As white light LEDs make their way into homes and businesses, so is their shining presence progressively showing up in signage as an illuminated source for channel letters, edge lighting and in a few cases, small displays. As white LEDs increase in brightness, power and cost efficiency, they continue to fill these sign lighting niches with an increasing demand from sign designers and fabricators.
随着白光LED进入家庭和企业，他们闪亮的光芒逐渐出现在标识上，成为槽型发光字、边框照明和少数情况下的小型显示屏的照明光源。随着白光LED在亮度、功率和成本效益方面的提升，它们将继续满足标识照明市场中设计师和制造商日益增长的需求。
The presence of white is a many splendor thing that appears in several forms in a wide range of colors from "warm" incandescent white to a "cooler" florescent white, depending on its application. Not only does white appear as a solid color, but it can also present itself as a subjective color, mixed from a blend of red, green and blue. Color mixing LEDs are used specifically for full color and video LED boards, where white is a blended color. This article focuses only on the spectral range of white as a pure color with applications for sign illumination.
白色光源的应用非常广泛，根据其应用，从表现“暖”色的白炽灯到表现“冷”色的荧光灯，白色光源可以以多种形式出现。白色光源不仅可以以单一的纯色形式出现，它还可以由红色、绿色和蓝色三种光源等量混合而成。这种由三种颜色混合而成的白色光源LED专用于全彩板和显示屏。本文在此只对以纯色形式出现在标识照明应用中的白色光源进行讨论。
In the early years of white LEDs (late-1990s) its initial appearance was slightly "murky" as much of the LED white light had color aberrations with fringes of pink or blue embedded within the white light, making it less desirable as a light source. In today's LED manufacturing community, white LEDs have come a long way in terms of brightness, uniformity of illumination, color efficiency and reduced cost per lumen.
早期（20世纪90年代后期）的白光LED，它的外观最初稍显“暗淡”，这是因为许多LED内部镶嵌的粉色或蓝色条纹会使发出的白色光源产生色差，从而导致其照明效果的减弱。如今的LED制造环境中，白光LED在亮度、均匀照明方面、颜色呈现效果和降低每流明的生产成本方面都有很长的路要走。
"The overall efficacy of white light LEDs has more than doubled within the last two years and has done so with comparable price declines, making it a more affordable lighting product for secondary manufacturing usage," says Bob Steele, director of optoelectronics, Strategies Unlimited.
Strategies Unlimited光电子总监Bob Steele表示：“在过去的两年里，白光LED在整体照明效率方面已经提高了一倍多，并且还在价格方面进行了下降的调整，这使得它成为二次制造使用中更实惠的照明产品。”
Steele noted that white light LEDs are now in steady demand and are being directed to a number of application markets (mobile communications, general illumination, automobile instrument panels, and signage). Currently there is enough demand for white LEDs that more than 50% of the overall consummation of high brightness LEDs is accounted for by white. Of that demand for white LEDs, signage has become a niche market with the greatest percentage of white light LEDs going toward channel letter illumination (both front and rear lit), and a smaller use (at this time) for display case illumination.
Steele指出，白光LED目前需求稳定，并且正在被引入到一些市场应用中（比如：移动通信、常规照明、汽车仪表盘和标识）。目前对于白光LED的需求是非常充足的，白光LED的应用效率在高亮度LED的总体应用中超过50％。依据白光LED的市场需求，标识光源市场已经成为一个利基市场，在这个市场中，白光LED应用占比最大的部分是槽型发光字照明（包括正面和背面），占比较小的部分是灯箱照明。
Lumens/watt (lpw) is the standard used by the lighting industry to measure the conversion of electrical energy to light. As a reference, conventional incandescent light bulbs are typically in the 10 to 20 lumens per watt range, while compact fluorescent lamps range from 50 to 60 lumens per watt. Steele observed that several years ago the standard measure for LED brightness was about 30 lpw. By 2006, the efficacy of white light LEDs has more than doubled, as noted in a recent press release by Cree Lighting (Durham, NC), an advanced semiconductor company who recently announced breakthrough performance results achieved in their standard white 7090 Power LED. XLamp.TM In that presentation, Cree was able to demonstrate a typical luminous flux of 80 lumens corresponding to 70 lumens per watt at 350 mA. This represents a 43 percent increase in brightness compared with the maximum luminous flux of their white LEDs currently in production.
