Top 10 tips for using your light cabinets effectively
1. Site the 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 (purchased separately) if required.
2. 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. 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.
3. If ambient lighting is a problem in your chosen location, consider placing 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. A Fixed Angle Table standardises viewing geometry to an optimal angle of 45 degrees (purchased separately). VeriVide also offers a Tilting Table which can tilted and fixed to various angles (purchased separately). 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. 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.
Which of these is best for storage?
6. 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. 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. Replace lamps annually or after 2000 hours of use whichever is sooner. The 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 designers and suppliers.
9. 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. We can supply a Maintenance Pack with all of the materials you need.
10. If you don’t wish to perform maintenance yourselves, VeriVide can assist. Our expert service team operate throughout the UK and many of our resale partners around the World can also offer this service.