Picture + Display

Compliment Your Artwork with Quality Picture Lights from We Got Lites!

Your home is never complete without the right artwork adorning the walls. Picture lights are specifically designed for casting light onto a variety of artwork on display or on a wall. Whether it is a stylish tapestry framed movie poster, photograph or your most prized piece of artwork, well-lit art is always the perfect way to achieving maximum impact. Picture lights give your home a colorful, lively and personalized feel. Apart from size and positioning, each piece of artwork requires a picture light to highlight your favorite paintings. Picture lamps are the most traditional and among the smartest way of illuminating any piece of artwork, such as framed photos, for example. It is can be upsetting when your carefully selected pictures cannot be clearly seen and admired in their full splendor due to poor picture lighting. Typically, choosing the right picture lighting will bring a change to the appearance of your art.

Tips on Choosing Your Picture Lights

Your wall art needs to be displayed and emphasized. Displaying your art becomes simpler with picture lights. Picture lighting has become a common trend among designers, decorators and other artists. These lights can either be mounted or arranged to avoid casting of unnecessary or unattractive shadows. When installing lighting for pictures, always ensure that the pictures are not damaged by the light casted on them. The following tips will help you choose the perfect light fixture for your pictures and art.

Sizes

When shopping for picture lights, always remember to keep in mind the size of the artwork that you intend to enhance. Interestingly, the size of the picture you'require for your picture depends on the picture size. This is because the size of picture light that will be required to the picture will depend on the size of the picture itself. The following table describes the typical light that will be necessary to light a picture of a given size.

Shapes

Picture display lamps come in different shapes with the most common shape being a bar light. Bar picture lights feature bulbs fixed inside long cylindrical shades. The cylindrical shades are positioned in front of the picture, usually parallel to the picture’s top of the frame. Another common shape is the spotlight picture light, which features a round light positioned at any point at the picture’s front end. This shape is common in recessed ceiling mounted lights. When you opt for the spotlight picture lights, it is recommended to use more than one light to ensure that the picture is lit from all sides.

Mounting options

When purchasing your picture lights, always consider the mounting options that are available in your room. Ceiling mounted and wall mounted pictures are the most professional fixtures. Wall mountings are preferred by most interior decorators since they can be directly mounted on the wall. This allows you to choose the perfect height for your picture lighting. However, they require your room to have enough space between the artwork and the ceiling. If your room does not meet this condition, you may opt for ceiling mounting. However, ceiling mounted picture lights hinder adjustment or repositioning of the light in case of exchange of the artwork.

Adjustability and Flexibility

Another important factor to consider when buying picture light fixtures are flexibility and adjustability. These are usually featured in adjustable diffuser, telescoping arm, barn door, projection lens and adjustable arm. These options allow you to focus light at the exact point where you need lighting for artwork display. Highly adjustable pictures are preferred since they can bed, turn, twist and swivel. Dimmable control is another feature you could consider. The light required for your artwork differs with the time of day or climate. For example, bright sunshine may require you to reduce the light output. Dimmable picture lights enable you to adjust the light so that you can ensure the best light for your picture. To enhance convenience, some picture lights are designed with remote dimmer control.

Finishing and Color

Typically, the finishing and color of your picture light should match your artwork design, styling and color. Ideally, your picture light and artwork should blend seamlessly with your home decor. When selecting a finish for your picture lights, always think about complementary color finishes such as bronze or warm colored lighting. For cooler colors, you may opt for nickel or chrome finishing.

Light Type

There are three main types of lighting you can choose from when it comes to picture lights. These include LED, fluorescent and halogen. The following is a review of each lighting as it related to artwork.

LED Lighting

There are numerous advantages associated with LED light displays. LED lights are known for their energy saving nature, which makes them far better than typical energy saving halogen bulbs or the traditional incandescent technology. Apart from the economic power consumption of LED picture light fixtures, these lighting products offer inherently useful forms of illumination to pictures. Among the factors that make LED the prefect lighting for artwork is the color accuracy. Typically, you should not expect LED picture lamps to produce continuous spectrum like those produced by incandescent and daylights. LED light display is very dependable since it displays all the colors of the artwork, including even problematic colors like aqua and violet. When lighting a piece of artwork, always consider the CCT, or kelvin temperature. Red and orange colors in a picture will usually be complemented by a warmer light while cooler colors are best suited with cooler lamps.

Fluorescent

Florescent is a common type of artwork lighting that you’ll see in museums and it’s used for general illumination. Some fluorescent picture lights feature in-built UV filters which increase its suitability for artwork lighting. Generally, this type of lighting offers an impressive level of energy, saving more than its halogen and traditional incandescent counterparts. Another advantage of florescent lights is their impressive lifespan. They are known to last relatively long, with their efficient T5 tubes having a reported longevity of up to 15,000 hours. Lastly, compared to LED, florescent lights are more affordable.

