Edge Lit Acrylic Boards
Edge Lit Acrylic Boards
Highly futuristic looking display solution
- An unusual, eye-catching display solution
- Panel can be personalized to show your content
- When lit up, the etched area glows brightly
- The remaining parts of the panel remain transparent
- Futuristic effect where glowing images and text seem to float in thin air
- Panel made of 5 mm thick laser-etched clear/transparent acrylic
- Low-power LED strip mounted along the edge
- ₹2,000 per square foot + GST, LED base and adaptor included
Shipping: Free in Pune; outside Pune, shipping charged extra. Minimum order ₹3,000 + GST.
Pricing: ₹2,000 per square foot + GST
Edge Lit Acrylic Boards – Detailed Description
There are a couple of scenes in the ‘Avengers’ and ‘Iron Man’ movies which show very futuristic looking display screens and control panels. These panels are made of a transparent glass-like material. There are no LED displays, circuitry or wires to be seen anywhere. And yet text, icons, and images are displayed on a transparent screen which can be viewed from both sides. In fact, the actors hold conversations across this screen. And you have brightly glowing images seemingly floating in thin air between them!
While most of the Avenger scenes are created in a CGI lab, we do have a product in the real world, similar to the one we just described. At Orchid Digitals, we refer to this product as an Edge/side Lit Acrylic Board.
How Does a LED Edge Lit Acrylic Sign Work?
An LED edge-lit acrylic sign is made of three main components –
- A sheet of acrylic
- Text and images which are laser engraved on this sheet
- A source of light (generally a strip of LEDs) fitted on the edge of the acrylic sheet.
The principle behind side lighting is fairly simple. When you shine a light, edgewise, through a sheet of acrylic, it passes through. But if there is a blemish or scratch anywhere on this sheet, the light reflects off that particular area, to give a nice and bright neon glow.
Here is the step by step explanation of how edge-lit acrylic displays actually work…
- The entire display/sheet of acrylic is transparent except for the area where the image is etched onto it.
- Etching is a process where images and text are scratched onto the surface of the display panel.
- The scratched area has a frosted look in contrast to the rest of the transparent sheet.
- Light is then shone edgewise through this sheet.
- This beam of light travels invisibly through the transparent area of the acrylic sheet.
- But its flow gets disrupted when it encounters the ‘frosted’ area of the scratched image.
- Light reflects off just the images and text making them glow brightly.
- And because the rest of the panel is transparent, the glowing text looks like it is floating in thin air.
- Moreover, the image is extremely eye-catching because of its strong neon glow.
Please note: An LED edge-lit acrylic sign can also be fabricated out of glass. But glass is an exceptionally hard material. Moreover, it is susceptible to breakage. Acrylic on the other hand can be very easily cut, shaped, and engraved with the help of a laser machine.
Moreover, it is extremely lightweight and difficult to break. Finally acrylic looks exactly like glass in the sense that it is clear, transparent, and has a glossy, reflective finish.
What Are the Applications of Side Lit Acrylic Boards?
Because of their strong neon glow, edge lit acrylic panels are prominently visible. Laser-etched acrylic also has a clean, glass-like look. Because of these two properties, side-lit displays are widely used in the following applications…
- Edge-lit perspex is used to make ‘Fire Exit’ and ‘Emergency Exit’ signs in residential buildings and commercial complexes. A brightly glowing sign keeps these exits clearly visible. Please note that an LED sign needs power: for exit signs that must keep glowing during a power cut, choose our glow-in-the-dark prints.
- Because of their clean, modern look, edge-lit perspex is also used for creating direction signs in malls and shopping complexes. Transparent glass-like panels dangle from the ceiling. These panels brightly glow with floor numbers, symbols of lifts, restrooms, and other icons.
- Edge lit acrylic panel is ideal for creating futuristic-looking displays. The brightly glowing neon text and images seemingly floating in the air are an absolute eye-catcher. Product exhibits using these panels are sure to elicit a wow from viewers.
