Signs & Large Format Print
How glass neon and LED flex work
Glass neon is a glass tube bent by hand over a burner into the shape of letters or a drawing and filled with a noble gas (neon gives red; argon with additives and phosphors gives other colours). There are electrodes at the ends, and the gas glows when high-voltage current from a transformer flows through it. It is a craft – every sign is bent by a person, not a machine.
LED neon (LED flex) is a flexible silicone or PVC profile with a strip of densely spaced LEDs running inside. An opal diffuser spreads the light so you see a continuous, even line rather than individual dots. The profile is shaped and fixed to an acrylic or PVC backing, or directly to the wall. It is powered by a low-voltage power supply.
From a distance the effect is similar: a glowing sign made of lines. The differences show in the details, in use and in price – more on that below.
Look and colours: can you see the difference?
From a few metres away most people cannot tell a well-made LED neon from a glass one. Up close the differences are these:
- Glass neon glows all round, in every direction – it is visible from the side too. It has a characteristic, slightly alive glow.
- LED neon glows mainly forwards, through the diffuser. From the side you can see it is a profile. On the other hand, the light is very even along the whole length.
- Colours: LED flex comes in a full range of colours, and the RGB version can change colour and animate. Glass neon colours depend on the gas and the tube coating – the palette is wide, but there are no colour changes during operation.
- Detail: very small letters can be bent in glass, but each transition between letters requires blacking out part of the tube. With LED flex, the minimum bending radius of the profile limits the finest shapes – very small letters must be simplified or enlarged.
When designing, we always check whether the lettering or logo can be made at the given size. Thin serifs and fine logo details sometimes need slight simplification.
Power consumption, voltage, safety
| Feature | LED neon (LED flex) | Glass neon |
|---|---|---|
| Operating voltage | low, 12–24 V | high, several thousand volts from a transformer |
| Power consumption | low | clearly higher for the same length |
| Heat | profile slightly warm | tube and transformer get hotter |
| Impact resistance | flexible, does not break | glass – cracks on impact |
| Weight | light | heavier, needs stronger fixings |
| Mounting within reach | yes | better higher up, out of reach |
| Colour change / animation | possible in the RGB version | no |
Voltage is the argument that usually settles it for restaurants, children's shops and office interiors. LED neon can hang at eye level, above a bar, behind a counter – without worrying that someone will touch a high-voltage component. LED neon power consumption is so low that for a typical sign above a bar the electricity bill stops being an issue. Similar questions for light boxes are covered in our guide how much power an LED light box uses.
Durability, impact resistance and repairs
LED neon has no glass or gas, so it does not crack and no gas leaks from it. Usually the first thing to fail is not an LED but the power supply – and replacing it is simple. With us, replacing a power supply or LED module costs approx. €42 net plus parts, and a service inspection of illuminated signage approx. €60 net. It is worse if the profile itself is damaged (e.g. someone cuts it) – then a section is replaced, and the joint may be visible.
Glass neon, if well made and in a quiet spot, can also glow for years. Its weak points are breakage (transport, installation, impact), gas loss through a micro-crack, and the transformer. Repair needs a neon bender to re-bend and refill the cracked tube – manual work that not every workshop does.
In practice: for events, busy venues, rental and transport – LED only. Glass is happier where it hangs high up and nobody touches it.
- 24 hexpress printing (UV inks need no drying)
- approx. 3 daysstandard lead time
- up to 14 dayslarge and custom projects with installation
Plus courier delivery. Tell us your date — we plan production around it.
Neon for indoors and outdoors
Indoors we most often mount LED neon on a clear acrylic backing – it looks like lettering floating in front of the wall. The other options are a coloured or printed PVC backing, or mounting directly on the wall without a backing.
Outdoors, the neon must have a profile and connections with the right sealing, an outdoor-rated power supply and properly routed cables. Outdoor neon is in practice illuminated signage on a facade – local advertising rules may apply (landscape regulations, building manager consent, a conservation area). We cover this in general terms in does a shop sign need permission; details should always be confirmed with the local authority or building manager.
If facade lettering has to be readable from afar and in daylight, we more often suggest illuminated LED letters – by day you see the solid letters, at night the light. Neon is strongest after dark and indoors.
Prices and lead time
Prices of our LED neon flex signs (indicative, net):
- LED neon on a PVC backing, up to 60 × 40 cm – from approx. €210,
- LED neon on a PVC backing, up to 100 × 60 cm – from approx. €350,
- LED neon on clear acrylic – from approx. €300,
- two-colour neon or with RGB animation – from approx. €440.
The price includes the profile, power supply and design. The final amount depends on the line length (and so on the typeface and number of letters), the number of colours, the type of backing and whether the neon is for indoors or outdoors. We confirm the price once we receive the logo or lettering.
We do not produce glass neons, so we do not give their prices. They are usually more expensive than LED at the same size, because every element is bent by hand and a high-voltage transformer is added.
Timing: standard orders are completed in a few working days, and we always fit the date to the opening of the venue or the event. We can install the neon with our own crew or send it by courier ready to hang – abroad as well.