Illuminated Signage – An In-Depth Guide

With many years of experience designing and supplying custom signage to the largest brands and agencies in the UK, we hope this in-depth guide gives you all the information you need to know about illuminated signage. If we happen to have not answered a question that you have then contact us and we’ll incorporate your question and answer into this guide.

Why choose illuminated signage?

Illuminated signage punches way above its weight when it comes to visual impact, especially considering how little it can cost in the grand scheme of things. Whether you’re fitting out a new office, producing a high-profile event, or launching a marketing campaign, signage is often one of the most affordable elements. It delivers high-profile branding at a relatively low cost, and if you get the messaging and design right then your customers will do your marketing for you by posting it on socials.

At the end of this guide you’ll find out Top 3 Tips for commissioning your own illuminated signage. It’s worth a read as it’s based on all of our joint experience and learning from what has worked well for our clients, as well as what hasn’t.

 But enough of that. Let’s get to it.

What are the different types of illuminated signs?

There are several different types of signs that signmaker like us group together, but in reality, these can all be mixed up with each other, and mounted on all sorts of different substrates. So in reality there are thousand of options.

1. LED Replica Neon – Neon Ultra®

Neon Ultra® is our most famous product – and perhaps our bestseller. It gives an even, illuminated look, with lots of options as to the final design. It’s extremely robust, being constructed from solid acrylic and then internally illuminated with LEDs.

It lends itself to a huge range of difference design options, from logos to text, and ceiling lighting to ambient gym signage. It can be combines with vinyls and used on a wide range of substrates such as acrylic and metal, so create the most stunning custom signage.

USE: INTERNAL OR EXTERNAL USE

COLOUR OPTIONS: RANGE OF STATIC COLOURS OR RGB

DIMMABLE: YES

CONTROLLABLE: YES, WITH RGB CONTROLLER OR DMX

2. Real Glass Neon

Ah, the classic. Many of our clients refer to this as the real deal, and there’s just no replicating it. Being made of glass it’s obviously fragile, but each piece is a work of art in itself and really comes ot life once it’s been hand-bent in the workshop and attached to it’s power supply. There are certain limitations as to what designs we can produce in real neon, as we can only bend the glass as certain angles and the available colour range of glass may not match your brands identity. It’s most commonly used now for neon art and high end interior signage.

USE: INTERNAL OR EXTERNAL USE

COLOUR OPTIONS: RANGE INDIVIDUAL GLASS COLOURS.

DIMMABLE: YES (to a degree)

CONTROLLABLE: YES, WITH A FLASHER BOX (though animation options are fairly limited)

3. LED Custom Lightbox Signs

Lightboxes are the bread and butter of our illuminated signage portfolio. Every single day we receive numerous requests from brands asking us to bring their logo to life as a custom lightbox. Each consists of a metal frame with an opal acrylic panel over which your design is laid in vinyl. Internal LEDs then illuminate your design. The most common formats are circular or rectangular but we can actually do any shape as a lightbox – as we did when Trebor Bassett asked us to bring their Jelly Babies to life as a lightbox. The variables for you to decide on are: size; illumination colour; Shape and colour of the frame (this can be any standard RAL colour, although White and Black are the most popular); how it will be fixed to the wall; single or double-sided; whether you want it flush or a projecting lightbox that is perpendicular to the wall.

USE: INTERNAL OR EXTERNAL USE

COLOUR OPTIONS: RANGE OF STATIC COLOURS OR RGB

DIMMABLE: YES

CONTROLLABLE: YES, WITH RGB CONTROLLER OR DMX

4. Edgelit Signs

Edgelit signs are arguably the cheapest option for illuminated signage. We etch your design into acrylic and then place an LED track on at least one side of the acrylic to illuminate it. The sides of the acrylic and the areas that have been etched all then come to life. Edgelit signs can be embellished with vinyl and we can change the colour of the track to match your branding. These are really stunning and stylish options for lit signage and are well-suited to tighter budgets.

USE: INTERNAL

COLOUR OPTIONS: RANGE OF STATIC COLOURS OR RGB

DIMMABLE: YES

CONTROLLABLE: YES, WITH RGB CONTROLLER

5. Fairground Lights

Ever since we produced Sophie Ellis-Bextors famous tattoo as a fairground and neon sign in her kitchen, we’ve been Britain’s leading signmaker for fairground light signs. Coming in two options (E10 and E14), fairground lights can be added to a huge range of custom signage to really bring the designs to life at night. There’s a reasonable choice of colour options and they always give a vintage feel to them.

