NEON DESIGN SERVICES
by
Better neon design through the art of lettering and illustration.
I’m a designer who loves neon and understands how to work with it. What I do is work with you to create a neon-specific design that is unique and enduring (examples here).
I work in collabration with neon shops, but I am not a glass bender or a sign manufacturer. See the FAQs below for more details.
[Btw, this is a bare-bones, temporary website. Many of the links on this page will send you to the Kate Widdows website. That's me. More info coming soon here once I have the site built properly!]
NEON DESIGN FAQs
What exactly is going on here? What do you do?
I serve as a design bridge between your idea and the neon shop. I’m a letterer with a deep love for neon and lots of experience designing neon signs. Together we’ll create a piece of custom artwork informed by your inspiration and my understanding of neon’s strengths and limitations. I am not a glass bender or a sign manufacturer — I partner with brilliant glass benders to make amazing neon art works!
Why should I work with you instead of just going directly to the neon shop and have them design something?
Neon shops don’t often have in-house designers. I’ve got an art degree, have been studying typography for 20+ years, and drawing neon lettering for more than a decade. With all due respect to the glass benders who are the neon gods who walk among us, their time is spent in the fires. When you hire the neon shop without artwork ready, benders will most likely use a font to create your text-based art, which can result in a generic, boring, cookie-cutter sign design in the end. I work with you to activate your vision and create something special, memorable, legible, futuristic or historical, and I collaborate with the bender to make it come to life!
- LOGO TALK -
I already have an existing logo design. How do I make a neon sign with it?
Great! You can take your logo directly to any qualified neon shop, where they will skillfully adapt the design for neon signage. See this list of Portland Oregon area neon shops to work with. For the rest of the world, see my Authentic Neon Shops map!
I don’t have a logo. Can you design one for me?
How about if I want a logo AND a neon sign designed?
I do have a service package for Logo + Neon Design, and can also design a whole branding suite if you need it! Let me know by answering my Logo Design Questionnaire or Branding Questionnaire .
- LETTERING -
I have a neon sign idea but no design, just words. Can you help?
Yes! I love to work with text to create custom-lettered neon pieces. My experience with lettering, design, illustration, color, and historical styles all converge to inform my neon design process. The goal is to create a piece of art that is singular and lively. Fill out my Neon Design Questionnaire to get started.
What is lettering?
Lettering is custom-drawn, text-based art. The alternative is to create the artwork using type (aka fonts). While fonts are useful as hell for many a design piece, for the medium of neon, relying solely on fonts can deliver a piece that looks generic, boring, and might even be hard to read. (However, type can certainly be used as a starting point, to be customized or adapted for neon, and I’m happy to work that way if needed.) Custom lettering ensures an exceptional, dynamic solution for your neon sign.
For more on why you should hire a good letterer, read my treatise on the subject here.
- NEON ITSELF -
What do you mean when you say that neon has limitations?
Neon is a unique and gorgeous art form that combines the science of gas, glass, electricity, and light. As with any physical art form, neon’s limitations actually strengthen it’s viability. The glass tubes that make up a neon sign are segmented into uniform lengths. The diameter of the tube is also uniform, necessitating an emphasis on linearity in the design. Tube diameters are predetermined by tube manufacturers, and chosen by the bender based on the size and design of any given piece. There is also a limited selection of colors available for neon tubing.
Watch this video to learn the basics of neon science!
What types of neon signs can you design?
- interior neon art piece
- interior signage/ wayfinding
- window sign facing the street
- cabinet-mounted
- fascia (exterior signage on a building’s facade)
- blade sign
- swing sign
- rooftop neon sign
- freestanding exterior monument or pole sign
What neon letter styles are available?
- script lettering
- block lettering
- vintage styles from any era
- futuristic
- abstract
- scribbly
- geometric
- signature style
- single stroke
- double stroke
- multi-stroke
- channel lettering
- raceway lettering
Are there special permits I need to obtain to have a neon sign displayed on my building?
Yes. Most American cities and towns, including Portland, require permits to install exterior illuminated signs. The neon shop handles this permitting process, but if you’re planning a big outdoor sign let me know up front and I can provide further details.
What about LEDs?
