When you stand in the street at night, the first thing that comes into our sight is the street lights on the road, followed by all kinds of illuminated signage and plaques. As one of the most common illuminated signs, backlit signs are vital for our business.
What Is Backlit Signage?
Backlit signage is illuminated on the back for each letter or element and has the halo effect when lit.
Backlit letters are a great medium to promote your branding, events, discounts, and other customized message in daylight and at night.
Backlit Vs. Halo lit Vs. Reverse-lit Vs. channel letters
We usually hear about the different names for illuminated letters.
The name halo-lit, reverse-lit, and backlit are for the same type of signs.
At the same time, channel letters are a collection of front-lit, backlit, dual, and non-illuminated letters.
If you are interested in more details about the channel letters, please kindly refer to guide for custom channel letter manufacturers for the types of channel letter signs.
Benefits of Backlit Signage
Promote your brands in 7*24 hours
It is the most time to highlight the brand at night, the illuminated letters and messages make your brand stand out and quickly noticed, and it is also a long-term exposure free of charge.
Energy-efficient, requiring lower voltage
Compared with neon illumination options, backlit letters use significant energy cost savings LEDs; also, it is a one-time investment that can operate for five years at least, and don’t need to print out news signs frequently.
Widely used in outdoor and indoor
Compared with non-illuminated letters, backlit signages are an excellent option for outdoor, indoor, and day and night. You always find the most cost-effective ways, including the possibilities of materials, light sources, etc.
Various colors quickly draw attention and increase visibility
From the various shades of LED, letters’ painting colors, and graphics options, we can use the backlit letters to convey our brand’s personalization, increasing brand recognition, attracting more potential customers’ attention, and generating more business.
How To Make Backlit Signage?
Backlit signage is mainly backlit letters and backlit lightboxes.
Below we mainly introduce the backlit letters.
Because neighboring LEDs light can strengthen others, the halo brightness of a single illuminated letter will gradually weaken if further each letter away. Usually, we need to increase the distance between light and the mounting wall.
There are two main types of backlit letters.
Inner acrylic backer with spacer
The acrylic backer fixes flush with the stainless steel returns and use the standoffs and spacer away from the wall, making specific halo glow lighting issues.
Acrylic edge-lit and lights diffuse on the back
It uses a thicker acrylic backer and opens a slot to screw with stainless steel returns. We can see the acrylic edge-lit and diffuse the light on the back.
What Material Is Used For Backlit Letters?
Backlit signs mainly include face, returns, backer, inner LEDs, and install accessories.
Backer
The durable and weather-resistant materials for the backer is opal white acrylic or translucent sandblast acrylic sheet. Acrylic is a different name for Poly(methyl methacrylate) or PMMA. It has an excellent high gloss finish and makes the light diffuse. On the other hand, it has the advantage of being lightweight to install.
Face and Returns
Aluminum or stainless steel are good options to avoid the light leaking. To achieve brighter lighting, we paint white on the interior walls to reflect as much illumination and reduce the probability of “hot spots.” While for the outer surface, we can do the paint, vinyl, etc., which gives an awesome decorative looking when not lit.
Inner LED illuminated
Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) have replaced neon as the dominant illumination method for channel letters.
Different color spectrums can get different colors. To get the unique colors for our signage, we should choose the proper LED light colors after considering the factors of place we will install and the emotional response the signs will send to our potential clients.
The lower the number, the warmer the light. The higher the number, the more bluish or cooler the light.
Other essential factors are the number of LEDs strips or LEDs modules and the permutation pattern of mounted LEDs. Multi-row strips of LEDs modules also give brighter lighting compared to a single-installed strip. The LEDs are mounted directly onto the acrylic backer that makes the light directed toward the inside of the lights, then reflected out.
Install accessories
A paper template indicated the installation and cable holes location, LED Driver, and plug is essential accessories. Others include studs, spacers, silicones, VHB tape, hammer drill, and sign installation service.
Light diffuse panel
Another option to optimize LED illumination is adding a diffuse light panel.
A backer panel is a contoured aluminum sheet. The higher quality acrylic fabrication has been combined with superior clear lighting on clear white cast acrylic to provide pure and diffused light.
How Is Halo Lit Signage Installed?
For the types of Inner acrylic backer with spacer
- We prepare the mounting accessories,1:1 scale paper mounting pattern, LED DriverDriver, etc.
- Fix the paper pattern in the correct place you want to install it, then punch the holes on the wall for stud bolts and cables
- Remove the paper pattern
- Attached are the standoffs to the pre-drill holes
- Mount the cables through the cable holes
- Put the acrylic backer on the wall, make the studs filled with silicone adhesives, then assemble the studs through the backer
- Fix the acrylic backer on the wall
- Match the sign face onto the acrylic backer, and fix it with the countersunk screw from the side
For the types of edge-lit and diffusing lights on the back
- Prepare the mounting accessories,1:1 scale paper mounting pattern, power driver, etc.
- Fix the paper pattern in the correct place you want to install it, then punch the holes on the wall for stud bolts and cables
- Remove the paper pattern
- Make the studs filled with silicone adhesives, then assemble the studs into the backer
- Mount the cables through the cable holes
- Push the individual part of the LED-backlit signage with the stud bolts into the stud bolt holes
- Push the individual part of the LED-backlit signage with the stud bolts into the stud bolt holes
When And Where Is Halo Lit Signage Typically Used?
Halo-lit signage can be widely installed interior or exterior, as long as you want to display your brand or message to passersby, such as hotels, financials, hospitals, restaurants, bars, and many storefronts.
When you make a plan where you would like to install your signage and what it looks like in the size, colors, and lighting, you can tailor your brand. If you are unsure about the details, please don’t hesitate to discuss the suitable solutions with us.
Contact us today for more information if you have additional questions about backlit signage, budget, design and lead time, etc.
