Navigating the Sign LED Market

LIGHTING CAN BE ONE of the most difficult steps of building a sign. Certain images customers want to portray can inadvertently make those signs much more challenging to light. The trend in the past few years has been slimmer letters, cabinets and blade signs, meaning less area inside for light to spread and a higher chance of hot spots or lighting inconsistencies throughout the face of the sign.

The good news is we have access to a variety of lighting solutions that can assist with even the most difficult signs. Recent industry surveys strongly suggest that LEDs are well established as the predominant lighting source for signs. LED manufacturers have made massive strides in module efficiency and lighting capability to the point where telling them apart can be difficult.

This brings up the question: How is a sign company to choose an LED brand, and what factors will determine what product within that brand is right for them? Sign manufacturers can consider a few factors when choosing LEDs either for an in-house option for all signage or for specific signs proving difficult to light.

Is 24 Volt the New 12 Volt?

For the past decade 12-volt LEDs have been the mainstay for lighting while 24-volt LEDs have seen waves of popularity but nothing permanent. This is a trend that could be changing, however, as 24-volt LEDs become more common and affordable, making their benefits over 12-volt LEDs worth looking into.

The main benefit of a 24-volt LED is the ability to run more modules on a single power supply compared to 12-volt LEDs. In most cases (when using a 60W power supply) you can run anywhere from 60-100 more modules on a single supply using 24 volt instead of 12 volt. This means buying fewer power supplies and making wiring easier both on manufacturers and installers.

Contemporary channel letters often include thinner profiles than in the past, making them more challenging to light.

Some of the other benefits of using 24-volt LEDs include slightly less heat production, potential to produce brighter light when needed, and a thinner gauge of wire requirement. When choosing an LED, voltage is now a more important consideration than ever, though there are other factors to consider as well when making your choice.

More Important Considerations

Most LED modules are comparable these days. Also, pricing is within a similar range across the scope of the major brands, so how do you decide which LED to go with? This decision comes down to some of the smaller considerations that may seem trivial but will help with your shop’s efficiency in the long run.

These distinguishing features between LEDs can include the quality of the adhesive backing tape, labeling, amount of wire between nodes, lens/optics characteristics, lighting compatibility with other modules, range of temperatures/colors, and of course, availability. If an LED hits all these markers in a way that best suits your work, not only will your shop workers be happier but more efficient as well.

Another important factor to consider when choosing an LED is if a vendor is willing to work with your local distributor, potentially saving you shipping costs and making your purchasing department’s job easier. The importance of having an easy-to-navigate ordering process is something that can be easily overlooked, but ensuring a lighting company is willing to work with a distributor you already have a relationship with can eliminate this potential hassle.

The sign industry is lucky to have many quality LED brands from companies that focus their efforts on our specific needs. It’s in a company’s best interest to explore as many brands as possible and learn what each has to offer. In most cases these LED vendors will be happy to supply you with samples so your shop personnel can get hands-on experience using a new LED to populate a sign. This is an option I would highly recommend taking advantage of to simplify the process of choosing or switching to a new LED within your shop.