Should Signs be Regulated as Lighting Devices?

The answer is a very clear “no.”

An article by FASI President/Executive Director Bill Dundas published in the January 2016 issue of Signs of the Times magazine explains that electric signs are not lighting devices, per se. Their purpose is not to provide light, but to deliver messages. Thus, they should not be regulated as lighting devices. Electric signs need to be bright enough to be detectable and legible, but if they’re too bright or dim, they become less legible. Thus, the sign industry has followed consistent manufacturing standards to ensure that electric signs will have appropriate brightness and uniform lighting to serve the needs of end users. This article explains the various factors involved in more detail:  http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sott_201601/index.php#/66

Wade Swormstedt

Wade is the former Executive Director of the Foundation for the Advancement of the Sign Industry and the former Editor and Publisher of Signs of the Times magazine.

More Posts

Posted in Sign Questions Answered, Visibility and Legibility and tagged , , , .

Leave a Reply