Viewing and Evaluating Very Large Inkjet Prints

[tjphototx]

I have a photography studio with absolutely no outside light. What is the best lighting I can install in my studio
to evaluate inkjet prints up to forty inches by sixty inches? I have a professional viewing station for smaller prints but I would like
to be able to set up several tables with lights over head to be able to closely inspect the prints while they're drying. In a couple instances I have delivered
prints to my framer and in her studio which has a lot of available light I will spot a problem in the paper or printing that I didn't see in
my studio. How do you handle viewing large prints?
Thanks for your help.

Thom Jackson

[bill t.]

I like these Sylvania high CRI LED lights a lot.  I have a set for my artfair booth that can run off a deep cycle marine battery and an inverter.  The the light is so rich and neutral looking that I use them within my semi-Machiavellian print evaluation scheme simply because they make me feel better about what I do for a living.  The 3000K temperature is not too warm and is a good approximation for the halogen/daylight mix in most galleries.  And unlike most crap CFL's and typical dirtball LED lights from Home Depot, the CRI of 95 makes them good for technical color evaluation without heating up the back of my head.  Just keep in mind that they have very little ultraviolet component, so OBA media might not show its true colors as when viewed in institutional Fluorescent Hell.

http://store.earthled.com/products/sylvania-ultra-hd-par30-professional-series-led-par-lamp-40-degree-3000k-78747-led15par30-dim-p-930-fl40#.UtVxPfRDuBk

If you just want a lot of light, you can put some D50 or D65 fluorescent fixtures overhead.  The light is a rather brutal but nothing will escape your notice.  I put some Philips F32T8 D65 bulbs in the kitchen area a few years ago with the new high frequency electronic ballasts.  They're still going strong on the original bulbs with decent color and zero flicker, far outlasting the fatter old style tubes.  Not suitable for critical color evaluation, but I usually march test prints through that area as one example of the kind of environments my lovely images might someday have to endure.

[Some Guy]

For finished prints to be hung, there are some recessed and surface-mount ceiling lights called Phantoms ( http://www.phantomlighting.com/art-lighting-gallery-a-6.html ) that have apertures and shutters to focus the light on the image.  There is also some custom LED picture lights made by Roger Hogarth ( http://hogarthlighting.com/ ) with color-correction controls, but they are super-expensive too ($1,000+).


Add--

In my own house, I went with some cheap $30 Westinghouse Piano lights mounted on the top of the frames sold at nearby Orchard Hardware.  They use two T-6 sized tungsten lamps which are sort of warm (maybe 3000K), so I dipped them in some Martha Stewart's Transparent Glass Paint (Blue Bonnet I think is the color?) from local Micheals' Art Supply to make them maybe 5,200K.  That way, the blue daylight is a closer match than the normal warm lights so they look good either in daylight, or lit up at night.  Put all of them on a Luxo slide-dimmer and they do look nice at night lit up.

SG

[Justan]

I was at the home despot yesterday, in part to look at track lighting options for my display booth. Track lighting fixtures have come down in cost dramatically and can be mounted nearly anywhere. One doesn't need to have built-in wiring for these as they can easily be adapted to use a typical grounded extension cord. There are a number of light fixture options available and, as noted above, a wide number of light bulb types are available.

At my shows I use a daylight emulating fluorescent bulb, which is also available at the HD. I put these in clip-on fixtures i get at Target. The bulbs cost about $5 per 4 packs and are said to put out the same illumination as a 100 watt incandescent bulb, but the fluorescent only use the same energy as a theoretical typical 32 watt incandescent bulb, iirc. They have a slightly blue tint, which works well in the booth and probably would be okay for preview purposes.

The 2 fixture types noted above are inexpensive and accommodate nearly any typical screw-in bulb.

[Wayne Fox]

i have two of these from solux.

I have a print bar attached to the wall.  I purchased several map rails for this, but found the GTI print bar works far better.

[smjphoto]

Wayne,
I think I understand what a print bar is and how it works, but I must say that web site is useless. I guess you have to already know what it is and that you want it.

Stuart

[Wayne Fox]

Wayne,
I think I understand what a print bar is and how it works, but I must say that web site is useless. I guess you have to already know what it is and that you want it.

Stuart

agreed, that’s why I linked you directly to the product page of the print bars.  I have the 64” one. These are the same bars they have in their various viewing stations.  I didn’t even know they sold them separately and bought 4 brands of map rails which are similar in concept but just don’t like letting go of the photograph.  These release the print much easier, less chance of damage. You can buy it with a magnetic strip on the back, or with adhesive.

[tim wolcott]

I absolutely agree with Wayne.  This what I use and it the best way to go.  You should not be correcting files with anything less than how the galleries are going to view the prints.  Same kelvin, same amount of light hitting the print.  I use the 3500 bulbs and try to make sure the light hitting the whole wall is even.  But I take it a step farther by making sure everything around it is neutral gray.  You need to set up a standard and not very.  Use a light meter to illuminate the wall evenly.  Hope it helps Tim

[BobDavid]

I use two Solux 47K bulbs set about a yard from my cork board. They are positioned at 45 degree angles to avoid glare. I use the Solux clamp-clamp on fixtures. I couldn't be happier. My monitor is calibrated for 47K and as long as I am printing in sRGB, the prints and monitor and printer are all in perfect sync. Adobe RGB is very close too.