Tattoo Neon Signs: The Importance of Neon Tattoo Signs

Tattoo parlors are an interesting phenomenon - they attract an eclectic crowd and normally have wall-to-wall artwork of tattoo samples covering the place and usually offer other counter-culture fashion accessories such as piercings and other clothing items. If you're the owner of such a store, then you know the need to get people in those seats to get inked. If you want the most amount of foot traffic into your tattoo parlor, you're going to want a neon tattoo sign to be as big and as bright as you can. There are many reasons for wanting to be seen, namely:

1. Tattoo shops are usually located in metropolitan areas with high foot traffic, most of the time in areas where there is a big nightlife, so being seen from a far distance (and when it's dark) is very important.

2. People often tend to get tattoos and piercing on a whim. Of course, those who take tattoos seriously usually plan ahead what they want and have a trusted artist do their inking, but many people are with a group of friends and tend to pop in out of sheer curiosity. Sometimes if they're feeling adventurous they'll get a tattoo right then and there! For this reason, you'll want your shop to have a tattoo neon sign as big and as distantly visible as possible.

Here's another thing - have you ever noticed that tattoo parlor signs tend to be vertical? Close your eyes and think of a tattoo parlor that you know of, or see if you can remember the last one you saw. Chances are the "tattoo" was reading top to bottom. The reason for that is because tattoo parlors are usually in smaller buildings with limited window space, and since windows are usually taller than they are wide, custom neon signs can be made to fit the height of the window and have the text be as large and as legible as possible. Plus, if the sign is placed outdoors, it can be read by people that are walking on the same side of the street as your shop.

Custom Neon Bar Signs - Neon Signs for Sports Bars

When we talked before about custom neon bar signs, we discussed the reason why they're there - they advertise your beverages, they jazz up the place with color, and they make a bar feel like a bar. Let's talk about specific bars now, and that's the sports bar.

Custom Neon Signs can be made to accommodate any type of sports bar, sports-themed restaurant, or cafe in your college town. It's no wonder that the most popular signs that are made for bars are for sports bars. Any type of neon sign can be made, including your favorite sports teams' logo, your team's mascot, or anything else related to any sports team on the planet. Your favorite player on the team? A neon sign can be made of that as well.

What can you expect to find when you walk into a sports bar? Lots of flat screen T.V.s on the wall playing various games, a lot of beer on tap, people eating chicken wings and burgers, and of course neon signs of various sports teams, most likely the home team of the city the bar is located in. Custom Neon Bar Signs are a great way for a sports bar to really have the look and feel of a genuine local sports bar.

What to Look for in a Custom Neon Sign.

A question you may be asking if you've stumbled onto this blog post is: What is the best neon sign for your business? I've prepared a list of things and options that go into choosing the neon sign that's right for you:

 Backing and Quality Glass: Custom Neon Signs in the U.S.A. are manufactured with high quality tempered glass. These types of glass are the strongest for neon signs and are less likely to beak than Chine-made glass. As far as backing goes, you can opt for either a Lexan back or a metal grid (which is like a crisscross grid). Here is an example of both:

Neon Sign with a Lexan Backing

Neon Sign with a Grid Backing

Lexan Backing is usually black but you can also have it made in clear or grey. Lexan is the one of the most popular choices of backing because it heightens the visibility of your neon sign by minimizing the amount of glare. It also and also hides the wiring efficiently. Grid backing for your neon sign is great if you would like your sign to stand alone on a surface or counter top, or if you have specific or unusual hanging space.

Size: One of the most important parts when deciding the size of your neon sign  is how far away to you's like it to be seen by people. The bigger the sign, the further away it can be read legibly.  A rule of thumb is the lettering on your neon sign will be legible up to 40 feet away for each tall the letter is. For example, if you want your sign to be legible from 400 feet away, the letters on your sign must be at least 10 inches tall. Also, it's been shown that words that are in lower case are more legible that words that are in all upper case. 

Color: The Color of your neon sign is very important. Visionary studies have shown that red neon is the most readable, followed by green, turquoise, and pink. A mixture of these 4 colors (with each word being its own color as to make it stand out more) is always recommended.

Flash: A flashing neon sign can be both beneficial and detrimental.  A Flashing sign is hard to ignore and can easily grab the attention of people, but it also can be a visual annoyance if it's hung too close to people's faces. Flashing neon signs are best for open neon signs and signs that need to be seen from far away.

Animations: Animations are great and can be humerus and extremely high-catching. These types of neon signs require a little more glass, so they can cost a little bit more, but if made in the right way they can really make your neon sign memorable and stick in people's mind.

Source: Neon and More

Top 5 Reasons a Neon Sign will Help Your Small Business

If you’re a small business owner, you probably want your name to be recognized and stick in people’s mind. One of the most inexpensive and effective ways to advertise your company, both indoors and out, is with a neon sign. The neon industry is seeing a resurgence and here you’ll find 5 ways in which a neon sign can help your business grow.

 1. Get seen from a distance. 

In real estate they say the three most important factors that determine the success of a brick and mortar store is “location, location, location.” So what if you have a good location for your business but not the best visibility? Neon signs are all about getting the most visibility for your business. Neon signs have an advantage over painted signs in that they can be seen from more far away distances, in most any weather conditions. If you’re a traveler, how are you to know if a roadside motel has any rooms available? With a highly visible neon “vacancy” sign, that’s how. How are people who are driving by to know that you’re open for business without a clearly visible “open” neon sign? They alluring glow of neon attracts the eye of passersby like no other form of outdoor advertising.

 2. Advertise your high margin items and make more profit. 

This is especially important for bars and restaurants. Do you have a particular brand of beer or alcohol that has a good margin but doesn't sell the way you’d like it to? Hang a neon sign of that brand on your wall or above your bar and watch more people order it. It’s a subliminal, psychological thing. Have you ever walked into a bar not knowing what drink you want to order, and ordered something simply because you saw a sign for it on the wall? You may have done that more times than you realize. Neon signs work better than posters, cardboard cutouts, or coasters. The more attention it attracts, the more it will sell.

 3. Get your company brand “branded” in people’s mind. 

Just like how a rancher will take a hot branding iron to cattle to mark their property, a neon sign can act as a “branding iron” and imprint your message onto people’s mind. Is there an iconic restaurant or store in your home town that you can recall right now simply because you can picture their sign? Congratulations, your brain has been branded! When your company name or logo is seen in colorful images, fonts, and words, it’s more likely to be remembered by potential customers. A custom neon sign with your business name can get you remembered, and in turn will bring you more business.

 4. A cost-efficient advertising tool that can be left on 24/7 

A common misconception about neon signs is that they use up a lot of electricity to operate. People see the glowing glass tubes and equate it to a hot heating element (which uses a TON of electricity). The fact is that neon signs are incredibly energy-efficient! The glow you see is not heated glass, but in fact a chemical reaction brought on by a small electrical charge that causes the gas inside the vacuum to glow brightly. Your average sized neon sign actually takes up no more electricity than a standard light bulb! This means you can leave your neon sign on 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and not see your electricity bill skyrocket.

 5. Attention-grabbing words glowing in neon will attract short-attention spanned people. 

In this world with an increasing population of people that grew up in the internet age, the average attention span is decreasing. Sometimes a simple word advertising a particular service or product you provide is all it takes to get people into your store. For example, a lone “beer” neon sign hanging outside your storefront could be all it takes to attract a thirsty person.

 There’s so many ways in which a neon signs can bring you the business you need and deserve!