Business signage and the benefits of LEDs

There are many benefits to changing to LED signage. Did you know that the per-lumen price of LED bulbs has fallen by a factor of fifty since they first came into use in the 1960s? In fact, LEDs are now so cheap that there’s really no excuse not to use them for your illuminated signs. Still need convincing? Here are the biggest benefits of LEDs for your business.

Exceptional Efficiency

A highly efficient technology, LED bulbs convert around 80% of the electricity they use into light. And because that light is generated in one specific direction, wastage is reduced, driving down your energy bills.

Extended Lifespan

LEDs don’t burn out – they simply fade away. And their lifespan is astonishing – an LED with a life expectation of 100,000 hours could stay continually lit for 11 years. Use that bulb for just eight hours a day and it could last as long as 20 years without replacement.

Eye-Catching Signage

LED light is instantly on at 100% and produces a clear, brilliant light in a huge range of colour options. Visible in sunlight, and pin-sharp at night, LED light creates the clearest illumination possible for your logo or outdoor signs.

There are none of the brightness issues associated with neon and far lower running costs. Thanks to their efficiency and durability, you can create beautiful effects that last far longer than other conventional lighting methods.

The Sustainable Choice

Whether your business has sustainability targets or not, lowering your environmental impact as a business is something your customers respond to. A typical 10W LED bulb uses around 80% less energy than a neon sign and can be fully recycled because there are no toxic materials involved in its design.

The benefits of LEDs include reducing the carbon footprint of your business by up to a third and support technology that preserves resources, one of the great benefits of LED illuminated signage is a savvy choice.

Easy to Maintain

Simple and durable, LEDs can be used just about anywhere. There are no glass tubes to break, and they’re simple to keep clean because they emit very little infrared or UV heat and therefore aren’t a burn hazard.

They’re a breeze to maintain, giving you long-lasting light with a fraction of the costs of other lighting systems.

Flexible Options

Smaller, thinner, brighter and completely controllable, LEDs are the ideal choice when you need to create signs that takes your marketing to another level. For example, LEDs will dim right down to 10% brightness smoothly and seamlessly.

The sheer range of options for colour and control make LEDs the obvious choice for professional-looking signage that effortlessly stands out from the crowd.

Ask the Professionals

If you want to harness the power, flexibility and benefits of LED lighting for your illuminated signs, then talk to us. At the Sussex Sign Company we offer end-to-end services to design, create, install and maintain your signage in London to the very highest standard, ensuring a maximum return on your investment. Call or email us for more info.

Why Halo Illuminated Signs Are So Popular On The British High Street

Wherever you look on the average British high street, you’ll see illuminated signs with a subtle and sophisticated halo lighting effect. This beautiful way of highlighting and differentiating a sign uses built up letters and LED lighting to create the effect.

What is the halo effect?

Using lightweight and hollow letters, the internal LED lights are projected backwards onto the wall, creating a halo of light behind the letters. This is an extremely effective and eye-catching effect that can also match your company’s brand colours to produce beautiful – and energy efficient – signage.

Creating 3D effects

The use of channel letters creates a 3D effect, which is enhanced by the use of the LED halo lighting. Your sign company should mount the letters themselves on spacers, allowing the halo effect to amplify, while the use of either contrast colour or high impact white will further enhance the sense that the letters are floating in mid-air, creating an incredible 3D boost.

If you want to heighten the illusion of the letters floating in mid-air even further, try alternating lighting effects to highlight some letters more than others – the range of effects you can create is infinite and can even lend the appearance of movement.

If you want to create another level of illumination, then ask your sign company to panel mount the entire sign and then halo light the panel itself. Not only is this an excellent way to differentiate your sign from a similarly coloured background, but it creates a real wow factor with the extra level of illumination.

Eye-catching communication

In the visual noise of the typical high street, creating a sign that communicates with your potential customers and develops brand awareness is paramount. Nothing does that more effectively than a halo illuminated sign, which is why they’re so popular with big high street brands like M&S and Caffe Nero. The reason you can automatically identify their branding is thanks to well executed halo illumination using bright white to make the brand name pop.

Why use LEDs?

