本書將輯錄218張繪自約50至70年代的餐飲業霓虹招牌手稿，全書內容主要分為兩部份。

第一部分集結研究室過去三年以來蒐集和分析有關香港霓虹招牌的資料，內容包括：

• 香港霓虹招牌簡史
• 餐飲業簡史與文化
• 本土飲食業店舖的訪問
• 本土霓虹師傅的訪問

第二部分將分門別類列出餐飲業的完整手稿。作為霓虹招牌製作的設計圖，手稿不乏畫師的筆跡，以及師傅製作過程中的筆記。手稿更充當著各個製作霓虹招牌的部門（例如打鐵、屈管、安裝火牛和安裝招牌等步驟）之間溝通的媒介。透過這些線索，我們能夠了解到商戶和師傅們製作一個霓虹招牌時需要考慮的因素。此部分內容包括：

• 完整輯錄218張霓虹招牌手稿
• 手稿的視覺元素及美學分析
   

218 restaurant artworks dated back from the 1950s to 1970s will be featured. The contents of this book will be divided into two sections. 

The first section will summarise the Lab’s research findings on Hong Kong neon signs from the past three years. Topics that will be covered include: 

• A brief history of Hong Kong neon signs
• A brief account on Hong Kong’s food culture and history
• Interviews with local restaurants 
• Interviews with local neon masters

The second section will catalogue all the restaurant neon sign artworks with a full view of each artwork. Being design drafts created for the production of neon signs, the artworks carry not only the brushworks of the painter(s), but also remarks that were made by different neon sign masters during the production process. It is a medium over which different departments of neon sign making communicate (e.g. metal forging, tube bending, installing transformers and the actual sign itself etc.) Readers will be able to understand the factors of consideration among shop owners and neon sign masters when making a neon sign through the clues provided in the artworks. This section will cover topics like:  

• Complete documentation of 218 restaurant neon sign artworks 
• Analysis on the visual elements and aesthetics of the artworks
   

以下圖中設計只供參考，並非此出版計劃的最終設計
The design in the following image is for demonstration purposes only. It doesn’t not reflect the final design of this project’s deliverable

本書將帶領讀者分別從日與夜兩種不同的光線，重新觀看、欣賞這些源自50至70年代的霓虹招牌手稿；透過特別的印刷工序，把香港霓虹招牌的美好紀錄下來。為求達到日與夜的不同效果，有別於一般出版製作，本書除了使用基本四色印刷(CMYK)外，亦特別使用了四種螢光油墨，隨書更附送紫外光燈（UV）電筒。讀者在鑑賞手稿時，會有更特別的體驗：在普通光源下，宛如走在昔日街頭能夠看到招牌的色彩斑斕和結構；關上燈打開UV電筒的話，更有晚上的香港霓虹燈發光的視覺效果。

第二部分收錄的218張霓虹招牌手稿，每一張都逐一經過人手做獨立拆色處理，分配每個著色點上螢光油墨的比例，確保印刷出來的線條達到光管發光的效果，因此本書的設計需時較長。另外，本書將善用油墨，令手稿手稿上黃色、綠色、桃紅或紅色的光管都能在UV燈下，呈現出霓虹光管發光的效果。惟現有的螢光藍色，因為油墨自身的限制，並不能在UV燈照射下發光。
 

This book would like to guide readers to appreciate and reexamine these 1950s-to-1970s neon sign artworks from two different perspectives – daytime and nighttime. Through using special printing effects, we try to document the spectacle of Hong Kong’s neon signs. In order to achieve distinctive day and night visual effects, we will use four additional fluorescent inks besides the basic CMYK printing used in common publishing production. When looking at the artworks with the UV torch that will be provided with the book, a unique reading experience is created – under daylight, readers will be able to see the vivid colours and composition of these old neon signs; when viewed in the dark with the UV torch, the glowing neon tubes depicted in the artworks will come to life, just like the neon signs we used to see on the streets at night.

The 218 artworks that will be featured in the second section will require manual colour separation done individually to make sure the right balance and distribution of the fluorescent inks are applied to each area. It is a long and tedious design process that will ensure the printed lines and shapes can mimic the glow of neon tubes. Furthermore, we will utilise the fluorescent inks to visualise the glowing yellow, green, pink and orange-red neon tubes depicted in the artworks, which shall be revealed to readers under UV light. However, due to the technical limitation of the fluorescent blue ink, neon tubes of blue colours will not be able to glow under UV light.

