HiWay Neon Signs Highlights Neon Signage for Brownsville Businesses

Since the 1950s, HiWay Neon Signs has brought a high level of quality and professionalism to the work that they do. If you are a business owner in Brownsville, a neon sign can be a great way to update your storefront and also reach new customers!

Learn all about neon signs in Brownsville and how businesses can benefit from them.

Neon Signs Explained

neon sign is a series of interconnected tubes that hold neon or other gasses, which shine with color when powered by an electric current. At first a scientific novelty, it soon became clear that this technology would leave a mark on the world.

Though they wouldn’t peak in popularity until the 1950s, neon sign usage dates back to the Paris Motor Show in December 1910. With such a rich history, it’s no wonder that even today businesses utilize neon signs to set themselves apart.

How a Neon Sign Is Made

The process to produce a neon sign goes like this:

Every neon sign starts as unbent sticks of hollow glass that are four to five-foot-long.
A professional glass bender manually heats different sections of the tubes at varying temperatures in order to bend them at different angles.
The tube(s) are filled with a gas mixture and the ends are sealed by cathodes welded on and used to conduct electricity. Sometimes a phosphorescent powder coats the internal lining.

While the specifics of equipment and techniques go much deeper, this is the bare-bones process to build a neon sign.

How Do Neon Signs Function?

Once the process is complete, what happens to cause the intense and beautiful colors to shine? A fascinating scientific reaction takes place when an electric current is run through the tubes. Electrons in the gasses begin to flow and start to glow.

The colors that the sign emits depend on the gasses used and if a coating is applied. The coating will absorb the light coming from the electrons in the gasses causing the color to change further.

Additionally, the amount of current needed to generate light depends on the size of the sign itself.

Gasses Used in Neon Signs

Despite being called “neon signs,” neon gas isn’t the only kind used when making these signs:

Neon Gas – Neon gas is only able to generate certain colors, specifically, shades of red, orange, and, in some instances, pink.
Argon Gas and Mercury – For most of the other colors on the spectrum, including blues, greens, yellows, and purples, a drop of mercury is added to inert argon gas.

The Lifetime of Brownsville Neon Signs

One of the greatest benefits of neon signs lies in how long they can live, as they can last decades with proper care and maintenance. Of course, the power source of the sign needs to be maintained and replaced when necessary.

Due to the nature of neon gas absorption, it can take up to 50 years before a sign is unable to produce light.

The Cost of a Neon Sign

As is the case for many custom jobs, the cost of any neon sign will depend on a few factors including size, resources needed, etc. HiWay Neon Signs prides itself on working closely with clients to determine what is best for them.

Brownsville Signs Could Use Some Neon

Now that you better understand what neon signs are, how they’re made, and how they work, you may want a new sign for your business. For neon signs in Brownsville, TX, there’s no better option than HiWay Neon Signs!