How Can We Help?

Does your NortLux T8 LED Tubes compatible with Lithonia Lighting fixture?

I'm switching from a 2-bulb T8 light fixture in my oil painting studio to a 4-bulb T8 fixture, based on the lumen recommendations (my studio space is 8.5' x 11.5'). I also film a lot of YouTube videos out of this space, and I need to improve the lighting output.

I just wanted to confirm that your NorthLux lights would be compatible with this fixture. https://www.homedepot.ca/product/lithonia-lighting-4-ft-t8-4l-32w-premium-wrap/1000730017?rrec=true

According to your lumen calculator, I actually need 5 T8 bulbs, but I'm hoping that the 4 will suffice. It'll certainly be better than just the two I have.

Our T8 LED lamps sound like a great fit for your oil painting studio installation.

​We've reviewed the Lithonia Lighting fixture, but unfortunately, we are unable to confirm if this would be compatible, due to insufficient information about the ballast contained inside the fixture. We realize it may be difficult to get additional information from a large manufacturer, but if they can provide the ballast model number, we would be able to confirm if it is on our compatible ballast list, which can be found below:

https://www.waveformlighting.com/datasheets/UM_4024.pdf

Alternatively, our T8 LED-ready fixture may be a viable alternative, although we do realize that it is a two-lamp fixture that would fall short of the four-lamp quantity per fixture that you are looking for.

To supplement, you may also want to consider our T5 linear fixtures, which can be mounted on a variety of surfaces:

LED Strip vs Tube Lights in an existing T8 fixtures for Art Studio

I am helping my father order new lights for his art studio. We want to order LED lights to replace his T8 daylight fluorescent bulbs. We have two fixtures that hold six bulbs each. One fixture has a bad ballast that needs replacing; the other ballast was recently replaced.

I am trying to decide between T8 tube LEDs or adhesive LED strip lights. Your NorthLux 95 CRI T8 LED Tube for Art & Studio will work fine, but I will need to replace the ballast, correct? Or is there an easy workaround for that?

I heard that the tube lights waste a bit of luminosity because the light is directed upwards instead of all downward into the living (studio) area. On the contrary, strip lights are more efficient because ALL the light is directed toward the living area. So they are "brighter" and more lumens are shining directly into the living space. Correct?

If this is so, what product do you recommend for the strip lights for an art studio/gallery space? High CRI and color-accurate lighting are critical. My father is a professional portrait painter and color accuracy is (obviously!) important. 

Both our T8 LED tube lights and LED strip lights sound like a great option for your father's new art studio!

​In regards to your first question, you are correct on both the ballast as well as the "wasted" light situation. Unlike traditional fluorescent lamps, however, our T8 LED tube lights do not have a full 360 degree beam angle and are actually closer to 320 degrees, so there may be less concern with respect to wasted light.

​For an LED strip light solution, you will also want to consider the additional complexity of wiring and installation, as well as the additional component cost with power supplies and other accessories. That being said, we would perhaps recommend either our ABSOLUTE SERIES LED strip lights (99 CRI) or CENTRIC DAYLIGHT LED strip lights (95 CRI); links below:

As an alternative to LED strip lights, our T5 linear lamps could also be a viable option; we have provided a link for this product below:

Regarding tubes versus the strips, is there a noticeable difference in the amount of light received? Does each tube have one strip within it, or multiple strips? Is the wattage used the same?

The LED strip lights emit 450 lumens per foot, so this equates to approximately 1800 lumens for a 4-foot section, making this approximately equal to the 1800 lumens emitted by the 4-ft T8 lamp. The LED strip lights emit light in a narrower angle of 120 degrees, however, so they may be even better at reducing "wasted" lumens as we discussed prior.

The other advantage is that LED strip lights would provide you with the ability to quickly scale up or down the amount of brightness needed by installing multiple rows. Since the LED strips are quite narrow (less than half an inch), you would be able to install multiple rows in a fixture without worrying too much about footprint issues.

Is the T8 NorthLux light more suitable for art/gallery use than the strip options? The NorthLux is the only one in which there is text or reviews citing art studio/gallery use. I had assumed the Filmgrade White would be the best for artists and color rendition.

They all offer 95 CRI and 5000K, so we would not say that one is more suitable than the other. The product pages are shown primarily for marketing purposes, so if you're interested in the LED strip approach, that would certainly be fine.

The FilmGrade LED strip lights offer a color temperature of 5600K which is specific to the TV & film lighting industry. It is a perfectly suitable color temperature for art and gallery use, though keep in mind that it would not match any of the industry standards for printing or digital arts (D50 and D65, respectively).

I noticed that the Absolute offers less lumens (375/ft compared to 450/ft for the Centric and the NorthLux). Is the difference noticeable?

Yes, the difference would be noticeable, as the light output is approximately 15-20% less. That being said, installing multiple rows of the ABSOLUTE SERIES could be an easy way to make up for any brightness loss.

Lastly- (sorry for all the questions!)- if I order the T8 bulbs for my existing fluorescent fixtures, I can bypass the existing ballasts by connecting the incoming 120v wires to the blue/red wires that feed each of the "tombstones" that hold the T8 pins? Here's a short video showing that procedure: https://youtu.be/ts4dW8kLefY.

Yes, that would be a perfect way to ensure compatibility. we've included the installation manual for the T8 lamps below, which has information on wiring configurations:

https://www.waveformlighting.com/datasheets/UM_4024.pdf

LED Bulbs and Fixtures for Art Studio

Have looked but am unsure exactly what combination to order. Want a bank of three 4-foot. Need 90 or above CRT at least 5000 lumens

Our NorthLux products sound like a great fit for your art studio. For a quick-install solution, we would perhaps recommend our 4-ft T5 linear lamps, which can be installed and mounted onto a variety of locations.

We have included the product link below:

What I had in my old art studio was a bank of 4 – four-foot fixtures direct wired two tubes per fixture, direct wired and all connected to one main light switch. What I would like is 3- four-foot fixtures with two tubes per fixture. They will be hard-wired by an electrician and all operate on one main light switch.  

We would recommend purchasing three of our T8 LED-ready fixtures (2 lamps per fixture) along with two 4-packs of our T8 LED tube lights in 5000K.

We have included product links below. Please let me know if you have any questions!

LED Lighting for 10x12 ft Oil Painting Studio

I need to light a 10x12ft oil painting studio. Looking at your Northlux studio section I see many options in both bulbs and fluorescents. I also see 5000k or 6500K. So please help me out by recommending what I should buy and if it should be 500K or 6500 K. 

Our NorthLux LED lamps sound like a great fit for your painting studio.