- A photo engraved on a LED edge lit acrylic sign makes for a unique personalized gift. People can use these frames as nightlights or as a novel decor item.
- Side-lit acrylic signs are also widely used for logo branding and advertising in low light areas like bars and lounges.
- Arts and craft teachers make edge-lit gifts in their classes. In place of a laser machine, students use sandpaper to etch the acrylic.
How Are Edge Lit Acrylic Displays Made?
- The main display panel is made of acrylic. Although a polymeric sheet, acrylic looks exactly like glass. We use 5 mm thick clear cast acrylic as standard; larger boards may use a thicker sheet, up to 10 mm. While most panels are cut in rectangular shapes, our sheet of acrylic can also be cut in nonlinear shapes (like that of a logo) to make it more eye-catching.
- The artwork that has to go on the panel is then loaded onto a digital laser engraver. This machine uses a tightly focused beam of light to engrave the image on the reverse side of the panel. So when you look at it from the front, you get a smooth and flat finish. The back surface of the acrylic sheet becomes slightly uneven and notched. This is because the plastic surface is burned away, wherever the laser touches it.
- We now need a base platform to support the acrylic sheet. Remember it is 5 mm thick and has to stand on its edge. The platform can be made of a block of wood with a notch cut into it. The acrylic sheet is then inserted edgewise into this notch. Alternatively, if the display has to be suspended from the ceiling, we insert the panel into a metal holder with chains on top.
- Finally, we need to edge light the whole setup. To do this we use a strip of LED lights. This strip is fitted in the notch cut into the base platform. So the edge of the acrylic sheet is actually resting on the LEDs when it is inserted into the same notch. And when the LED strip is switched on, the light beam is perfectly focused into the 5 mm edge of the display.
FAQs | Frequently Asked Questions
At Orchid Digitals, we regularly work with a material called acrylic. We use sheets of acrylic to fabricate glow sign boards.
Acrylic has one unique property. If you scratch this material and then expose the sheet to a light source, the scratched area immediately starts glowing while the rest of the sheet remains transparent and unchanged.
Next, we use a laser machine to engrave (or scratch) an image on the back surface of the above sheet of acrylic. Finally, we fix a strip of LED on one edge of the engraved acrylic sheet. The beam of light travels invisibly through the transparent area of the acrylic sheet. But its flow gets disrupted when it encounters the ‘frosted’ area of the scratched image. And light reflects off just the engraved images and text to make them glow brightly.
Moreover, because the rest of the panel is transparent, the glowing text looks like it is floating in thin air.
Any size or shape, at ₹2,000 per square foot + GST. Our three standard sizes are:
12 inches X 18 inches: ₹3,000 + GST
18 inches X 24 inches: ₹6,000 + GST
24 inches X 36 inches: ₹12,000 + GST
We use 5 mm thick clear, transparent cast acrylic as standard. Larger boards may use a thicker sheet, up to 10 mm.
For the edge lights, we recommend that you opt for warm white LEDs that have a slightly yellowish tint. These LEDs give the signboard a warm, rich look.
We have a variety of shop boards and signs to choose from. Please click on the relevant links below to learn more.
3D acrylic boards with light (also see our backlit acrylic letters on a base plate)
3D acrylic boards without light (also see our non-lit acrylic letters on a base plate)
2D backlit flex boards with lights
To enable us to understand your requirements fully, we need a few inputs from your end. Do mail the following information to us.
1. Your design/logo file that needs to be laser-etched: This artwork needs to be in the form of a vector file. Two examples of vector-based software are Coreldraw and Adobe Illustrator. Their file formats are referred to as .cdr and .ai, respectively. Other vector files like .eps and .svg files will work just as well. Bitmap file formats like .jpg, .tiff, .png .psd do not really help.
