LED lit acyrlic panels help

[slifer]

How are these achieved? Or lighting up any logos. Usually there are strips of acyrlic that are lit up by LEDs. Is it from a frosting effect on the acrylic which disperses the lights shone from LEDs? How are these exactly done? Is there an extra sheet of something that is used to disperse the light? Is it costly?

[TheKDub]

Pretty sure you shine the LED into the side of the acrylic (Thin side) and the light disperses on its own through the acrylic.

[slifer]

Pretty sure you shine the LED into the side of the acrylic (Thin side) and the light disperses on its own through the acrylic.

Some panels are very well dispersed though, the lighting is very even within the panel, but wont the way you suggest give it a coning effect?

[W-L]

Some panels are very well dispersed though, the lighting is very even within the panel, but wont the way you suggest give it a coning effect?

 

Edge lighting gives fairly even dispersion especially if you use led strips along one entire edge, one method of getting better direction is to add a reflective wrap around the entire bottom side if possible to help direct the light in the direction of the etching or design in the panel.

 

http://www.instructables.com/id/Edge-Lit-Displays/?ALLSTEPS

[slifer]

Edge lighting gives fairly even dispersion especially if you use led strips along one entire edge, one method of getting better direction is to add a reflective wrap around the entire bottom side if possible to help direct the light in the direction of the etching or design in the panel.

 

http://www.instructables.com/id/Edge-Lit-Displays/?ALLSTEPS

How would lighting the whole panel be achieved? would roughing up the whole surface help?

[W-L]

How would lighting the whole panel be achieved? would roughing up the whole surface help?

 

If you want the entire panel to glow and not just an engraving you would want an etched or heavily frosted panel, however it won't be as even or nice as an engraved design in a panel since it won't be reflecting light directly in it's path you may need more than one light source to even out the lighting.

[slifer]

If you want the entire panel to glow and not just an engraving you would want an etched or heavily frosted panel, however it won't be as even or nice as an engraved design in a panel since it won't be reflecting light directly in it's path you may need more than one light source to even out the lighting.

will the lighting be best if it is shone from the side? or directly onto the frosted panel?

[W-L]

will the lighting be best if it is shone from the side? or directly onto the frosted panel?

 

If you can evenly layout the a few rows of LED strips a good 6 inches behind the frosted panel it can act as a light diffuser which would work a little better at evenly dispersing light over the entire panel/