Open-face neon channel letters: look, build and care

Open-face neon channel letters are stainless steel channels with no face, with a line of LED neon running down the middle of each stroke. They give the look of a classic exposed-neon sign, a bright line of light framed by metal, but run on 12 V DC LEDs instead of glass tubes and a high-voltage transformer. They suit bars, cafes, barbershops and any brand with a retro or nightlife feel.

How they are built

• The channel: 304 stainless steel returns and back, open at the front. Because nothing covers the front, the steel is part of the look; the photo above shows a gold channel.
• The light: LED neon, a flexible tube with LEDs inside that gives a continuous line of light instead of separate dots.
• The layout: the tube follows the centerline of each stroke, held by clips and usually set toward the front of the channel, so it shows from the side as well as straight on.
• Power: 12 V DC. Indoor signs usually plug in through a 100 to 240 V AC adapter. Outdoor signs use a hard-wired outdoor power supply that a licensed electrician connects. The power supply is a UL-listed component.

Every sign ships with a full-size paper mounting template and the hardware, and our letters mount flush to the wall.

LED neon vs glass neon

Open-face letters started as housings for glass neon tubes, which is where the look comes from. Today they are often lit with LED neon instead.

	LED neon (what we use)	Glass neon
The tube	Flexible plastic tube with LEDs inside	Hand-bent glass tube filled with gas
Power	12 V DC from a low-voltage power supply	A transformer that steps up to thousands of volts
If it gets knocked	Flexes	Glass can break
Energy use	A fraction of glass neon	Much higher for the same length
Repairs	Replace a run of LED neon	Needs a neon specialist to bend new glass

For the person paying the electric bill and the person cleaning the sign, LED neon is the easier choice, and it keeps the single-line look that makes neon recognizable. LED vs neon signs compares glass neon, LED neon and LED modules in more detail, including converting old neon letters.

Fonts and stroke width

The tube runs down the middle of each stroke, so the font decides how the sign looks.

• Scripts and monoline fonts (fonts with an even stroke width) look the most like traditional neon, because neon is a single line.
• Every stroke needs room for the tube and its clips. Very thin strokes or hairline serifs do not leave space.
• LED neon bends in curves. Sharp points and very small details are simplified on the drawing so the tube can follow them.
• Small counters fill up. The inside spaces of letters like a, e and o need room around the tube, so very small lettering loses its shape. A small tagline is often better as non-lit or front-lit letters next to the neon.

Before you ask for a drawing, try your text in the sign preview tool to see the width and height. Choosing a font for channel letters goes deeper on stroke widths and scripts.

Day and night

By day, open-face letters read as metal outlines with the tube visible inside. The finish of the steel carries the daytime look, so choose it with care: gold and brushed stainless both work, and a painted channel can match a brand color.

At night the line of light takes over. The inside walls of the channel catch the glow and give each stroke a soft edge. Compared with front-lit letters, where the whole face lights up, an open-face sign shows a thinner line of light, so consider going a size up if it has to read from far away. The letter height calculator helps with sizing.

Indoor or outdoor

Indoor open-face letters are the simplest. They plug in, they stay clean longer, and they work well on a bar back wall, behind a coffee counter, in a lobby or on a photo wall.

Outdoor open-face letters need an outdoor build: outdoor-rated LED parts and a hard-wired outdoor power supply. Rain, leaves and dust get into an open channel, and in some places birds will try to nest in it. Some sign shops add a clear acrylic face over open letters to keep debris out. If birds or blowing debris are a problem where you are, mention it when you ask for your drawing.

Outdoor signs also usually need a permit. Sign permits: what cities ask for explains the packet, and the rules vary by city, so check with yours.

Care and cleaning

Open letters need a little more attention than closed ones. A few times a year, or whenever they look dusty:

1. Turn the sign off at the switch or unplug it.
2. Brush out dust and cobwebs with a soft brush, or blow them out with low-pressure air.
3. Wipe the steel with warm water, a little mild soap and a soft cloth. On brushed stainless, wipe along the grain.
4. Wipe the tube with a damp soft cloth. Do not use solvents, scouring powder or abrasive pads.
5. Check the clips. If the tube has lifted out of one, press it back in gently. Do not pull on the tube.
6. Outdoors, clear leaves and nests from the channels before they hold water.

Channel letter maintenance and cleaning covers stainless and acrylic care in more detail. If one letter goes dark, start with channel letters not lighting.

Where they fit

Open-face neon shows up most in bars and lounges, restaurants and cafes, barbershops, tattoo studios, music venues and retro-themed shops. For a logo with neon lines, a lit logo sign can carry the same look. If you want the carnival or theater look instead of neon, see marquee bulb letters and the marquee letters guide.

Next step

Browse open-face neon channel letters and the open-face letters collection, check a ballpark with the price estimator, then send your logo or text and wall size through the quote form. We email a free drawing with a lit preview and an exact price, and nothing is built until you approve it.