Neon Signs: The Glow-Up from Gas to LED

Walk through any major city at night and you’ll see it; that unmistakable glow spelling out everything from bar names to art gallery installations. Neon signs have been lighting up the world for over a hundred years, but while their look has stayed iconic, the technology behind them has changed dramatically.

We hear it all the time: “LED neon isn’t real neon.” But the truth is a bit more complicated and a lot more interesting.

The Birth of Neon

The first neon sign made its public debut in 1910, when French engineer Georges Claude demonstrated tubes filled with neon gas that glowed a brilliant red-orange. It was a new form of advertising and public art, and the world was immediately hooked.

Claude’s invention relied on passing an electrical current through sealed glass tubes filled with neon, a noble gas that emits that distinct reddish hue when electrified. Because the effect was so captivating, neon quickly became synonymous with glowing signage.

But here's the thing: that iconic red glow was the only colour pure neon gas could produce. By the 1920s and 30s, as demand grew for a wider range of colours, signmakers began experimenting with other gases. Argon, when combined with mercury and different types of coloured glass, could produce blues, purples, greens, and more. Over time, argon-based signs became more common than the original neon ones.

Still, the name “neon” stuck, even when most of the signs no longer used neon gas at all.

The Rise of LED

In the last decades, a new player has entered the game: LED neon. Instead of glass tubes filled with gas, LED neon signs use flexible tubing and strips of light-emitting diodes to recreate the same visual impact. They're lightweight, durable, energy-efficient, and safe to the touch. They can bend into tight shapes, change colours, flash or dim on command, and they don’t require the same high-voltage transformers or delicate handling that glass signs do.

Still, some people argue that these are not real neon signs. But when you look at the history, that argument misses the mark. Neon has always been more about the visual effect than the gas inside. And most glass signs for decades have relied on argon, not neon. So the idea that LED versions are somehow not authentic falls apart pretty quickly.

What We Do at Radikal Neon

At Radikal Neon, we specialise in both glass and LED neon. We know there are situations where only real glass tubing will do. The hum, the craftsmanship, the nostalgia - glass signs have a magic of their own. But we also know that LED offers more flexibility and durability for modern spaces.

Whether you want a custom sign for your business, a statement piece for your home, or a glowing design for an event or art installation, we can help you bring it to life. Our job is to help you light up your world, no matter what kind of glow you are after.

The bottom line is this. Neon is no longer just about what’s inside the tube. It is about style, emotion, and impact. And that will always be our focus: Gas, LED, or anything else that comes next.