Intematix Corp., an innovator in phosphors, LED components and solid state lighting modules, announced the introduction of its proprietary, patent pending, custom signage product and service offerings. Intematix claimed it has combined the advantages of LED-based lighting systems with the company's phosphor expertise to create a next-generation retail signage solution that delivers the low maintenance and energy savings of LEDs while improving on the visual qualities of high resolution film approaches.
The Intematix "phosphor-paint" retail signage solution implements a carefully designed, 50,000 hour backlight grid of royal-blue LEDs that excite the sign's photoluminescent display surface. In contrast to conventional backlit signage, in which the display surface filters white light to generate a desired color, the phosphor-paint actually generates the desired colors of light over the entire display surface. The result is high-visibility and visual quality in the sign's unlit daytime state, and vivid, "eye-popping" color, similar to neon signage, when lit. Using industry-compatible screen-printing techniques on a transparent or translucent plastic, or glass substrate, the phosphor-paint approach offers a full-color palette while delivering energy savings of 50-70% over conventional backlit signage.
According to Intematix' Chief Technical Officer and co-founder, Dr. Yi-Qun Li, "Remote phosphor solutions have previously been applied to individual LEDs and in LED light fixtures. Intematix has created an innovative solution by marrying the elements – phosphor, blue LED excitation, LED light extraction and printing technology – and scaling the solution up to the level of retail signage, all while making sure it would deliver on the long life promise. Intematix emphasized that it had strong pending patents for the innovation, covering all aspects of the technology for phosphor-based signage based on LED backlighting.