We have several lamp styles, and depending on your interior layout and existing fixture locations, we would recommend different lamp types. If you can let us know if you have existing ceiling or lamp fixtures, or if this is for a new build project, we may be able to help refine your options a bit more.

In the meantime, you can get a sense of what level of brightness you will need using our lumen estimation calculator below to plug in the dimensions of your space:

https://www.waveformlighting.com/lumen-calculator

Concerning color temperature, our article below may help decide between 5000K and 6500K. In short, if you plan on incorporating natural daylight from a north-facing window, the 6500K may be a better option so that you can match this light, but if you don't intend to use any natural daylight, the 5000K may be a better option.

https://www.waveformlighting.com/art-painting/difference-between-5000k-and-6500k-bulbs

My studio is a small cabin with an interior dimension of 9x11 ft, an open ceiling that's 10 ft high in the center sloping to 8 ft walls with a ridge beam at the top. This ridge is in the center of the 11 ft axis. As for existing fixtures, I currently just hang lighting from the ridge beam and that location works fine just don't like my lighting. Existing windows are one small window facing west and 2 other small windows facing north but the ones to north are under a large overhang of about 6 ft.

I really only need one-half of the cabin lit well for painting. Glare is an oil painter's worst enemy but others didn't complain about it at all. So with the high ridge beam to mount it on do I need to be concerned? Is there anything about a LED light that would glare more than if I mounted some sort of track lighting and went with your bulbs?

In terms of the issue of glare, we have received some feedback from customers about the lack of a translucent cover on the lamps, which can result in glare when one looks directly upward at the light fixture. We believe the product review refers to this same concern.

​If we understand correctly, the primary concern with glare for painters is the reflection of the canvas, rather than the glare effect which results from looking directly at the light source. As such, we do not have any concerns about the product for your application, although it is certainly a valid concern in terms of visual comfort in the space.

Another alternative would be to utilize our T8 lamps in combination with our LED-ready fixtures. This would require some additional wiring and installation, but with our T8 lamps having a frosted cover, this may help mitigate your concerns about glare. We've included direct links to the 95 CRI / 5000K options and fixture below:

High CRI Lighting for Art Studio

I need high CRI even lighting for initially ~ 5"x6 art/painting area, (ceiling joist is 7' from the floor), and if that works out another 5X6 for the working table. Looking at your LED Shop light fixture and Linear light fixture. Questions: Does either have a diffuser? Dimmer? what is cord length? 

Based on the details provided, it seems as though our T5 Linear Light Fixtures and LED Shop Lights could be a great fit for your art and painting areas!

While these products are not dimmable, we can confirm that the LED Shop Lights contain a polycarbonate lens, and the T5 Linear Light Fixtures have a diffusion cover to evenly distribute the light output. We can further confirm that the T5 Fixtures have a 12" power cord, whereas the LED Shop Light Fixtures have a 60" power cable. Longer power cables are available from third-party storefronts as well, should your installation require them. 

If a dimmable light source is preferable, we might alternatively recommend either the 5000K CENTRIC DAYLIGHT™ LED Strip Lights for Commercial & Retail or the 6500K FilmGrade™ WHITE LED Strip Lights. These products can be paired with either in-wall dimmers or in-line dimmers and can utilize DC power supplies or the TRIAC Dimmable Power Supply.

Many of our customers also choose to use our aluminum channels with these products, which contain diffusion covers for even light distribution. Other customers have also installed these lights so that they can be controlled using smart home systems, such as Lutron Caseta. 

NorthLux A19 vs Centric Daylight A21 Bulbs

I need bulbs to light an art studio. I am considering two of your products:

1. NorthLux A19 LED bulbs (5000K, 800lm)

2. Centric Daylight A21 LED bulbs (5000K, 1600lm)

Number 1 is marketed as being for art studio use whereas number 2 is more general-purpose, however from the specs it seems they are similar (same colour temp, same CRI). Is there a significant difference between these products other than brightness and power consumption?

If the quality of light from NorthLux is significantly higher I will use it, but if not then I prefer the brighter Centric bulbs (so I can use fewer bulbs in total).

We can confirm that the primary difference between the two products is the dimensions and lumen output, where the A21 bulb is slightly larger and has double the lumen output compared to our standard A19 bulbs. 

​That being said, it might be helpful to know that both will offer full spectrum output as well as a high CRI of 95+. As such, the quality of light will be identical though the output of the A21 will be comparatively greater. 

Are the BR30 bulbs spotlights or provide flood-type illumination?

I am interested in purchasing your NorthLux 95 CRI BR30 bulbs for my art studio in my home. Are these bulbs spotlights or do they provide flood-type illumination, which is what I need?

As our BR30 LED Lights have a beam angle of 120°, we can confirm that they would qualify as a flood (or wide floodlight) light source. 

If you would like to try our BR30 bulbs in your installation, please feel free to take advantage of our 30-day return policy. We will gladly provide prepaid return labels for any unneeded items from domestic orders. 

High CRI Lighting for Rebuilding a Studio

I am rebuilding my studio and am very excited about your high CRI lighting. Is it approved for use in Canada? My studio is 22x27 with 10 feet ceilings. I was thinking of the LED tube lighting - is this the best source?

By placing the dimensions into our Lumen Estimation Calculator, it appears that the space would be fully illuminated by 16-22 T8 LED Tube Lamps, though some of our customers prefer to illuminate just the working areas instead of the full space. 

For studio spaces we often recommend the 5000K or 6500K color temperature T8 LED Tube Lights since they can be more easily replaced if they encounter failures easier than the LED Strip Lights in our catalog can. These lights are suitable for use in Canada and are compatible with 120, 208, 240, or 277 V AC input voltages. 

While our T8 LED Tube Lights are compatible with some ballasts found within fluorescent fixtures, we recommend bypassing incompatible ballasts using the installation guide for operation. 

​Hardware damage may occur which would void the warranty if incompatible ballasts are used. As an alternative, our LED Ready T8 Fixtures do not require any rewiring for operation. 

What is the lighting difference between the two different types of your light fixtures. What are the advantages? How much area is covered by each light fixtures, and are they best to be butted against each other or allow space between? If there is space in between, what is the best distance without seeing a drop in lighting intensity? 

The primary difference between the LED Ready T8 Fixture models is that the Wrap Fixture with Prismatic Lens is designed to evenly diffuse the light, though it will reduce overall transmission by roughly 10%. This diffusion is also slightly more aesthetically pleasing than the Strip Fixture with Reflector. 

