140.jpg

More Ways to Glow! Introducing EL Wire

LEDs are amazing, but if you want to expand your repertoire, check out EL wire, a flexible wire that glows in neon colors when electricity passes through it.

The term “EL wire” is short for “electroluminescent wire.” Most people pronounce it “E-L wire,” but some people say “el wire”; either is fine.

EL wire comes in different forms—from thin wires and thick tapes to whole panels—and in every color you can imagine. It’s driven by a controller called an inverter, which changes the power coming from your batteries into the high-voltage alternating current the wire needs to glow. But don’t worry—even though ...

Get Make It Glow now with the O’Reilly learning platform.

O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.