是次出版書籍所輯錄的霓虹招牌手稿，源自香港一間已結業的霓虹燈工廠——南華霓虹燈電器廠有限公司（下稱南華）。這些手稿一直被存放在霓虹燈製作工場內，一個毫不顯眼的陳年木櫃之裏。手稿經歷了不少風霜，色彩卻斑斕依然，與發黃的畫紙形成強烈對比。

自獲贈手稿以來，研究室團隊一直循不同的渠道，嘗試尋找繪畫這些手稿背後的畫師。雖線索渺茫，但慶幸透過幾位霓虹師傅的憶述，得悉到八十年代時有一位年屆六、七十歲，行內人稱他為「肥佬麥」的畫師。這位麥師傅精通書法和繪畫，亦曾替南華繪畫手稿，我們有理由相信，書中將輯錄的二百多張手稿，極有可能是出自他的手筆。
 

The neon sign artworks that will be featured in this publication came from a Hong Kong neon sign factory – Nam Wah Neonlight & Electrical Mfy, Ltd., which had closed down several years back. They had been stored in an overlooked aged wooden cabinet, sitting in a corner of the neon sign factory for decades. Though worn by the decades that they have been through, the artworks still carry vivid and vibrant colours, making a striking contrast with the oxidised, dull yellow paper. 

Since receiving the artworks, our research team has tried different ways to identify the painters behind these artworks. Despite the few clues we have got, through the recollections of several neon masters, we were fortunately still able to trace back to a potential figure – a painter around 60 to 70 years old in the 1980s. Known as “fat man Mak” among people within the industry, he was proficient in calligraphy and painting, and had also painted neon sign artworks for Nam Wah. We have reasons to believe that the 200+ artworks featured in this book are very likely his works of art.

成立於1953年的南華霓虹燈電器廠有限公司（Nam Wah Neonlight & Electrical Mfy, Ltd.）是本地最早的華資霓虹燈製作公司之一。過去六十多年，製造過多不勝數的霓虹招牌，其技術更輸出外地，遠至東非。當中最廣為人知的，有深水埗的信興酒樓、旺角瓊華大酒樓等。而在眾多作品中最具代表性的，相信就是曾列入健力士世界大全中最大型的戶外霓虹招牌——位於彌敦道的「樂聲牌」，風頭可謂一時無兩。

南華成立之初，當時被稱為「霓虹燈大王」的創辦人譚華正博士就曾遠赴日本交流，務求推廣及革新香港的霓虹招牌設計和技術。除此之外，南華亦自家研發製造火牛（變壓器），名為「雷達牌 」（Radar），後來更遠銷至東南亞各地。
 

Established in 1953, Nam Wah is one of the earliest Chinese-funded neon sign factories founded in Hong Kong. Over the past 60+ years, it has been the place where countless neon signs were produced. The technologies and skills of Nam Wah’s neon masters were even exported to as far as East Africa. Among the many signs that Nam Wah had produced, the most well-known ones are Shun Hing Restaurant in Sham Shui Po and King Wah Restaurant in Mong Kok. Yet, the most representative of all is believed to be Panasonic’s National neon sign on Nathan Road, which was once awarded the largest outdoor neon sign in the Guinness World Records. 

Not long after Nam Wah’s establishment, the founder Dr. TAM Wah Ching, who was known as ‘the king of neon signs’ at the time, went to Japan for an exchange with the goal of promoting and innovating the design and technology of neon signs in Hong Kong. Furthermore, Nam Wah developed and manufactured its own neon sign transformers under the name ‘Radar’, which were later exported to Southeast Asia.

香港昔日的霓虹招牌設計自成一格，其中西匯聚的用色、字體、構圖、設計風格等，這些視覺元素都鮮有在其他城市中找到。街道上佈滿密密麻麻、五光十色想要爭奪人們眼球的的霓虹招牌，極具香港的獨特性，曾經代表著城市的景觀，象徵著繁華。這些霓虹招牌手稿正正記錄了這個輝煌的年代，因此，我們更加需要好好地記錄和保存它們，希望能提供不同的角度，讓更多人認識香港的文化歷史。
 

Hong Kong’s neon signs in the olden days have unique design styles on their own. The mixed use of Chinese and Western styles in colours, typography, composition and other visual styles are rarely found in other cities. The spectacle of overlapping neon signs filling up the space above the streets was an icon of Hong Kong, symbolizing the city’s prosperity with the dazzling lights of neon signs at night. The neon sign artworks happened to capture these glorious times, which is why we wish to preserve and document these artworks to offer a chance for readers to understand Hong Kong’s cultural history through different perspectives.

