Customized Neon Signs: The Gift of Light

It's time again to extol the awesomeness of customized neon signs, being that they're the perfect example of how art and science come together to make something spectacular. Not only do they serve a purpose for business advertisement, they also make great decorations for your home and serve as genuinely unique gifts for that someone that appreciates art, iridescence, and colorful decorations. With the holiday season approaching, I'm here to give you some ideas as to what kind of custom neon signs to give to that deserving special someone.

Have you ever seen a neon sign or sculpture in a movie or T.V. show that you thought would look awesome hanging on someone's wall? Does the person you're shopping for have a favorite movie or show? (who doesn't?) One way to give them the gift of neon light is to present them with a piece of Hollywood memorabilia all their own.

Take this iconic scene from Tim Burton's Batman Returns. Once Selina Kyle assumes her Catwoman persona she trashes her room, and in doing so kicks out some of the letters in her "Hello There" neon sign spelling "Hell Here." Pretty cool huh? This sign can be recreated (purple lettering and all) and can even be fitted with a pull chain that will turn off the 'O' and the "T" making it even more authentic to the movie. What Tim Burton fan wouldn't want this as a gift?

Here's another example of a customized neon sign. Practically any cartoon character can be turned into neon lights, just like this Pink Panther Neon Sign. Cue the Henry Mancini theme...

The possibilities are practically endless! Give a memorable and lasting gift to that person in your life that deserves greatness.

Source: Neon and More Customized Neon Signs

Create Your Own Neon Sign

Neon signs are a marvel to behold. The alluring glow and the beautiful colors are pleasing to the eye, and they not only do a great job advertising for businesses they also make awesome decorations in your home. Have you ever seen a piece of neon art or a neon sign and thought to yourself that you'd like one of your own, or perhaps you thought one would make a great gift? Having a personalized neon sign is quite easy to do, just let professional sign makers do all the work! 

Here are 3 different ways that professional sign makers can create custom neon signs that are uniquely yours:

1.  Turn any image into a neon sign. Here's an example of an image of the Anaheim Angels baseball team symbol that was made into a great looking sign. These are perfect for bars and a great way to show your team pride! 

2. Small businesses of course benefit tremendously from a neon sign of their logo. They bring in customers and create a lasting image of your brand identity. Don't you feel hungry for frozen yogurt right now?

3.  Even if you don't have an image or a logo to go off of, all you have to do is have an idea of what you'd like. Want a neon sign of a fish? You can have a neon sign of a fish.

Source: Neon and More Create Your Own Neon Sign

How to Make a Neon Sign

Neon signs and sculptures are made of bent glass tubes and filled with inert gas. They're usually used for advertising purposes but due to their brilliant colors, many people display them in their homes as a piece of art!

When an electric charge hits the electrodes in the tubes, the electrons flow through the gas making its atoms dance around and glow! The type of gas and col.or of the glass determine the color of the light. The combination of colored glass tubes and type of inert gas can produce up to 120 different colors!

Bending the glass tubes with a flame

To shape the tube, glass benders use a glass blowing technique. Following a pattern drawn on a fire-resistant sheet, they mark where they have to bend the tube with a marker. Then they heat each spot on a propane flame blazing 1200 degrees F. Within about half a minute, the glass softens enough to be pliable. They gently bend the tube while blowing into a rubber tube attached to the uncorked end to restore the original diameter of the tube.

Checking the bent glass against the pattern

With each bend, they check the shape against the pattern, every so often pressing a wooden block along the tube to equalize the width. After shaping, they cut off the excess and rub the coloring powder off the ends of the tubes. Now they can attach glass casings which contain electrodes. They fuse an electrode to each end of the tube using a propane hand torch and a flexible latex blowing tube. They seal the glass around one electrode, but leave the other one open.

Then, the glass benders create a thin tube with a small bubble that will act as a passageway to the open electrode (known in the industry as a "tubulation"). They fuse this tube to the electrode and then carefully inject a drop of mercury into the open end of it. This mercury will react with Argon gas and make the neon signs glow much brighter.

Using an end torch, they fuse the open end of the tubulation to a long glass tube leading to a pumping system. They connect the electrodes to the system and then power it up. The pump vacuums out the air then injects the gas. To trap the gas inside the tube, they use the crossfire burner to remove the bubble and seal off the open electrode, making sure the drop of mercury has descended into it first. They then dip the back of the sign into black paint, which makes the lettering or design stand out. They use a brush to spread the coat evenly and remove the excess.

Finished Product!

Next, they'll light up the sign at high voltage for a half hour. This will dry the paint and more importantly transform the liquid mercury into vapor that spreads throughout the sign. Using transparent clips, assemblers mount the sign onto a black Plexiglas background to make it stand out even more.

Finally, they connect the protruding electrode wires to a transformer, which converts the current needed to light up the sign. And voila! Custom Neon Signs make great gifts and look awesome on your wall.

Source: Neon and More How Neon Signs Are Made

Personalized Neon Signs - Make Your Neon Sign Uniquely Yours

Neon signs, those glowing entities that adorn the night skies in the cities are made in all sizes, shapes, and forms. Invented in the early 20th century, they've evolved from a scientific curiosity to a technical innovation to an almost advertising necessity. Most neon signs are made with business advertising in mind, but many custom neon signs are made for personal use. Yes, they do more than just try to sell you beer; they can be artistic, fun, and add a unique charm to your home or event and can make a great gift! Here are three examples of ways you can use personalized neon signs from signs that were actually made for some satisfied customers:

1. Neon signs for weddings - Who doesn't like a wedding? Well, some people, but you can't deny that most people that plan weddings go all out when it comes to the decor of the ceremony or the reception. What better way to announce the newlyweds than with a neon sign? Custom Neon Signs for Weddings

2. Have your face made in neon - Here's another unique piece of art to hang on your wall. Your name doesn't have to be Big Dave and you don't have to have curly hair and glasses. A personalized neon sign can be made of your lovely visage in any color and in any size you want. Heck, a life-size full body neon sculpture can be made if you so desire!

3. Have a neon sign made to tell that special someone how you truly feel about them. How darling is this? This sign would make a great Valentine's Day gift. How about using a "Will You Marry Me?" neon sign to pop the big question? It's been done before, but that won't make it any less special or unique! Cheers!