流明/瓦（lpw）是照明行业用于测量电能转换为光的标准单位。作为参考，传统的白炽灯泡通常为10~20流明/瓦，而紧凑型荧光灯为50~60流明/瓦。Steele观察到，几年前，LED亮度的标准测量值约为30 流明/瓦。2006年，一家先进的半导体公司Cree Lighting发布的新闻稿中指出，白光LED的照明效率已经提高了一倍多，并且该公司最近宣布其生产的标准白光7090 Power LED取得了突破性的性能成果。Cree Lighting公司在对其产品进行演示的过程中，展示了80流明的典型光通量，相当于电源在350 mA的状态下为70流明/瓦。这种效率与目前生产的白光LED的最大光通量相比，亮度增加了43％。

To delineate a specific chromatic gamut, colors are measured in a temperature range known as Kelvin. The spread of white within this part of the spectrum has a very wide range from the low end of 2800o K which is in the range of a warm, 'manila' colored white to the high end of the white scale which tops out at 9000o K where it is seen as a glacial 'blue-white.' The sweet spot of white is about 6500o K, which is considered the standard for a fully saturated white. The many colors of white are defined by the various light sources used in indoor/outdoor settings such as the office (the cool "bluish" white from fluorescent lamps), the home (incandescent "yellowish" white), industrial (brilliant "blue-white" of mercury vapor and metal halide lamps), and street settings ("yellow-white" of high-pressure sodium street lamps).
为了将光源数值规定在特定的色域范围内，我们在以Kelvin为单位的温度范围内测量光源的颜色。白光在这部分光谱内的范围非常广泛，其温度范围从最低的2800°K的暖光到接近蓝白色光源的最高温度9000°K。当温度处于6500°K时，光源被认为是完全饱和的标准白色。白光的多种呈现方式由室内或室外环境中使用的各种光源来定义，例如办公室中荧光灯发出的接近蓝色的白光，家庭白炽灯发出的接近黄色的白光，工业照明中所使用的蓝白色汞蒸气和金属卤化物灯以及街道边的黄白色高压钠路灯。
The creation of LEDs can be described in many ways and in the interest of properly following its fabrication process, we refer to its manufacturing order of creation (MOC) as follows: Level I (manufacturing of the die), Level II (transferring the die into a component chip), Level III (turning the chip into an LED lighting fixture), and Level IV (using the LED lighting fixture as a sign illumination source). In the interest of understanding white light LEDs, various LED companies from different levels of the MOC have been interviewed to shine some light on where LED white lights are going within the sign market arena.
制作LED的方法多种多样，但为了遵循其制造过程规律，我们参考的制造顺序（MOC）如下：步骤一（制作LED模具），步骤二（传送模具制作成元件芯片），步骤三（将芯片制作成LED照明器材）和步骤四（将LED照明光源应用到标识照明中）。为了对白光LED有一个更好的理解，我们邀请了多个制作LED照明工具的公司接受采访，以了解白光LED在标识市场中的发展趋势。
Nichia 
日亚公司
Nichia which is one of the leading worldwide LED manufacturing companies is, as pointed out by Sales Manager, Dan Doxsee, "the inventing company of the white LED which it began to commercialize in 1996. The company now holds most of the patents on white light LED technology. In 2003, Nichia was also the first LED manufacturer to produce the first ‘warm white’ LED from which the company won the Technical Innovation award at Lightfare of that year. Nichia is also the world's # 1 phosphor company and in 2006 is celebrating its 50th anniversary."