2. The dimensions: The horizontal width and the vertical height are two of the main parameters that go into determining the total cost of the acrylic board project. Do make sure that you share the same as well.
3. Site photograph: Do share a photo of the location where the board needs to be installed. This site pic helps us visualise the job and formulate a proposal for you.
Before you decide to place an order, you might be wondering about the costs and material specifications. And we are more than happy to create a proposal for you to study.
Armed with all the relevant facts and figures, you can now make an informed decision. Do share all the relevant information specified in the previous point, and we will mail a costs and specification sheet to you.
An edge-lit acrylic board costs ₹2,000 per square foot + 18% GST. This includes the LED base and the power adaptor, and the price stays the same however detailed your artwork is.
For example, a board 3 feet wide X 4 feet high works out to:
3 feet X 4 feet X ₹2,000 = ₹24,000 + 18% GST
Installation (in Pune) and shipping outside Pune are charged extra and quoted separately.
Installing this signage is pretty straightforward: most boards simply stand on their LED base, or hang from the ceiling on chains.
For our Pune based clients, we have a team of fitters to help with the installation, which is charged extra. On orders of ₹10,000 + GST and above, the installation price is quoted once we understand the scope of the job. Smaller jobs can be installed on request, at a slightly higher cost.
Laser machines work best with vector file formats. Please ensure that your artworks are created as vectors in software like CorelDraw, AI, etc.
There is no minimum size. Our minimum order is ₹3,000 + GST. Our smallest standard board (1 foot X 1.5 feet = 1.5 sq ft X ₹2,000 = ₹3,000) reaches it on its own. Smaller boards are welcome too: order several of them to reach the ₹3,000 minimum.
Yes. Delivery in Pune is free on orders of ₹3,000 + GST and above. Edge-lit boards are fragile, so outside Pune, orders of ₹10,000 + GST and above are shipped with the shipping cost charged extra; we confirm the cost before dispatch. Smaller outstation orders are shipped only on request, at a higher shipping cost.
Pricing for LED Edge Lit Acrylic Sign
An edge lit acrylic board costs ₹2,000 per square foot + GST, including the LED base and power adaptor. Below are our three standard sizes; other sizes and shapes are priced at the same rate.
Edge Lit Acrylic Board | 1 foot high X 1.5 feet wide
Laser etched, transparent acrylic panel, lit from the side
- 5 mm thick acrylic panel
- Imported cast acrylic is crystal clear
- Panel has your content laser etched on the back
- Acrylic panel can also be cut along the contours of your logo
- Above panel fixed in a base, for support
- Base is embedded with LED modules | Warm white colour
- When lit up, the etched area glows brightly.
- The remaining parts of the panel remain transparent.
- Power supply / adaptor for lighting up the assembly
- Futuristic display that draws attention
Edge Lit Acrylic Board | 1.5 foot high X 2 feet wide
Laser etched, transparent acrylic panel, lit from the side
- 5 mm thick acrylic panel
- Imported cast acrylic is crystal clear
- Panel has your content laser etched on the back
- Acrylic panel can also be cut along the contours of your logo
- Above panel fixed in a base, for support
- Base is embedded with LED modules | Warm white colour
- When lit up, the etched area glows brightly.
- The remaining parts of the panel remain transparent.
- Power supply / adaptor for lighting up the assembly
- Futuristic display that draws attention
Edge Lit Acrylic Board | 2 foot high X 3 feet wide
Laser etched, transparent acrylic panel, lit from the side
- 5 mm thick acrylic panel
- Imported cast acrylic is crystal clear
- Panel has your content laser etched on the back
- Acrylic panel can also be cut along the contours of your logo
- Above panel fixed in a base, for support
- Base is embedded with LED modules | Warm white colour
- When lit up, the etched area glows brightly.
- The remaining parts of the panel remain transparent.
- Power supply / adaptor for lighting up the assembly
- Futuristic display that draws attention
Get a Quote for Your LED Acrylic Edge Light Sign
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