#for translucency inks/dyes are generally going to be better than paints just FYI

[hellenhighwater]

Hello! May I ask your advice on a crafting project? I have a neon sign that I love but it is way too bright. I'm thinking of painting over the neon tubes or putting translucent paper over them or something to dim the light. Do you have any suggestions?

If it's true neon, I'd be hesitant to put anything on it. While well-made glass tube neon shouldn't get hot, it's not impossible for that to happen. There are some heat-rated materials you could look into--lighting gels*, like those made by Rosco, for example, are intended to be used safely with potentially high-temp theatrical/film lights. They can be a little hard to get your hands on though, and I'd still hesitate to apply them directly to the neon; better safe than sorry. They're heat resistant, not heat proof.

If it's LED "neon"--plastic, not glass--you can pretty much use whatever. Alcohol inks are interesting with light coming through them; you can get color-tinted transparent vinyl, even mod-podge'ed tissue paper would be fine to glue over the 'tubes', because LEDs don't heat up. Might be worth testing some stuff--you can try materials on plastic wrap and cover the tubes to see how it effects the light.

*Lighting gels are transparent sheets of plastic that tint light to specific colors. You can layer sheets for custom colors but they manufacture them in a huge range of hues and sizes.