LED lighting is the ideal way to illuminate channel letters. Energy efficient and capable of a comprehensive range of lighting effects, LEDs last for 20 years or more and don’t require a large and potentially dangerous transformer, giving your business the flexibility to get the best possible return from your investment in halo lit signage.

Halo illuminated signs: not just for outdoors

The combination of your corporate colours and font, when used in a branded illuminated sign, are a powerful mnemonic for your business. So why only use such a powerful tool for the outside of your building. Across the British high street, you’ll see the repetition of halo illuminated signs throughout some stores, to reinforce brand awareness. It’s a trick you can use in your own premises.

If you’re looking for a sign company in West Sussex to execute beautiful halo illuminated signs for your business, then contact us at The Sussex Sign Company via phone or email. We’re experts in using LED technology to create stunning signs that ensure the best possible return on investment for our clients.

Why Your Business Needs To Light Up With Illuminated Signs

Illuminating your signage is about so much more than showing customers where you are. In fact, a well-illuminated sign will provide cost-effective advertising 24 hours a day, maximising the effectiveness of your message. Even if you don’t stay open all day and all night, your sign will still be doing your marketing for you.

Versatile and stylish, illuminated signage can take your visual assets to another level. More than that, a well-executed sign will add value to your business, thanks to its perceived value.

The ABC of illuminated signs

There are several practical questions you need to ask yourself when installing illuminated shop signs. Is the illumination visible and effective? Is the message legible? Is your sign well maintained, and if not, how will you keep it looking its best and doing its job. Work with a professional signage company and these issues and more will be worked out during the design, development and installation process.

However, before you approach a sign company, check the functionality of your concept by asking the ABC questions – does your sign Attract new customers, Build brand awareness and Create impulse sales? If you think your sign can do all three, then it’s a worthwhile investment.

Send a subliminal message

When you work together with a professional designer on your commercial signage, you’ll be surprised at the strong yet subliminal messages you can send with colour. Your bespoke LED signs don’t need to be pure white, though that can look clean and professional. Colour can make a subliminal statement about your business when coupled with clever design, for an effect that enhances your business.

Maximise your marketing budget

Illuminated shop signs create thousands of impression throughout the course of the day, giving you an exceptionally low cost per impression. The cost of your signage is a one-off in your budget, and when you compare the ROI against other forms of marketing, your illuminated signs can be quite a bargain, and they can have a reach that far outstrips more temporary forms of advertising like billboards and radio, TV or online ads.

Consider the interior options

While your exterior illuminated signs will be reaching out to passing trade at all hours of the day and night, don’t ignore the power of a sophisticated indoor sign with LED illumination. Beautifully designed, perhaps using halo illuminated letters for a subtle and stylish effect, an illuminated logo on the wall behind the till, or as customers first enter your premises, can drive brand recognition and create a stunning first impression.

Work with the professionals

At The Sussex Sign Company, we can offer you a range of stylish and effective solutions for your illuminated signage, whether that’s halo illuminated letters or a banner effect. We’ll steer you through the process from concept to design to installation, discussing illumination options and a maintenance schedule. If you want to see what illuminated signs can do for the exterior and interior of your store or office premises, then contact us today via phone or email and we’ll be happy to discuss your options.

Create A Wow: How To Use Halo Lit Signs Effectively For Your Business

What do Kiehl’s, Triumph and Versace all have in common? These diverse businesses all use halo lit signs to project a sophisticated image. This unique and subtle lighting effect is used to create eye-catching signage that elevates not only the perceived value of the sign, but also the company that uses it. In short, if you want to create a real wow for your business, you need to invest on halo lit signage.

Getting started with halo lighting

This stunning yet subtle lighting effect is achieved by projecting white or coloured lighting, often using LEDs, onto the background for your sign. It’s clear, therefore, that your sign needs to be mounted on a particular type of background. Too glossy and there’s too much reflection, too dark and the light is absorbed.

There are workarounds, however, to both issues if the background is intrinsic to your brand identity. On a dark surface, white cut vinyl letters can be used to mount the sign for optimum reflection. With a high gloss, the use of a diffuser can soften the glow and create the perfect halo effect.

Create the effect

You also need to ensure that your LEDs are facing towards the interior of the letters. This gives a smooth halo with no individual pinpoints of light. You could also use fluorescent lighting, but it’s neither as energy-efficient as LED or as interesting to work with, as LEDs can be used to create a wide range of colour effects and even different temperatures of white.

