The last decade has seen a resurgence in many traditional sign types, such as neon and signs painted by hand, that have that classic and timeless look. Working with both LEDs and neon, I see the benefits of both. Neon can be brighter (in some cases) and more vibrant, whereas LEDs can be easier and cleaner to wire up and install, and requires less electrical work. Right Way Signs has used faux neon LED on a handful of projects and it has worked out nicely, but there have been hundreds of jobs over the last decade where using anything other than actual neon wasn’t an option, due to the size or complexity of the lettering and artwork, the colors needed, etc. So, whether or not you are venturing into neon for the first time or dusting off your old equipment, below is our advice for dealing with neon in a 21st century marketplace.

在过去的十年，许多传统的标识类型重新出现，比如霓虹灯和手绘标识，它们有着经典和永恒的外观，使用led和霓虹灯，霓虹灯标识更亮(在某些情况下)，更有活力，而led标识更容易清洁电线和安装，需要电力更少。正确使用霓虹灯的效果是很好的，但由于字体的大小和复杂性，所需的颜色都在变化，霓虹灯的使用过程中也存在一些问题。所以，不管你是第一次接触霓虹灯，还是需要清理你的旧设备，以下这些建议都是很有用的。

MAKE SURE IT FITS YOU AND THE CLIENT

确保你的客户存在需求

Before you venture into the world of neon, first make sure that your shop can handle its highs and lows. I have spoken with many peers in the sign industry who still have neon shops within their work spaces, but the thousands of dollars in equipment is collecting dust. Neon benders – good neon benders, for that matter – can be extremely hard to find. Fortunately, here in Chicago, we have access to a few dozen neon companies and contractors.

在你使用霓虹灯标识之前，首先要确保你的商店是需要它的。我与标识行业的许多同行交谈过，他们的仓库里面有数千美元的好的霓虹灯弯管正在积灰，这一定是你必须注意的。

Before you make any leap, make sure the demand is there. What I have found recently, especially with interior installations, is that clients will have strict requirements that can leave you wondering why they ordered neon in the first place. The work can be very satisfying and a great addition to your portfolio, but understanding and stomaching the challenges it presents, and dealing with the demands of the hypersensitive client looking for the “Instagram perfect” backdrop, are essential. Communicating what neon entails to your client is very important. Interior neon signs can end up looking messy because of all of the mounts, wires and connections. For exterior signs, the sign will experience maintenance issues, always seemingly at the worst possible times (like Friday at 7 p.m. for a popular restaurant). Developing a contract or statement of work – particularly for neon projects – is a must, and make customers initial the important points when it comes to maintenance, transformers, acts of God, etc. We get, “If hail hits my neon, is that covered under your warranty?” often, so make sure clients are well aware of what goes into neon sign ownership. 

在你做出任何改变之前，确保你的确是需要她的。我最近发现，尤其是在室内，客户会有一些严格的要求，这可能是他们为什么一开始就订购霓虹灯的原因，它对你的投资能够有一个合理补充，这对一些要求“视觉上的完美”的客户来说是必不可少的。与客户沟通也是非常重要的，室内的霓虹灯标识可能会看起来会比较凌乱，因为安装的时候需要电线进行连接。对于外部标识来说，可能会在一些比较尴尬的时间遇到后续维护上问题，比如在客流量很多的周五晚上7点。所以对霓虹灯项目制定一份说明是必须的，让客户可以注意在维护、变压器、天灾等重要事项。我们可能会问，“如果冰雹打坏霓虹灯标识，会有保修吗?”因而，还要确保你的客户了解霓虹灯的所有权。

BENDS AND ELECTRICAL WORK

注意电力情况

Right Way Signs (Chicago) works with LEDs and neon.

（正确使用霓虹灯）

We worked with a neon contractor years ago in the Chicago suburbs whose pricing was too good to be true. During installation, the glass tubes often broke in multiple areas or hairline fractures appeared that would cause other parts of the sign to dim and eventually fail. It’s not always about price with neon. Whether it’s someone working in your shop or a subcontractor, you will get to know the quality of their work and their bends over time. Focusing on quality and craft will set you apart from the rest. Neon professionals will be able to point out a weak bend within seconds of examining a sign. (Hint: If you can lightly flick an area and crack it, the bend is weak.) 

A neon “OPEN” sign is a straightforward project with an electronic transformer mounted to the back of the acrylic that you hang and plug in. However, projects that require a clean installation also necessitate a licensed electrician to ensure proper power is in place. And just as important is how the power is run to the location of the sign. 

几年前，我们与芝加哥的一家霓虹灯承包商合作，他们的价格非常低廉。在安装过程中，玻璃管经常出现在多个区域断裂或出现细微的裂缝的情况，导致标识的其他部分变暗，最终失去效果效。因而，霓虹灯的价格其实并不那么重要，注重标识的质量和工艺会让你与众不同。霓虹灯专业人士能够在短短几秒内检查出细微的弯曲。霓虹灯上面的“打开”标识是一个简单的结构，亚克力的后面安装一个电子变压器。然而，在清洁安装的时候，还需要有一个有执照的电工来确保适当的电力，能够将能量输送到标识的地方。

We recently did a handful of interior neon signs for a client in Chicago who required us to coordinate the electrical needs with the general contractor beforehand. It wasn’t until toward the end of construction that we noticed one of the final signs did not have the electric in place, and having any type of electrical feeds on the outside of the wall was not an option. Luckily, there was a crawl space for storage that gave us access behind the wall. With some patience and teamwork, we were able to fish the wire safely behind the wall and make final connection to the transformer.

我们最近为芝加哥的一个客户做了一些室内霓虹灯标识，客户要求我们事先与总承包商协调电气，然而直到施工快结束的时候，我们才注意到最后的一个标识没有通电，这时候再在墙的外面安装任何类型的电源都是不可能的。幸运的是，那里一个空的空间，我们可以到墙的后面，经过一些耐心和团队合作，我们把电线拖到墙后，并最终连接到变压器上。

We love neon signs, but they require the utmost care and maintenance to love you back.

我们都喜欢霓虹灯，但是霓虹灯也需要你们的维护。