For faux neon and acrylic block letters and shapes, a CNC router is used to cut the desired shape from the acrylic. This is then milled, or hollowed out, to create a channel which will house the LEDs. Often the acrylic is then rounded on the face to replicate the look of traditional neon tubes, however, it can be left as a square edge if desired.
The letters or shapes are then either powder coated on the outside or have self-adhesive vinyl applied to the outer edge in the colour specified by the customer. This helps to reduce LED spotting. After this stage, the LEDs are fit along the inside edge and either opal acrylic or aluminium backs are fit to close off the back of the shape which protects the LEDs. Fixings are also added the customer’s specification. The sign can either be fit directly to a wall or other surface as it is now or, as it often is, be fixed to an acrylic panel or inside a clear acrylic box. Once the sign has been tested over a number of hours, it is then ready to dispatch. We keep all of the offcuts of acrylic and collect them to be recycled.
