Ever wonder what “halo lit reverse channel letters” are? Until we told them, so did Dudley!
In our sign gallery Dudley Land Company saw a custom sign we had made and said “Hey, what’s that?” Well, let me explain what we explained to them.
While channel letters are considered “dimensional” because they have sides and depth, they also typically have translucent polycarbonate faces with internal LEDs that shine out through the face, lighting up any translucent vinyl graphics that may be applied to the surface.
On the other hand, reverse channel letters shine out of the back of the letters rather than through the front faces. Like standard channel letters, they are dimensional in that they have depth and sides, but reverse channels typically have painted metal opaque faces, and have clear acrylic backs. The internal LEDs are positioned in such a way that light transmits through the clear backs and onto the surface under the letters.
In this case, like many others, using this type of metallic background not only hides the power supply and all of the wiring, but also disperses the light behind the lettering, providing a glowing field of light that appears to make the letters hover in mid air. 
What I tell customers when they’re interested in these types of reverse channel letter signs, is that while they will glow out of the back of the letter, they illuminate whatever is behind them. So, if the wall surface is flawed or unattractive, halo back lit letters will only serve to highlight those flaws. For this reason we don’t attach reverse channel letters to a raceway, because a raceway is meant to be hidden and these letters will light it up!
To control the halo glow behind the lettering we often use a metallic background to evenly disperse the light, and control the texture and appearance of the overall sign presentation. On occasion we’ll also carve lettering or shapes into the frame itself, which provides an additional layer of dimension and allows for finer details in the sign design.
Check out what we created for Noir to see a similar sign with a few more features.
You can reach us by phone at (405) 471-4299, or by requesting a free quote using our Quote Request Form. You can view our gallery of designs and finished sign projects, and find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/electremedia, or via Twitter @Electremedia. Our sister site, www.customsignsokc.com, has additional project and design examples.
We hope to hear from you soon!