Neon colors are a big trend not only in interiors, but also in design in general. So why not try bringing some modern trends into your home and fill it with the soft glow of neon ribbons? We offer DIY instructions and the answer to the question: how to make a neon sign with your own hands?
Decide on text or picture
An effective phrase, a motivating slogan, initials or abstraction is perfect. It is better to choose what affects your feelings and attracts the eye. A phrase or word can be selected based on the purpose of the room. For example, gastronomic terminology will be logical in the kitchen or dining room, and romantic quotes in the bedroom.
Sketch
To plan a future craft in advance means to do it halfway. Decide on the dimensions, draw a rough plan, use a level and crayons to mark the sketch on the work surface.
It is important to remember that the duralight that you will use in your project cannot bypass sharp corners. Drawing lines and fonts should be rounded, as if handwritten.
Buy LED strip
LED strips last longer and do not heat up, unlike their counterparts with incandescent lamps. However, it is worth considering their cost - they are always a little more expensive. Duralights are cheaper, stronger and more convenient to use. True, they are often sold in large footage, so you can come up with a large-scale design for your room.
Start making
There are two ways to shape the LED strip: by attaching it to the wall or to the frame. In the first case, you should lay out the word on the floor and fasten the folds with special clothespins for ribbons. This is where you should cut them. It is important to remember that you must first cut the tape after making sure that there is a special sign.
The sections are then closed with plugs, and the structure itself is transferred to the wall, starting from the upper left edge. Fasteners-paper clips are screwed to the wall with a screwdriver. Having fixed the first character, it is better to temporarily fix the rest with masking tape.
Be sure to calculate the distance to the outlet. It is desirable that it be hidden behind a dresser, bookshelf or headboard. Then the design will look complete and inspire you to new creative actions.
LED advertising sign is the best way to attract customers or future buyers, as well as ordinary passers-by. At the moment, so-called lightboxes or three-dimensional inscriptions are used. Success will be achieved by following three rules:
- The quality of the construction must be high.
- The design should stand out from the gray mass.
- The backlight is made from bright, colorful LEDs.
Lightbox - often a rectangular design with built-in lighting inside. Signs like this are everywhere. Such advertising, made by hand, is very effective. Illuminated boxes have different shapes, heights and widths, but they are classified according to their design features:
- Unilateral.
- Bilateral.
- Internal advertising.
- Outdoor advertising.
Work order
Front of the box
Translucent banners are the cheapest, but require a more expensive stretching system or require a rigid construction.
The most commonly used material is milky acrylic. Its main property is the scattering of light, thereby visually making the backlight even.
DIY illuminated sign
An alternative to acrylic is polystyrene. It is used because of its cheapness, but it is more fragile and exposed to the environment.
Drawing an image on the box
A film or an application of vinyl films is applied to the front of the box. Printing on film has long been outdated, as it quickly fades in the sun and loses its colors. The same cannot be said about the vinyl application. It is much more colorful, more practical and almost does not deteriorate. There is, of course, a drawback - it is very expensive, and installation requires certain knowledge.
Side surface of the box
If we are talking about a small box, then you can use aluminum or plastic as a profile. This part is performed in completely different sizes and shapes. But it is best to make boxes no wider than 180 mm, since lighting costs will increase significantly.
Back of the box
The best option for the back is galvanized steel, as it does not corrode and is very durable. It is also important that it has a low cost. Also, the back part can be made of other opaque materials - plastic, composite panel.
Box illumination
To illuminate the box, fluorescent lamps are often used. They are very cheap and practical, while they give out a good luminous flux, but they get very hot. They were replaced by LED strips, as they are better in all respects.
Neon lamps are used to illuminate curly signs.
Box manufacturing
Probably, every man dreamed of making a luminous sign with his own hands. And everyone asked the question - how to do it? Let's consider this process step by step.
- On the computer, you need to make a 1: 1 layout of the future product. There is a special program - Corel Draw.
- After we cut out the resulting image using a plotter.
- Now you need to apply the mounting film from the center to the edges and cut off the excess.
- Then you need to cut out the aluminum profile and do not forget to take into account the length of the lamps.
- We mount the third part of the box (only profile and corners).
- Now you need to make the back cover and insert it into the box.
- It's time to prepare the right tool for installation.
- We make lamp holders. They are attached to the back of the box with self-tapping screws.
- Next, we mount the lamps to the holders and connect the wiring. Then it needs to be isolated.
