Sign Lighting

LED sign lights save on power bills thanks to their efficiency, especially when they are used many hours per day. They also have a service life of up to 100,000 hours, which means you don’t have to worry about replacing light bulbs in a long time. In addition, LEDs can produce a highly focused beam, which is ideal for business sign lighting.

The applications of commercial outdoor sign lighting include restaurants, stores, shopping malls and government buildings. Sign lights can also be used for billboards and other types of advertisement. They can be designed to use many types of lamps, but LED is the best option in terms of performance, durability and energy efficiency.

Types of Sign Lights

Business signs can be illuminated from above or below, and there are many fixture designs available. The main sign lighting options are the following:

• Gooseneck sign lights are characterized by their curved mounting arm, which resembles the neck of a goose. They also have an angled lampshade, which directs their light beam towards the wall with the sign. There are many arm and shade designs available, which can be combined to match the architectural style of a building.

• Pendant sign lights also have an angled lampshade, but they are attached vertically with a straight rod or mounting stem. These sign lights can only be installed when there is a suitable overhead surface, such as a roof structure.

• There are also flood lights for signs. Unlike gooseneck and pendant lights, which hang from above the sign, floodlights are often installed on the ground and lighting is provided from below.

As you can see, there are many mounting options when using sign lights. They can be installed on the same wall as the sign you need to illuminate, on an overhead surface if available, and ground mounted sign lighting is also an option.

Commercial outdoor sign lighting fixtures must have a waterproof housing, regardless of the type chosen, since they are exposed to the weather. To ensure a long service life, make sure you purchase products that are rated for damp or wet environments.

What Lamp Types Are Used By Sign Lights?

Sign lights can be designed to use the most common types of light bulbs: incandescent, halogen, CFL, HID and LED.

Incandescent and halogen bulbs are characterized by their color rendering index (CRI) of 100, which offers excellent lighting quality. Unfortunately, they have a very high energy consumption and a short service life - even the best halogen bulbs normally fail in less than 2,000 hours. When used in sign lights, these bulbs must be replaced frequently.

Fluorescent lamps are much more efficient than incandescent bulbs, consuming around 75% less power for a given lighting output. However, most of them are limited by a low CRI, which reduces lighting quality. The typical service life of a CFL bulb is around 10,000 hours.

HID lamps can produce a powerful light beam, but this comes with a price - using a lot of electricity. In terms of energy consumption, HID sign lighting falls between incandescent and fluorescent lamps. An HID bulb will normally last for around 10,000 hours.

LED lamps consume 80-90% less energy than incandescents, and 30-40% less than fluorescents. In addition, they have a service life of up to 100,000 hours - you will not only save electricity, but also many lamp replacements.

Advantages of Exterior LED Sign Lighting

In addition to their energy efficiency and durability, LED sign lights offer the following benefits:

• LEDs can concentrate their light beam on a specific area, which makes them ideal for business signs. Other lamps emit light in all directions, and their beam must be directed by a reflective surface inside the lampshade.

• LEDs can achieve a high CRI, which means that customers can see the colors of business signs clearly.

• LEDs are also available in multiple color temperatures, which includes the full range from 2,700K to 6,500K.

• Thanks to their durability, LEDs have minimal maintenance needs. When using lamps with a short service life, someone must climb a ladder and replace them at regular intervals.

• LEDs are also more reliable. If the power supply is interrupted, they can reactivate instantly with no cooldown period or flicker.

• The low heat emission of LEDs makes them an excellent option for business signs that use heat-sensitive paints or materials.

At Lumenco we have a wide selection of LED sign lights, with many arm and shade designs for you to choose from.