Picture Lights

Use them to highlight any picture or wall hanging, which creates a focal point in the room and adds background mood lighting at the same time.   A picture light is not just for pictures or artwork. They can be used to highlight any special object or focal point in a room and add interest to any gloomy corner. Think of them as accent lighting, able to create an atmosphere and ambience of their own.

Picture Lighting

If you are going to use a picture light to highlight artwork, there are a few things to consider, such as the type of artwork being highlighted, the type of lighting required and the correct size of picture light for the piece.

Pictures and other artwork should be positioned with the centre of the piece at eye level. In most cases, that would be about 5ft or 1.524m above floor level. The picture light should be positioned centrally directly above to give the best illumination.

Generally there are three main types of lamps used. Incandescent lamps give a yellow light, whilst G9 halogen gives a brighter, whiter light. Low voltage G4 halogen lamps give are even whiter, whilst LED picture lights are available with different colour temperatures.

Halogen lamps will generally give the best light for viewing most artwork including prints and canvas paintings, however they do give off some heat and UV rays. If you are at all concerned about heat or UV, then an LED picture light is the best choice.

Choosing The Right Sized Picture Light

As a general rule, it should be approximately half of the overall width of the artwork including the frame. If your personal preference is for a brighter or dimmer effect, then adjust these sizes accordingly.

Please use the table below as a general guide to help you choose the right size picture light for your pictures and art.

• For a frame of up to 24 inches (600mm) 210 – 280mm picture light.
• For a frame of up to 30 inches (760mm) 280 – 430mm picture light.
• For a frame of up to 45 inches (1140mm) 430 – 615mm picture light.

We don’t profess to be art experts or art critics, but we do know about lighting. These are general guidelines to help you in your choice of picture light and how you can get the best from it. If your artwork is valuable or a specialised piece, we would always recommend getting specialist advice.

If you require any further information or have any questions in relation to our range, please contact us for friendly down to earth advice.

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