研究室曾於2021年12月出版《香港霓虹招牌手稿——餐飲篇》。該書完成之際，我們都熱切希望可以將書中的內容帶給所有讀者；惟因計劃受資助條件所限，並不能作公開發售。我們也曾考慮自資出版，但人事、資源和能力有限，考慮到各種因素，所以未能實行。該書發佈的消息公開了後，我們收到未能閱覽此書的讀者，提議以眾籌形式印刷讓公眾擁有的版本。經過一段時間的討論和籌備之後，這個眾籌計劃終於能夠面世。

印刷螢光色書本的成本一般比較高昂，為此我們曾跟出版商商討其可能性，但收到的回覆都傾向使用最基本的四色印刷，以壓低成本，此限制令設計和用色方面的靈活性和自由度都大大減低。我們希望印刷能夠最大程度呈現和突顯手稿的原色，令擁有這本書的讀者也有親身翻閱手稿的感覺，眾籌是我們認為比較可行的方案。我們亦希望這本書能夠充分地體現香港視覺文化的重要性，令它能成為展現昔日香港街道佈滿霓虹燈的歷史文本，並透過讀者們的收藏，令書本得以流傳下來，讓更多人知道霓虹燈是香港不可或缺的視覺文化。
 

The Lab published a book called “Hong Kong Neon Sign Artworks — Vol.1 Restaurant” back in December of 2021. Upon the completion of its printing process, we truly wish to make the content of the book available to all readers. However, the project was bound by conditions from its funding party, and so the book itself cannot be put on sale. We had considered self-publishing a version of the book to the public. Yet, given our limited manpower and resources, together with concerns towards other factors, we never had enough affirmation to proceed. As we began to let our followers know about the book, we have received messages and suggestions from our readers proposing us to crowdfund a public’s version. After a series of discussions and preparations, we are finally launching this crowdfunding project.

Printing with fluorescent colours incurs much higher costs than producing books with common publishing standards. We have tried to negotiate with publishing houses on the possibility of keeping this effect, but the replies we received all leaned towards using only CMYK colours or less to minimise costs. From our point of view, this restriction on printing production limits the flexibility and freedom in our design, as we wish to keep the printing method that best depicts and accentuates the artworks. We wish to allow readers to feel as we do when flipping and looking through the artworks themselves, hence we agreed that crowdfunding would be the more viable option. It is our goal to reflect adequately on the importance of Hong Kong’s visual culture through the publishing of this book. We aim to make this book a historical reference to the period when the streets of Hong Kong were filled with neon signs. By delivering this book to the hands of our fellow readers, it is hoped that more people, including our future generations, will know that neon signs have been an indispensable component of Hong Kong’s visual culture.

目前進度

募集資金的時限完結後，若眾籌計劃成功達標，我們會在此眾籌頁面及社交平台定期更新書本的製作狀況，讓支持者能掌握這個計劃的製作進度。

By the time the crowdfunding period for this project ends, and given that our goal is reached successfully, backers will be informed of our progress on the production of this book regularly via this page and on our social media. 

如果你想同時購買多於兩本書，請電郵至sdinformationdesignlab@gmail.com與我們聯絡！

If you wish to buy more than 2 copies at once, please contact us via email at sdinformationdesignlab@gmail.com

運送安排 Shipping arrangements  

A. 自取安排（只限香港以內地區）
如欲於計劃完成之後以自取的形式取書，請跟隨以下步驟：

1. 在選取你想購買的perk
2. 直接選擇「proceed to checkout（到結帳頁）」
3. 於shipping address（運送地址）表格內「country（國家）」一欄填寫「Hong Kong」（我們將不會收取任何運費）
4. 填好寄送及付款資料（系統仍然會要求填寫出送遞資料，你可以照實填寫地址，但我們並不會提供寄送安排）
5. 結帳頁最底部會有一個捐款至indiegogo平台的選項，如不想捐款，可以在「other amount（其他數目）」一欄填寫「0」
6. 點選「submit payment（提交款項）」