​Comparatively, the Strip Fixture with Reflector can be quite helpful for better dispersing the light in a space and directing light downward. This fixture also maximizes the total light output, and would not encounter any transmission loss as the Wrap Fixture with Prismatic Lens will. 

We generally recommend spacing the light sources evenly throughout a space to create a uniform light distribution, although we do not have a specific rule for the distance between the light fixture units. We do apologize for any impact this may have on your purchase planning. 

Is the NorthLux T8 LED Tube dimmable for an art studio?

Converting the room into a studio and was wondering if the NorthLux T8 95 CRI is dimmable and if can it be put on a dimmable switch.

Unfortunately, our T8 LED Tube Lights are not dimmable, and we do sincerely apologize for any impact this may have on your purchase planning process. That being said, we would be happy to share your interest in that feature with our product team for future development consideration. 

You might alternatively be interested in our LED Strip Light products, which are compatible with wall dimmers when utilizing our in-wall power supplies such as the TRIAC Dimmable Power Supply. Many of our customers like to illuminate their rooms by placing those items within our easily-installed aluminum channels at the ceiling line or on cornices. 

6500K Natural North Light for Studio Room

I will be ordering 3 Northlux 96 CRI LED shop light fixtures from you.

Do I order for north light windowless art studio room

6500K light? Do I order the Centric daylight full spectrum FLICKER FREE T8 LED tube light or the Northlux 95 CRI T8 LED tube? Does the Northlux 95 for art studio flicker?

For my windowless art studio, I am purchasing three Northlux light fixtures from you. Do I order the CENTRIC DAYLIGHT full spectrum FLICKER FREE tube lights or the NORTHLUX 95 CRI T8 LED tubes?

By placing the dimensions into our Lumen Estimation Calculator, the space would be evenly illuminated with eight T8 LED Tube Lights. It could also be illuminated with four strategically-placed T8 LED Tube Lights if only the working areas require illumination. 

For artwork creation spaces where north-facing daylight is helpful, we generally recommend the 6500K NorthLux™ 95 CRI T8 LED Tube for Art & Studio. These lights provide full spectrum output and feature a high CRI of 95+. 

​Further, we can confirm that both the CENTRIC DAYLIGHT™ and NorthLux™ T8 LED Tube Lights are flicker-free. In case it proves to be helpful, the T8 LED Tube Light listings are identical products that are provided with unique landing pages for marketing purposes. As such, the 6500K option of either listing will provide identical output. 

It might also be helpful to know that not all fluorescent fixtures are compatible with T8 LED Tube Lights. While the ballasts within some models are compatible, incompatible models would require rewiring to bypass the ballast for a direct wire connection. 

We have shared a link below comparing the two options for artwork creation. If you would like to directly compare these options, please feel free to take advantage of our 30-day return policy. We will gladly provide prepaid return labels for any domestic orders within 30 days of delivery. 

Difference Between 5000K and 6500K Bulbs

Can two LED strips be placed side by side?

I am making a studio lamp. I would like to put one strip of filmmaking white 3500k next to another strip of RGB color space. 1st question, can two strips be placed side by side? if not what is the minimum distance required between strips (side by side)? I would like to control both strips with one controller and one power supply. Is that possible? Also, I would like to control the color and dimmer with knobs instead of/ or in addition to wifi or Bluetooth controller. Finally with the recommended controller from your website, what else does one need to actually control the lights? is it an app and a smartphone?

We are happy to confirm that two LED Strip Lights can be installed in parallel using the same power supply, so long as the power requirements do not exceed the capacity of the power source and have matching voltage. Utilizing an incorrect voltage will likely damage the hardware and void the product warranties. 

Generally speaking, we recommend utilizing one dedicated power supply per 5-meter reel, as lengths much greater than 5 meters will likely encounter voltage drop and diminished output. 

We offer the FilmGrade™ DMX LED Dimmer & Decoder with 5 Channel Output, which is able to send lighting commands to five channels using the on-device buttons. This product is typically used in conjunction with a third-party DMX Controller for networked lighting installations such as venues and studios. As your order would utilize four color channels, this may be a good option. 

That being said, our LED Strip Lights can also be used with third-party IR/WiFi controllers and power supplies as well as smart home systems. These options would likely be less intensive and may offer smartphone control and adjustment. Unfortunately, we do not have any specific third-party controllers that we could recommend at this time. 

The third party controller for your film grade dimmer decoder, what is the compatibility wording that I will be looking for to make sure the Ir/ wifi Controller will be compatible with your filmgrade dimmer decoder. Or is your filmgrade dimmer decoder basically compatible with ALL third party controllers ( assuming the voltage matches 12/ 24). 

The search terms we would recommend are DMX (officially DMX-512) or RDM (which is an enhancement of the DMX-512 protocol), which is the term for the networked lighting system that the DMX Dimmer and Decoder utilizes. Though we have not performed internal tests, some customers have found success using the DMX Dimmer and Decoder with the American DJ myDMX 3.0 DMX Controller and Software. 

That being said, utilizing a DMX solution would be a different approach than utilizing an IR/WiFi controller, as those products may use a different protocol entirely and may not be compatible with the DMX Dimmer and Decoder. 

From my review, many of the IR/WiFi controllers available from other online storefronts utilize or include a dedicated power supply and controller, and are unlikely to require the DMX Dimmer and Decoder product for control of the color channels. Unfortunately, we do not have any specific products that we could recommend at this time. 

Would fabric color be treated as with painting using 5000K, or 6500K?

Looking at Northlux 95 CRI T5 4 ft. fixtures for my wife's quilting studio. Would fabric color be treated as with painting using 5000K, or 6500K?

I read in the reviews the power cord is short and needs to be plugged directly into a power outlet. No extension cord. Is this true? I would need some sort of extension cord arrangement unless you can give advice on other options that would work.

Also what are the physical dimensions of the Northlux 95 CRI T5 4 ft. fixture? Width, Height, and Length.

Though we do not have any direct experience in colored fabrics, we have shared an article below that compares the benefits of the 5000K and 6500K color temperatures for artwork creation and color-critical work. 

Difference Between 5000K and 6500K Bulbs

In summary, the difference comes down to personal preference for creating under a neutral color point or a cooler daylight color. As the 5000K and 6500K options will offer a high CRI of 95+, both will be able to provide accurate color representation. 

As a further note, we can confirm that the T5 Linear Light Fixtures ship with a power cord that is 12" in length. Though we do not carry longer power cords, they are available from third-party storefronts by searching for the term ‘c8 plug to c7 receptacle cable’. In our own search of Amazon, there appear to be several options available. 

