Neon & LED Acrylic
LED neon gives you the look of traditional glass neon without the gas, the fragility or the running cost. BD Signs bends it to any shape in any colour, it runs cool and low-voltage, and it has quietly become the most requested interior sign we make.
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Neon & LED Acrylic, made properly
BD Signs builds custom neon signs to your logo, your handwriting or a phrase you want on the wall, mounted on clear or fret-cut acrylic backing so the fixings disappear. Every piece is dimmable, can be switched by remote, and is safe enough for a room full of customers.
- Any shape, any colour, any font
- Low-energy and cool to the touch
- Shatterproof — no glass, no gas
- Clear or fret-cut acrylic backing
What should you know before ordering neon & LED acrylic?
What is the difference between LED neon and glass neon?
LED neon is a flexible tube lit by LEDs at low voltage; traditional neon is glass tube filled with gas and driven at high voltage. From a few feet away the two look the same. The LED version runs cool, will not shatter if it is knocked and uses a fraction of the power, which is why it is what BD Signs makes for bars, salons and shop interiors.
What artwork works as a neon sign?
Script, handwriting and simple line logos work best, because neon draws a line rather than a filled shape. Solid logos and very small lettering do not, because the tube cannot turn tight enough corners. The BD Signs studio redraws your artwork as a single continuous line before anything is made and shows you exactly how the finished sign will look lit.
What does a neon sign need to be fitted?
Usually just a wall and a socket nearby. The tube is mounted on acrylic — clear, so the neon floats on the wall, or cut to the outline, so the shape still reads when it is switched off — and it runs from a small transformer. For a window, a hanging sign or a hard-wired supply, BD Signs plans the fixing and cable route at the survey.
How does BD Signs make neon & LED acrylic?
Designed in-house, manufactured in our own factory, fitted by our own teams. 30 years in the industry.
- Step 1
Artwork and size
Send a logo, a phrase or a photo of handwriting. BD Signs agrees the size, the colours and where the sign will hang, then redraws the artwork as a single line the tube can follow.
- Step 2
Visual sign-off
You see a visual of the neon on its backing, lit, before anything is made. Line weight, colour and backing shape are changed at this stage, not after the tube is bent.
- Step 3
Making the sign
The LED neon is shaped to the line, fixed to its acrylic backing and wired to its transformer and dimmer in our own factory. Each piece is switched on and checked before it leaves.
- Step 4
Fitting
Our own teams fit it to the wall, hang it in the window or suspend it from the ceiling, and show you the dimmer and remote. Most interior pieces just plug into a nearby socket.
Is LED neon or glass neon right for your sign?
Both give the same glowing line. The difference is in what happens when it is knocked, how hot it runs and what it costs to leave on. This is how BD Signs explains the choice.
| Compare | LED neon | Glass neon |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | Flexible tube lit by LEDs | Hand-bent glass tube filled with gas |
| Voltage | Low voltage from a small transformer | High voltage from a neon transformer |
| If it is knocked | Flexes — no glass to break | Can crack or shatter |
| Heat | Runs cool to the touch | Runs warm |
| Running cost | A fraction of the power | Higher energy use |
Neon & LED Acrylic we've made
Four custom neon signs BD Signs has made: an "Open Late" window sign, a logo for a burger restaurant, the Fylde script on scalloped tiling and an Italiano script sign. Each one is LED neon on an acrylic backing, built from the customer's own artwork.
From bare shopfront to finished fit-out
A few of our shop refurbs, start to finish.
What do people ask about neon & LED acrylic?
Can LED neon go outside?
Yes, with outdoor-rated tube and fittings and the connections sealed against the weather. Most of the neon BD Signs makes is for interiors, where it is simplest to fit, but window and covered outdoor positions are straightforward to plan at the survey.
Can I have my own handwriting made into a neon sign?
Yes. Write it in thick pen, take a photo and send it to BD Signs. Handwriting is one of the best uses of neon, because it is already a single line, and the studio tidies the joins so it reads cleanly when lit.
Is LED neon dimmable?
Yes. Most pieces BD Signs makes can be fitted with a dimmer or a remote, so the same sign works at lunchtime and late at night, and it can be switched off with the lights at closing.
Are neon signs safe, and do they carry any health risks?
LED neon is about as safe as a lit sign gets: it runs at low voltage from a small transformer, stays cool to the touch and has no glass to break. Traditional glass neon carries more risk. It runs at high voltage, the tubes can shatter if knocked, and many colours other than red contain a small amount of mercury. That is why LED neon is the usual choice anywhere customers can reach it.
How long does a neon sign last, and how do you look after it?
LED neon has no gas to leak and no glass to crack, so it outlasts traditional neon in everyday use. Looking after it is mostly dusting the tube and acrylic with a soft dry cloth, keeping the transformer somewhere ventilated and switching it off when you close. If a section ever fails, the LEDs or the transformer are replaced, not the whole design.
Do neon signs need planning permission or permits?
It depends where the sign goes. A neon sign shown in a shop window or fixed outside can count as an illuminated advertisement, which frequently needs advertisement consent from the council, with tighter control in a conservation area or on a listed building. Wherever it goes, the electrical connection has to meet BS 7671. BD Signs checks both at survey.
How expensive is a neon sign?
The price of a custom neon sign comes down to its size, how many separate lines and colours it has, the backing it is mounted on and where it is going. Real glass neon usually costs more than LED neon, because each tube is hand-bent and gas-filled, and it costs more to run. BD Signs quotes each neon sign from your artwork, so you see the price for your design rather than a size band.
Other types of sign we make
“Excellent service as normal — have used BD Signs for the last 20 years and they have always been very helpful and delivered on time and on price!”
“Used BD Signs Design and Print services to design a new logo for my company and to design and print some large labels to use on my jobs. Professional service from start to finish. Highly recommended.”
Need neon & led acrylic?
Tell us about the site and what you want it to say. We will survey, design and quote the whole job as one price.
Or email info@bdsigns.co.uk — we answer everything the same working day.