One other issue to consider is the mounting distance of your letters. Too close, and you’ll negate the halo effect, too far away and the letters themselves become indistinct. The optimum mounting distance for halo lit signs is usually one and a half to three inches, but you’ll need to work with an experienced fitter to help you achieve the best effect for your installation.

Communicate your brand with colour

While some brands are clearly under the impression that the only colour for halo lighting is bright white, you can differentiate your sign by understanding the way that you can communicate effectively with colour. While white can project a clean and professional image, using corporate colours may enhance your sign or be used to add warmth for hospitality industries.

Be careful when using multiple colours, however. Lighting your logo and company name differently, for example, may look disjointed. But using your brand colours where appropriate can be a clever way to enhance brand recognition and give your sign extra appeal.

Work with the professionals

Halo lit signage can have a dramatic impact when constructed and installed properly. With so many variables that can affect the overall presentation of your halo lit sign, you need to work with the best to ensure every aspect from design to installation and maintenance is taken care of. At The Sussex Sign Company, we deliver the best possible return on your investment, creating halo lit signs that project a professional and cohesive image for your brand. Contact us today via phone or email for more details on how you can harness the power of the halo for your new signage.

The Unexpected Benefits Of Illuminated Signs

A successful business plan lives or dies by the number of customers who actually set foot through the door. After all, if nobody visits your business, how can you sell them your goods or services? That’s why you need attractive and attention-grabbing signage for your commercial premises. However, upgrading your commercial signage with illumination can take the value of your visual assets to another level and the functionality of your upgrade will quickly become apparent.

Clear advantages of illuminated signage

The advantages are clear. Your business automatically becomes highly visible and your sign keeps working for you 24/7, particularly if you use energy-efficient LEDs. Another benefit of a well-designed illuminated sign is that you’ll attract passing trade in a more effective way than you did before and you’ll drive brand recognition.

The unexpected benefits

Beyond the shining beacon of your illuminated signage, there are a host of benefits that are quite unexpected, that can further boost your intangible assets. Here are some of the most interesting hidden perks:

Increase the value of your property: investing in illuminated signage is a smart move in as much as it enhances the kerb appeal of your business. And that, as any estate agent will tell you, can significantly enhance the value of your property. By enhancing your signage and boosting brand recognition through illumination, you’re adding value to your business assets.

Inspire customer decisions: Nearly half of all purchases are made on sheer impulse. Imagine how you can leverage that impulsive behaviour with a bright and attractive illuminated sign? Now factor in the percentage of the population who are actively looking for local commerce. Illuminate your signs and you’ll be directly in their eye line. It’s your way to take control of the customer journey and influence those impulse decisions.

A community landmark: Not only will illuminated signage catch the eye of potential consumers, but it will also give your community an attractive focal point. Imagine becoming a local landmark and meeting spot, and then think about how that recognition will drive footfall. Make a good enough job of your illuminated signage and you may even attract the attention of the local council who may choose to reward you for business innovation and/or regeneration.

Multiple impressions: Your illuminated signage will not only attract customers and boost your sales, but it can also create multiple impressions throughout the day and night. Estimates put the number of impressions as high as 60 per month for 85% of your customer base. Each time they view your signs, it reinforces brand recognition, keeping your business top of mind and having an impact, whether subconscious or conscious, on your customer’s purchasing decisions.

Ask the experts

Of course, when you make the decision to upgrade your signage, then you expect your new illuminated signs to have that wow factor that will reap all these unexpected benefits. At The Sussex Sign Company, we can offer advice on the most appropriate illuminated signage solutions, including LED lighting systems, ensuring the best possible return on investment for our clients. Contact us via phone or email to find out more.

Should You Invest In LED Illuminated Exterior Signage?

LED displays are one of the most rapidly growing sectors in illuminated signage, with a market share expected to reach at least $12 billion by 2020. Advances in technology have made LED the illumination of choice, but is it always the right choice for your business? Before making an investment in illuminated exterior signs, it’s important to know all the ins and outs of LED lighting.

