Add a pop of color with a sign that illuminates with your unique message. From “I love you” to “you are my sunshine,” customize a sign with your favorite words for an eye-catching focal point in your home.
The neon process includes a mix of art and science, from the creative design to the glass-bending to the chemistry that lights up the tubes. Eric and Gregg talk about how their job involves a lot of artistry, but once the tubes are ready to be filled with the gases that give them their glow, they have to undergo some heavy-duty chemistry. A vacuum pump clears out the moisture and air from inside the tubes before a zap of electricity is applied, raising the temperature to sterilize them and allowing for the addition of gas.
During the electrical discharge, neon forms a bright red-orange hue. It was first used for signage by Georges Claude at the Paris Motor Show in December 1910. He dubbed it “neon” from the Greek word
Neon can be combined with other noble gases to produce a variety of colors, but the best choice for signage is a mixture of neon and argon that produces a bright orange or pink shade. Helium, krypton and xenon also generate a cool blue tint, but they can’t be used for signs because they are expensive to produce and don’t last as long.