When using LED strips, the task is simplified to a minimum, since installation is extremely simple. It is necessary to remove the protective film and properly attach the tape to the panel.
- After that, the front part should be cut out of plexiglass and treated with burrs.
- After removing the protective film, you can begin to place the text.
- We drill holes for moisture removal in the bottom shelf.
Based on the above, you can also make a neon sign and luminous signs.
It turns out that you can make a beautiful billboard or sign on your own. You just need to choose the right material and lighting device. At the moment, it is best to use LED strips.
A homemade neon sign can be used not only for its intended purpose, but also as a bright and extraordinary lighting element in an interior of a suitable style. Details of making a neon sign in the form of an inscription with your own hands, below.
materials
For work you will need:
- flexible neon for 12 or 24 V and a power supply to it;
- 2-pin connector for flexible neon;
- end caps;
- aluminum profile;
- flat aluminum tube in width corresponding to flexible neon;
- epoxy adhesive for steel products;
- sandpaper;
- wire;
- electrical tape or heat shrink tubing;
- primer;
- paint;
- hacksaw;
- vise;
- transparent silicone adhesive.
Step 1. You need to make a layout of the inscription, which will become a sign. In fact, it needs to be transferred to a large sheet of paper, for example, drawing paper, etc. Since neon tubes can end up bending differently than you imagined, it's worth making a rough layout out of round wire. Fix it with pieces of adhesive tape and evaluate whether this is what you want to see. After transferring the layout to paper.
Step 2. Based on the prepared template, bend the flat aluminum tube to form a frame. At bends and intersections, it will need to be welded.
Step 3. On the back of the frame, weld two metal fasteners that will be needed to hang the inscription on the wall.
Step 4. Cut the prepared aluminum profile into small pieces, 1 - 2 cm long. They need to be fixed along the entire length of the prepared frame. Be careful when attaching them, as the profile pieces should be installed strictly on the side where the flexible neon will pass. The twists and turns will make them appear to be on either side of the tube, but they are not.
Step 5. Before fastening the profile, sand the metal frame along the entire length, paying special attention to the places where welding was used.
Step 6. Attach the profile pieces to the frame at the predetermined points using epoxy glue. Leave everything until the adhesive is completely dry.
Step 7. Apply a primer to the surface of the resulting frame. Leave everything again until the material is completely dry.
Step 8. Attach flexible neon to the frame. If it does not fit tightly enough into the fasteners, use epoxy glue.
Step 9. Cut off the excess flexible neon.
Step 10. Install the power supply connector, observing polarity.
Step 11. Check if the assembled structure works.
In recent years, people are increasingly trying their hand at opening their own business. Someone can invest heavily in the beginning and take risks, but not everyone has such an opportunity and a large scope is not always needed.
Let's say you want to set up a small repair shop. For a successful implementation, you need knowledge of the matter and a sign that informs people around you about your services. It doesn't have to be expensive, but your customers should notice it.
Now we will share a way how to make a sign with your own hands.
Types of signs
Now there are a huge number of ways to attract the consumer. The oldest of them is the sign. Looking at the photos of signs, you can see their diversity not only in the names and design, but also in the types of signs themselves.
So there are signs consisting of one name, and advertising signs, in which, in addition to the name, a brief essence of the services provided is given.
You can also distinguish signs by the method of manufacture:
- not light (ordinary);
- light (neon signs and LED);
- three-dimensional signs (boxes and letters).
Naturally, shop signs are most often used, but businesses never refuse to use this method of advertising themselves.
What you need to create a sign
To make a sign at home, you must first select the type of billboard. In our case, an ordinary non-illuminated sign was taken.
It is the easiest and fastest to make, and the workmanship will not be much worse than that of professionals.
What is required for this:
- steel sheet two meters (minimum thickness);
- self-adhesive in various colors;
- rag, wipe glued places;
- Double-sided tape
- scissors (ordinary and for metal);
- simple pencil;
- computer, preferably with a printer;
- tape measure or ruler (you can do both);
- plastic card (bank or discount card is suitable).
Making a sign
Let's prepare the base first. It will be a steel sheet measuring 1 by 2 meters. However, our sign will be 2 meters by 50 cm, and since the width of the self-adhesive film is 45 cm, we will reduce the width of the future sheet to this value and make 2 cuts.
