After several years of having my computer and printer on a six foot table in a corner of a room and working with stuff balanced on my lap, I've just taken over a small bedroom and have set it up as a dedicated work space. I need to replace the ceiling fixture and am looking for suggestions as to what type of light to use in order to get the overall illumination in the room closer to daylight and better for viewing prints. The room is small, about 10' X 10.5', with an 8' ceiling height;the fixture is centered. There are three work surfaces set up in a U; two printers on one leg, a clear work surface in the center and my computer, scanner, etc. on the third leg. I have a swing arm Ott-Lite mounted on the center worktop and use that for evaluating prints.
The bit of research that I've done seems to indicate that Solux lamps are the way to go, but I would prefer to avoid having to install tracks. A company called Just Normlicht makes a fluorescent tube (Color Control Daylight 5000 Kelvin) that is intended for prepress proofing. Given the size of the room, it would seem that a ceiling fixture with a couple of these (or similar) bulbs might be able to adequately light the room and also be adequate for general viewing of prints. I know from searching the forums that this has been discussed in the past and at scientific levels that are beyond my comprehension. My question is: has anyone out there used a lighting setup like this, for general lighting, in a printing environment and how has it worked out? Thanks for your help.