Light up the night

There’s little wonder that LED lighting has risen in popularity. It’s both extremely striking and highly cost-effective, with LEDs lasting up to 60,000 hours, compared to 10,000 hours for fluorescent lighting. Not only will LEDs drive down your replacement costs, but you’ll also experience lower energy costs, with 80-90% energy efficiency.

It’s this efficiency, coupled with the fact that LED bulbs don’t leak mercury and argon like neon signs, that make LEDs the green choice. If sustainability is important to your business, then LEDs are the eco-friendly way to light up the night.

Signage styles

LED signage can take several forms. For example, you might decide to use a fret-cut fascia using backlighting to highlight your logo and text. Or you may prefer to use a halo effect with built up letters. This is a particularly effective and impressive way to create an effect. Great design and layout with clever use of colour will enhance your visual assets and drive brand recognition in a cost effective way. Colour is also excellent for attention generation, giving your LED exterior signs an even greater impact.

What the stats say

Over 70% of your target audience will see your LED signs and be engaged by them. That’s higher than internet, TV and billboard advertising, and a quarter higher than the reach of social network platforms. In fact, 84% of retailers believe an illuminated sign is essential for building brand awareness and engaging with your customers.

LED signage is second to none when it comes to location branding and costs per impression are astonishingly low, at just 4p per thousand impressions. Although the initial installation costs can be higher than other forms of illuminated signage, the rapid returns and effectiveness of a good LED sign can more than recoup the investment.

A long term investment

When it comes to evaluating your business, most customers take around 7 seconds to decide whether they’ll step through your doors or not. Eye-catching and effective signage is the perfect way to create a strong first impression that brings the customer in through the door and then helps them to find you again and direct their friends and family to your business.

At the Sussex Sign Company, we understand that your signs will act as the visual standard bearer for your business for years to come. That’s why we’ll advise you as to the most appropriate illuminated signage solutions, including LED lighting systems, to ensure the best possible return on investment and the best possible visual representation for your business. Contact us via phone or email today to find out more.

Why Halo Illuminated Signs Are So Popular On The British High Street

Wherever you look on the average British high street, you’ll see illuminated signs with a subtle and sophisticated halo lighting effect. This beautiful way of highlighting and differentiating a sign uses built up letters and LED lighting to create the effect.

What is the halo effect?

Using lightweight and hollow letters, the internal LED lights are projected backwards onto the wall, creating a halo of light behind the letters. This is an extremely effective and eye-catching effect that can also match your company’s brand colours to produce beautiful – and energy efficient – signage.

Creating 3D effects

The use of channel letters creates a 3D effect, which is enhanced by the use of the LED halo lighting. Your sign company should mount the letters themselves on spacers, allowing the halo effect to amplify, while the use of either contrast colour or high impact white will further enhance the sense that the letters are floating in mid-air, creating an incredible 3D boost.

If you want to heighten the illusion of the letters floating in mid-air even further, try alternating lighting effects to highlight some letters more than others – the range of effects you can create is infinite and can even lend the appearance of movement.

If you want to create another level of illumination, then ask your sign company to panel mount the entire sign and then halo light the panel itself. Not only is this an excellent way to differentiate your sign from a similarly coloured background, but it creates a real wow factor with the extra level of illumination.

Eye-catching communication

In the visual noise of the typical high street, creating a sign that communicates with your potential customers and develops brand awareness is paramount. Nothing does that more effectively than a halo illuminated sign, which is why they’re so popular with big high street brands like M&S and Caffe Nero. The reason you can automatically identify their branding is thanks to well executed halo illumination using bright white to make the brand name pop.

Why use LEDs?

LED lighting is the ideal way to illuminate channel letters. Energy efficient and capable of a comprehensive range of lighting effects, LEDs last for 20 years or more and don’t require a large and potentially dangerous transformer, giving your business the flexibility to get the best possible return from your investment in halo lit signage.

Halo illuminated signs: not just for outdoors

The combination of your corporate colours and font, when used in a branded illuminated sign, are a powerful mnemonic for your business. So why only use such a powerful tool for the outside of your building. Across the British high street, you’ll see the repetition of halo illuminated signs throughout some stores, to reinforce brand awareness. It’s a trick you can use in your own premises.

If you’re looking for a sign company in West Sussex to execute beautiful halo illuminated signs for your business, then contact us at The Sussex Sign Company via phone or email. We’re experts in using LED technology to create stunning signs that ensure the best possible return on investment for our clients.

