Lighting to view prints under - What do people use?

[Alandb]

Feeling that I have mastered the color management workflow to get prints that reasonably match the monitor, I am now on to testing out different papers to see what I would like to use. I made several prints of one of my photos using paper from sample packs from Epson, Canson, Hahnemuhle, Inkpress, Moab and some others. I printed on luster-type paper (photo black ink) and matte paper (matte black ink). I then viewed the prints laid on a table under typical interior halogen lighting (indirect). I then viewed the same prints, held vertically, near a window with sunlight and the blinds somewhat closed to cut down on the direct light. This is where it gets interesting. I preferred the matte photos under the halogen light and the luster-type photos under daylight.

My question is what light should I be viewing these photos under? At this point, I don't sell my photos or have them hanging in a gallery. They will will probably hang on walls inside my house. To a certain extent, I can change the lighting inside my house. Do I look into Solux bulbs? What color temperature should the bulbs be?

At the moment, the question is important because I would like to focus on what papers to use. I would like to narrow down my choices of paper to a handful. Does anybody have any suggestions on what lighting setup to use?

[Manfred M]

The standard procedure for evaluating prints is to view them under daylight conditions; i.e. 5500K. Indirect sunlight from a south facing window at mid-day often works. There are different evaluation lights available and companies like x-Rite make viewing booths for industrial colour work. I would tend to stay away from any fluorescent solution, even if they reputedly are "daylight" bulbs because of spikes certain colours that come from the phosphors used in them.

The only exception is that if you know the prints will be displayed under specific lighting conditions, then using that colour temperature is also acceptable.

The halogens you are using will be too warm to do your evaluations with.

[DEAN01]

I agree with Manfred, however, some of the LED lights do produce light in the 5500K range and are good for viewing prints.

[Polar01]

To be very honest it does not matter, if someone buys one of your images you have no control over the lighting that they use when they hang it. It only matters when you are proofing your printed images under your controlled conditions they should always be the same or near to the same. Myself I tend to lay them out in a room on a bed that has a north facing window, nice soft natural light and in the summer the same but in a south facing room.

Cheers: Allan

[rpcrowe]

Lighting is very important. I carried a canvas print of the Grand Canal in Venice shot at twilight, to my camera club, which has a small gallery of prints hanging on the wall. I had thought that the image was not bright enough but, on the wall, under a "picture light" it positively became alive.

[Manfred M]

To be very honest it does not matter, if someone buys one of your images you have no control over the lighting that they use when they hang it. It only matters when you are proofing your printed images under your controlled conditions they should always be the same or near to the same. Myself I tend to lay them out in a room on a bed that has a north facing window, nice soft natural light and in the summer the same but in a south facing room.

Cheers: Allan

Allan - let's agree to disagree on this one.

What you are writing has a strong parallel for not bothering to profile and calibrate your computer screen, because we can't control what other people are viewing their images with.

The 5500K daylight "standard" has been around for a very long time and is used pretty well in all industries where colour accuracy and matching is required. I remember working with some quality control people looking at colour issues with some products using a small Macbeth colour booth setup over 30 years ago.

I was taught to use 5500K back in the colour darkroom days, for the same reason. The colours in prints might look different in other light sources, but at least if they were properly colour corrected for 5500K we would know that something else was root cause of colours not looking right issue (and there are lots of those).

[Manfred M]

To be very honest it does not matter, if someone buys one of your images you have no control over the lighting that they use when they hang it. It only matters when you are proofing your printed images under your controlled conditions they should always be the same or near to the same. Myself I tend to lay them out in a room on a bed that has a north facing window, nice soft natural light and in the summer the same but in a south facing room.

Cheers: Allan

Allan - let's agree to disagree on this one.

What you are writing has a strong parallel for not bothering to profile and calibrate your computer screen, because we can't control what other people are viewing their images with.

The 5500K daylight "standard" has been around for a very long time and is used pretty well in all industries where colour accuracy and matching is required. I remember working with some quality control people looking at colour issues with some products using a small Macbeth colour booth setup over 30 years ago.

I was taught to use 5500K back in the colour darkroom days, for the same reason. The colours in prints might look different in other light sources, but at least if they were properly colour corrected for 5500K we would know that something else was root cause of colours not looking right issue (and there are lots of those).

[Krawuntzel]

Not at all knowing what light "people use" I think they all use very different lights.
If you mastered what is correct to you, hang it on your wall. If someone else (possible future buyer) has different lights, you want to change it.
You have already made your choice of paper! Stick to it for the next few months.
Erwin

[loosecanon]

As has been said there are a number of commercial daylight lights sold for the purpose, I bought one but though ok for A4 prints it is not so good for larger prints. One does of course need to remove all other lighting.

Personally for most evaluation I find "daylight" tungsten halogen bulbs very suitable. Being an incadecent light it is a continous spectrum, but filtered with a blue filter to produce daylight balanced light. Often sold in dressmaking shops as well as good hardware shops these bulbs just replace standard bulbs. They are sold in dressmaking shops because fabrics can look different under different light, the same problem we have with the dyes and pigments used to create coloured images.

