When LED signs were first introduced, they were mainly marquee-style signs with scrolling text. You could change your message simply by typing a new one into the controller, which was incredibly valuable. Soon different color LEDs could be used on the same sign in order to create colored text effects. With a red, blue, and green LED working together in different combinations, just about any color could be synthesized.

As LED technology advanced, the LED sizes got smaller, and sign makers were able to pack more LEDs onto a sign, increasing the density and resolution. This allowed for the addition of images and special effects on the signs. LED technology continued to advance, and nowadays LED signs can be enormous, much like billboard-sized television screens or computer monitors.

As LED technology, just like with neon signs,  is refined even further, we can expect the resolutions and sizes of these giant displays to increase, which will have a profound effect on the signage industry. It will be possible for a sign to be as complex as any image you can create on a computer, with motion and animation and special effects. Entire walls of buildings could be one huge sign! This is where the future of neon signs is headed.