作为全球领先的LED制造公司之一的Nichia，其销售经理Dan Duoxsee指出：“本公司对于白光LED的发明是从1996年开始商业化的，目前我们公司已经拥有白光LED技术的大部分专利。日亚公司也是在2003年第一家生产‘暖白’LED光源的LED制造商，并且在同年的lightfare中荣获技术创新奖。而且日亚公司还是全球排名第一的荧光粉制作公司，并在2006年庆祝其成立50周年。”
Nichia sees the application of signage as a growing market starting with channel letters, which has already been a vast consumer of red LEDs. Now that white light LEDs have significantly improved as a lighting source, they too are being applied in greater numbers to the signage community.
日亚公司认为标识应用是以槽型发光字为开始作为市场需求发展起来的，槽型发光字原本多使用红色LED光源。现在白光LED作为照明光源已经有了显着的改进，它们也被越来越多地应用于标识照明中。
Currently Nichia offers at least 30 or more LED package styles with units designed to satisfy different market applications including LCD television back lighting, general illumination, and automotive exterior and interior lighting and signage. To satisfy that demand, Nichia offers at least four of its LED module packages to the sign community as follows:
目前日亚能够提供至少30个或更多的LED封装类型，每种类型旨在满足不同的市场应用需求，包括LCD电子屏背光照明、普通照明以及汽车外部和内部照明和标识照明。为了满足这一需求，日亚公司至少为标识市场提供了四种LED模组封装分类，如下所示：
* Raiko
* Raiko
Best used for channel letter applications for letters up to 3 - 4 feet in size. at up to 4 - 6 inches deep. This unit puts out 45 lpw with a 120o angle of illumination.
此类型适用于大小为3~4英尺、深达4~6英寸的槽型发光字标识，并能够在辐射120o照明角度的情况下达到45 lpw。
* NSSW100C
* NSSW100C
This is best used for low profile, smaller sized channel letters and presents about 42 lpw at an angle of illumination of 110o.
此类型适用于低矮且尺寸较小的槽型发光字，并能够在辐射110o的照明角度的情况下达到约42 lpw。
* Rigel ½ W 
* Rigel½W
Best used for high brightness lighting, offers 45 lpw at about 120 o angle of illumination.
此种类型适用于高亮度照明，并能够在辐射120°照明角度的情况下达到45 lpw。
* Power Rigel 1 watt
* Power Rigel 1 watt
Best used for HB with large sized channel letters on the order of 6 - 8 feet in height; also , offers 45 lpw at about 120 o angle of illumination.
此种类型适用于高度为6-8英尺的大型槽型发光字标识，此外，在辐射约120°照明角度的情况下可达到45 lpw。
Osram Opto Semiconductors 
欧司朗光电半导体公司
Osram Opto Semiconductors Gmbh is the world's second largest manufacturer of opto-semiconductors for the lighting, sensor and visualization sectors. The company has its corporate headquarters in Regensburg, Germany and its development and manufacturing sites in San José, California and Penang, Malaysia.
欧司朗光电半导体有限公司是全球第二大照明标识、传感器和可视化领域的光电半导体制造商。该公司总部位于德国雷根斯堡，其研发和制造基地位于加州圣何塞和马来西亚槟城。
Osram fabricates the basic LED component. Osram has been working with white LEDs since 2000, says Brian Terao, Senior Product Marketing Manager of LED Products, "Our LED creation process utilizes the blue LED with yellow phosphor to produce a solid state white light and we have an ongoing program to continually improve our white light which allows us to address different kinds of applications, particularly signage."
欧司朗公司从事于制造基本的LED组件。欧司朗公司自2000年以来一直在研发白光LED，其LED高级产品营销经理Brian Terao表示：“我们制作白光LED的原理是利用蓝光LED和黄色荧光粉来生产固态白光，并且我们在生产的过程中也在不断地改进我们的白光LED的性能使其能够适应不同类型的应用，特别是标识照明。”

The company's product portfolio offers a variety of LED light sources which allows a sign designer to choose specific types of LEDs which would best fit their application. The different packages allow the sign designer different levels of performance to address the varying needs and targets of various sign project applications:
该公司的光源产品系列可以提供各种LED光源，使标识设计人员能够选择最适合其应用的专用LED光源。不同的软件包装使标识设计人员能够根据不同的性能进行选择，以满足各种标识项目的不同需求和使用目的：
* Power TOPLED (LW E6SG) 
* Power TOPLED（LW E6SG）
offers 40 lm/W （4lm typical @ 30mA） at about 120o angle of illumination. These are generally used in narrower and low profile channel letters where the points of light need to be more spread out.
