Yes, most drawings can be made into a neon sign. Send whatever you have, including a photograph of a sketch on paper.
What changes is detail. Neon is continuous strokes of one thickness, so a drawing becomes a sign by being simplified to its strongest lines. You see exactly what was simplified before anything is built.
What translates and what does not
- ✓ Bold continuous outlines. A single confident line is exactly what tube does.
- ✓ Simple shapes and symbols. Hearts, mountains, animals in outline, hands, plants.
- ✓ Handwriting, as long as it is not too fine.
- ✗ Shading and hatching. There is no way to do a tonal area in tube.
- ✗ Lines that vary in thickness. Tube is one diameter throughout.
- ✗ Detail under about 5 cm. That is the smallest bend that can be made.
How to send a drawing
You do not need to scan it or clean it up. A phone photograph is fine, with these caveats:
| Do | Why |
|---|---|
| Shoot in daylight, flat on a table | Even light means we can see the actual lines |
| Shoot straight down, not at an angle | Perspective distorts the proportions |
| Fill the frame with the drawing | More pixels on the part that matters |
| Say which parts matter most | Tells us what to protect when simplifying |
What happens next
A designer redraws it as a bending path and sends you a scaled drawing with exact dimensions and a firm price, usually within thirty minutes to three hours on a business day. Where something had to be simplified, you see the before and after. Revisions are unlimited and free, so if the simplification lost something that mattered, say so and it gets redrawn.
If your drawing has detail that genuinely cannot be bent but should still be there, a UV printed backboard puts it behind the tube in full color at no extra cost.
Send it, even if you think it is too rough or too complicated. Almost nothing is genuinely impossible, and the drawing we send back costs you nothing and settles the question in an afternoon. The people who talk themselves out of asking are usually the ones whose drawing would have worked best.
Send your drawing for a free scaled proof.
Frequently asked questions
Can you turn a drawing into a neon sign?
Usually yes. Bold continuous outlines, simple shapes and handwriting all translate directly. Shading, hatching, lines of varying thickness and detail below about 5 cm do not, so those parts get simplified or moved to a printed backboard. You see every change before anything is made.
How should I photograph a drawing to send you?
Flat on a table in daylight, shot straight down rather than at an angle, filling the frame. No need to scan it or tidy it. Tell us which parts matter most so we know what to protect when the design is simplified.
Can you make a neon sign from a child's drawing?
Yes, and they are among the best subjects, because children naturally draw in the bold single strokes that neon reproduces well. Do not clean it up first. The irregularity is what makes the finished sign look like the drawing rather than like a font.
What if my drawing is too detailed?
The detail that cannot be bent either comes out or moves onto a UV printed backboard, where it is reproduced in full color behind the glowing part. That costs nothing extra. Send the drawing and we will tell you which parts fall into which category.
Is there a charge for the design work?
No. Drawings and revisions are unlimited and free, and you see a scaled proof with a firm price before you pay anything.
We have made neon since 1998, and we still make it ourselves. If something here does not answer your question, ask us.
