Specifying Strip and Neon Flex for Linear Detail
Choosing between four strips by the three things that actually decide it: dotting, run length and control.
Strip is bought by the metre and specified by the detail it has to fit into. The cut length decides how tight a corner can be wrapped, the voltage decides how long a run can be, and the emitter type decides whether a cove reflection shows dots.
Specifying Strip and Neon Flex for Linear Detail In 5 Steps
Decide whether dotting is acceptable
A polished ceiling turns every discrete emitter into a visible point.
For coves and reflective surfaces, the COB CCT series at 640 LEDs per metre reads as a continuous line.
Measure the longest continuous run
Low voltage over a long run dims before it ends.
The 2835 high-voltage series runs at AC 220 V, which is what removes the low-voltage run-length limit.
Check the cut length against the detail
A 100 mm cut length cannot follow a 60 mm radius neatly.
Published cut lengths: 25 mm on the COB, 50 mm or 100 mm on the 5050 RGBW depending on voltage, 100 mm on the neon flex and the 2835.
Decide the control before the product
Pixel effects cannot be retrofitted onto a strip that is not addressable.
DMX512 addressing is published on the neon flex product only.
Check colour rendering against the finishes
Under Ra 80, timber and skin tones go flat.
The COB CCT series publishes Ra > 90; the others publish Ra > 80.
The Products Referenced Above
COB LED Strip, CCT Series, 640 LEDs/m
Dot-free COB strip at 640 LEDs/m, 24 V, 800 lm/m, Ra > 90, cut every 25 mm.
See the specification
2835 LED Strip, High Voltage Series, 120 LEDs/m
220 V mains strip at 120 LEDs/m, 1440 lm/m and 120 lm/W, cut every 100 mm.
See the specification
DMX512 Neon Flex Strip, 60 LEDs/m
DMX512-addressable RGBW neon flex, 60 LEDs/m, 24 V, 450 lm/m, cut every 100 mm, 5 m per roll.
See the specification
5050 LED Strip, Colorful Series, RGBW 60 LEDs/m
SMD5050 RGBW strip at 60 LEDs/m, 17.2 W/m, available in a 12 V and a 24 V model with different cut lengths.
See the specificationSpecifying Strip and Neon Flex for Linear Detail Questions
Do these strips publish an IP rating?
What length does the neon flex come in?
Start On Specifying Strip and Neon Flex for Linear Detail
Send the reference, the quantity and the destination market. A recommended starting point with the matching specifications comes back by email.