How to Make RGB Light Panels —The Easiest Guide

Fengxiang Li
2022-03-08T11:00:00-07:00

Smart RGB light panels have become a popular way to decorate a space since they can create a whole new atmosphere with the push of a button. To make things more interesting, they can change color and provide a variety of effects. The most prevalent and pocket-friendly product in this sector is probably the “Yeelight Smart RGB Light Panels,” which accomplish the job well but, still, cost money. To save money and add more personality, you can make your own light panels. Let’s dive into it.

What Materials Do You Need to Make LED Wall Panels?

LED light strips

Double-sided heavy-duty tape

3D printer or hard paper board

Image credit: Alibaba.com

This is what a commercial LED light panel look like inside

How to Make Panels

The thickness of the panels should be carefully calculated so that they didn’t protrude too far from the wall while still allowing enough room for the strips and cables. To enable customization, each panel must be able to connect to another panel in all directions, which is why there is a hole on each side. The opening must have adequate space for the wires to pass beneath the strips. The top of the panel features four raised parts that are used to keep the lid in place after it is put on. A slight ridge runs the length of the panel, making it simpler to route wires where the ends of the strips meet.

There are some video tutorials online on how to make Nanoleaf Aurora using a hard paper board to build the panels, which is pretty smart and costs little money. However, if you want your panel to appear good even when it’s not turned on during the daytime, and, most importantly, for safety reasons since paper may be a hazard for fire incidents, I highly suggest you 3D print those panel fixtures if you are a serious player.

Image credit: YouTube

For 3D printing, the lid is intended to easily slide into the base. A connector design exists to make joining panels simpler. It is meant to be pressed into the slot on both panels. They are designed to be slightly broader than the slot they fit into, so that they are mechanically kept in place once pressed together.

Image source: wltd.org

A CRD light panel for 3D printing

There are a few things to perform before placing the strips within each panel while the panels are printing. The first step is to cut the strips at the same interval so that they may be managed as panels. Important: do not modify the quantity of LEDs from panel to panel; they must all be the same! I picked an interval of 42 LEDs, cut from Yeelight LED Light Strip 1S since they fit neatly in the enclosure and offered good light coverage, but this will depend on pixel density. I do this to demonstrate the best effect and quality, but I cannot see why you cannot choose other alternatives that are cheaper. And I suggest doing a test fit before permanently putting them in the panel by placing the lid on top to ensure that they operate. Check that everything works with one panel before cutting all of the strips, otherwise you may cause yourself a lot of grief.

Again, test how many strips you will need with a cheaper alternative first, as below.

Image source: wltd.org

The beauty of using the Yeelight LED Light Strip 1S is that it is voice-activated and automatically enabled. You can use app control, smart speaker control, and Mi smart home linkage. With that, you can make your light panels just as smart. Also, thanks to the Razer ChromaTM RGB and OverWoll enabled light strip, you can enjoy your home-made RGB light panels.

Mounting to the Wall

You are suggested to have all of the panels put out on the table after they’re all connected. I propose leaving them there until everything has been thoroughly inspected and is operational. When the panels are fastened to the wall, it becomes much more difficult to fix faults, therefore it’s better to do it last. When you’re certain that everything works properly, attach them to the wall using double-sided heavy-duty tape.

Image credit: Amazon

Carefully cut strips of double-sided tape the same length as the width of each panel and adhered them to the back of each one. Gently raise the whole structure and glue it to the wall, pushing hard on each panel to ensure adequate adherence. You may need assistance with this step since the panels are not securely linked to one another, making it difficult to move them as a unit without them breaking apart.