How Built Up Letters Can Make You Stand Out

There’s a good reason that built up letters are so popular for everything from shop signage to commercial business signs. These 3D letters are designed to really pop, giving your brand instant and powerful visual appeal. Striking and distinctive, they’re also totally bespoke and the processes involved in their manufacture are the most complex in the industry. When you’re looking for a sign company in Littlehampton who can give your premises the wow factor, checking whether they can produce high quality built up letter signs is critical.

3D letters: get the effect

Obviously, the kind of standing 3D letters you see outside commercial organisations have the most wow factor, but you can achieve a similar effect on a budget if you explore some different options – a good sign making company will be able to advise you on the smart choice for your shop signage.

Flat cut aluminium and acrylic letters can both be attached to a backing board to create a very subtle and cost effective 3D effect. Both are lightweight materials that can be effectively painted to match your branding colours. Acrylic can also be pigmented, so it doesn’t peel or rust.

Foamex letters are another affordable alternative that can be wall mounted or raised on a stand-off of your choice. Foamex comes in a range of widths, so you can play with perspective. Coated with an acrylic or dibond, you can create a robust and premium feel for your retail signage. They have a high strength to weight ratio and can stand up to all but the harshest weather conditions.

Polystyrene letters can also be a savvy choice when you need something temporary that makes a strong and dramatic impact. These types of letters are gaining a lot of currency at events where the ability to create a great social media photo opportunity is factored into your marketing strategy.

New and innovative products are emerging in the market all the time. Your sign making company will be up to speed with new technologies and materials as they emerge, in order to give you the widest range of options available.

The premium choice: channel letters

True built up letters are known as channel letters and are created using a channel letter bender machine. However, once the machine has finished its job, that’s just the start of the process. This is when the finishing touches are added to your letters, making the difference between full on impact or disappointing damp squib.

It’s at this point that your letters can be wrapped in various films, given a distressed look, or fitted with different types of LED lighting. Stainless steel lettering, either used alone or in combination with other materials like perspex, gives a really strong architectural look, while powder coated aluminium can replicate any RAL corporate colours for letters that are robust, weather resistant and lightweight, for use just about anywhere.

Standout signage: current trends

While polished metal letters continue to be hugely popular for creating that premium association between your shop signage and your brand, distressed letters and those with an aged patina are becoming incredibly popular, particularly across the hospitality and leisure sectors. Effects like verdigris can add real star quality to your standout letters. In the heritage sector, letters crafted from bronze and copper add a weighty, traditional feel.

Illuminated letters continue to increase in popularity, either front, open or halo lit. The uptake is being driven by low cost LED lights that last for years with low maintenance. They are infinitely customisable in terms of colour, brightness and warmth.

Light up your signs: the Halo effect

There’s a reason why halo illuminated letters are becoming more and more popular. A halo illuminated sign is distinctive, stylish and really comes alive at night to give a stunning iridescent effect to your shop signage. A halo LED sign is the perfect way to differentiate your business from the competition.

Halo or reverse lighting doesn’t illuminate the face of the letters. Instead, the lighting is directed onto the wall behind the letters and then reflects back, giving the distinctive halo effect. If you’ve invested in 3D built up letters, then this is the most effective way to light them and create a real sense of depth for a sense of drama. Halo illuminated letters can also be seen from a greater distance, boosting the impact and the legibility of your 3D sign.

Best of all, by using low energy LED lighting, you can create a wide range of effects, highlighting different parts of the sign with different colours, while driving down your energy bills.

Get the effect for your business

There’s no doubt that built up letters and illuminated signs can really take your signage to the next level. When you’re looking for a sign company in Littlehampton to take your designs from conception to installation, you’ll need to think not just about reach and impressions, but the return on investment from your 3D signs.

At the Sussex Sign Company, we’re experienced in helping our clients get the best value for their investment, whether that’s in vinyl car wraps or built up letter 3D signage. If you want to see how a combination of clever signage design and LED lighting can give your signage and displays the ultimate wow factor, contact us via phone or email today and our friendly and knowledgeable team will be happy to help.

