By Eric Fairbanks
The classic neon sign has been pulling in customers since the first one went up at a Paris barbershop in 1912. What amazed even the cosmopolitan Parisians quickly found its way to retailers in the United States; a Packard car dealership in Los Angeles, California, threw the switch on the first U.S. neon sign in 1923. Dependable and inexpensive, this simple illuminated sign has been tirelessly promoting businesses worldwide ever since.

While typically associated with corner bars and liquor stores, a neon sign is a cost-effective tool for any retail business. The glow of “liquid fire” (as it’s been called) announces, invites, and seduces, at a very small investment. The appeal of neon gets stronger as we dig a little deeper…

Neon Sign Construction and Cost
A neon sign is made of a glass tube filled with a gas (usually neon or argon). An electrical charge is passed through the gas, and, presto, you get the infamous neon glow. Though each glass tube is shaped by hand, neon signs are very inexpensive, running under $100 for a simple design. Even a custom sign spelling out your business name is reasonably priced.

“This adds up to decades of maintenance-free service for mere pennies a day.”

The Benefits of Neon Signs
Neon signs last much longer than other illuminated signs. For comparison, a LED sign, neon’s next closest competitor in longevity, has a lifespan up to 100,000 hours where the same neon sign has a lifespan double that. Neon is more energy efficient than most other bulbs, producing far more lumens per watt (except in the color red, where LED is superior). This adds up to decades of maintenance-free service for mere pennies a day (approximately twenty cents in electricity for 24 hours).

Retail Design Using Neon Signs
Designing for neon requires slightly different tactics than you would use with conventional signage. Here are some simple guidelines:

• Use a neon sign to tell people the name of your business, about a special product or service, or that you are open.

• Don’t use too many neon signs. They’ll compete with one another.

• The most effective place for a neon sign is in the display window attracting walk-by traffic.

• Softer pastel neons can be more effective for indoor signage.

• Consider the location of the nearest outlet when placing your sign. Nothing will ruin a window display faster than ten yards of electrical cord snaking all over the place.

• For visibility and safety reasons, place your neon sign high.

• For sizing purposes, generally speaking, for every inch of letter height, you gain 38 feet in legibility. In other words: a sign with four-inch letters will be legible from 152 feet away.

• You want to make it really pop? Get a flashing neon sign.

Undervalued and often forgotten, a neon sign can be the workhorse of your storefront—don’t put it out to pasture just yet. Click here to shop TRIO’s extensive line of neon signs.