Choosing The Correct Bulb For Your Picture Light

One of the key considerations in the choice of picture light is the type of bulb chosen to illuminate the artwork. There are many choices of picture lights available including LED, fluorescent, halogen, and traditional incandescent bulbs. Each of these types of bulbs has its own characteristic color scheme and the addition of this light can change the presentation of colors in the painting. Choosing a fixture with the right type of bulb can enhance the color tone of the painting and make it look even more brilliant than without the fixture. Light bulbs emit light within the visible color spectrum. However, not all light bulbs emit light in the entire color spectrum. Some of them are stronger on the yellow and red end of the spectrum and others have a tendency for the blues. Knowing how the choice of light bulb affects fixture has significant impact on the choice of correct bulb for your particular type of artwork.

The first type of bulb worth mentioning is the LED. LED's are capable of emitting light that is as close to white as possible. It does this by emitting a multicolored light in red, green, and blue. These colors tend to cancel each other out. It is also possible to find LED's that emit in only one particular frequency or another. When choosing an LED for your fixture, the picture itself may reflect more in the red, yellow, or blue range. Choosing the correct fixture for the balanced LED will help to bring out the true colors of the picture.

Fixtures that use fluorescent bulbs use phosphorus painted on the inside of the tube. Picture lights that use this technology tend to be stronger on the ultraviolet end of the spectrum. A picture light in the blue end of the spectrum will highlight blue colors and could make reds appear in the purple range. As one can see, the improper lighting can result in changes in the artwork. If the light changes the color of the artwork, then the piece cannot be seen in all of its true beauty. It should blend in, rather than to provide another source.

Another thing to consider with fluorescent fixtures is that fluorescent lights are temperature sensitive. The lamp contains a small amount of mercury that must be vaporized in order to generate light. At low temperatures the mercury does not dispense properly. At higher temperatures, the yield of UV invisible light decreases for this type of lighting fixture choice. A fluorescent bulb that is too hot ceases to emit in the UV area. Fixtures that use fluorescent bulbs often take some time to warm up before they reach their full color.

Halogen lights emit along the entire spectrum from ultraviolet too deep infrared. The filament can operate it a higher temperature, which tends to shift the bulb towards the blue end. This has a similar effect as an LED. Understanding how the different bulbs affect the lighting in a picture can help to make the right choice of lighting for your favorite artwork.