Uncategorised - A1deSIGNS - Neon Signs, London Sign Makers

What makes a good retail sign?

Shop and retail signage are essential if you are located on a busy high street, or within a large shopping centre.

Not only does it let people know who you are, but a well-made sign will create a positive influence inside potential customer’s mind even before they enter your premises.

Here at A1deSIGNS, we have more than 30 years designing and creating signs for our customers. And in our opinion, these five factors are what really makes great retail signage.

Simplicity

Keep the message concise and to the point. Avoid clutter and excessive information that can overwhelm viewers.

Visibility

Your sign should be easily seen from a distance and in various lighting conditions. Consider the size, placement, and lighting of the sign to maximize visibility.

Retail Brand Consistency

Your sign should reflect your brand’s identity, including its colours, logo, and design elements. Consistency helps reinforce your brand in the minds of customers.

Unique Design

Create a sign that sets your business apart from competitors. A distinctive design can help your shop stand out in a crowded marketplace.

Maintenance

Regularly maintain and clean your sign to keep it looking fresh and appealing. Faded or damaged signs can send a negative message about your business.

Check out more of our articles here. And please drop us a line if you’d like to chat about any of the details we’ve covered or to find out more about industrial signs.

Check out more A1deSIGNS on Pinterest

Trading for over 35 years, A1deSIGNS have built up a huge portfolio of signage projects.

We have worked for a wide variety of clients from blue chip corporations to small independents creating shop signage, lightbulb signs, vehicle graphics, vintage signs and of course custom neon creations.

Many of these creations are now showcased on Pinterest here! Which ones are your favourites?

With our London in house designers, glass benders, sign makers and sign fitters, we have over 120 years of experience and are always training the next generation in the art of glass bending and sign making to ensure that quality products are sent out for years to come.

We’re worked with companies such as Boohoo, BT, dyson, Fred Perry and H&M to name but a few!

GET YOUR SIGN TODAY!

We are as much about relationship building as we are about sign making and would love to work with you both on your current project and any projects down the line.

So why not get in touch with us about your next project and see what we can do to help!

Cold cathode lighting: What is it and when would I use it?

Cold cathode is another name for neon. The name comes from the fact that the tubes run cool to the touch because they are not heated by a filament.

It’s popular with our customers as it does not require any form of diffusing panel to be placed in front of it. With the large diameter of tubes that are used for cold cathode lighting installations, you can light up large areas of a room on low voltage transformers.

When would I use cold cathode lighting?

An ideal place to use cold cathode is in an office area or room that has coves in. The tubes can be placed out of sight along with the transformers so that your lighting installation is as seamless and invisible as possible. And the tubes can be mounted using specially made tube supports so that there is no need for any bulky units or long lengths of aluminium channel to be fitted.

What are the benefits of cold cathode?

Fully recyclable

One of the best features of cold cathode is that it is also fully recyclable. When it reaches the end of its lifecycle can be fully disposed in a way that does not harm the environment. Because the tubes are pumped with either neon or argon, the gases inside are also harmless, they naturally in the air we breathe.

Efficiency

With the capability of running up to two meters of glass on a single low voltage transformer, you can light your area with minimal transformers without requiring a fireman switch.

Atmosphere

Unlike other lighting methods such as LED, cold cathode emits a warm glow that is pleasant to the eye – so cold cathode is great for creating a variety of atmospheres.

Adaptability

Because the tubes are custom shaped for each project – they can be adapted to fit the curves and shapes of your space perfectly.

Check out more of our signage articles here. And please drop us a line if you’d like to chat about any of the details we’ve covered about cold cathode or to find out more about how our variety of neon signs can help your business.

How to Install Your LED Flex Neon Sign

This is a brief guide on how to install your LED Flex Neon Sign, not to be confused with installing a real neon sign as this can be a very different process. If you do not feel confident doing this we suggest asking someone who is more confident they can carry out the task safely.

You will need a few things before you start.

A basic level of DIY ability.
Drill.
Stud/Electric Cable Finder/Digital Detector.
Level.
Pencil.
Screwdriver.
Screws.
Suitable wall fixing depending on the wall type. (Plastic Wall Plug or cavity wall fixing).
Sign Hardware (Supplied by A1deSIGNS – Sign Supports Or Hanging Chain).
The LED Flex Neon Sign.

Step 1 – Positioning your LED Flex Neon Sign.

Possibly the most important step of all. We are pretty sure you had an idea of where you wanted the sign to go before you ordered, but now is a good time to make sure you were right. Get someone to hold the sign in place (be careful not to drop it acrylic can break when dropped), step back and check that it will look right, you can even get the sign lit up whilst it’s being held in place. Check that it doesn’t look better somewhere else alternatively you can always order another one for that awesome spot you just found. Usually, the same height you would put a picture is best and equidistant between objects on either side.

Once you have found your position you can use a level on the edge of the rectangular panels, or you can use the level running along the bottom line of the text to get things looking as they should. Sometimes things don’t always look right level, so deliberately putting things at a slant can give your LED Flex Neon sign that quirky feel.

Hopefully, now you have things where you want them, mark the fixing holes in the acrylic panel with a pencil. This should give you several circles marked on the wall when you take down your sign.

Checking for cables and pipes before installing your LED Flex Neon Sign

Step 2 – Drilling

With your holes marked on the wall from step 1, check the location of the marks with a digital detector to make sure there are no cables or pipes where you will be drilling. You can now drill a hole in the middle of each of the circles. Ensure you are using the correct fixing for your wall type and the correct size drill bit for the fixing.

Wall plug or Plasterboard fixing for your LED Flex Sign in place

Step 3 – Fixing

Once you holes have been drilled insert the wall fixings, then unscrew the head of the sign support and slide the screw down the cylinder until the thread has come through the other end. Insert your screwdriver down the cylinder until it sits in the head of the screw, carefully fasten the screw into the wall fixing being careful not to overtighten. Repeat this for each of your fixing points.

Sign Support to secure LED Flex Neon Sign in Place

Step 4 – Secure

With all your sign supports in place on the wall, take the previously removed heads and insert them into the hole in the acrylic panel, then offer the panel up to the fixing point for that hole and fasten in place, leave the fixing slightly loose until all fixings are in place, as this allows the panel to move around to ensure you can get all fixings in place. Once all fixings are in place tighten up the fixings so they hold the panel securely, don’t overtighten them or bend the acrylic as it can cause it to break.

Smiley LED Flex Neon Sign

Step 5 – Let There Be Light

Once the sign is secured in position it is now time to deal with the cabling. If your sign comes in multiple pieces, make the connections between each part of the sign. Each sign comes with a 1.5m clear cable from the bottom that has a female power connector, you can either just let this hang or secure the cable in place with cable clips, other options are available but may require a skilled professional to install the sign. You can then take the transformer and plug the male end into the female clear connector and plug the transformer into a nearby socket. If you have a dimmer this will go in-between the male and female connections.

We hope you have found this guide useful and hope you enjoy your LED Flex Neon Sign.