RGB adds 50 percent and lets the whole sign glow one color at a time, switched by remote. It is worth it for a space that changes use, and rarely worth it for a fixed piece of wall art.
The trap: RGB cannot show your first word pink and your second blue. That is multi color, and it is free.
What RGB actually gives you
Instead of one fixed tube color, the sign contains color changing tube driven by a remote. You get a range of colors, brightness control, and usually some fade and flash modes.
When it earns its 50 percent
- ✓ A room that changes mood. Home bar, games room, studio, anywhere the same space is used differently at different hours.
- ✓ Hire and events. One sign that suits every color scheme is worth more than a cheaper one that clashes half the time.
- ✓ Genuine indecision. If you have gone back and forth between three colors for a week, RGB is a legitimate way to stop deciding.
- ✗ A considered interior. If the sign is chosen to sit with the room, one right color beats twelve approximate ones.
- ✗ Anything photographed a lot. Warm White and Hot Pink photograph better than most RGB settings, which can read slightly synthetic on camera.
The honest downside
RGB colors are mixed rather than emitted at one wavelength, so they do not have quite the depth of a dedicated tube. Side by side, a fixed Hot Pink tube looks richer than an RGB sign set to pink. Most people never see them side by side and never notice. It is worth knowing before you pay for it rather than after.
| You want | Choose | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Different colors in different words | Multi color, fixed tubes | No extra cost |
| To change the color whenever you like | RGB | Plus 50 percent |
| Two colors blended together | Gradient | Quoted individually |
| Just to turn it down at night | Any sign, dimmer included | Included |
Ask yourself how often you will actually pick up the remote after the first month. For most homes the answer is almost never, and that money is better spent on a bigger sign in the one color you love. For a bar, a rental piece or a room with two lives, RGB genuinely earns it.
Frequently asked questions
Is an RGB neon sign worth the extra cost?
It is worth 50 percent more if the room changes use, if the sign is hired out, or if you genuinely cannot settle on one color. For a fixed piece of wall art chosen to suit a specific interior, a single well chosen tube color usually looks better and costs less.
Can an RGB sign show two colors at the same time?
No. RGB changes the whole sign together, one color at a time. For different words in different colors you want multi color with fixed tubes, which costs nothing extra and looks sharper because each tube emits one true color.
Do RGB colors look as good as fixed tube colors?
Close, but not identical. RGB mixes its colors, so it lacks a little of the depth of a dedicated tube. Side by side the fixed tube wins; on its own wall, almost nobody notices. It is the one honest trade off in the option.
How many colors does the remote give you?
A range of colors across the spectrum, plus brightness control and fade and flash modes. In practice most people settle on two or three favorites and use those.
Do standard neon signs come with a dimmer?
Yes. An in line dimmer is included on every sign we make, RGB or not. If the reason you are considering RGB is brightness rather than color, you do not need to pay the extra.
We have made neon since 1998, and we still make it ourselves. If something here does not answer your question, ask us.
