Tag: RETRO

Vintage Metal – Marquee letters

Our classic Letters with bulbs are very eye-catching. A letter filled with light bulbs - plug and that's it. Create your favourite words, phrases or monograms. The letters are available in the vintage version, the letters can be finished in any colour. You can also combine more letters from the supplied cable. The letters have bulbs of the size E14. Letters with light bulbs perfectly decorate every home and also serve as a sign of your company or a shop for commercial purposes.

Coloured lampshades for light bulbs add charm to the whole letter. The lampshades have a large selection of colours, which allows for various configurations of filling the letter. Moreover, they can be adapted to the colour of the logo. The letters in your logo can be filled with light bulbs and then coloured lampshades can be screwed onto them.

One of our recent projects was the implementation of lighting decorations for the newly established Rocotillo restaurant, located in the largest business and office centre in the Tri-City.

For the purposes of the arrangement, we made a coffer with retro-style light bulbs and an aquamarine neon beautifully matching the interesting interior design of the restaurant.

Korten steel letters, metal letters have an antique, rusty look.

Raw steel letters or hot rolled steel letters, completely rusty steel letters have a natural appearance. They will rust over time if left outside. We are pioneers in making rusty steel letters. Our precise waterjet cutting technology will give you the exact shapes and patterns you need, with the faded look of antique rusty steel. They have been used in many architectural applications in indoor and outdoor office buildings in retail stores, and wherever a rustic, industrial antique look is desired. Rusty letters filled with neon glass, installed at Alior Bank's headquarters in the recruitment training centre section.

Rusty neon letters can be mounted on any wall surface, on interior drywall, exterior brick, stone, metal stucco using studs on the back of the letters. All our metal letters come with an installation template that shows where to drill the holes.

Flashy, colourful neon lights, symbols and eye-catching bright graphic elements - these are the distinguishing features of the American style, which reigned in the United States in the 1950s. It was an expression of fascination with the future and the cosmos, as well as a reflection of the positive mood prevailing in the society at the time. And although this enthusiastic era has long passed, the American style still fascinates and finds itself well in the advertising market.

Undoubtedly, if we want to stand out from the competition, it is a style that is worth being inspired and used to promote the brand. Especially if you belong to people who focus on individualism, and courage and creativity are their middle name.

American-style light advertising - where does the idea come from?

The style in question is a combination of flashiness, colours and shapes that attract attention from the distance. That was the purpose of mid-twentieth-century American signs. They invited people to roadside bars, restaurants and motels. They indicated specific points with large arrows, symbols and lights. They surprised with their futuristic appearance, but on the other hand they blended in perfectly with the so-called Googie architecture. If you are looking for references in culture, the second part of the movie "Back to the Future" can be mentioned, in which the main character goes back in time to a town full of neon lights and enjoys a classic "milkshake" in a pastel bar. From fairy-tale references, "The Jetsons" fit perfectly into this style, delighting with a futuristic vision of a city in the clouds. It is a style that was ahead of its time, attracted attention and allowed to break the standards prevailing at the time. Today, it is being rediscovered in various industries. Among other things, due to its uniqueness, but also partly due to the fascination with what fits into the vintage trend.

American style in a modern edition

Although it seems that the American style is glamorous and exaggerated, it undoubtedly attracts attention. In our projects, we get the best out of it. We get inspired and we always try to adapt to the client's visual identification. This style is characterised by its individuality, which is influenced by the fact that the first designs are always made by hand. We have launched a new, special production line to produce these non-standard signs. Thanks to this, we are the only company in Europe that specializes in creating creative advertising in the American style.

What distinguishes the American style in light advertising?

There is no question of minimalism and simplicity in this light advertisement. Here, a multitude of elements are in the lead, well matched to each other, distinguishing and at the same time complementing each other. Therefore, we find here:

• colour - bright colours, clear, but also often combined with pastels,
• graphic symbols - arrows, geometric figures, stars, hands pointing in the direction,
• light bulbs - like in wardrobes from old movies,
• neon signs - swirls made of glass forming names, slogans or slogans,
• forms and shapes - flat surfaces, wavy surfaces, transparency or sheet metal colored bases of letters and symbols.