As the T5 Linear Light Fixtures have recently undergone a hardware update, we, unfortunately, do not yet have the dimensions available. We would like to sincerely apologize for any impact this may have on your installation planning. 

Do you have LED Strip Light Ceiling Fixtures?

We would like to purchase six 4-foot-long LED strip light fixtures for a basement area in which I do painting and my wife does a variety of crafts. You have three different types available, and the descriptions don’t really tell us how they differ. Would it be smart just to buy the newest ones (Centric), or is color matching the most accurate?

Based on the details provided, it sounds as though our T5 Linear Light Fixtures could be a great match for your artwork creation space! That being said, it might be helpful to know that these fixtures operate using DC power, are exclusively controlled by the on-device power switch, and do not connect directly to line voltage. 

Further, we can confirm that the T5 Linear Light Fixtures are identical products that are provided with unique landing pages for marketing purposes. As such, the D50 5000K T5 LED Linear Light Fixture will provide identical high-quality light output as the 5000K CENTRIC DAYLIGHT™ 95 CRI T5 LED Linear Light Fixture.

This can be noted by the shared part number (PN 4026.2F.50), and we do sincerely apologize for any confusion that these product pages may have caused. 

Fluorescents (EIKO lights) Replacement for Painting Studio

I have a small painting studio, about 11' x 12'. I currently have two compact fluorescents (CRAPPY CRI) EIKO lights overhead that is about 85W each. I'm looking to replace them with your excellent bulbs. I can install a T8 fixture but am not sure how many I need, or which color bulbs to get for sure. I want a balanced light so I'm thinking probably 5,000K. Maybe a mixture? Also, do I just need two bulbs? Would four be too much for this small space? 

Based on my use of the Lumen Estimation Calculator, we would likely recommend utilizing four of our 1800 lumen T8 LED Tube Lights for your studio space. We generally like to recommend the 5000K color temperature option for artwork creation as it produces a neutral, balanced white color which is great for color-critical installations. 

If you utilize a third-party fluorescent fixture, it might be helpful to know that older fixtures often used ballasts for power adjustment. As not all ballasts are within our compatibility list, we generally recommend rewiring the fixtures to bypass the ballasts. This process is fairly straightforward and is featured within the T8 user manual. 

We hope that our high CRI T8 Tube Lights are a great match for your studio! 

How many shop light fixtures are needed for a space with a north-light window?

I am an oil painter. Always had a north-light window. Now a 13X13 ft studio with no window. How many Northlux light fixtures are needed for that space? 1 over the easel and 1 over color charts on the wall? Are there 2 bulbs per fixture? The ceiling is 9 1/2 ft tall. How long do these LED bulbs last?

By placing the dimensions of the space into our Lumen Estimation Calculator, it appears that the space would benefit from three units of the NorthLux™ 95 CRI LED Shop Light Fixtures for thorough illumination for artwork, with each providing 4200 lumens. 

Each of the NorthLux™ 95 CRI LED Shop Light Fixtures utilizes two integrated strips of LED lighting, rather than T8 lights or bulbs as traditional fixtures might. 

​This item is also available in both the 5000K and 6500K color temperature options. In the hopes that it proves to be helpful, I have shared a link to a guide to these options below. 

Difference Between 5000K and 6500K Bulbs

These fixtures also have a three-year warranty. If they encounter any malfunctions during that time, we would be happy to assist with troubleshooting or providing a new replacement unit. 

Recommended Lights for Art Studio Space

I've recently acquired a new art studio space which was formerly a hotel room. It's about 200 sq ft with a very small north-facing window and a fairly small south-facing window. Where I'm hoping to set up my easel would be closest to the south-facing window (with an awning that obstructs the light) and under 4 light receptacles that were placed for a time when it was a hotel room. I'm just wondering if you have any recommendations for lighting the space. I'll be painting it white. 

Based on my review of the details provided, it appears that we have several options that we would recommend for your new studio space. If the ceiling lighting is recessed, we would primarily recommend our NorthLux™ 95 CRI BR30 LED Bulbs for Artwork & Studio, which are available in both 5000K and 6500K. These dimmable lights provide 800 lumens per bulb and offer a CRI of 95+. 

Some of our other customers with similar installations have also installed our LED Strip Lights at the ceiling line within the corner version of our aluminum channels, which can be dimmed and paired with smart home systems. 

​Depending on the finer details of your studio space, you may prefer to utilize the FilmGrade™ DC Power Supply for LED Strip and FilmGrade™ Flicker-Free LED Dimmer rather than the in-wall power supplies that would require connection to line voltage and manual wiring.

Recessed LED Light for an Art Studio

I would like to talk to someone about adding lights to my art studio. I have an electrician scheduled, but he doesn't seem to know much about this subject. I was planning on putting in recessed LED lights but am now wondering what you would recommend.

Though we do not have recessed lighting fixture options, we would be happy to provide you with some product recommendations if you would like to share some details about your studio with us. For example, it would be helpful to know the size of the space, including the ceiling height. 

For a simple installation, you may be interested in our NorthLux™ 95 CRI BR30 LED Bulbs for Artwork & Studio, which are designed to be installed within recessed canned ceiling lighting. 

If you would like to utilize ceiling fixtures using a direct-wire connection, we might recommend our newly-launched LED-Ready T8 Fixtures, which are designed to be compatible with our T8 LED Tube Lights. 

If installing LED Strip Lights in the cornices of your walls is more beneficial for even illumination, we would likely recommend our 5000K 24V CENTRIC DAYLIGHT™ LED Strip Lights for Commercial & Retail, or our 6500K 24V FilmGrade™ WHITE LED Strip Lights. 

I have measured my art studio (which is actually a bedroom) and it is 13’7” long, 10’3” wide, and 8’ tall. There are 9” open bookshelves on one of the 10’ wide walls and two windows that face West. There is one light in the middle of the room.

I was thinking about putting in 4 flat recessed LED lights in the four corners of the room. Probably 2–3 feet away from the walls. 

I’m assuming the Northlux 95 fits in the older style of recessed cans which in the past have been quite large. But I don’t really know. Can you tell me what size can (dimensions) I would need?

And I don’t know how the other options would work. I have forwarded your email response to my electrician, but I haven’t heard back from him.

I am an oil painter and consequently need not only good lighting but accurate lightning.

We have attached an image that lists the dimensions of our NorthLux™ 95 CRI BR30 LED Bulbs for Artwork & Studio in millimeters, which we hope is helpful for your canned lighting installation planning.

These lights should fit into any standard E26 base, though please feel free to take advantage of our 30-day return policy in the event that they wind up not being the right fit. We will gladly provide you with a prepaid return label for any unneeded items. 