※自取的地點有待計劃完成之際公佈。※
 

B. 香港以內的寄送安排
如欲於計劃完成之後以送遞形式取書，請跟隨以下步驟：

1. 選取你想購買的perk
2. 選取「add a perk」加入港幣30元的「香港運費 Local delivery」。如同時購買兩本書，並想使用順豐運送，請加入港幣45元的「順豐運費 SF delivery (2 本/ copies)」；郵局或智郵站自取者則只需加入港幣30元的「香港運費 HK delivery (2 本/ copies)」。
3. 點選「continue to payment」
4. 點選「proceed to checkout（到結帳頁）」
5. 於shipping address（運送地址）表格內「country（國家）」一欄填寫「Hong Kong」（這個動作並不會收取任何額外的運費）
6. 填好寄送及付款資料，如欲寄件至順豐站、順豐自提櫃、郵局或智郵站，請填寫相應的地址
7. 結帳頁最底部會有一個捐款至indiegogo平台的選項，如不想捐款，可以在「Other amount（其他數目）」一欄填寫「0」
8. 點選「submit payment（提交款項）」
    

C. 香港以外地區的寄送安排
所有在結帳頁顯示的國際郵遞費用均以平郵的方式寄送，運送時間需要8至12星期*。如欲以空郵的方式取書，請與我們聯絡。您會被要求以paypal支付額外的郵費。
*泰國、越南、新加坡、澳門、韓國、日本和內地的郵遞需時較短。

如欲於計劃完成之後以郵遞的形式取書，請跟隨以下步驟：

1. 在選取你想購買的perk
2. 直接選擇「proceed to checkout（到結帳頁）」
3. 於shipping address（運送地址）表格內「country（國家）」一欄填寫你想寄送的地區，系統會自動加上所需的郵費
4. 填好寄送及付款資料
5. 結帳頁最底部會有一個捐款至indiegogo平台的選項，如不想捐款，可以在「other amount（其他數目）」一欄填寫「0」
6. 點選「submit payment（提交款項）」

A. Self pick-up arrangement (only available within Hong Kong)
If you wish to collect our book in-person when this project is fulfilled, please follow the below steps: 

1. Pick a perk.
2. Select ‘proceed to checkout’.
3. Input ‘Hong Kong’ in the ‘country’ box under ‘shipping address’. (We will not charge you any shipping fee.) 
4. Input shipping and payment details (The system will always ask for a shipping address, you can fill in the boxes with your actual address, but please note that no delivery will be arranged.)
5. Indiegogo will ask for a tip at the bottom of the checkout page. If you don’t wish to donate, you can select ‘other amount’ and input ‘0’.
6. Click ‘submit payment’.

※ Self pick-up location(s) will be announced by the time this project is close to being fulfilled. ※
 

B. Delivery within Hong Kong
If you wish to receive our book by delivery when the project is fulfilled, please follow the below steps: 

1. Pick a perk.
2. Select ‘add a perk’ to include HKD30 of ‘香港運費 Local Delivery’. If you are buying two copies and wish to use SF delivery, please select the HKD45 ‘順豐運費 SF delivery (2 本/ copies)’; for self-pickup at post office or iPostal station, you only need to pick the HKD30 ‘香港運費 HK delivery (2 本/ copies)’.
3. Select ‘continue to payment’.
4. Select ‘proceed to checkout’.
5. Input ‘Hong Kong’ in the ‘country’ box under ‘shipping address’. (This option will not charge you any additional shipping fee.) 
6. Input shipping and payment details. If you wish to receive your book at SF store,  SF locker, post office or iPostal Stations, please input the corresponding address. 
7. Indiegogo will ask for a tip at the bottom of the checkout page. If you don’t wish to donate, you can select ‘other amount’ and input ‘0’.
8. Click ‘submit payment’.
    

C. Delivery outside of Hong Kong
All international postages provided at checkout are by surface mail, which could take 8-12 weeks to arrive*. If you wish to receive your book by air mail, please contact us. You will be requested to pay for the additional postage fee via paypal. 
* Except for these regions: Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Macao, Korea, Japan and China. Less shipping time can be expected for the regions stated. 

If you wish to collect our book by mail when this project is fulfilled, please follow the below steps: 

1. Pick a perk.
2. Select ‘proceed to checkout’.
3. Input the name of the region/ country that you would like the book to be mailed to in the ‘country’ box under ‘shipping address’. The system will automatically add the corresponding postage fee at checkout. 
4. Input shipping and payment details.
5. Indiegogo will ask for a tip at the bottom of the checkout page. If you don’t wish to donate, you can select ‘other amount’ and input ‘0’.
6. Click ‘submit payment’.
    