Nope. I don’t work with LED manufacturers (although I do get spam from them frequently!) LEDs are ugly, unreliable, bad for people, bad for the environment, they have a very short life, and they’re killing the neon business. I think LED is fine to use for bulbs, but it’s a tragic mistake to use LED as a substitute for real neon tubing.
The shops I work with fabricate authentic neon signs (gas and glass baby!). On a visceral level, a neon sign has allure. Like a naked bolt of lightning frozen in time, the glow it gives off is nothing short of magical. The quality of neon light is unmatched in its beauty and its ability to stir the soul. Neons signs are made essentially the same way today as they were 100 years ago: by hand. When you order a neon sign to be made you are supporting local, highly skilled artists who are practising an endangered craft. What’s not to like?
Read more about why real neon is better here.
What if I want to hire you for neon design and take the design to an LED manufacturer for production?
Please don’t do that! I would feel like a real asshole if I participated in that. Neon benders are craftspeople practising an endangered art. LED manufacturers are corporate giants trying to make a quick buck. By the way you will not get the original art files (neon tube schematics) — these go directly to the neon shop — unless you pay me an extra kajillion dollars.
- COSTS and SERVICES -
How do I get an estimate?
Fill out my Neon Design Questionnaire. I typically get an estimate back to you within 48 hours.
How much are your neon design services?
It depends! Cost factors include the number of words and letters; number of colors; illustrations, if any; total size of the piece; mounting; project management, if needed; what optional services you want to include (see below); and how many times you change your mind :) Estimates are free — get one by filling out the questionnaire.
What optional services do you offer?
• Shop Scouting: Wherever you’re located, it makes sense to work with a neon shop that’s nearby. I can tap into my neon network to find a good shop that is geographically convenient for you.
• Photo-real Sign Mockups: Using one or two photos of the space, wall, or window, I create a photoreal mockup of what the sign will roughly look like in place and illuminated.
• Neon Shop Visit: Design and production consultation at the neon shop with you (the client) present. Usually involves choosing tube colors, deciding on mounting options, positioning on the wall, installation, production schedules, etc.
How much does it cost to have a neon sign made?
It really depends! I generally refrain from offering a neon production estimate, since I am not the one producing (the neon shop will be the producers). Their pricing is dependent on the design based on size, complexity, number of colors, what type of mounting, and if any electrical work needs to be done. Most shops will not provide an estimate without a design file to work with. Together with my clients, we typically get an estimate from the neon shop about halfway through the design process. I can furnish production prices for previous projects upon request.
What does the neon design process look like from start to finish?
Based on your questionnaire answers, design options are presented, evaluated, and revised in collaboration with you, the client. Neon can last several decades, and what I’m aiming for is to work with you to arrive at a bespoke design that expresses your vision, has longevity, and works well with your space. Allow 4-6 weeks for design. The amount of liaising along the course of the project will vary based on your needs and budget. Our collaboration concludes with a useable art file sent to the neon shop.
As a new client what is required to start the project?
Signed agreement and ~50% down payment is required to begin.
Can I pay you for the neon shop’s services?
No. Billing for design is separate from the neon shop’s billing.
HOW TO BEGIN
The world needs more neon*. I'm excited to work with you on your special neon project!
Get started with my Neon Questionnaire
*See more about my work to preserve historic neon signs in Portland here.
ABOUT
Kate Widdows has been desiging neon signage since 2013 and has been doing graphic design since 1996. With a keen focus on lettering, type design, and brand identities, Kate’s imaginative neon design work includes examples of expressive scripts; historical styles; geometric letterforms; and neon illustration. A pioneer of animated neon lettering for the web, Kate has exhibited her original neon GIFs internationally at design festivals, art galleries, and parties, and she taught an online Skillshare class on the subject for 5 years. She’s presented at design conferences, and given interviews for television, podcasts, and articles on the subject of typography and neon. Kate co-produces the annual Neon Speaks festival in San Francisco, and lives and works in Portland, Oregon, where she heads a vintage neon advocacy group called PDX Neon.
Electric Letterland works with clients all over the world, from a studio located in Portland, Oregon, USA.
Questions? Send a message to kate [at] kwiddows.com
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copyright 2025 Kate Widdows, All Rights Reserved.