Based on my use of our Lumen Estimation Calculator, it appears that a room of the dimensions provided would benefit from 11,095 lumens for thorough illumination, though each space varies depending on the needs of the illumination target. As each of our BR30 bulbs provides 800 lumens, your space may benefit from additional light sources, such as the aforementioned products or the NorthLux™ 95 CRI T5 LED Linear Light Fixtures. 

The NorthLux™ 95 CRI T5 LED Linear Light Fixtures do not require additional power supplies or accessories, and can be easily installed on many different surfaces using the included magnets and metal clips, which can be useful for installations that benefit from a moveable light source.

Do you have a higher wattage of BR30 LED Bulbs for the art studio?

I have sent emails in the past regarding light for my daughter’s art studio. She presently has ordinary bulbs in there. Before, I inquired about linear lights over bulbs, but you didn’t have any in stock. So, since she currently has two light bulbs about 6 feet apart, I’m thinking of your 5000K, 95 CRI BR30 LED bulbs to replace them. However, I’m not sure 60-watt bulbs are bright enough. Do they come in higher wattages?

While our BR30 lightbulbs are unfortunately not available with a higher wattage, we are happy to confirm that our T5 Linear Light Fixtures are currently in stock and available for purchase. 

If you would like to try the 5000K NorthLux™ 95 CRI BR30 LED Bulb for Artwork & Studio bulbs or the 5000K NorthLux™ 95 CRI T5 LED Linear Light Fixture for the art studio, please feel free to take advantage of our 30-day return policy if any of the items wind up being unneeded. 

How to properly light and install the T5 LED Linear Fixture for the art studio?

I have one waveform lamp and would like to discuss how to properly light the space and eventually hardwire the lamps.

I would like to light an artist studio approx 300 sq ft. I work/paint against 3 walls ( the 4th wall has a poorly lit window with air shaft views) 2 walls of 10 ft each x 1 wall of 12 ft and a 9' ceiling ht

I do not want to cast shadows of myself onto the canvas, the room should diffuse light. I cannot look at the bulb that I have bought it is way too bright to be low in space. I thought I might be able to hardwire them (Is that possible?) and place them in a decorative molding high on the wall but I fear it will just light the ceiling.

My other option was your suspension lights. I have no idea how to calculate what I would need for the space I have described to be lit homogenously.

As a primary starting point, we hope that it is helpful to know that the T5 Linear Light Fixtures are designed for DC power only, and cannot be directly wired to line voltage. We do apologize for any impact this may have on your installation timeline. 

For the planning of the light source in your studio space, we have attached a link to our Lumen Estimation Calculator. This tool will recommend a lumen target based on both the dimensions of the space and the purpose of the room.

Based on our use, it appears that your studio would be evenly illuminated by 24,060 lumens. This target could be met by using 41 feet of LED Strip Lights, such as our 5000K or 6500K CENTRIC DAYLIGHT™ LED Strip Lights for Commercial & Retail, which are the color temperatures most often recommended for artwork creation. 

We can imagine an installation in which the three reels of LED Strip Lights are connected to the three dedicated 24V power supplies to the same in-wall dimmer for control, and installed on the decorative molding within our cornered aluminum channels. We have attached two LayoutMap links below for a similar installation, in the hopes that it proves to be useful. 

LayoutMaps™ - LED Strip Light Layout 3001-1B

LayoutMaps™ - LED Strip Light Layout 3001-1C

High CRI 1000 lumens LED bulbs for Art Studio

I am trying to light an art studio. Love the high CRI but need bulbs that are brighter than a 60-watt equivalent. Is anything 1000 lumens or brighter? 

Based on the details provided, you may be interested in our CENTRIC DAYLIGHT™ Full Spectrum Flicker-Free A21 15W LED Bulbs, which are able to provide 1600 lumens as 100W equivalents. 

These products provide the same high CRI as our standard A19 bulbs, though it might be helpful to know that the dimensions of the A21 are slightly larger. 

T8 LED Light Bulb Recommendation for Printing Studio

I am re-lighting my workspace and trying to decide between the Northlux 5000k T8 replacement bulbs and the D50 5000K T8 LED Tubes. Could you tell me what the difference is between them? We are a printing studio and have to evaluate photographs and paintings for color reproduction.

As a starting point, it might be helpful to know that the D50 5000K T8 LED Tube Lights for Color Matching and NorthLux™ 95 CRI T8 LED Tube for Art & Studio are identical products that are provided with unique landing pages for marketing purposes. 

The above can be noted by the shared part number on the product page (4024.50) As such, identical ISO D50 calibrated light output can be expected from both of the above 5000K options. We do sincerely apologize for any confusion that the product pages may have caused. 

Does you BR30 bulbs go inside any recessed can light?

I have a question about the BR30 full spectrum and Northlux bulbs. Do they go inside any recessed can light and is the only difference between these two bulbs the fact that one has 3-kelvin options and one has 2-kelvin options? I'm considering a combination of your lights for my art studio.

We are happy to confirm that the BR30 lightbulbs are designed for use with recessed canned light fixtures as well as track lighting systems.

We can also confirm that the NorthLux™ 95 CRI BR30 LED Bulb for Artwork & Studio and the Full Spectrum E26 BR30 LED Bulb are identical products that are provided with unique landing pages for marketing purposes. 

The only difference between these products pages is the available color temperatures (such as 4000K, 5000K, 6500K). As such, identical high-CRI output can be expected from both. We do apologize for any confusion that these pages may have caused. 

T5 LED Linear Fixture lighting for an art studio?

I am looking to light an art studio located in my basement. It is 333 sf with bright white walls, 7-foot ceilings, and cork floors. The calculator says I should have 27,000 lumens or (15) of the NorthLux 95 CRI T5 LED Linear Lights. Does this seem right? Would it be better to order (4) 4 packs and return any if I decide I don't need them? and, would you recommend that light for the studio? I chose it for the price point and the low profile.

From my review of our Lumen Estimation Calculator tool, the 27,000 lumen target referenced in your email appears to be accurate for artwork creation purposes. 

​Based on the details provided, we would likely recommend purchasing the four 4-Pack units of T5 fixtures as they have a lower cost per unit. 

In-Home LED Light to Illuminate a Painting

I recently purchased LED tube lights for my art studio. Northlux 95 CRI T8 LED tubes. A collector of mine wants to purchase a similar light for her home to replicate the lighting I used in the studio. Can you recommend a LED bulb that is similar to the tube light above?

Based on the details provided, there are a few options that we might recommend depending on the ideal fixture being utilized. 