As a result, we get 2 bases for future signs 200 cm by 45 cm. In order not to suffer with accurate and even cutting of metal, we recommend ordering its cutting at the store where it was purchased.
For accuracy, after cutting, you need to sand the edges with sandpaper or a file so that everything is even and smooth.
When the base is ready, we move on to creating templates for the name. They are usually made on a computer, and Photoshop or other graphics editors are used as programs. In them, select the desired font and enter the name of the future sign.
After that, print the letters on the printer and cut them out. You will receive layouts that need to be glued to the film, and then cut out along the contour.
The next step is to stick a background on the sheet. This is more difficult to do than it might seem at first glance.
In order for the self-adhesive film to stick to the metal correctly and without wrinkles, the paper is carefully torn off from it from the middle. After that, with someone's help, they begin to glue the film to the sheet, from the center to the edges.
Note!
Use plastic for leveling. You should not rush when doing it, it will have a bad effect on quality. The length of the film can be made slightly longer than the length of the sheet. This will allow you to bend its edges and, thus, fix the self-adhesive on the metal even more reliably.
The final step will be the even placement of the name of the sign on the base. To begin with, the letters are laid out on a sheet and roughly placed in the middle of the base.
After that, it is necessary to apply an alignment line so that the letters do not “jump” (only if this is not specifically intended). Then, the paper is torn off the film from the letters and strictly along the resulting line they are pasted onto the background of the sign.
To avoid swelling when sticking, as well as with the background, a plastic card is used. The final touch is the edging of the signboard.
As a rule, film cuts from previous stages of work are used on it. The optimal width is 2 cm. The edging is glued from the edge to the center, and it is located both in plain sight and on the reverse side of the base, to hide the uneven edges of the sheet. Accordingly, the width of the strip on the edge should be at least 4 cm.
After completing all the steps, you will get a beautiful and inexpensive sign made by you!
Note!
DIY signage photo
Note!
Outdoor signs are one of the most effective tools to attract customers who are in close proximity to the advertised object. Unfortunately, this method has disadvantages, which appear at the moment when the natural street lighting "goes out". So that after sunset the object of trade, entertainment or the provision of services can continue to work efficiently, signs made of neon tubes are used.
Owners of restaurants, pharmacies or shops whose opening hours fall in the evening or at night, in order not to lose a significant part of their customers, are forced to purchase and install this type of lighting equipment. Considering the fact that such facilities open almost every day, the business of making neon signs to order can bring significant dividends in the first months of production. This article will discuss the main aspects of this business, indicating the size of the initial financial costs and the expected profit.
Our business valuation:
Starting investment - 400,000 rubles.
Market saturation is average.
The complexity of starting a business is 4/10.
Equipment for the production of neon advertising
In order for the production of advertising neon signs to be effective and not stop due to the failure of any elements and parts, you need to know how to choose high-quality equipment for a neon mini-factory.
For the production of neon signs, you will need to purchase:
- Table made of heat-resistant material.
- Gas-burners.
- Gas equipment.
- Vacuum pumping post.
A table with a good quality heat-resistant coating can be purchased for 10 thousand rubles. and despite the significant dimensions, this product will be one of the cheapest in the kit for the production of neon signs. For work, you will also need several burners, with a total cost of about 100 thousand rubles. When organizing a workflow, one cannot do without a tape burner, which is used to heat a long piece of tube. The cross burner is used for making sharp corners and for efficient spot heating. For the production of signs, it will also be necessary to purchase cylinders for inert gases and propane, the total cost of which will be at least 12 thousand rubles. If it is possible to connect the workshop to the central gas supply, then this option for operating the equipment will allow you to work more comfortably.
An evacuation post is necessary for the safe saturation of the cavity of glass tubes with mercury vapor and an inert gas. You can buy foreign-made equipment for at least 500 thousand rubles, but you can save a lot of money if you pay attention to the products of domestic manufacturers. An exhaust post, which is not inferior in its characteristics to the best imported samples, can be purchased at half the price. When buying a domestic pumping station, there will also be no problems with the purchase of spare parts and the repair of this equipment.
The minimum total cost of purchasing equipment will be about 400 thousand rubles, but for organizing this type of business, financial expenses will not be limited to this amount.
