Neon colors: characteristics, history and uses

Neon colors were made Widely popular in the 80s, although these began as lights arranged in tubes with gases that generated that characteristic glow with a certain tone depending on the gases used.

Later, over the years, neon lights were adapted as colors that appear in clothing, paintings, among others.

What are neon colors?

Originally, neon colors were related to the gases that were placed in the tubes, these resulted in the following tones:

  • Neon = Orange
  • Helium = Yellow
  • Carbon dioxide = White
  • Mercury = Blue
  • Argon = Purple

However, today there are many colors that can be used in neon. The most notable are the following:

  • neon green
  • Neon orange
  • Neon yellow
  • neon purple
  • neon blue

Beginnings as fluorescent lights

The beginning of fluorescent lights dates back to the year 1800, when Heinrivh Geissler, who was a physicist and also a glass manufacturer, created tubes with this material, which especially had two electrodes, which caused them to glow with the electric current.

After almost 100 years, in 1898, William Ramsay and Morris Travers, two scientists, were in charge of decomposing the air, isolating its parts, using the term neon for it, a reddish gas that appears orange. The name of the colors comes from this gas.

It was not until 1923 that George Claude, a French chemist, manufactured neon tubes for advertising purposes so that different brands, businesses, venues, etc., used it as part of their strategy.

Neon lights through history

  • In the 1950s, neon advertising was almost necessary, especially in the United States, dominating the famous Times Square.
  • By the 60s, neon began to be used in so-called Pop Art, which was seen more and more in decoration.
  • In the 70s was when fashion designers experimented with these colors in clothing, which had not been done before.
  • The boom in neon colors undoubtedly occurred in the 80s, when it was present in people’s clothing, especially young people.
  • If we talk about the 90s, it is the date in which accessories such as glow sticks were added as bracelets, or glow sticks at parties or nighttime gatherings.
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Uses of neon color today

There are garments and accessories to wear with great ease, being a fashion trend on several occasions.

They continue to be the protagonists of advertising advertisements to illuminate at night, attracting attention precisely because of their colors.

Likewise, it has become a trend as a color for nail polishes, which can even glow in the dark like lights.

They are especially added as part of the decoration, for example, stars on the ceiling to illuminate at night.