Cut Out The Clutter With an Artistic Neon Sign
Spark Pizza is part of a number of family-owned restaurants, this one being on 164th Ave NE in Redmond WA. They wanted a unique sign that would stand out from the rest. Neon is always a terrific option for that eye-catching sign. In the summer of 1898, the Scottish chemist Sir William Ramsay made a discovery that would eventually give the Moulin Rouge in Paris, the Las Vegas Strip, and New York’s Times Square their perpetual nighttime glow. Using the boiling point of argon as a reference point, Ramsay and his colleague Morris W. Travers isolated three more noble gases and gave them evocative Greek names: neon, krypton, and xenon. In so doing, the scientists bestowed a label of permanent novelty on the most famous of the trio—neon,
which translates as “new.” This discovery was the foundation on which the French engineer Georges Claude crafted a new form of illumination over the next decade. He designed glass tubes in which neon gas could be trapped, then electrified, to create a light that glowed reliably for more than 1,000 hours. (Courtesy of CityLab)
In spite of decades of popularity as both art and effective advertising, neon use began to fade around the 70's and the decades following. The death knell of neon came as LEDs became less costly and took over as a light source. LED tubing has replaced using neon to outline buildings and spell out words. LED practicality demonstrated advantages in practicality, long life and low energy consumption. Neon still possesses a few qualities above all other lighting sources. For one, we all remain fascinated by neon. It just has a look all its own and we have never stopped loving it. Further, neon signs project light in a way that LED signs have not been able to duplicate. Neon will cut through fog and darkness like no other.
When Only Neon Will Do
