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Sign Talk
What
things mean in the sign business
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Channel
Letters
Channel Letters are fabricated
shells, usually in the shape of a letter, that house neon tubes. They
serve 2 purposes:
- To protect the neon
tubes from breakage.
- To direct & concentrate
the light forward. Neon tubes enclosed in a channel project the light,
giving the letters much more prominence than unenclosed tubes
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The
Can
The can is the
cabinet, carcass or body of the sign. It usually refers to the metal
case that hold the neon
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PK Housing:
PK Housings are the glass receptacles
that accept the electrodes of a neon tube. These glass shells insulate the
high voltage that fires the neon from the metal cabinet.
Using PK housing adds
authenticity to a vintage style sign.
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What is a Font?
A font is the type face of the word.
Using a different font invokes various feelings in the viewer. A
font with Serifs like Times New Roman invokes strength & a solid
feeling.
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This is Helvetica.
This is Times
New Roman.
This font is called
Garamond!
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What is Double
Stroke neon?
Double stroke neon
means there are 2 parallel lines that outline the letter. It is harder to
do and takes longer to make than the just a single line...that is why it
cost more. This is an example of double stroke neon:
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What is Single Stroke Neon?
1 line of neon is used to
represent a letter. It fills up a channel letter with light, but not
as brightly as double stroke neon and at a lower cost.
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What
does Neon over Lettering Mean?
The neon is bent to
follow a font. I use a premium vinyl and apply it to the base.
The words are bolder and clearer to read than if just neon is used.
PK houses are used just
as in channel letters. Real glass standoffs are used to hold the
neon tubes in place.
In real porcelain
signs, the letters were blocked in when the sign was being baked. It
would be cost prohibitive to make a one of a kind sign using porcelain
today.
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Neon over vinyl
lettering
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Cabinet Dimensions &Information (Click
Here)
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