OPEN Neon Sign, Red and Blue for Storefronts

An OPEN sign has one job: tell people walking or driving past that you are ready for them. This one spells “OPEN” in red block capitals inside a blue rounded border, a combination that reads at a glance, made in LED neon for a storefront, a restaurant, a salon or the side of a food truck.

The bold letters are outlined in tube, and the border is its own run of tube around them, all set into grooves in a clear acrylic rectangle about 1/4 in thick. Several colors in one sign cost nothing extra.

Reading distance comes down to letter height. A common rule of thumb among sign makers is about 1 in of letter height for every 10 ft of distance. Your proof shows the size at the width you choose, so you can check it against the distance from the sidewalk, the parking lot or the street.

Most OPEN signs hang in a window. Choose ceiling hanging cables: a disc screws to the ceiling, a thin steel cable drops to the sign, and a snap hook clips into each hole in the board. Two cables suit most signs; four keep a wide sign from swinging when the door opens. Face the lit side out, since from inside you see the back of the board.

Switching it on at opening and off at closing is easiest with the remote dimmer. The plug-in adapter (100 to 240 V in, 12 V DC out) has a cULus Listed power supply, and the LED tube is rated for 50,000 hours. For a food truck or a spot open to the weather, choose the outdoor build, sealed to IP67, and keep the adapter dry. Made to order after a free proof: 15 to 20 days, plus 3 to 5 days in transit.

In a small shop window or on a food truck, 20 or 24 in is enough. A typical storefront or restaurant window takes 30 or 36 in. For a wide window, or a sign that must read from a parking lot or across a busy road, choose 48 or 60 in.

Red and blue are pictured. Ask on the proof if you want the colors to match your brand.

Use ceiling cables in a window, wall standoffs on an inside wall, and the outdoor build for anything mounted outside or on a truck.