Backlighting Technologies
Integrated illumination for membrane switches, capacitive panels and graphic overlays. Electroluminescent (EL) panels, SMD LED, light guide film and fibre optic, designed and manufactured in Brisbane, with EL lamps made in-house.
Custom backlighting for your interface
Backlighting brings a panel to life. It is most commonly used to illuminate warning text and symbols, or to make displays, buttons and legends readable in low light. We offer several backlighting technologies, all of which can be fully integrated into a membrane switch, capacitive panel or graphic overlay.
Unlike many manufacturers, we make our electroluminescent (EL) lamps in-house. That means we control the shape, brightness and lead time of the lighting, and can print an EL panel to almost any custom outline rather than working around an off-the-shelf part.
How backlighting is built in
For LED backlighting, SMD LEDs and their components are mounted onto a printed LED circuit layer. A layer of light guide film above them directs the light to exactly the areas that need to be illuminated, giving an even, bright result. LED windows are often embossed to reduce panel thickness and widen the viewing angle.
An EL lamp is a printed Light Emitting Capacitor - thin, flat and flexible, giving a soft, even, cold glow across a whole shape. Because it is printed, it can follow complex outlines and curved surfaces, and it can withstand flexing and stress in service.
Diffuser and dead-front options let you tune the look: clear windows for maximum brightness, diffused white to hide the LED and soften the light, or dead-front graphics that stay hidden until the backlight turns on, then change colour.
For the Wild Oats and Black Jack maxi-yachts, built for Olectric Systems, Reid embedded electroluminescent (EL) backlighting into the deck-mounted membrane control panels. EL was chosen for its even, low-power, sunlight-to-night glow across the button legends - outhaul, vang, forestay, pump and dump - so the crew can read the controls in any light.
The backlighting had to survive one of the harshest environments there is: constant salt water, UV and vibration on the deck of an ocean racer. The sealed EL-backlit panels keep working where conventional illuminated controls would fail.
Backlighting technologies & options
From a single glowing warning symbol to a fully illuminated control surface, we integrate the right lighting technology into your panel. EL lamps are manufactured in-house - our key differentiator.
Electroluminescent (EL) panels
Thin, flexible, even cold light, printed to any shape. Manufactured in-house in Brisbane - our key differentiator.
SMD LED backlighting
Bright, targeted illumination from SMD LEDs mounted on a printed LED circuit layer.
Light guide film
A thin film that spreads LED light evenly and directs it precisely to the areas that need illuminating.
Fibre optic (Lumitex)
Light delivered from a single LED with no heat - ideal for sensitive applications, with a long service life.
Colour-filtered & dead-front windows
Hide the lighting until it is on, then reveal or change colour - white to green, red or blue - on demand.
Diffuser options
Clear for maximum brightness, or diffused white to hide the LED and soften the light to an even glow.
EL lamp inverters
Compact SMD-chip inverters for tight designs, or transformer-based for larger panels, from a simple 9-12V DC supply.
Embossed LED windows
Embossing reduces panel thickness around LEDs and widens the viewing angle of the illuminated window.
Switch integration
Backlighting built into membrane keypads, capacitive panels and graphic overlays as one sealed assembly.
The Veefil fast-charger console for Tritium is a complex, multi-faceted HMI - a reverse-printed, CNC-machined acrylic panel with a membrane switch, embossing and metal tactile domes. Reid integrated transparent backlighting sections so the status icons and charge display illuminate cleanly through the acrylic front.
The result is a bright, glare-resistant interface that stays readable outdoors in a public EV charging installation, while keeping the seamless, premium acrylic look.
Integrated backlit assemblies
We build the backlighting into the switch, panel or overlay stack - LED circuit, light guide film or in-house EL lamp, plus diffuser and dead-front layers - and ship it back as one sealed, plug-and-play assembly ready to bond to your enclosure.
Inverters & drive electronics
EL lamps run on an inverter from a simple 9-12V DC supply - compact SMD-chip inverters for tight designs, or transformer-based for larger panels. LED backlighting runs directly from low-voltage DC. We design and supply the drive electronics with the panel.
See Membrane Keypads →Where our backlighting is used
Backlighting Projects
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between EL, LED and fibre optic backlighting?
Electroluminescent (EL) is a thin, flexible, cold light source that glows evenly across a printed shape - ideal for even, low-power area lighting and curved surfaces. SMD LED backlighting is bright and directional, spread with light guide film. Fibre optic (Lumitex) carries light from a single LED to sensitive areas with no heat. We help you choose the right one for each project.
Can membrane switches and capacitive panels be backlit?
Yes. Backlighting is fully integrated into the switch stack - SMD LEDs, light guide film or EL lamps sit behind the membrane keypad, capacitive panel or graphic overlay so warning text, symbols and buttons illuminate on demand. See Capacitive Switches.
Do you manufacture EL lamps in-house?
Yes. We manufacture our electroluminescent (EL) lamps in-house in Brisbane, using the latest UK ink technologies, which gives us control over shape, brightness and lead time rather than relying on imported panels.
Can backlighting change colour, or hide the lighting until it is on?
Yes. LED windows can be printed clear, semi-transparent or diffused white for a softer glow, and dead-front windows let a face appear blank until illuminated, then change colour (for example white to green, red or blue) when the light comes on.
Will backlighting survive harsh environments like marine or aerospace?
Yes. We build backlit panels for demanding environments - EL-backlit membrane controls for ocean-racing yachts have to withstand salt water, UV and vibration, and we supply backlit assemblies into aerospace, automotive and medical applications.
What powers an EL lamp - do I need an inverter?
EL lamps run on an inverter from a simple 9-12V DC supply. We offer compact SMD-chip inverters for small designs and transformer-based inverters where there is more room, and we design the drive electronics as part of the assembly. LED backlighting runs directly from low-voltage DC.
Where are your backlighting solutions made?
Designed and manufactured at our Clontarf facility in Brisbane, Australia.
Need a backlit interface designed
and made in Australia?
Send us your drawings, your artwork, or the product you want to illuminate.