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To ensure that you are using your Light Cabinets as effectively as possible have a look at our Top 10 Tips below. This guide is designed to offer helpful tips to get the most out of your Colour Assessment Cabinet (also known as a Light Box or a Light Booth).
1. View your products at the right height
Site the Colour Assessment Cabinet at the correct height for viewing. If you are of average height, the bench height should be set at 925mm to produce the correct viewing angle. This helps stop the glare of the lamps interfering with your view. VeriVide offer 925mm benches if required.
2. Avoid direct lighting when assessing colour
Site the cabinet away from direct lighting and avoid facing a window. If your room does have windows, ensure they are fitted with blinds which are closed during cabinet operation. If you have overhead strip lighting then ensure that this light does not spill into the cabinet. Light spill can be checked by looking at your cabinet when the interior lighting is switched off. This allows you to see what proportion of the cabinet is in darkness. Any light falling into the Light Box or Light Booth will mix with the cabinet illumination and change the colour properties.
3. Neutral grey background is ideal for your viewing
If there is a problem with ambient lighting spilling into the cabinet then we recommend switching off nearby lighting. Alternatively, installing a neutral grey curtain around the cabinet will help to remove ambient light. Another solution, if ambient lighting is a problem in your chosen location, is to place the cabinet in a side room or storage area painted neutral grey.
4. View the product at the correct angle
Use an angled table if specified by your customer or if you feel it would help, like the Fixed Angle Table which standardises viewing geometry to an optimal angle of 45 degrees (purchased separately). VeriVide also offers a Tilting Table which can be tilted and fixed to various angles. The Tilting Table is particularly useful for viewing shiny objects, as the table can be tilted to remove light reflection. These specular reflections can be observed when light hits something shiny or reflective. Uses include; ceramic or slate tiles, vehicle paint finishes, foils and other surface coatings, glossy plastic and even satin ribbons.
5. Avoid wearing bright colours when assessing colour
Wear neutral clothing when viewing at the light cabinet. This helps avoid visual interference as a result of any bright colours you are wearing. Bright colours often reflect altered light back into the cabinet. This can hinder accurate visual assessment.
6. Light Box is not the best place for storage
Please do not use your light cabinet as a filing cabinet! It should be empty of everything except the colour standard and the samples that you are viewing. If submissions are attached to photocopy paper, we recommend they are separated before assessment. This is because the fluorescence of the white paper will provide a distraction to your eyes when viewing. Likewise, your mobile, coffee or diary will also cause distraction and affect the light reflection in the cabinet.
7. Look after your Colour Assessment Cabinets
Keep the interior of the cabinet clean. Cabinets should be wiped regularly with a soft dry cloth as should the lamps. Please ensure lamps are cool before attempting to clean.
8. Check the hours of use of your lamps
Replace fluorescent lamps annually or after 2000 hours of use whichever is sooner. The colour temperature and performance of the lamps will drop off after this time even though the lamps will continue to illuminate for many more hours. This deterioration means that viewing environments will no longer be standardised, which may lead to disagreement between specifiers and suppliers.
9. Maintain the condition of your Light Cabinets
Thoroughly clean and repaint your light cabinet annually to maintain the interior surfaces. A worn interior or one which has ink or dye spots or scratches will not maintain perfect reflection of the light. If you don’t wish to perform maintenance yourselves, VeriVide can assist. We can supply a Maintenance Pack with all of the materials you need, including the replacement of lamps for effective colour matching. Our expert service team operate throughout the UK and many of our resale partners around the World can also offer this service.
10. Refresh your knowledge about colour
If you need to refresh your mind with the fundamentals of colour management, we provide customised colour training courses with our chartered colourist.