Halogen

Halogen lighting for pictures are used mainly in museums and for art lighting. These fixtures offer bright, crisp white lighting, hence providing a perfect opportunity for showing off your paintings, pictures and photos. Incandescent bulbs are known for their inherent color accuracy. Being in the family of incandescent lights, halogen offers accurate colors with a CRI rating of about 100. However, just like any incandescent lighting fixture, they are poor when it comes to energy saving.

Style

Style is another crucial factor to look into when buying your picture lighting. It is all about the overall nature of the artwork, including its design and appearance. When it comes to style, you need to look into the frame and the presentation of your picture before deciding on which lighting to purchase. Traditional picture lights tend to be more rolling and elaborate in nature, while modern styles come with impressive sleek designs. Picture light fixtures come in different styles that you can choose from. There is always a design to suit your range of room decor. Typically, the difference between these styles is based in how they are fixed or installed above the artwork. Others can be clamped directly to the picture itself, while some are mounted to the ceiling above the picture.

Picture Frame with Lights

Picture frame with lights are display lamp fixtures that do not require any mounting. This is because the lighting is installed at the frame, which then illuminates the picture. Picture frames with lights inside is one the best ways to avoid hardwired components in your room, since the picture frame comes with lights already installed.

Clamp On Picture Lamps

These picture lights are designed for the pictures that do not have to be attached to the ceiling or wall. Just as suggested by the name, they are normally attached to the picture directly. Their designs allow for the light to be attached to the back of the picture frame. The light then arcs out over the picture, therefore lighting it from the front. These picture lights can also be attached to a desk, table, shelf, pole or bar. They usually come with one or two spring lamps or variable clamps. Clamp on picture lights are preferred due to their portability and flexibility. They can also be fastened to easels, allowing you to get a clearly focused light and see every detail of the artwork clearly. However, the clamp may be likely to damage the picture, especially if your artwork features an unframed canvas or expensive frame.

Freestanding Picture Lamps

A freestanding picture lamp is the solution in a case where there is no way to attach the picture light to the artwork or the wall. It is usually similar to the floor lamp, though it stands close to the picture and you can adjust it to a flattering spotlight on the picture. They do not require any construction work and are less likely to damage your artwork. This can make them the perfect choice for those looking for more convenient picture lighting. Due to their ability to stand on their own, freestanding picture lights offer a great level of convenience.

Wall-Mounted Picture Lights

As the name suggests, wall mounted display lamps are normally fixed to the wall near the picture that is going to be lit. They are typically attached just above the artwork, near where it hangs. The advantage of this type of picture light is that it allows for frequent exchanging of the picture while still maintaining the light produced. For effective use of wall mounted picture lights, there needs to be sufficient space between the ceiling and the artwork. This makes wall mounted display lighting ideal for very high ceilings, where it would not be practical to mount a light to the ceiling. Normally, wall mounted picture lights have a base that is usually fixed to the wall using screws. They also feature an arm extending from the wall to the attached light. These arms come in various lengths. Some arms extend just enough to light the picture, while others protrude far away from the wall. The choice depends on your own personal preference.

Ceiling-Mounted Picture Lights

Ceiling-mounted picture lights are perfect for pieces of art or pictures that hang too near to the ceiling, making it impossible to install wall-mounted picture lights. They come in a variety of styles that you can choose from. The most common one is recessed lighting, which, once installed, becomes part of your room construction. They are among the modern and very attractive picture lighting styles, though require more expertise in installation. However, this type comes with one common downfall. Adjusting or repositioning of the picture is not easy, unlike the wall-mounted picture lights which allows for this flexibility.

Battery Powered Picture Lights

These picture lights are powered by battery. Since they are wireless, they can be installed anywhere in the room. This makes them the best choice over plug in picture light styles which operate using a standard power source. Plug in picture lighting fixtures are hardwired, meaning that they come with exposed cord that connects them to an electrical box. Battery powered picture light pictures are cordless. They are not hardwired and therefore do not require the installation of electrical boxes. Battery powered LED display lamps are among the current contemporary lighting for picture fixtures.

Conclusion

Also known as display lights, lighting for pictures helps draw more attention to your artwork. Some even feel that it is hard to achieve excellent artwork without good lighting. Always keep your artwork away from direct sunlight because ultraviolet rays are likely to cause damage such as fading or discoloration. The idea behind picture lighting originates from the idea that good lighting enhances the artworks effect. When putting final touches to your new or renovated room, there is nothing more beautiful than a nicely lit piece of work. Incandescent lights offer quality picture illumination, though they are not economical due to their high energy consumption. Also, halogen lights can cause damage to your artwork if used over a long period of time. Today, modern artists and home owners prefer LED picture lights due to their energy saving capabilities and the bright color they give off. We Got Lites offers a wide selection of LED picture lights. Our wide selection of affordable picture lights range from LED battery operated picture lights, dimmable LED picture lights with remote control, and contemporary picture lights with adjustable and flexible features. Contact us for more information on our wide range of quality picture lights that will compliment your artwork. Purchase contemporary LED picture frame lights from We Got Lites at a great price.