Renting or building a workshop space
For the workshop, you will need to rent or build a room with an area of at least 120 m2. Given the large number of orders for the manufacture of bulk products, such an area is needed to accommodate materials and finished signs, as well as equipment for the production of neon products. Renting a room will cost about 50 thousand rubles. per month, and when building a building for a mini-factory, you will need to spend at least 1.5 million rubles. The advantage of the latter option is that, despite the significant initial investment, you will not need to pay rent every month, which will allow you to fully recoup such investments within the first 3 years. Also, in the event of termination of business activities, it will be possible to profitably sell the shop for the production of neon advertising.
Thus, the amount of the initial investment, taking into account the necessary expenses for renting the premises, will increase by at least 50 thousand rubles.
Workshop staff
To start making neon wall inscriptions, you will need to hire highly qualified personnel. 2 people are enough to work in a small workshop. You will need to hire a glass blower and a pumper, whose work experience should be at least 1 year. An inexperienced specialist will need to spend several times more time doing the same amount of work compared to a master who has been manufacturing neon signs for several years. If the search for qualified workers is unsuccessful, then you can train the staff at your own expense. For example, a full glass blower training course will cost only 100 thousand rubles. You can pay for work with this approach to hiring staff on a progressive scale. At first, the salary of a glassblower can be no more than 20 thousand rubles. per month, but when the productivity of work increases significantly, you can raise the salary to 50 thousand rubles.
Significant savings in labor costs can be achieved with a small volume of orders. If the glass blower combines the duties of a pumper, then such work can be paid in the amount of 60 - 70 thousand rubles. per month.
Before you start hiring workers, it is recommended to study the literature on how to make a neon sign with your own hands. After getting acquainted with the theory, it will be possible to more effectively assess the qualifications of employees.
Purchase of consumables
It is impossible to start the production process without consumables, so it is necessary to include an expense item in the business plan for the purchase of everything you need. It will be possible to engage in the manufacture of neon inscriptions only if the following are purchased:
- Neon tubes.
- Electrodes.
- inert gas.
- Accessories.
Neon tubes are quite expensive material. One meter of such a product will cost at least 100 rubles. Initially, you will need to purchase neon tubes with a total length of at least 500 meters. Such large volumes of consumables are explained by the fact that in order to manufacture an element of a certain color, it is necessary to use a tube with a phosphor for a certain color.
Electrodes for the manufacture of neon signs will require a large number.
The average price of this element is 150 rubles, but to start the production process, you will need to purchase electrodes in the amount of at least 10 thousand rubles.
The consumable also includes inert gas, the cost of which is also high. The approximate price of 1 liter of neon is 300 rubles. To get started, it is recommended to purchase a cylinder with a volume of 40 liters. Various hoses, gaskets, adapters and other parts necessary for connecting burners and equipment will also need to be purchased at the stage of organizing a business. The price of such products is not very high, so the total cost of opening a workshop for the production of neon signs will increase slightly.
Profit calculation
The price of a neon sign cannot be less than 3,000 rubles, so even taking into account the high cost of production, you can count on profitability, with a sufficient number of orders. From each order, the net profit will be about 60%, and if you complete at least 30 orders per month, the monthly income will be at least 50 thousand rubles. Upon receipt of orders for the production of volumetric signs, the cost of an advertising object may increase by an order of magnitude, therefore, when organizing a workflow involving several glassblowers, the monthly profit is usually at least 1 million rubles.
With properly organized advertising on television and radio, it is possible to significantly expand the range of manufactured products by receiving orders from individuals. Neon signs for a loft-style house can be made according to the wishes of the client, and the cost is calculated at the preliminary design stage of the object.
The production of neon devices can be performed not only for outdoor advertising objects, but also for indoor spaces. Some customers want to buy a neon sign for their room, so when making advertisements, this type of neon production should also be indicated.
For the convenience of selling finished products, it is recommended to open a small store of ready-made neon signs. Despite the additional costs of renting premises and paying wages, such an object will allow moving production outside the city limits, where renting a room for a workshop can be several times cheaper. Also in the store you can calculate the cost of advertising objects and place orders.
Summary
To open a business for the manufacture of neon signs, you will need to spend at least 500 thousand rubles. With the right organization of the advertising campaign and the employment of qualified specialists, these investments will be returned in full and the business will generate a stable income throughout the calendar year. To make it as easy as possible for potential customers to order a neon sign, it is recommended to create your own website. On such an Internet resource, you can place not only product descriptions and contact information, but also provide the buyer with the opportunity to calculate the approximate cost of the order using an online calculator.