entering the market faster than ever before. 

LEDs represent semi-conductor materials that convert electrical energy directly into light; however, the light is very directional. This means that by itself LEDs are not a good source for general illumination. However, advancements in technology have created green, blue, red, and amber lights and the long-awaited white light LEDs.

Generally speaking LEDs can’t compete with neon in terms of lumen output per linear foot for direct light applications. But they can be competitive in certain types of signs and displays like channel lettering because of the decreased production lead times. Consequently, most leading sign supply distributors are now stocking LED components and power supplies because of the fast assembly and installation times. Also, solid-state design renders LEDs impervious to shock, vibration, frequent switching and environmental extremes.

Make no mistake, neon is not dead and will never die. A well processed tube can last for well over 20 years if not more!