What is EL, and how does it work?
EL, is essentially a flat light bulb sandwich consisting of layers of conductive and non-conductive plastic and a layer of phosphor. The phosphor is laminated between two conductive layers and, as a voltage is applied between the two conductive layers, or electrodes, the phosphor emits light energy. When a high-quality, high-resolution image is printed over the light, it behaves like a backlit sign.
Taking it further: Animation makes EL even more effective.
By taking this idea further and dividing the printed image into several different sections that can be illuminated separately from one another, we can program and sequence these sections to provide an animated effect as we flash and/or fade the phosphor light in each of the sections in and out to create the impression of movement within a static printed image.
Genuinely Cool-
The illuminated phosphor does not generate heat the way conventional light sources do so EL runs cool. You can encapsulate or enclose the panels without fear of them overheating or melting.
Highly portable and easy to install-
Since EL panels are self-contained, there is no light box required. So you don't have to deal with heavy infrastructure to install an animated EL sign panel. There is only a small inverter box (power supply), which plugs in to normal 120 VAC wall current. Panels can be hung without any special hardware. They can also be framed, or built-in to a custom fixture or display. The flexibility and thinness of the panels even allows them to be installed around columns. They work great in all areas where space is limited and costs are a consideration. We can produce animated EL sheets that are as small as a watch face or a bracelet. At present, our maximum finished sheet size is 3 feet by 6 feet.
With Animated Lighting and Design our Animated EL solutions offer the added benefit of eye-catching and intriguing animation at a cost comparable to what other manufacturers charge for backlit only (non-animated) products.
Of course we can do a basic backlit, but our real specialty is animated product. And with our patented process for maintaining consistency of color between the illuminated and the non-illuminated image, we avoid washing-out the color of the image when the light goes on. So the image is consistently appealing and powerful in both the on and the off modes.