Lately, decorative lighting has occupied a worthy place in the creation of outdoor and interior advertising. This element is able to create the most unusual and original effects, blurring the boundaries between the environment and the interior. Using the front end glass, you can make a compact flat screen that attracts attention no less than a bulky light box.
What is end lighting?
The technology arose not so long ago, along with the increased popularity of interior advertising, when there was not enough space to evenly illuminate the image in the light box. Its essence is that with the help of special elements located at the end of the glass, the light flux is distributed over the entire surface. The edges of the glass are framed with an aluminum profile with an LED ruler. End lighting of the glass is a rather expensive technology, therefore, in order to reduce costs, acrylic is often used, which makes it possible to produce effective media at a more affordable price for the consumer.
Acrylic Glass Selection
When selecting material, it is very important to consider some of its parameters. As a rule, acrylic plexiglass for end lighting is used with a thickness of 6-10 mm.
Very good engraving results are obtained on some types of injection glass. Engraving is performed using special engraving systems. The presence of a floating head in them provides the same depth of engraving over the entire surface, so that the glow is uniform. When engraving, the presence of a protective coating in the form of a film is very important, which should not be rushed to remove during processing. When the lamp is on, any scratches and defects are very clearly visible on acrylic. You can use plexiglass for end lighting 4 mm thick, but then 2 such glasses should be combined, placing a graphic image between them.
Advantages of Acrylic Glass
- Even when the sheet is illuminated only at the edges, light penetrates the entire surface of the sheet.
- Acrylic glass is suitable for the manufacture of very thin light boxes and for any light sources.
- The glass of the backlight has a relatively small thickness, which gives the panel a noble, aesthetic appearance.
- Glass acrylic panels are able to give the interior a uniqueness and originality.
Types of end lighting
To create a backlight in lighting engineering usually use acrylic or polystyrene plastic. These materials are capable of transmitting and simultaneously scattering the light coming from the LED module.
There are two options for creating lighting effects using backlight. The first involves the presence of engraving on the surface of plexiglass. The light is refracted along the contours of the engraving, creating the appearance of the image glowing from the inside. It is very clearly visible at any time of the day.
Another option is the end lighting of the glass with an auxiliary screen with an engraving installed in front of it.
Backlight Benefits
The LEDs used in the backlight are small in size, so they can illuminate even the most inaccessible places. The resulting light can be of various colors, which makes it possible to create any light effects.
The backlight system uses converters to control the brightness of the glow. Management can be performed using the remote control, as well as automatically.
System assembly is a fairly simple process. Due to its low power consumption, LED backlighting can significantly save electricity.
DIY lighting
The installation process is simple. The shape of the future panel is cut out of plexiglass using a hand saw. The edges must be carefully processed and glued to the glass pattern. The main thing is to prepare a profile suitable in size to the glass. To fix it on the wall surface using self-tapping screws, holes are made in it. Manufacturers made sure that at home, the end lighting of the glass with their own hands was simple and easy. Thanks to the self-adhesive base, the LED strip is installed in the right place. When making such a system yourself, it is very important not to remove the insert located inside the profile, since it will serve as protection against the contact of the tape with the aluminum surface. Inserting the tape is quite simple if the end ends are open. In another case, when access to them is difficult, you can use any devices. To align the tape inside it is very convenient to use an ordinary wooden or plastic ruler.
Installing glass is the final step that will require some effort. To ensure that the front end glass is positioned firmly, it is permissible to use a rubber mallet with a wooden extension. Thus, the entire procedure for installing the backlight is carried out quite quickly.
Installation and handling recommendations
All four ends of the sheet must be very well polished. This greatly affects the brightness of the lighting. Even with a slight curvature in this part of the sheet, light may be lost. We recommend polishing with a diamond tip.
It is very important to choose the right profile system. This will help to securely fasten the sheet and at the same time increase the degree of illumination of the ends. The light source during installation must be placed as close to the ends as possible.
If only one or two ends are illuminated, then the rest must be covered with a reflective film.
The degree of illumination increases when a white reflector is placed behind the glass. Its role can be performed by a PVC sheet.
To get the maximum effect, you also need to choose the glass end lights of the required thickness. It will depend on the selected light source and the size of the light panel.
Plexiglas is most often used for illumination in creating all kinds of billboards (both one-sided and two-sided), ultra-thin light boxes, road safety signs, in decorative lighting.