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Before neon lights, sign owners used floodlights or incandescent bulbs. Neon signs became popular in the 1910s and were used for advertising. They are made of glass tubes filled with noble gases and phosphors. Neon signs can be static or animated, but advances in electronics have made them less common. Some business owners still prefer neon for its nostalgic value. Glass bending is still practiced, but repairs can be expensive. Electronic signs can mimic the colors of neon signs.
Before the first commercial neon lights became available in 1910, sign owners were limited to indirect lighting by floodlights or ‘chaser’ incandescent bulbs positioned around the perimeter of their sign. Once it became possible to create letters and symbols from sealed glass tubes, neon signs became the brightest newest part of the outdoor advertising landscape. The first neon signs in the United States formed the word “Packard” at an automobile dealership in California. The novelty of the neon tubes probably attracted more visitors to the lot than the product itself and quickly proved their usefulness. Potential customers could easily spot these promotional signs, even from distant streets or in total darkness.
Neon signs are formed from glass tubes bent into specific shapes by trained glassmakers. Special machines suck all the air out of the tubes and replace it with noble gases such as neon, argon or helium. If argon is used, a small amount of mercury can be added to create additional vapor. The pastel colors are created by dusting the inside of the tube with different phosphors, just like the whitish coating found inside standard fluorescent bulbs. Neon emits red light, argon emits blue or violet light with no phosphors, and helium may emit yellow light.
To form neon signs, these tubes must be sealed with glass stoppers containing fine electrical wires. The individual letters and other designs are then attached to each other and finally to a power source. Many neon signs require 10,000 to 15,000 volts of electricity to glow trapped gases, but the amperage is still relatively low and safe for humans. Because neon tubes are easily damaged, however, many sign owners still place their signs out of the reach of children.
Neon signs can be designed to be static displays, like the ubiquitous open/closed signs in restaurants, or they can be animated. A variety of different neon lights can be turned on and off to give the illusion of movement. In the golden age of neon signs, from the 1940s to the 1960s, advertisers and promoters used animation techniques to attract customers to casinos and theaters.
Advances in electronics have all but eliminated the need for true neon signs, but a number of business owners still prefer the glowing effect and nostalgic value of neon. The art of glass bending is still practiced by a few specialists and repairs can still be made to broken neon signs, but the expense on elaborate designs can be prohibitively expensive. It’s not uncommon to find electronic signs that use the same rich pastel colors as older neon signs, but their light sources can be incandescent bulbs or fluorescent lights surrounded by colored filters.
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