Can we make complex logos in neon? Of course!
We often receive enquiries that start off with “I doubt you can make our logo into a neon light but thought I’d ask anyway!”. Well the answer is usually “Yes!”. Before explaining the options, it’s useful to understand a bit about how neon signs are made which then brings to life some limitations.
What are the design limitations with Neon Signs?
We start with straight rods of glass which come in varying diameters. The glass is heated over an open flame and then bent into shape following an actual-size template. When creating the tightest bends in the glass for elements such as serifs, the glass is at its weakest point. There’s only a certain radius of bend that can therefore be created before the neon glass is too fragile. This radius depends on the diameter of the glass being bent.
As a result, the minimum size we can make neon signs is usually dictated by the size of the tightest bend in the design and we then scale up the design from there. As a rule of thumb, block lettering can be produced at approx. 100mm high and script style fonts need to be approx. 170mm high. That is a very general rule however but acts as a useful starting point.
When we’re sent logos that clients would like to be produced as neon signs for events, offices or marketing materials, there are normally two key considerations to take into account for when we need to employ other materials beyond neon in order to create stunning lights:
1. The lettering is too complex or small to be created in neon at a size that works for how the client is intending to use the neon light.
2. The logo design incorporates other elements beyond simple shapes or text that can’t physically be re-created by bending straight lengths of neon glass.
What are the solutions to creating Neon Feature Lights with complex designs?
1. Combining Neon with Acrylic
This technique is particularly useful to create neon signs where the logo has text which is too small to recreate in neon. We will laser-cut acrylic lettering from a wide range of beautiful colours. The acrylic lettering will then be bonded to an acrylic mount, again available in a huge range of colours. We would then hand-bend neon glass to create certain highlight elements of the logo. This could be larger text, outer borders or shapes. It’s a really eye-catching process and results in eye-catching neon signs.
2. Combining Neon with Vinyl
This method is often used where a logo combines neon text and a complex graphic design. We would print the design onto vinyl and then fix the vinyl onto an acrylic or metal mount. We then produce elements of the design in neon and mount the neon over the face of the vinyl. We can even add original fairground lights too, resulting in an all signing, all dancing beautiful feature light.
If you’d like your logo brought to life a neon sign, but not really sure what’s possible then drop us a line and we can guide you through the options and help you out!
