It’s very important to choose the right signage for your Toronto business. After all, the right sign advertises your brand to prospective customers and makes your location easy to find.
Neon and LED signs are two popular options. However, one stands out as the best choice for organizations in the GTA. In this article, we will explain why you should choose LED signage from New Style Signs.
What are LED signs?
LED signs comprise closely strung together light-emitting diodes (hence the acronym “LED”). A thick plastic backing containing the individual light diodes is bent into the desired shape.
Due to the proximity of each diode within the backing, the emitted light overlaps to create consistent and smooth shapes and lettering. LED signage is very popular among Toronto businesses.
The Advantages of LED Signs
LED signs offer a variety of very desirable advantages to Toronto businesses. For example:
- Energy efficiency: LED signs are extremely energy efficient, making them an eco-friendly choice for environmentally conscious businesses.
- Power usage: Since LED signs require less power and use that energy more efficiently, you benefit from significant long-term energy savings.
- Affordable: Although the cost of LED signs varies depending on size, environment, and purpose, they’re one of the most affordable illuminated signage options available.
- Appearance: LED signs are highly customizable. New Style Signs in Toronto offers LED signage in a vast array of colours, sizes, and styles.
- Maintenance: LED signs require little to no maintenance.
- Safety: LED signs are shockproof and less likely to break. They also contain no detrimental materials.
What are neon signs?
With neon signs, the light is generated from gas contained in long, bent discharge tubes. These neon tubes are made from handcrafted glass and, as a result, are very fragile. The tubes are shaped into various forms and lettering. Custom neon signs have been around since the 1920s.
The Advantages of Neon Signs
- Lifespan: Neon signs have a long lifespan and can last up to 15 years before requiring replacement.
- Appearance: Neon signs provide a wide range of colour options. They also offer a unique and retro feel that is eye-catching and visually pleasing.
The Disadvantages of Neon Signs
- Fragile: Since the glass neon tubes are very fragile, they can be easily damaged.
- Temperature sensitive: Traditional neon signs using argon gas are susceptible to cold weather, causing them to flicker or dim.
- Expensive: Neon business signs can be quite expensive, especially if the sign is large with a complex design.
- High power usage: Neon signs cost more to power and are less energy efficient. You’ll encounter higher expenses as a result.
Neon Signs vs. LED Signs
Now, let’s take a closer look at how neon signs compare with LED signs.
Purchase Price
The purchase price of any sign is determined by a variety of factors. For example, you have to consider the size, colours, environment, and design complexity, as well as the material.
However, LED signs tend to be more affordable than neon signs. In most cases, LED signs are about 10% cheaper to design and purchase than their neon counterparts.
Power Usage
Of course, the initial purchase price isn’t the only cost you should consider when selecting signage for your Toronto building. You also need to be mindful of the energy efficiency and power usage; specifically, how much will it cost to power your new sign?
LED signs are one of the most energy-efficient lighting options, consuming 5 to 10 times less power than comparable neon signs. Large LED signs require 24 volts to operate, whereas large neon displays need up to 15,000 volts. Therefore, LED signs offer considerable cost savings.
Environmentally Friendly
LED signs are more energy efficient, making them a better choice for the environment—but that’s not all! LED signage is also easy to recycle and leaves less of a carbon footprint. Neon signs, on the other hand, contain harmful chemicals like mercury and phosphor.
Brightness
LED signs are much brighter and can be seen from far greater distances than neon signs. Since it’s crucial that potential customers can spot your sign from far away, LED signs are the better option. They effectively advertise your business and direct customers to your front door.
Maintenance
LED signage requires essentially no maintenance. Furthermore, you don’t have to worry about repairing or replacing components of LED displays. Consequently, they’re easier and less stressful to run and maintain over the years.
Neon signs, conversely, do need regular maintenance, especially in colder climates like Toronto. Low temperatures, ice, and snow can cause problems with the gas tubes and make the light flicker or dim. Additionally, the electrical parts of neon signs (such as the transformer) have a shorter lifespan.
Safety
LED signs are the safer option. They are shockproof and free of harmful components like mercury and phosphor.
Neon signs are made of fragile glass tubing and utilize high voltage, meaning they have a significant risk of shattering and breaking. If damaged, they require special disposal because of the high voltage. All and all, this makes neon signs far more risky to install, repair, and take down.
Lifespan
High-quality LED signs, like the ones carried by New Style Signs, can last as long as 100,000 operational hours. Plus, their brightness doesn’t fade over time. They stay as vibrant as the day they were installed.
Most neon signs have a lifespan of 40,000 operational hours, which can translate to 8–15 years of use. That’s a long time; however, it’s not as long as an LED sign.
Design Flexibility
The design options offered by LED signage are practically limitless. With an array of colours and sizes, they can be customized easily to suit your brand’s design specifications.
Neon signs are harder to customize since the glass tubes are not as easy to shape. This means that fancy or complicated designs are not well suited to neon signs.
Which one should you use?
In practically every aspect, LED signs are the superior option. They’re more economical to purchase and run, more environmentally friendly, easier to maintain, safer to install, and last longer. Plus, the highly customizable designs are bright and clearly visible both during the day and at night.
Contact New Style Signs for LED Signs
New Style Signs specializes in high-quality LED signs for businesses in Mississauga and across the Greater Toronto Area.
Our customized LED signs illuminate the name of your business, attracting customers and letting them know that you’re a professional and reputable company. Contact us today for LED signs that promote your business and make you stand out from the competition.
To learn more about LED signs in Toronto, call New Style Signs at 866-591-6938 or contact us here.
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