作者  |  郭斯恆
Autor   |  Brian, Sze-Hang Kwok

喜愛街道觀察，香港理工大學設計學院副教授、信息設計學科主任及信息設計研究室主任。著作有《我是街道觀察員──花園街的文化地景》(2016)、《霓虹黯色──香港街道視覺文化記錄》(2018)、《字型城市──香港造字匠》(2020)及《香港霓虹招牌手稿──餐飲篇》(2021)。

Street observation enthusiast. Associate professor, programme leader of Information Design, and leader of Information Design Lab at the School of Design, HKPolyU. Author of I am a Street Ethnologist: Street Culture in Fa Yuen Street (2016), Fading of Hong Kong neon lights – The archive of Hong Kong visual culture (2018), City of Scripts – The Craftsmanship of Vernacular lettering in Hong Kong (2020) and Hong Kong Neon Sign Artworks — Vol.1 Restaurant (2021). 

研究  |  信息設計研究室
Research  |  Information Design Lab
​IG/FB: informationdesignlab, hongkongneonlights

信息設計研究室成立於二〇一一年，是香港理工大學設計學院轄下的一個研究及顧問單位。研究室致力探討香港視覺設計與文化，及其廣泛性、影響和效用等議題，分析設計如何有效地應用於信息傳達並建構文化身份。研究室透過以人為本的研究方式確保設計方案能有效地接觸到受眾，令他們了解、使用並從中得益。

Established in 2011, IDL is a research and consultancy unit at the School of Design, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. We are dedicated to examine Hong Kong’s visual identity, its design and culture through investigating what makes the design of information universal, impactful and effective. We adopt user-centred research methods to ensure that design solutions are accessible, usable, understandable, and culturally–recognised.
 

書籍設計  |  Nous
Book Design  |  Nous
IG/FB: studionous.co

Nous成立於二〇二一年，是一所由設計師范瑞麟及張少寶創辦的設計工作室。Nous 一詞可解作常識、理性。常識：在我們的日常生活之中，幾乎所有事物都與設計有關。理性：我們保持客觀判斷適合客户的方案，隨意變化成任何的形狀。Nous與來自不同界別的行業合作，服務範圍主要為視覺識別、書籍設計、品牌識別、展覽設計及導視系統。

Founded in 2021, Nous is a Hong Kong-based multidisciplinary design studio led by designers Allan Fan and Poe Cheung. The term ‘nous’ can be interpreted as common sense and rationality. It can also refer to the intellect or intuition behind determining what is true or real. Common sense: In our everyday life, almost everything is related to design. Rationality: We take an objective approach for each project and devise proposals that best suit our clients’ needs. Nous collaborates with partners from diverse industries, and its services include: visual identity design, book design, brand identity design, exhibition design and wayfinding system.
 

團隊  Team

計劃統籌 Project Leaders: Nous, Kiki Yau

宣傳片製作 Promotion Video Production: Be Here 在這裏

翻譯及校對 Translation and Proofreading: Kiki Yau
 

風險與挑戰 Risks and challenges

■
因疫情反覆的緣故，書籍印刷、製造及運送將有可能延遲，如有延期，我們將於我們的眾籌網頁及社交媒體上公告。

The printing, production and shipping of the book might be delayed subject to the unpredictable development of COVID-19. If our progress is delayed, we will make announcements on our crowdfunding page and our social media platforms.
 

退換貨規則 Return policy 

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如收到書本後發現瑕疵（污漬、裝訂不全、缺頁）、於運送途中被毀損、書本數量不足等非人為意外狀況，請於收件計7天內與我們聯繫，我們會要求你提供有關圖片作證明，並會盡快處理，寄出新書。

If the book is found to be defective (e.g. stain, loose binding, missing pages) or the order has unintentional damages like damages in transit or missing copy, please contact us within 7 days upon receiving your order. We will request proof of the damages for verification. We will try our best to process it and ship out a new copy as soon as possible.   

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書本封膜拆封後視為已經使用，除以上提及之重大瑕疵、毀損狀況，將不受理退換。

The book will be considered used once its protective film has been removed. Unless the order has defective or damages as stated above, we will not accept any return request. 
 

客服聯絡 Contact us

如對計劃有任何疑問，歡迎在indiegogo平台經 ’ask a question’ 聯絡我們或電郵至 info@studionous.co

If you have any questions regarding our project, you can contact us through ‘ask a question’  on indiegogo or email us at info@studionous.co