Finding The Right Sign Company To Create Your Killer Illuminated Signs

The right illuminated sign can give your business massive visibility – literally. An illuminated sign not only adds real impact to your brand, but it keeps it visible even when darkness falls. Develop the right signage strategy and find the right sign company to implement it and you’ll boost recognition and return on investment.

Why do I need an illuminated sign?

Illuminated signs are versatile and flexible, keeping your brand in the public eye 24/7. They’re an effective advertising medium that can take advantage of those passing by after hours to get your name out there in a surprisingly cost effective way, particularly if you use energy efficient LED lighting.

But simply having an illuminated sign is not the same as having an effective illuminated sign. You need to make some strategic decisions about the environment where your sign will be displayed and the type of lighting you’ll use, in order for your sign to be as effective as possible.

What’s your lighting environment?

Take a look at your premises after dark. Is the lighting environment a soft and ambient one, with no harsh street lighting or bright competing signs, or are you in a busy location with headlights, neon lights and bright street lights?

Obviously, what works in one situation may not work in the other, but it makes sense to match your lighting to the general scheme, so you don’t either overpower the street or fade away into a corner.

You’ll also need to consider the image you want to convey of your business – if you’re a pizza restaurant. you’ll want to convey a different image to a boutique hotel, for example. Getting it right with illuminated signs can make your business up to 35% more visible, so you need to find a sign maker that can walk you through the process from design to installation and who understand your particular lighting environment.

Light up your letters

Getting the right effect with an illuminated sign depends on several factors, including the way you choose to illuminate your sign. If you choose individual letters, then you’ll really make them pop if you illuminate them from behind with an LED halo effect. Hollow 3D letters are then wired with LEDs which cast their light onto the wall behind the letters, creating a silhouette or halo effect. You can play around with the colour of the LEDs to create different intensities.

LED light can also be used to illuminate the face of the letters, which produces a crisp look for your branding, or you could choose to have your letters created from acrylic, which can create a colourful and eye-catching display using different coloured LEDs.

You might also choose a debossed (stencil cut letters or logo) or embossed (slightly raised letters or logo) sign, which takes the form of a metal box with an illuminated acrylic panel.

You’ll need to find a company who can manufacture channel lettering to your specifications for improved day and night visibility and who understand the latest advances in LED technology, so they can create signs that have the wow factor you’re looking for. Your signage is your biggest digital asset, so take the time to get it right.

Ask the right questions

Finding the right sign company in Lewes can be the key to successfully lighting up your signage. Of course, you can look through the Yellow Pages or search Google, but the point of using a local company is to tap into their knowledge of what works in your area. Ask for recommendations from other businesses whose signage you particularly like and then draw up a shortlist of possible companies. Now ask them these questions:

What’s your track record? A well crafted illuminated sign should last you a long time and can represent a significant investment, so you need a company who’ll be there for you if anything goes wrong. The company you choose should have a long standing record creating signage that companies are proud of, so they should have no hesitation in putting you in touch with businesses they’ve worked for.

Can I see a portfolio of your work? A sign company may be offering everything you’re looking for, but you want to know that the sign they create will differentiate you in the marketplace. Ask to see examples of their work, so you can see the diversity of their designs. If they only seem to create one kind of sign, count them out.

Can I see what my sign’s going to look like? A good sign company will be able to mock up the final effect for you – there’s nothing worse than being excited by the initial designs and then disappointed by the final result.

Can you take me from design to maintenance? When you’re looking for a sign company in Lewes, it’s more cost effective to use one that can integrate all the services you need, from design to installation to programmed maintenance, to keep your sign in tip top condition – a real consideration with illuminated signs. Check that your company can undertake every step of the process for you and can deliver on time and within budget.

How will you find out what I want? The best sign companies will offer expert guidance through every stage of the process, including a detailed first briefing so that you both understand exactly what will be involved throughout the process and can create the best signage solution.

At the Sussex Sign Company, we can advise you on the most appropriate illuminated signs for your company, taking you through the entire process from conception to final installation and beyond, ensuring the best possible return on your investment and the biggest possible impact for your brand. Call or email today for more information.

The humble LED that’s lighting the way for marketing

The LED has come a long way since it illuminated all our simple on/off switches. Now LEDs power everything from printheads in wide format printers to a wide range of illuminated signs including backlit halo signs that create such a visual impact. But the next iteration of the LED is on its way – say hello to Li-Fi.