[Polar01]

Manfred it is ok to agree to disagree. It's maybe that I did not state as clearly as I should have, (I have been known to do that, a lot). Now the OP, I think his name is Alan (good name incorrect spelling), states that he has printed on different stocks to look close to what he sees on the monitor. What is not known is has the OP Alan run a profile on his monitor so that the colours are correct, as he has printed images on different stock, did he use the ICC profiles from the suppliers or did he print test colours using the suppliers ICC profiles than scan them back into his system to get a custom profile for his printer as each printer will print slightly different even when they are the same models.
I like you run profiles on my monitor and printer so I know that the colours are as accurate as possible, we do not know if the OP Alan does the same. You and I try to produce a print that meets the highest standards that we can control, once it leaves us we can not control the lighting conditions that the customer puts it under.
Some photographers (big named ones) will require a gallery where they are showing to have a certain type of lighting as the images shows best under that light. A Adams use to have them paint the walls 18% grey. Some photographers will print an image that conforms to the lighting conditions that the customer uses, however that is more likely commercial customers who are paying big dollars for custom done prints.
So when I say that is does not matter about the lighting use to view the images is somewhat correct, if you have produced the image to the highest standard you can, you can not control the lighting under which a customer will hang the image so why try. Just make sure that you yourself are creating printed images to your highest standard you can and let the rest fall where it may.

Cheers: Allan

[Alandb]

Since I am the OP, my spelling of Alan will be deemed the correct one. My goal is to provide a coherent, consistent baseline in my printing process. I want to go through all these issues once, resolve them to my personal, subjective satisfaction and then move on.

Yes, I used the ICC profiles for my paper/printer combination.

Since I did not know where else to post this question, I tried Jone Cone. I really liked his explanation (below) of why it is so subjective. I have some other technical questions below that, if anyone can answer.

Hi Alan,

Lighting is two purpose - one to help you with color management and two to make the prints attractive.
For color management, human physiology is such that we see light as neutral when it has equal amounts of red, green, and blue light (no more one than the other) - and that is 5000k. That is the temperature that is also used to convert ICC profiles. So ground zero being what it is - this is the color temp under which you should judge color and which you are best suited at judging color. It's horrible for displaying proofs in. Human physiology is such that we see color temperatures as cooler or warmer when there are more then one white light present - and we tend to adapt to what ever white light is dominant if no other white lights exist. So we would see a very warm white light as white if it is alone and we apparently tend to favor warm light. Anything under 3000k is usually what galleries light to.

In my studio we keep everything at 5000k. But we keep an exhibition wall where we can light at 4000, 3200 and 2800k. And they dim. Why so many - it's up to the artist working in the studio to make their final decisions based upon the exhibition lighting and we encourage them to find out what that is.

So there is no single correct lighting other than for judging. The rest is aesthetics.

My response to Cone,

Thank you for your very clear (and quick) response as to why there is no definitive answer. If I can afford to do so, I will experiment with different color temperature full spectrum bulbs.

Two other technical questions. With MR16 12 volt bulbs, are there specific specs in the transformer for a quality setup and does the size of the transformer (wattage) have to equal the total wattage of the bulbs being used? If I have a fixture with three 50 watt bulbs, do I need a 150 watt transformer?

[Polar01]

Yes the reply from Jone Cone is a very good one, it is all subjective for the look that you are wanting, now judging well then every thing needs to be the same for everyone to have a level field.
Now those who print usually use a small number of papers, each photographer/printer will have their own personal stocks that they like and will pick the one that they feel will give them the look that they are after. I use mainly 5 stocks, 3 luster types and 2 matt types, I have test about 15 or more different stocks creating custom ICC profiles for each one but usually returning to 3 of the 5, however I am still looking and testing to see if I can find one that give me that look I am after.
Good luck in your search for the stock that will give you that look.

Cheers: Allan

[James G]

Interesting thread.
I use a 'daylight' lamp (OttLite), which from memory provides a fixed illumination of 1cd/m2 when a print is placed under it.

I tend to use it at night, (artificial light) or when my study is too bright, the window faces south and can get too much (direct) sunlight, so I drop a translucent white blind. Otherwise I rely on natural daylight.

I believe the colour temp is equivalent to 5500K. There are a number of alternatives on the market, Grafilite is popular I believe.

[Alandb]

James, I looked into Ottlite but they give very little info on each bulb so it is hard to know which one to buy. I have heard of Graflite but not looked into it yet. It would help if you could be very specific about any bulb you have used. Wattage, Ktemp, beam spread, base type (MR16 or E27), etc.

[Manfred M]

Alan - thanks for posting Jon's commentary

I think I would have to agree with what he's written:

1. We need a consistent base light setup to compare different output media with (i.e. different paper types) as part of ones colour managed workflow. This should use "industry standards" of 5000K (I've seen others advocate 5500K, but both are close enough to each other).

2. 5000K is not a very pleasant colour to view images under (just like we try to avoid taking outdoor shots at mid-day when that colour temperature range is present in the ambient light); in general we tend to prefer "warmer" light. With regard to his comments on exhibitions, again the ambient light (both colour temperature and intensity) set the mood, so the individual artist will determine the lighting conditions he or she wants to exhibit their work under; and this tends to be lighting that has a lower colour temperature, i.e. lighting that we psychologically interpret as being "warmer".

[pnodrog]

Two other technical questions. With MR16 12 volt bulbs, are there specific specs in the transformer for a quality setup and does the size of the transformer (wattage) have to equal the total wattage of the bulbs being used? If I have a fixture with three 50 watt bulbs, do I need a 150 watt transformer?

To avoid overheating and voltage drop of secondary winding the transformer VA/wattage must match or exceed the load. Unless you have specific environmental or mounting problems it is unlikely you need to worry about any other specification apart from adhering to the electrical regulations for your location and matching the supply that is being used.

[James G]

Alan,
the link to the item is below;-

http://shop.colourconfidence.com/pro...grafilite-mode

The only technical details quoted are:-
230V GrafiLite Mode lamp with 13W TrueColor Technology tube Neutral viewing mat

I live in Birmingham and have been to them a number of times with profiling and printing issues.
They are pretty helpful, so it is probably worth your while e-mailing their support team for more info.