Size is almost the whole price. Cutting 20 cm off the width saves more than every other decision on this page combined.
After that: fewer words, no RGB, and skipping the outdoor build if it is going indoors. Everything else is noise.
One: make it smaller
Price scales with the physical size of the piece, because that is what drives tube length, board area, bending time and shipping. A sign at 80 cm wide is meaningfully cheaper than the same design at 100 cm, and in most rooms nobody could tell you which one is on the wall.
Two: use fewer words
Every extra word either widens the sign or shrinks the letters. Both cost you: one in money, the other in whether it can be made at all.
- ✓ Cut the article words. The, a, and. They add width and carry nothing.
- ✓ Use an ampersand rather than the word and.
- ✓ Drop the date. It doubles the design work and it is the first thing that dates the sign.
Three: only buy the options you need
| Option | Adds | Skip it when |
|---|---|---|
| RGB color changing | 50 percent | The sign lives in one room with a fixed scheme |
| Outdoor IP67 build | 25 percent | It is indoors, or behind glass in a window |
| Multiple colors | Nothing | Never, it is free |
| Backboard shape or finish | Nothing | Never, all five shapes and twelve finishes are included |
Four: consider a ready made design
If your wording is something common, a preset design starts well below a custom piece because it is an existing product rather than a new one. Custom pricing is not a surcharge on the same item; it is a different item, drawn and bent for you.
Where not to save
Skipping the outdoor build for something that will get rained on is not a saving, it is a deferred repair. Neither is buying a sign too small to read from where people will stand, which is the most common regret we hear.
Set your budget, then ask us for a drawing at the largest size it buys rather than at the size you first pictured. Almost everyone who compromises on size regrets it and almost nobody who compromises on options does. If the number still does not work, cut a word before you cut a centimeter.
Frequently asked questions
How can I make a custom neon sign cheaper?
Reduce the size first, since price follows the physical dimensions of the piece more than anything else. Then shorten the wording, skip RGB if the sign lives in one room, and skip the outdoor build if it is going indoors. Those four decisions account for nearly all of the difference.
Do more colors cost more?
No. Using several fixed colors in one sign costs nothing extra. The option people are thinking of is RGB color changing, which adds 50 percent and works differently: it shows one color at a time across the whole sign.
Is there a design fee?
No. Drawings are free, revisions are unlimited and free, and you see a scaled drawing with a firm price before you pay anything.
Why is a custom sign more expensive than a ready made one?
Because it is a different product, not the same product with a surcharge. A preset design is an existing item; a custom sign is drawn for your wording and the tube is bent to your letters. If your wording is common, a preset genuinely is the cheaper route.
Can I just order a smaller sign and still have it look right?
Up to a point. Letters below about 5 cm tall cannot be bent, so a wordy design shrinks until it hits that floor and then stops being possible. If the price is not working, remove a word rather than more width.
We have made neon since 1998, and we still make it ourselves. If something here does not answer your question, ask us.