此种类型适用于较窄和较矮的槽型发光字标识，并且其光点也更分散。它能够在辐射120°照明角度的情况下达到40流明/瓦（每30mA输出4流明）。
* Advanced Power TOPLED (LW G6SP)
*Advanced Power TOPLED（LW G6SP），
offers 30 lm/W（15 lm typical @140mA）, at about 120o angle of illumination. Advanced TOPLEDs are prefered for narrow, but deep channel letters.
这种类型适用于狭长但是较深的槽型发光字，在辐射120°照明角度的情况下能够达到40流明/瓦（每140mA输出15流明）。
* Golden DRAGON version 1 (LW W5SG) 
* Golden DRAGON 1（LW W5SG）
offers 21lm/W (20lm typical @ 350mA）, at about 120o angle of illumination. Dragons are generally used in wider/deeper channel letters.
这种类型适用于更宽以及更深的槽型发光字，在辐射120°照明角度的情况下能够达到21流明/瓦（每350mA输出20流明）。
* Golden DRAGON version 2 (LW W5SM) 
* Golden DRAGON 2（LW W5SM）
offers 40 lm/W (45lm typical @ 350mA）, at about 120o angle of illumination.
这种类型在辐射120°照明角度的情况下能够达到40流明/瓦（每350mA输出45流明）。
Osram as an international LED lighting distributor has found that between the United States and Europe, each region has its own sensibilities about what ranges of white light they want for their signage and lighting needs. "At this time, we have found the key market growth in signage is in channel letter illumination, followed by back lighting for display cases", notes Terao.
欧司朗公司作为一家国际LED照明分销商，他们发现无论是美国还是欧洲，各个地区针对他们自己的标识和照明需求，对白光LED的选择都有其自己的判断。Terao指出：“目前，我们发现标识市场最核心的发展趋势是槽型发光字标识，其次是灯箱背光照明。”

SloanLED
SloanLED公司
As the LED white light chips migrate up the LED design and development path, they evolve from a singular point source of light into various types of fixtures for use in direct signage applications. One such company, SloanLED of Ventura, California, has created a series LED component-based lighting fixtures for direct use in signage, architectural lighting and retail use. The company's LED lighting products come in a full range of available colors; however the demand for white light has dramatically improved.
随着白光LED发展趋势由芯片向LED设计和开发方面变迁，它们逐渐从单点光源发展为直接用于各类标识装置的光源应用中。位于加利福尼亚州凡吐拉市的SloanLED公司制作了一系列LED组件照明装置，可直接应用于标识、建筑照明和零售应用。尽管该公司的LED照明产品可以提供全套的颜色系列光源，但是客户对白光LED的需求是最高的。
"White light LEDs have benefited from significant technical and performance improvements since their earlier days," says SloanLEDs marketing Director, Ron Wallace. "In their early years, white light LEDs were probably consumed (mostly with channel letters) in only about 5% of the total use of LEDs, which was pretty much dominated by red LEDs. In today's lighting marketplace, white light LEDs have been greatly improved with decreased cost per unit, increased efficiency of brightness and a longer product life. Because of these overall improvements, white light LEDs have become one of our top categories for sign illumination."
SloanLED公司的市场总监Ron Wallace说：“白光LED从很早的时候就借由先进的技术和性能的改进而得到很大的提升。在早期，白光LED或许不是那么受欢迎（特别是在槽型发光字标识领域），仅占LED使用总量的5％左右，这在很大程度上是由于LED光源市场被红光LED所占据。而在如今的照明市场中，白光LED的生产成本下降，亮度效率提高，产品寿命更长，正是因为这些全面的改进，使白光LED成为我们的标识照明中最重要的类型之一。

As for how much of the range of the white color spectrum SloanLED has focused on,Wallace noted, "in the interest of simplicity and consistency, we offer one shade of white at 6500 K which we feel is the 'sweet spot' of white. This creates more of a standard and less confusion for sign designers in trying to match an LED white to the white of their logo brand."
