Keeping You Ahead of the LED Game

George Bernard Shaw said “Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” That certainly applies to one of the current hot signage topics– LED illumination.

 

The diagram above is a “lamp type” of LED. LED technology is now moving to Surface Mounted Diodes, or SMDs.

You need to know the LED basics. A few are listed below, and we’ll discuss others in upcoming editions of Tricks of the Trade.

First, a news flash: Direct Sign Wholesale now operates an LED Testing Laboratory. Our objectives for this lab are to 1) provide the highest LED value and quality to our customers by continuous impartial testing of the major brands, and 2) utilize the optimal LED brands for different channel letter signs by monitoring and testing the performance characteristics and differences among brands.

VIEWING ANGLE

The Viewing Angle from an LED (LED stands for “light emitting diode”) module is the “light cone”. Different LED brands have different viewing angles, and this difference must be taken into account when LED is installed into a sign.

 

Different Viewing Angles from an LED light source

An insufficient number of LED strokes with a narrow viewing angle will result in dark areas and/or “tiger striping.” Needless to say, this type of lighting issue will not help your referrals in the future.

The tests in the Direct Sign Wholesale LED Lab factor in the viewing angle of each LED brand, and that data is utilized when calculating the number of LED strokes needed for a bright, vibrant sign face.

LED CHIP

Another item we test and monitor at the DSW LED lab is the chip, which is one of the most important LED components. An LED chip is basically a tiny semiconductor diode, and is also the LED component that actually emits the light. The LED chip quality will directly impact the LED’s long term performance – a low quality chip will result in lower brightness, less color consistency and shorter lifespan.

LED DEGRADATION

When we say “degradation”, we mean a decreasing level of lighting brightness and intensity over time, and it is another LED variable monitored by the DSW lab. Some brands which initially show a strong lighting performance do not maintain that level of intensity over time. That can mean problems when your customer calls to complain about her sign that “looks much dimmer than it did when you installed it.”

So there you have a few LED terms and definitions. Here is one other key finding from the lab: expensive LED is not always the best LED. We’ve found that some moderately priced brands perform very well.

Here is the bottom line. Direct Sign Wholesale is constantly testing and monitoring LED brands to ensure your customer receives a long lasting, brightly lit LED channel letter sign at the best price. We are not beholden to any LED manufacturer, and will continue to test brands to ensure your customer receives the best combination of LED performance and price.