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Main => Main Forum => Topic started by: wee beastie on March 26, 2003, 06:44:16 pm

Title: Marquee too bright!!!
Post by: wee beastie on March 26, 2003, 06:44:16 pm

Hey guys, I finally got my printed marquee and when I put it on the machine it seems too bright.  How are you guys counteracting this?  Are you just painting a clear piece of plastic white to diffuse the light?  I thought I saw some people doing that in the past, but I'm afraid that will just make the plastic opaqe and not let any light thru.

Please help

wee beastie

Title: Re:Marquee too bright!!!
Post by: Birdtales on March 26, 2003, 07:21:40 pm

You could try putting a piece of paper behind your artwork to difuse the light.

Title: Re:Marquee too bright!!!
Post by: Xphile on March 26, 2003, 07:51:10 pm

they make white plexi, you could sandwich your marquee between a sheet of white and a sheet of clear plexi... or if it's not enough,  find a busted piece of flouresent light fixture covering and put it in front of the tube - difuses quite well..

Title: Re:Marquee too bright!!!
Post by: SNAAAKE on March 26, 2003, 09:21:40 pm

I actually had same problem LONG(very long) time ago and I bought like a cover that goes with the tube light.

Worked great and wasnt too bright.

Hobby store or light stores should have them(I got mine from chinatown).

Title: Re:Marquee too bright!!!
Post by: Carsten Carlos on March 27, 2003, 09:06:54 am

My marquee is printed on backlight-film -never would I go with anything else! :) It's clear and has a white back where you print the mirrored image. Light gets pretty diffused, the sides are a bit darker but I guess this is only authentic, and 'cause of my loudspeakers my fluorescentlight is only a few inches behind the glass.
I guess a thin white paper should help in your case.

Title: Re:Marquee too bright!!!
Post by: Chris on March 27, 2003, 10:36:08 am

Even if you spray-paint the rear plexi white, plenty of light will shine through it!  

Title: Re:Marquee too bright!!!
Post by: Carsten Carlos on March 27, 2003, 10:52:16 am

How many watt's has your lamp or fluorescent light? I've 18 Watt installed - though less would have been enough, too.

Title: Re:Marquee too bright!!!
Post by: seaner on March 27, 2003, 12:06:32 pm

A sheet of white mylar would also do the trick by diffusing the light more.  Double it up to cut down the light more?
Get a lower wattage tube?

Title: Re:Marquee too bright!!!
Post by: MrTeamWork on March 27, 2003, 03:13:52 pm

I don't know if it's this simple - but why not get a less radiant bulb?

Title: Re:Marquee too bright!!!
Post by: s8n on March 27, 2003, 05:32:30 pm

mine is sandwiched between 2 pieces of lexan, for the back piece i just left the white film on the lexan, but obviously peeled it off the front piece. my marquee is also printed like a decal, and that also has a paper backing.

Title: Re:Marquee too bright!!!
Post by: CustomArcade on March 28, 2003, 03:27:46 pm

Ignore this test

Title: Re:Marquee too bright!!!
Post by: romid on March 28, 2003, 04:50:36 pm

test ignored...

Actually I have the same problem.  Im not sure you can just get a lower wattage tube-- flourescents are designed for a specific wattage, no?