针对SloanLED公司的白色LED光源的色域范围选择，Wallace说：“为了保持光源的简洁和一致性，我们选择温度处于6500K时呈现的白色，因为我们认为这种白色最接近于饱和的标准白色。这种白色为设计师呈现与品牌标识相匹配的光源提供了一个颜色选择的标准，从而减少了颜色选择的混乱性。”
SloanLED provides sign designers and fabricators with a number of different LED packages allowing it to be applied to all kinds of sign applications.
SloanLED公司为标识设计师和制造商提供了许多不同的LED封装类型，使其可以在各种标识设计中得以应用。
* Great White
* 长白光
2 high output LEDs per each 4 " module, used for large channel letters, deep sign cabinets and back lighting color vinyl's.
这种光源由每4英寸模组组成2个高输出LED，适用于大型槽型发光字、深度标识灯箱和彩色乙烯基标识背光光源。
* White Short
*短白光
2 LEDs per each 2 " module, used in most common channel letter illumination.
这种光源由每2英寸模组组成2个LED，用于最常见的槽型发光字照明。
* Mini White
*迷你白光
2 LEDs per each 1 1/8 " module, ideal for small channel letters, shallow cans or in tight locations.
这种光源由每1又1/8英寸模组组成2个LED，非常适合小型发光字标识、浅槽或狭窄的标识。
* LED strip
*LED灯条
Alternative to neon perimeter lighting, the exterior light tube is a high impact, UV stable, hydrocarbon insensitive, non-fading polymer tube.. Completely assembled and sealed tubes are ready for installation out of the box. LEDStripe is the border tube system of choice for many retail, restaurant, petroleum and lodging chains. Can be bent and cut to fit in the field and factory need .
这种产品作为霓虹灯照明的替代产品，其外部的灯管具有高抗冲击性，紫外线稳定，并且由不受碳氢化合物污染的非褪色聚合物制成。组装完整和保持密封的灯管可随时被安装在灯箱外。LED灯条是许多零售行业、餐饮行业、石油和食品连锁店首选的光源照明系统。可以被折弯或切割成适合工厂或实际需要的大小。

LEDtronics 
LEDtronics公司
LEDtronics, located in Torrance, California is a manufacturer of LED bulbs and LED lamps. The company not only creates lighting fixtures but directs them into a number of market applications including signage. Jordan Papanier, Director of Marketing for the company has noted a market shift with a greater demand for white light lighting products, "Now that practical LED lights are available in many forms, both as a component and as a fixture, LEDtronics has created several new sign related LED white light products including LED fixture replacement units for florescent lighting, which are our T12 lighting fixture for backlighting signs and display cases. Our other product is a new LED-based flood light that can be applied for front lighting on the sides of buildings and against the front of small billboards."
位于加利福利亚州托伦斯市的LEDtronics公司是LED灯具的制造商。该公司不仅生产照明灯具，还将其引入到包括标识在内的众多市场应用当中。该公司营销总监Jordan Papanier指出，市场的转变提升了对白光照明产品的需求，他说：“现在实际应用的LED灯有多种形式可供选择，不论是作为组件还是灯具本身，LEDtronics公司都生产了几种新型标识相关的LED白光照明产品，包括用于荧光灯照明的LED灯具更换产品，即用于背光标识和展示灯箱的T12照明灯具，和另一种新型的LED泛光照明灯，它可用于建筑侧面和小型广告板的正面照明。”

LED T12 Lighting Units
LED T12照明灯具
The new LED florescent-like units are eight feet long, consume only 38 watts and have an output of 1806 lumens per tube, with a color temperature of 7000o K. The LED T12 units run on a twelve-volt DC system, produce little or no heat and with a beam angle of 90 degrees, provide an even illumination in lighting display conditions. Even better, the LED T12 tube fixtures are designed for retrofitting into existing fluorescent sign housings.