Our primary recommendations would be the 5000K NorthLux™ 95 CRI E26 A19 LED Bulb for Art & Studio for standard fixtures or the 5000K NorthLux™ 95 CRI BR30 LED Bulb for Artwork & Studio for canned recessed lighting. 

We also recently launched the 5000K CENTRIC DAYLIGHT™ Full Spectrum Flicker-Free A21 15W LED Bulbs, which can provide double the lumen output of our standard A19 bulbs (1600 vs 800). Please note that these A21 lightbulbs have slightly larger dimensions than the A19 lightbulbs. 

If a dedicated fixture for illuminating artwork is alternatively preferred, you may be interested in our 5000K NorthLux™ 95 CRI T5 LED Linear Light Fixtures. These fixtures contain integrated light sources and power supplies, can be easily installed, and only require a DC plug for power. The primary considerations for this option are that it cannot be paired with wall dimmers and features an on-device power switch. 

95 CRI LED Lights for Art Studio

My wife ordered and received NorthLux 95 CRI T8 tubes. She thought we would just find a fixture. We are in new construction and therefore do not have existing old fluorescent fixtures and they cannot be bought. The tubes were recommended by lots of artists. Do you have a fixture for this type of LED that gives this “artist” light? We need 2 sets of 4 ft linked together with each set linked to the other. Need to know if they can be hard-wired and if are they wired from the end; and does it matter which end? 

We are happy to confirm that the T8 LED Tube Lights in our catalog are compatible with our newly-launched LED Ready T8 Fixtures. These new fixtures can be direct-wired to line voltage and do not require any rewiring or adjustment for functionality as some older fluorescent fixtures might. 

As an alternative, you may also be interested in our NorthLux™ 95 CRI LED Shop Light Fixtures. These products are integrated fixtures that do not require T8 lights or other for functionality and can be daisy-chained to a shared DC power source. That being said, please note that these fixtures are unfortunately not designed for line voltage. 

Can the LED Ready T8 Fixtures be daisy-chained? I am considering the two options you listed.

I would be placing lights on two beams running parallel and would like 8 feet on each beam which means linking two 4-foot fixtures. Can I jump over from one beam fixture to the other beam fixture and does the jump wiring have to be on a certain end? There are no diagrams indicating how this might be done.

Finally, do the T5 fixtures have similar artist LED light as the T8 fixture and what is the difference in getting one or the other?

Unfortunately, the LED Ready T8 Fixtures cannot be daisy-chained, as they only have one set of input wires and do not have output wires or receptacles. 

We can confirm that the NorthLux™ 95 CRI T5 LED Linear Light Fixtures are available, and are designed with art and studio installations in mind. 

This item is different from our T8 LED Tube Lights in that it is an integrated fixture that operates with a DC power plug. These fixtures can also be daisy-chained using the included C7 power cable, and provide full spectrum light output with a CRI of 95+. Comparatively, the LED Ready T8 Fixtures are designed for line voltage and ceiling installation, and require the T8 LED Lights for operation. 

The T5 fixture is being integrated and the DC power plug does not seem to fit with the hard-wired electrical my contractor has installed. Do you sell the 95 CRI T5 LED tubes without the fixture? If so I can look for a different fixture that I could put your lights in.

Our T5 Linear Light Fixtures are only designed for use with DC outlet power. We apologize! 

As a further clarification, the T5 Linear Light Fixtures are not sold separately from the fixture. 

Based on the details provided, it seems that the best option might be the aforementioned LED Ready T8 Fixtures as well as the NorthLux™ 95 CRI T8 LED Tube for Art & Studio. 

As another alternative, you may also be interested in using our LED Flex Strips which can be installed within Aluminum Channels and powered using direct wire as a TRIAC Dimmable Power Supply. 

T8 LED Lighting for Painting Studio

I’m a professional painter who typically does paintings in the 5’ or 6’ square size range. My studio has 9 1/2’ ceilings. I’m thinking of using your 5000K, CRI 95, R9 4ft LED tube lights and your $85.- 4ft shop-light fixture. I have a few questions.

How does that sound? I can of course adjust the length of the chains I use when hanging the fixture from the ceiling, and move the painting on my easel more under the light or further back.

The installation as described sounds like a terrific option for illuminating your canvas! As a further note, we can confirm that the BR30 lights can conveniently fit within clamp fixtures for directional lighting. 

Does your reflector fixture sound best for me (angled slightly away towards the canvas surface so as not to come in my eyes as I observe the painting from a distance) ? or would you recommend your fixture with the diffuser cover? 

Unless the prismatic diffusion of the light output is required for your installation, we would likely recommend the LED-Ready T8 Tube Light Fixture - Strip Fixture with Reflector. 

Does the diffuser fixture (# 4501) reduce the light output a lot? Does it affect the CRI or R values? 

We can confirm that the prismatic lens will cause a ~10% transmission drop in the total lumens being output, though this transmission reduction is not expected to affect the CRI or R values. 

I wasn’t able to see R values for Northlux 95 CRI BR30 bulbs (#4011.5). Can you provide those? Do you sell a fixture for that bulb? 

We, unfortunately, do not yet have the photometric report available for the 5000K NorthLux™ 95 CRI BR30 LED Bulb for Artwork & Studio, though I expect this report to be uploaded to our website within the near future. 

I see the (#4011.5) bulb is dimmable. How about the Northlux 95 CRI T8 LED Tubes (#4024. bulbs using your (#4502) fixture? Can I dim them with that fixture? If yes, how does dimming affect the CRI and R values of the light?

Generally speaking, our T8 LED Tube Lights are not compatible with dimmable fixtures, and we do sincerely apologize for any impact this may have on your purchase planning. 

Flicker-free light for Enclosed Globe Desk Lamp

Which is the best flicker-free light for an artist's desk lamp?

While we might normally recommend our NorthLux™ 95 CRI E26 A19 LED Bulb for Art & Studio, these products are unfortunately not compatible with fully enclosed fixtures. 

Our standard A19 lightbulbs require a moderate amount of airflow for the dissipation of heat. When the heat is not able to dissipate, the internal hardware can encounter issues, and we do sincerely apologize for any impact this may have on your purchasing plans. 

If the dimension of your desk lamp can accommodate for larger bulbs, such as the BR30 standard, you might alternatively be interested in our NorthLux™ 95 CRI BR30 LED Bulb for Artwork & Studio. 

