Who would have thought that a product photography device would become widely used to promote goods and services to the masses. It's about glowing advertising. A lightbox is a device in the form of a transparent container and backlight. Even merchants and sellers hung goods behind the counter to attract the attention of buyers. Technological progress has taken a long step forward - and now even outside the markets and shops you can contemplate beautiful and bright luminous advertisements around the city.
Lightbox: word meaning and definition
The term "lightbox" is used by photographers, medical professionals and advertising agencies. The device is designed to diffuse light and is effectively used in outdoor advertising. The word is borrowed from English and is translated as "light box". Due to the internal illumination, which is close in characteristics to daylight, the design of the lightbox creates an even illumination throughoutsurface.
Modification of street stands in the form of a protective cover and LED lighting gives the advantage of using lightboxes at night.
Design
In the standard version, a lightbox is a rectangular structure consisting of the following parts: a frame, a back wall, a front panel with advertising information, a side board and backlights. At the request of the customer, the light box can be made with rounded corners and bends.
By welding, a frame is made from square metal pipes, the strength of which determines the service life of the entire structure. The body is assembled using guides. Profile for lightboxes can be either metal or PVC.
There are 2 important functions assigned to the back wall of the box: protection and the basis for attaching light elements. It is made of composite materials or galvanized iron. A light-enhancing film may be applied to the inside of the back cover for better light reflection.
Illumination is done in the following ways: mounting fluorescent lamps, neon tubes or LEDs.
Outdoor advertising is applied to the front panel, which is made of translucent sheet material: plexiglass, transparent polystyrene, impact-resistant PETG plastic or polycarbonate.
Application
Container with several light bulbs and frosted glass panels at the top are usedprofessional photographers to view transparencies (slides). A modified box without one side is a godsend for shooting a subject without shadows. In a vertical position, the device is used in medical institutions to view x-rays. In the field of science, a light box is used to observe the growth of bacteria.
Illuminated panels are often and successfully used for advertising purposes. Previously, to display advertising at night, specialists needed to install additional lighting, which quickly broke down and increased the price of the advertising structure. The efficiency of the light box has improved especially since the introduction of LED lighting technology. As a result, power consumption is reduced, and soft and pleasant radiation does not irritate the eyes of consumers.
In addition to the use of the light-emitting box for advertising purposes, it has become popular to place news events, city maps and public transport routes in it.
Types of performance
As it turned out, outwardly the lightbox is a box that acts as a protective cover. It is resistant to climatic influences, does not respond to temperature changes. The shape of the device can be any, depending on the requirements of the advertising company.
According to the internal features, the execution of a lightbox can have two options: a fixed placement of a banner and a system with a mechanical carousel. In the first case, the brochure is alone under the transparent plexiglass, so the price is higher than with a system with a mechanicalcarousel. In the second case, posters with information can change by scrolling inside the lightbox. The price of this option is reduced, since three ads from different companies can be placed at once.
The method of mounting a lightbox depends on its location. It can be a stand-alone structure on a stand or mount: on brackets and a rack, ceiling, wall.
Also, advertising boxes can be made in one-sided, two-sided versions, the latter are used perpendicular to the facades of buildings.
The price and effectiveness of advertising depends on the location of the lightbox. On streets with high traffic, at public transport stops, installing an advertising box will be more expensive than on the outskirts of the city.
Picture
Application-information is applied to the front of the box made of vinyl film, the pattern on which is made using full-color printing or plotter cutting. Photo printing is used when applying complex images, the layout of the drawing is provided in a raster format. When the dimensions of the advertising campaign are non-standard, then a banner fabric is used to apply the image, which in terms of light transmission is in no way inferior to vinyl film.
Another way to create an image is to cut the main elements on composite aluminum, in place of which acrylic glass is placed.
Benefits
Lightbox outdoor advertising has many positives.
- Contrast and visibility. The look of the layman will always fall on a luminous sign, that is, the main goal of the advertising campaign will be achieved - conveying information to the consumer.
- Long service life. With minimal maintenance, the duration of work is 5-7 years. When illuminated with LEDs, continuous operation with maintaining the brightness and clarity of the image is 5 years.
- Easy maintenance. A durable box protects the advertising device from climatic influences, but dust, smog and dirt settle on it. Therefore, a simple external cleaning of the lightbox and, if necessary, replacing the facing material is all that is required to maintain the operation of the advertising box and extend its service life.
- Low cost. Lightbox is a low-cost way to advertise and make a profit, available to companies that have recently started commercial activities. For 2015, the price in Moscow for a one-sided, ultra-thin lightbox (23 mm thick) in A-3 format is about 3,700 rubles.
- Variety of shapes.
- Possibility of application in design.