这种新型LED荧光灯管长8英尺，功耗仅为38瓦，每管输出1806流明，色温为7000o K。LED T12照明灯具可以应用于12伏直流电系统，能够辐射90o的光照范围并且产生很少或几乎不产生热量，为照明环境提供均匀的照明光源。更值得一提的是，LED T12灯管固定装置被设计用于改造现有的荧光标识外壳。
The T12 LED white lighting fixture is a new product being tested as a back lighting fixture for street signs in several cities around the United States. The company is pleased enough with the product that it will soon offer a four-foot and a six-foot white LED lighting fixture to expand its presence as a fluorescent tube competitor in that part of the signage lighting market.
T12 LED白色照明灯具是一种新产品，它正在美国几个城市作为路灯的背光照明灯具进行测试。该公司对这款产品非常满意，并即将推出一款4英尺和6英尺的白色LED照明灯具，以扩大其在标识照明市场中作为荧光灯管竞争对手的影响力。
FloodLED Flood Light
FloodLED泛光照明灯
LEDtronics has also perfected another LED white light fixture known as a FloodLED floodlight with applications for front and back lighting with landscapes, architectural wall wash lighting and billboard and poster sign illuminations for easy night viewing. The FloodLEDs draw only 12 watts per unit and are weather resistant. Each unit offers a beam spread of 40 degrees and provides an illumination output of 460 lumens.
LEDtronics公司还制作并完善了另一种称为FloodLED泛光照明灯的LED白光灯具，这种光源适用于景观照明、建筑墙面照明和广告板以及海报框灯箱照明，方便夜间观赏。FloodLED泛光照明灯的功耗仅为12瓦，并且耐候性强。每个灯管在辐射40°照明角度的情况下能够达到460流明的照明输出。
The significance of our consummation of incandescent, florescent and LED white light is in front of our eyes every day. We see it in our homes and offices, on our desks and ceilings, and in the streets on signs and lamp posts. While the light is bright, at what cost in terms of high wattage consumption and inefficient power usage?
白炽灯、荧光灯和白光LED光源每天都在我们的生活中扮演着重要的角色。无论是在家中还是办公室，又或是办公桌、天花板以及街道上的标识和路灯中都能看到它。那么这些光源在保证发光的情况下，其在高功率消耗和低能源消耗方面的成本如何？
Christopher James, marketing manager for Cree Lighting, dramatically summarized LEDs emergence as an evolved lighting source" "The real game is how LEDs will replace the light bulb." He said this isn't a question of "if." but "when." The timing, he said relies on technological improvements and market acceptance by both the business community and the public. Thus the biggest challenge for LED providers is to convince consumers that properly designed LED products are, or will be an affordable solution to existing incandescent and/or florescent lighting products.
Cree Lighting公司的市场经理克里斯托弗·詹姆斯（Christopher James）将LED光源的出现戏剧性地总结为一种发展中的光源。他说：“最终要看的是LED光源如何取代灯泡产品。这种转变迟早会实现，只是时间长短的问题而已。LED光源发展的机遇就依赖于技术的发展和商业界以及公众的认可，因此LED供应商面临的最大挑战是如何说服消费者。迎合时代发展而设计的LED产品将会是解决现有的白炽灯或荧光照明产品问题的正确途径。
The tide of white light LEDs is following a path already carved out by monochromatic (particularly red and amber) LEDs. Witness the ongoing changes in automotive brake lighting systems, in traffic lights and in our own world of signage as LEDs have become more and more a permanent part of seeing signs in their best light.
白光LED正沿着过去单色（特别是红色和琥珀色）LED光源开拓出来的道路上发展。汽车刹车照明系统、交通信号灯以及我们周围的标识正在发生巨大的变化，这是因为LED光源的应用已经逐渐成为标识永久照明的最佳选择。