Shop Light Fixture for Artist Studios

I am an architectural designer currently working on lighting strategies for a series of artists' studios. The spaces, on average, are 11' W x 16' L, and the ceiling height is 10'-6". I was looking at your NorthLux 95 CRI LED Shop Light Fixture and have used your lumen estimation tool to determine how many of these lights I would require. Based on my calculation, it appears each studio would require about 4. Is this a fair estimate? I also wanted to see if you had any recommendations for spacing these out (minimum distance between the light source and wall, the distance between multiple lights, etc.) or anything else I should keep in mind as I think through this. 

Based on my use of our Lumen Estimation Calculator, it does appear that an art studio of the dimensions provided would require 14,192 lumens for thorough illumination. As such, four units of our LED Shop Light Fixtures, each outputting 4200 lumens, would appear to meet that illumination target. 

Though we do not have recommended spacing for each product, we would likely recommend hanging the fixtures with even spacing between them so that even distribution of light occurs in the space. 

As a final note, it might be helpful to know that the LED Shop Light fixtures can be daisy-chained to the same power source. That being said, please note that these fixtures are not dimmable. 

I suppose one thing I am wondering is how close to the walls would be too close. At the moment, I am hanging them a minimum of 1'-6" from the walls of the studio and I wanted to know if there's a better distance in your opinion. I am wary of overlighting the wall by placing it too close. I am also curious if you have any other similar products ideal for art studios that would allow for fewer lights in the space. In an ideal world, each space could get away with 2 fixtures but of course, I don't really want to compromise on the quality of light.

As our LEDs have a 120-degree beam angle, we recommend that the LED Shop Light Fixtures are spaced no further apart than the distance between the light and the illumination surface. 

For example, as your ceiling is 10'6" high, we would recommend spacing the units no more than 10'6" from each other. That being said, we do not have any specific advice as to how far the lights should be from the walls. Some gallery and residential installations can benefit from diffused wall washing, which will occur if the LED Shop Lights are installed fairly close to the wall surfaces. 

Do you have an equivalent strip LED fixture that would perform as well as the NorthLux shop light? We cannot have plug-in fixtures for our commercial project so it would be great if you could recommend an equivalent.

While we do not have fixtures that directly match the details provided, we might alternatively recommend either our 5000K CENTRIC DAYLIGHT™ LED Strip Lights for Commercial & Retail, or our 6500K FilmGrade™ WHITE LED Strip Lights. 

​These products can be connected to in-wall power supplies and utilize wall dimmers, which is hopefully a helpful option for your construction project. Further, we would also recommend reaching out to local compliance experts to ensure that these items are compliant with local laws for new construction before installation. 

High CRI Color Matching LED Lights

I'm an artist in the UK and I frequently need to mix pigments to match a very specific color of an object. I can't afford a Pantone light booth, so I'm looking for a high CRI/spectrum bulb that can be used in an ordinary lamp holder/fixture. 

Based on the details provided, we would recommend either our 5000K or 6500K E26 CENTRIC DAYLIGHT™ Full Spectrum Flicker-Free A19 10W LED Bulbs, which can provide full-spectrum output and a high CRI of 95+. 

LED Bulbs Recommendation for Art Studio Room

I am looking at lighting for an art studio room, size of approximately 11x12 ft. I think the bulbs I need are the NorthLux™ 95 CRI T8 LED Tube for Art & Studio. For this size room, how many bulbs would be needed in a shop light fixture?

In the hopes of clarifying, it might be helpful to know that the NorthLux™ 95 CRI LED Shop Light Fixture ships with pre-installed LED lighting within, and would not require any bulbs to be installed for operation. 

Based on my review of our Lumen Estimation Calculator, it appears that ~10,379 lumens would be required to evenly illuminate your studio space for artwork creation. 

If the NorthLux™ 95 CRI LED Shop Light Fixture is indeed preferred, it appears that two to three shop light units would be able to meet that goal, each providing 4200 lumens. 

If a third-party shop light fixture were to be used, the Lumen Estimation Calculator recommends 13 units of the NorthLux™ 95 CRI BR30 LED Bulb for Artwork & Studio, each providing 800 lumens. 

How do I configure these to hang them? Is there a fixture that holds 2 or 3 bulbs, or do I have to hang them individually?

The LED Shop Light fixture does not require any lightbulbs for functionality, as the light sources are installed within the product housing.

On the other hand, the BR30 bulbs can be used in most common residential fixtures, such as floor lamps and recessed ceiling lighting. 

In the hopes that it proves to be helpful, track lighting systems are often utilized for installing BR30 lightbulbs. Based on my review, several of those fixtures appear to be available from retailers such as The Home Depot and Lowe’s. 

Compatible Lighting for Recessed Cans for Art Studio

I have a small room I use for an art studio. The room size is 8 by 10. It has 9-foot ceilings and windows on two of the four walls. Installed are four overhead recessed lights for lighting on cloudy dim days and at night. I have 2 problems. One is the incorrect temperature of light, and (2) shadows on my work table from the lights above. Can you recommend bulbs/lamps for my recessed cans that will be best for the art studio and diffuse the light to minimize the shadows? 

First of all, regarding the color temperature, we recommend using either 5000K or 6500K color temperature lamps under our NorthLux brand to ensure that the light color matches the natural light color coming in through your windows. For recessed light fixtures, the BR30 lamps are generally the most popular option.

​We're uncertain if your current lights are for residential use (e.g. 2700K or 3000K), but a daylight-calibrated color temperature of 5000K or higher will ensure that the light appearance will match that of natural daylight.

​Since you mention that you have two windows, we assume that at least one of those would not be north-facing. As such, the 5000K may be a better fit for you, rather than the 6500K. Here is an article that you may find helpful in further refining your options: 

https://www.waveformlighting.com/art-painting/difference-between-5000k-and-6500k-bulbs

Finally, as far as the shadows and light distribution are concerned, unfortunately, the fixed positioning of the ceiling fixtures will limit our ability to address this issue directly. As an alternative, we would recommend supplementing the light from the sides of the studio space as much as possible, as this will help "fill in" any shadow spots that are cast by the overhead ceiling lights.

A simple solution might be to use our A19 lamps in a floor lamp fixture, but many of our customers have used our T5 linear fixtures which offer a more versatile installation option.

What size and type of reflector and socket you'd recommend for BR30 bulbs?

I am curious about what size and type of reflector and socket you'd recommend for these BR30 lights.

Though we do not have any specific reflectors or sockets that would recommend, it might be helpful to know that our BR30 lights are compatible with all standard E26 base fixtures. 

For example, would something like this work? Is that too much voltage or not enough? 

Based on our review, it appears that the fixture provided would be useable with our BR30 lights as they are compatible with 120V AC, 50-60 Hz input. As such, we would not expect that any operational issues would occur when using our lights with this fixture. 