Without a doubt, there is a lot going on in these signs. Just like the brands they represent.

Down with minimalism - we will find a golden mean

The secret of a good American-style light advertisement is to match it perfectly to the surrounding space and find the golden mean in its design. Therefore, as in the case of any project, talking to our advisor is essential. Any abstraction and exaggeration can be framed, and our technology allows us to create the most diverse ideas of our clients and create their own American Dream.

We recently had the opportunity to participate in a fascinating project, which will certainly remain in our memories for a long time. It concerns the design and execution of a double-sided neon sign in the shape of the 'Lidl' logo and the word 'Welcome' on the façade of a shop for a well-known German shop chain, which opened its next branch in Warsaw on Tamki Street. Why was this project special for us? Well, designing and creating neon signs is not only our job, but also our passion. We have been doing this for years, and it started with learning about the history of creating traditional glass neon signs and falling in love with this unusual craft. This time we were able to design and make a traditional neon, double-sided perpendicular semaphore one of a kind!

1960s-style neon sign for Lidl

Working on this project brought us great satisfaction, especially as the result is truly unique. Our neon sign not only reflects the Lidl logo, but also alludes to the aesthetics of the communist era. You will not find another one like it in Poland, or even in the whole world! This one is one of a kind, as it is made of original hand-moulded glass neon. The colour scheme of the sign has been carefully thought out and harmonises perfectly with Lidl's visual identity. The neon double-sided semaphore mounted perpendicular to the façade has impressive dimensions — 1.5 m × 1.5 m — making it highly visible and eye-catching. The design and personalisation of this neon sign was cautious, capturing the spirit of the 1960s with a modern twist. We went to a lot of trouble to ensure that the double-sided perpendicular neon semaphore blends harmoniously with the architecture of the building, creating a coherent entire. In addition to the neon Lidl logo, we also made the spatial neon sign 'Welcome'. It was a big challenge, but the effort paid off, and the result meets the highest quality standards.

We made no secret of the fact that we were working under a lot of time pressure. The shop had a strict opening date, which introduced a certain amount of nervousness.

Nevertheless, we managed and can now rejoice in our joint success. We are proud that such a reputable company as Lidl trusted the Pretende brand. For years, we have been recognised on the market all over Poland and have successfully carried out various sign commissions.

The greatest reward after a completed project is always positive feedback from the client. In this case, there was no shortage of praise and words of appreciation. Such feedback gives a great sense of satisfaction and fulfilment, which drives me to take on more challenges. We look to the future with this attitude. We are ready for new projects for the 21st century.

The remarkable story of traditional neon signs

Creating traditional neon signs is a true art that requires precision, skill, and patience. The process began with design, where the creator would prepare an accurate drawing of the lettering or graphics in actual size. This was followed by the bending of glass tubes, made from sodium or borosilicate glass. The tubes were heated over a gas burner until they became flexible, and the craftsman manually formed them into the correct shapes according to the design. Once formed, the tubes were thoroughly cleaned inside to remove any impurities. The next stage was to fit electrodes to the ends of the tubes, which were then connected to a vacuum pump. This removed the air from inside the tube, creating a vacuum, after which the tubes were filled with a suitable gas, usually neon (which gives a red light) or argon (which gives a blue light). Once filled, the tubes were sealed and tested for leakage and proper illumination. The finished neon tubes were mounted on special frames or panels using acrylic brackets and insulators, then installed at the target site and connected to a transformer that provided the correct voltage to power the neon lights.

Thanks to the precision and dedication of craftsmen at every stage, traditional neon signs became a popular advertising element and aesthetic symbol of the 20th century, and now, thanks to new design possibilities, neon signs are thriving into the futurism of the 21st century. And this is our goal — Pretende is growing and taking on more and more new challenges, and the greatest reward for us are orders from well-known and reputable companies because they testify to the trust we have earned with our presence on the market for many years. Thank you!