Here's a snapshot of what it looks like (before being hung on the wall). All told, the raw materials and print came to about $100.The light appears even (you can't see the individual LEDs.) The shadow box was deep enough that I did not need to add any diffuser material between the LEDs and the film. The form core board and the image were mounted inside a pre-made shadowbox bought at a local hobby supply shop.But I had two sets of 300 LEDs, so I used them all! That's _plenty_ of light, perhaps too much. For the back light, I used 600 2835-style LEDs, 6500K, evenly distributed (at about 1 inch intervals) on white foam core board.The astrophotograph was printed at 18x24 inches on a "duratrans" 8 mil polyester film (at ) The image looked good, and the blacks were dark enough to block the backlighting.These frames are also more energy efficient.Thanks to all who gave me suggestions on backlit photo printing. Indirect is used with edge-lit frames and are great for custom boxes that are cut out in the front, when used in darker rooms. This is great for well-lit areas and translucent poster materials. For example, with LED strip lighting or fluorescent bulbs, there would be rows of lighting on the back of the box facing towards the poster. Direct lighting is more often associated with a backlit sign. The two main types of light box sign technology are direct and indirect lighting. Using Duratrans (Fujitrans) as our standard continuous tone process, you're guranteed to get the deepest blacks and richest tones on your custom LED back-lit frame. Take your photos, drawings, paintings to the next level.
Difference Between Direct & Indirect Lighting Solutions backlitbox makes custom LED back-lit frames for serious artists, retailers, advertisers, and more. People tend to prefer backlit signs because of the occasional ability to replace bulbs easier compared to edge-lit in which you usually cannot replace the bulbs. This is because more space is needed behind the graphic, usually 2” - 4” deep for light diffusion purposes. Additionally, backlit poster frames do not have the low profile design that an edge-lit would have. If you are purchasing a LED light box, the energy costs will be lower compared to a fluorescent or T9 backlit frame. One thing to take into consideration is that backlit light boxes feature more bulbs than edge-lit frames, causing them to use more energy than indirect or edge-lit light boxes.
This construction allows the backlit graphic frame to be highly visible and have a more evenly distributed intensity of light throughout the entire frame. This style of frame typically features LED bulbs across its whole back panel, facing towards your graphic. What is a Backlit Light Box?īacklit light boxes are popular for outdoor or well lit areas. So, when using a larger frame the center tends to have less light and may look slightly dimmer. Remember, the larger the edge-lit light box, the further away the bulbs will be from the center. The size of your light box will also have an impact on the diffusion of the light towards the center of the frame. With this lighting method there might be a slight glow on the sides and corners on your display but if you use diffusion paper the glowing will be minimal or not show at all. With edge-lit signs, there are fewer bulbs required for complete illumination, which will, in turn, lower your monthly energy costs. Having the lights on the side of the box allows the frame to be an inch or less in thickness.
The LED lights shine sideways through the translucent panel behind your graphic film, indirectly lighting your graphic message. What is an Edge-Lit Light Box?Įdge-lit light boxes are quickly growing in popularity. Read on to learn the difference between the two. Are you looking at purchasing a poster light box and can’t figure out the difference between edge-lit and backlit light boxes? There are a few reasons why you'd pick one over the other - one being that the lighting in the room has a direct reflection on the appearance of your graphic.