What is Li-Fi?

Li-Fi or Light Fidelity is a way of running visible light communications (VLC) at exceptionally high speeds, using common household LEDs to achieve data transfer speeds of up to 224 gigabits per second. Professor Harald Haas of the University of Edinburgh coined the term in a TED talk he gave in 2011, where he foresaw that the ability of LEDs to flash on and off instantly could act like a kind of wireless router using visible light.

By attaching a microchip to an LED and harnessing the power of binary, Professor Haas claims that we’ll be able to download an HD movie in just a few seconds. Because of the multiplicity of light sources already available, this technology could open up connectivity in tube carriages. Instead of us sharing limited bandwidth, it will be multiplied out through available lights.

Li-Fi has its limitations – the inability to pass through walls means that connectivity in the home depends on having LEDs in every room. However, for a large conference hall or an outdoor space, this new technology could prove limitless, leaving conventional Wi-Fi in the dust with double the connectivity for a fraction of the power.

Who’s using Li-Fi?

So far, there are two Li-Fi products on the market, a ceiling unit and a desktop unit, both of which provide both light and connectivity. The implications for the Internet of things are obvious, but this is also an interesting space for retail business, allowing savvy shop owners to transmit personalised data to a shopper’s mobile securely, rapidly and remotely. There are already rumours that Apple has plans to integrate LiFi into future iPhones.

Updating Piccadilly Circus

The iconic billboards at Piccadilly Circus were switched off in January and will remain dark for the longest single period since WWII. Illuminated lettering has been a feature of the Circus since the 1890s, with the first ever illuminated sign – advertising the French brand Perrier – erected in 1908. Since then, the billboards have always moved with the times, embracing the new technology of neon and then projectors in the 1990s.

Since the WWII blackout, the lights have only gone dark for the deaths of Winston Churchill and Princess Diana, and the patchwork of screens have become a huge tourist attraction. The patchwork effect will remain, but the separate screens will be replaced by one massive state of the art screen, retaining the curved shape and with the capacity to be taken over by one company for short term promotions.

At 790 square metres, it’s the biggest screen of its kind in Europe and will reopen in the autumn. The new screen will also feature live streaming, social media integration and the capacity to personalise messages to respond to particular car brands or tourists’ cultures, adapting the language or advertising that appears. However, as Professor Haas argues, it could all be so much faster if the new screen was equipped with LiFi.

Using LEDs for advertising

Your business may not be in the market for screens and LiFi, but illuminated signs never go out of fashion, as Piccadilly Circus proves. In a visual landscape that’s crowded with competing signs, it’s the illuminated kind that catches our eye. LED has proved a popular alternative to neon, thanks to its relative stability and ultra low running costs. With a lifespan of anywhere up to 10 years, LEDs are the salesman that never sleeps, and LEDs are considerably safer than other forms of illuminated signage too, running at a very low temperature.

LED illuminated signs can also scroll through different colours and are easy to install. The overall lifetime cost of ownership makes this type of illumination extremely attractive from an investment perspective. There’s no limit to the kind of signs you can create, thanks to the flexibility of LED cables.

Create and differentiate

A well thought out LED halo sign will help you differentiate your business from the competition, by standing out from the visual clutter. Low cost LEDs can be illuminated 24 hours a day if necessary, meaning you’ll catch passing trade in the early morning and the early evening. If you need advertising that never sleeps, then LED is the savvy choice.

A well-designed LED sign communicates a sense of professionalism to your customers and can provide new touchpoints for engagement on the customer journey. Why be just another business, when a clearly thought out, well designed and well targeted sign can make your business a memorable standout?

Use the professionals

An illuminated sign works best when it’s professionally designed, installed and maintained, creating the optimum return on your investment. At the Sussex Sign Company, we’ll take your ideas and message and translate them into eye-catching signs that create instant impact. With our expertise, we’ll help you get everything right, from the message to the location, to create a bespoke illuminated LED sign that makes your business stand out.

If you’re interested in exploring the difference that a professionally designed and installed sign can make for your organisation, contact us today and we’ll be happy to help you put your name in lights, call us today on 01273 424900 or email us here.