USE: INTERNAL OR EXTERNAL USE

COLOUR OPTIONS: RANGE OF DIFFERENT CABOCHONS COLOURS

DIMMABLE: YES

CONTROLLABLE: YES, WITH RGB CONTROLLER OR DMX

6.Backlit Halo Signs

Having worked with Halo Signage for many years, we’ve developed a reputation for producing beautiful backlit signage for many famous clients. These are always a high quality signage option that are ideally suited to Retail, VM & Display and Corporate Office Signage.

USE: INTERNAL OR EXTERNAL USE

COLOUR OPTIONS: RANGE OF STATIC COLOURS OR RGB

DIMMABLE: YES

CONTROLLABLE: YES, WITH RGB CONTROLLER OR DMX

7. Totally Custom Illuminated Signage

If you can imagine it then we can probably do it! All of the options above can be combined, along with all of the raw materials we work with such as vinyl, composite, acrylic, aluminium…you name it. Go on, try us!

Who can all of these illuminated signs be used by?

Event & Production Agencies

If there’s any industry that needs to shine, it’s events. Whether it’s a product launch, awards night or immersive brand experience, event and production agencies know that visual impact is everything. That’s where illuminated signage becomes the secret weapon.

Need a glowing logo wall for selfies? Done. A dramatic LED entrance sign to welcome guests? Easy. Lightboxes and custom neon can take a basic space and transform it into an Instagrammable dream. Clients love it, guests remember it, and your agency looks like absolute pros who “get it.” Because you do.

Retail Signage – Visual Merchandising & Display

If you walk around London at Christmas then it’s probably fair to say that you’ll see our custom lighting and signage in some of London’s most iconic and famous department store windows. We often start working with retailers in the Summer, initially getting an idea of what they may be considering for their Christmas lighting and signage, and then as we get into Autumn we start to get into specific detail about the exact signage and how we will supply it to the retailers.

Hospitality: Restaurants, Hotels, Bars and Clubs

Hotels live or die by ambiance. A flickering, half-lit sign above the entrance? You want that warm, “we’ve been expecting you” glow that says luxury, comfort, and attention to detail.

Illuminated signage at hotels sets the tone before a guest even steps inside. A sleek Neon Ultra® logo by the front door, ambient lighting along hallways, or even custom room signs — it’s all about curating an experience. Whether it’s a five-star boutique hotel or a trendy city stay, illuminated signage adds that high-end polish that travellers absolutely notice.

Restaurants have the unique challenge of being both a place to eat and a place to vibe. And what screams vibe more than glowing signage that sets the tone the minute people walk in?

Whether it’s replica neon that says “Tacos & Tequila” in a spicy red glow, or fairground-style lights that spell out “BURGERS” above a grill station, illuminated signage lets you build a theme, not just a menu. Diners take photos. They tag your restaurant. You get free marketing with every latte and smashed avo photo.

Corporate Office Signs

An office fit-out is an extremely costly process, and one that consumes a lot of time too. It’s vital that not only employees are happy there but your clients are too. Illuminated reception signage is an absolutely given, but how about stunning edgelit signage for the meeting rooms too? And perhaps illuminated wayfinding signage too?

Interior Designers & Architects

One of our biggest group of loyal customers is interior designers and architects. They tell us that reliability is one of their most important considerations when appointing a signmaker for their all-important custom signage requirements.

Not only does Carousel Lights have the wide array of signage options to offer, but we’re here at the end of the phone for when you have any questions about any of our signage solutions.

Sports, Entertainment and Heritage

We absolutely love working on these iconic projects, but unfortunately more often than not, discretion is paramount and we don’t share photographs of what we’ve done. Safe to say, we’ve worked on illuminated signage for some of the world’s largest and most famous sports and entertainment venues, whether it’s on-stage lighting, wayfinding signage or catering and hospitality signage – we’ve got the experience and expertise to help bring your requirements to life.

And finally…

Top 3 Tips for Commissioning Custom Illuminated Signage

1. Consider Dimmable Signage. There’s been a big shift recently in why people are ordering custom signage from us. It used to be largely for architectural signage, office signs and corporate signage, but promotional, influencer and social media signage has recently joined the fray. For those options, customers are often capturing the signage on video for use on social media, so it’s really important to consider adding dimming to your sign so the brightness can be set to suit the surroundings and it works well in that environment.
2. Consider cable lengths. This is easy and cheap to sort out if it’s done before the sign is delivered. The last thing you want is a sign with a 2m white cable coming out of the bottom if it’s being suspended above the stage in the West End against a black backdrop – in which case you’d probably want a 5m black cable coming off the top of the sign.
3. Does it look good turned off too. Even though this is a deep-dive about illuminated signage, it’s worth considering whether you’ll also want to use the sign when not illuminated. And in that instance, you’ll want it to look great in both situations. If this is likely to be the case then it’s best to avoid signage options like edgelit signs, and instead veer towards signs with graphics such as lightboxes.