The Truth of Neon Signs - Moment Dresses

If you like to go out and explore the city late at night, chances are you’ve seen a neon sign or two. Whether it’s a bright spot in the sky or flickering just outside of your peripheral vision, neon signs can be hard to ignore. The flashy colors and glowing highlights have become staples of this style of advertising since their invention in 1931 by French engineer Georges Claude. But what is so special about these seemingly innocent pieces of metal? What do they really mean? And, most importantly, why do some people loathe them with such passion?

This post will go over everything there is to know about this mysterious medium — from its history to its science and how it affects society as a whole today.

1. What is a neon sign, really?

Neon lights are small tubes of neon gas inside a metal casing. They can be as simple as a single tube pointing up or down, or multiple tubes forming various shapes and letters. This can range from a simple ‘O’ to an intricate formation containing many colors and words.

2. How do you make neon signs?

Purple neon signs are made in many different locations across the world, but in order to create them all it takes is the materials necessary: metal and neon gas. There are a few different ways to make neon signs, but the most common, and least expensive to produce, is by filament lamp. Here’s what it looks like:

To make a neon sign, all you have to do is take a tube of this type, attach your design on it and then fill the inside with neon gas. There are many different types of tubing you can use — some with thicker walls, some with thinner walls and some without any walls at all — but there must be both a tube that goes up and down, otherwise it would be impossible to see. Those tubes must also be attached to each other very quickly for the neon gas in them to combine into one big “signal. It takes around 10 minutes for the neon gas in the tube to combine.

3. Why make neon signs?

Neon signs are a rather modern form of adverts, but they’re not so new. The first people to use neon lights in advertisements were at least 150 years ago, back when it was called ‘neon light.’ Neon lights were incredibly popular during the 20s and 30s, but it was in the 50s that they really reached their peak. The invention of LEDs led to their downfall as they became much cheaper and much simpler to produce — which is why many older neon signs have since become more common today than newer ones.

4. Why do neon signs glow?

If you’ve ever seen a neon sign turn on, there’s a good chance that you’ve seen it flicker before it turned on. This is because the signal from the tube is not 100% stable; instead, it’s full of tiny bursts and breaks in power. These flickers are harmless and completely normal for most neon signs. When connected to a circuit, the filaments inside these tubes create very strong electrical signals which are transferred to the neon gas inside. This is why they glow when they’re first turned on — it’s simply the gasses responding to electrical pulses coming from each filament.

5. How long do neon signs last?

Most neon lights will last anywhere from approximately 5 to 10 years, depending on how old they are and what they’re being used for. Some of the newer ones have a life span of up to 15 years or more due to their improved filaments, but most standard ones only last 5 – 6 years at the very most. The age of the sign and how frequently it is used can greatly shorten its lifespan.

6. Is there a future for neon signs?

While many people think that neon signs are going away soon, in reality they’re not so easy to get rid of. There are many people who still love them and will fight to their last breath to protect them. Many consider neon signs to be part of the city’s natural heritage, while others want to keep them around because they don’t like the way that modern neon posters look.

7. How does society react to neon signs? 

A lot of people think that neon signs are tacky, outdated and in bad taste — but some think otherwise. There have been several protests against this form of advertising, including a big one in 1972 in Los Angeles where over 500 people were arrested for blocking traffic with their own ‘illegal’ neon signs.

8. Why do neon signs fade?

The gas used in most neon signs is an inert gas and thus will not react with any other element, which may sound good at first but is actually bad for the sign itself. When the electrodes inside a sign are placed under constant power, they begin to give off a small amount of heat — enough to glow and light up the neon gas inside. This causes the gasses in each tube to expand and contract over and over again constantly throughout the day. This expansion and contraction is normal at first, but after a while it can begin to cause serious damage to the tubing inside.

Summary:

Neon signs are a very strange form of advertising. They might be a staple of the 20th century, but they’re not going anywhere any time soon. Since there is still much research to be done on neon lights, we may learn more about them in the future. And if you’re interested in learning more about neon signs, check out this playlist for more information and examples!