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I went to a business expo/show recently, and I wanted a better sign for my booth. I had a simple vinyl banner printed up from before, but it's really easy for others to ignore since it doesn't catch the eye. I wanted something lit up and simple, so I came up with the idea for a backlit sign.
Backlit signs are simple, you can find a ton everywhere. However, I needed to make one quickly and with materials on hand, so I figured out how to do this. Here we go.
Backlit signs are simple, you can find a ton everywhere. However, I needed to make one quickly and with materials on hand, so I figured out how to do this. Here we go.
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Signing UpStep 1Materials
Here's what you need:
-Thin (1/4") plywood or MDF - this forms the face & back. MDF will be smoother, will be easier to cut w/o flaking, and will have no warp. It's also more susceptible to water damage. Painted, that shouldn't matter.
-Small stock wood to form the sides. I think I used 1x3 cheap stuff from home depot. 2-3 inches wide is ideal; this will be the depth of your box.
-Wood screws.
-Black paint.
-Paper, vellum, thin plastic sheet, etc - This forms the diffusive layer that lets the letters show up as glowing white. I used paper out of desperation, but something more durable would be nice here.
-Aluminum foil - used on the inner-back of the sign to reflect light towards the front/letters.
-Lights - I used Ikea under-counter lights glued to the front face, pointing towards the back. These are hot 20w halogens, so they're not ideal for an enclosed box like this. Get 12" CCFL lights used for PC case modding instead.
Tools:
-Drill.
-Jigsaw with small blade (!).
-Saw.
-Thin (1/4") plywood or MDF - this forms the face & back. MDF will be smoother, will be easier to cut w/o flaking, and will have no warp. It's also more susceptible to water damage. Painted, that shouldn't matter.
-Small stock wood to form the sides. I think I used 1x3 cheap stuff from home depot. 2-3 inches wide is ideal; this will be the depth of your box.
-Wood screws.
-Black paint.
-Paper, vellum, thin plastic sheet, etc - This forms the diffusive layer that lets the letters show up as glowing white. I used paper out of desperation, but something more durable would be nice here.
-Aluminum foil - used on the inner-back of the sign to reflect light towards the front/letters.
-Lights - I used Ikea under-counter lights glued to the front face, pointing towards the back. These are hot 20w halogens, so they're not ideal for an enclosed box like this. Get 12" CCFL lights used for PC case modding instead.
Tools:
-Drill.
-Jigsaw with small blade (!).
-Saw.
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My solution is to join my local hackerspace and start using their vinyl cutter. It's long, long overdue.