Electronic Display Gallery - Boulder, Colorado
Selecting an LED sign should be driven by the business or organizational objectives you hope to meet by purchasing an LED sign. An informed buyer knows the right questions to ask and what features to consider. You might think this process is complex. Not to worry. There are a few basic guidelines, some good questions to ask and a few things to look for that can help you make the decision with confidence.
1) WHAT IS AN LED SIGN?
An LED (light emitting diode) is an efficient, effective and ultrabright alternative to incandescent light
bulbs. Unlike traditional light bulbs, LEDs do not burn out because there is no filament. Rather, they
just slowly dim over a long period of time (about 100,000 hours or 11+ years).
An LED sign is made up of individual modules (about 12” square each) with LEDs mounted on them. The
modular design allows the signs to be configured to almost any size. LED signs are typically double-sided
and are available as monochrome or full color. A common size for commercial LEDs is 37” high x 8’ wide.
LEDs are usually part of a larger system, as in the example shown here. Messages can be programmed
and scheduled easily using software installed on the computer that controls the sign.
2) HOW DOES AN LED SIGN WORK?
It works through a standard PC that connects to the sign via one of these five methods:
- Broadband Wireless
- Radio Frequency (RF) connection
- Phone modem (similar to a dial-up Internet connection)
- Fiber optics
- Corporate network (LAN or other)
The software allows the user to program and change messages on the sign. The marketing department often
manages programming. The programmer chooses from a menu of text and animation options
and creates a schedule of messages, sometimes setting a schedule weeks or even months in advance.
Prepackaged graphics, web graphics and original graphics can all be part of the messaging mix.
3) WHO SHOULD CONSIDER INVESTING IN AN LED SIGN?
Anyone who relies on business from passersby should consider LED. If your business or organization is
visible from the highway or a busy street – whether it’s vehicular traffic, pedestrian traffic or both – you should
consider advertising with an LED sign. In addition, if you’ve already invested in more expensive advertising to
reach your audience, you should consider an LED sign. What’s more expensive, you ask? Read on.
4) HOW DO LED SIGNS COMPARE TO OTHER FORMS OF ADVERTISING?
Just look at how LED signs stack up. Compare an LED sign in terms of the number of impressions, cost per
impression and how much it costs on a per-day basis. It beats newspaper, yellow pages and radio hands
down. And only with an LED sign can you change your message instantaneously. LED signs can be used to
quickly reduce inventory or boost site-specifi c and time-specifi c sales – perfect for a restaurant that wants
to clear out perishable food items by offering a limited-time special, for instance.
5) HOW DO I CHOOSE THE RIGHT LED SIGN?
You’ll want to consult with a sign professional, but here are a few items to consider right away:
Display size
- What will the typical viewing distance be?
- Will your LED sign fit into an existing sign?
Pixel pitch
- Another instance to consider the expected viewing distance.
- How important is detail in the images you will display?
Color or monochrome
- Will the products or services you want to advertise work best in color?
- What is the environment of your sign?
- How will color or monochrome stand out?
6) HOW MUCH SHOULD I BUDGET FOR AN LED SIGN?
You’ve learned that there are many options in size, color, depth, detail and more, so obviously it depends.
There are some useful guidelines that will help you budget. Remember that price is primarily driven by
LED quantity and color—prices range quite a bit, from $10,000 to $300,000.
An LED sign purchase can best be considered as an advertising expenditure, rather than a capital
investment. Put in these terms, the monthly investment of an LED sign, as pointed out in #4, compares
very favorably to other advertising options. Another way to look at it is that the monthly payment for an
LED is highly comparable to a vehicle or truck lease.