I would like to figure out the ideal lighting setup for a wall in my painting studio. Currently, it's recessed in, creating a drop shadow in the top part of the wall. I am trying to figure out if I should get BR30 lights to direct from both sides (using a traditional reflector with light stands) OR mount the T8 LEDs below the recessed ceiling.

Regarding your painting studio setup, supplemental lighting from either the sides or below would be a great way to mitigate the issues with the drop shadow caused by the overhang.

As mentioned, the BR30 lamps have an E26 base and are compatible with reflector lamps such as the one linked below. These lamps on a light stand could work well for your needs.

Our A19 lamps, installed in standard floor lamp fixtures might also be an effective way to increase brightness in the studio area.

Alternatively, you may also want to consider our T5 linear fixtures, which can be mounted along the sides or even on the overhang itself. These light fixtures have the added benefit of being semi-portable when used with the magnet mounts; they can also be permanently fixed into the ceiling and wall locations using the screw mounts.

Lighting Option for Basement Painting Studio

I am trying to improve my basement painting studio lighting, and your brand came highly recommended. I am leaning towards 5000K and would like something flicker-free, ideally. I am trying to decide if I should get the Northlux bulbs or the Centric Daylight full spectrum bulbs for my inset ceiling cans. Can you explain the difference between the two for me? I also need to get some supplementary lights as tubes or something similar that don’t drop too far down from the ceiling.

We can confirm that the CENTRIC DAYLIGHT and NorthLux A19 bulbs are identical products that are provided with unique landing pages for marketing purposes, as can be noted by the shared part numbers. As such, identical output can be expected from each product, and we do sincerely apologize for any confusion this may have caused. 

For the ceiling tube lights, you may be interested in our NorthLux™ 95 CRI T8 LED Tube for Art & Studio, which is designed to be compatible with our LED Ready T8 Fixtures. 

As a further option, the NorthLux™ 95 CRI T5 LED Linear Light Fixtures are integrated lighting units that can be easily installed on different surfaces for convenient lighting adjustment. 

Can you recommend a light fixture for T8 LED Tube?

I am interested in your NorthLux T8 LED Tube for my Painting studio. Will you recommend a light fixture to purchase for This? 'My room is 16' x 27', Ceiling height is 13'. I am also interested in adding track lighting and using your bulbs. Any recommendations on where to buy the track lights? This is a new construction. 

While we do not have any specific third-party options to recommend, you may be interested in our LED Ready T8 Fixtures, which are designed to be compatible with our T8 LED lamps. 

We would recommend contacting an electrician to confirm that these fixtures are compliant with local zoning laws regarding new construction. Many regions have specific rules for the fixtures in new construction, which an expert will likely be able to assist with.

If you were to use a third-party option, we would recommend checking to ensure that the fixtures contain ballasts that are compatible. And if they are not, those incompatible fixtures can be rewired for ballast bypass. 

For your track lighting system, we would recommend our 5000K or 6500K NorthLux™ 95 CRI BR30 LED Bulb for Artwork & Studio products, which are able to provide full-spectrum light with a high CRI of 95+. While we do not have any track lighting fixtures to recommend, there appear to be several options available from Home Depot. 

Are the NorthLux T8 5000k LED bulbs dimmable?

We can confirm that our T8 LED Tube Lights are not compatible with dimmers. We apologize!

High CRI Flicker-free LED Bulbs for Color Matching and Painting

I’m looking for high CRI bulbs for my art studio, and I’m wondering which of your bulbs would be the highest in CRI value for color matching and painting? Also, you have flicker-free bulbs. Is that referring to the actual bulbs flickering or the frequency they work on that stop flickering when filming in slower frames per second?

For art studios, we usually recommend the NorthLux™ 95 CRI E26 A19 LED Bulb for Art & Studio, which is available in the most common color temperature for artwork (5000K and 6500K). As our line of A19 and A21 bulbs utilize the same internal technology, they will all feature the same high CRI of 95+. 

Though not a lightbulb, you may also be interested in our ABSOLUTE SERIES™ LED Flexible Strip. This product features a CRI of 99, making the output virtually indistinguishable from natural daylight. 

Generally speaking, the flicker rate of the LED lightbulbs is calculated by measuring the relative difference in brightness between the maximum and minimum brightness exhibited during a flicker cycle. 

Our flicker-free lightbulbs output light that is constant and uninterrupted, meaning that the fluctuations of brightness are extremely minute (less than 1%). For installations where they are used to illuminate video capture, the lights fluctuate fast enough that there would not be any visible flicker. 

LED Lights for Small Home Studio

I'm a serious amateur photographer with an interest in photographing art (primarily oil paintings) in art galleries in the US and Europe. It is important to me that my images, which are both printed and used in PowerPoint slide presentations, show the true colors as painted by the artist. I have the requisite tools to calibrate my screens and art-quality printer. However, I am concerned about the lighting in my small home studio. My studio is a second bedroom with a white ceiling and light beige walls. There is a south-facing window with a translucent shade that remains down. All lighting comes from lamps placed strategically so as not to have direct light on my monitors. Each has a tapered (empire-style) white shade that illuminates the ceiling. 

The light at the workstation appears quite uniform, but I do not have the capability to measure this. The light bulbs are standard hardware store LED lamps. 5000K, 2200 to 2400 lumens I have been reading your literature, and it would appear that I am using inappropriate bulbs for my application. I would greatly appreciate your recommendations for A19 bulbs that would be better suited to my needs.

Based on the details provided, we would likely recommend our 5000K NorthLux 95 CRI E26 A19 LED Bulb for Art & Studio. These products are available in the most common color temperatures for photography and artwork creation (5000K and 6500K) and offer flicker-free output with a high CRI of 95+.

That being said, it does appear that they are only able to offer 800 lumens compared to the 2200 to 2400 lumens of the existing lightbulbs. As such, in the event that they fit your fixtures, we might recommend the 5000K CENTRIC DAYLIGHT Full Spectrum Flicker-Free A21 15W LED Bulb.

​The A21 bulb has slightly larger dimensions than the aforementioned A19 bulbs, though it is also able to provide the same high CRI of 95+ along with doubled output at 1600 lumens.

In the event that you would like to directly compare these options in your home studio, please feel free to take advantage of our 30-day return policy if any of the items wind up being unneeded. We will gladly provide prepaid return labels upon request.

Lighting Recommendation for Painting Studio

I’m interested in purchasing strip or bulb LED tube lights and fixtures from you— something that can light a 400 sq foot space w only a glass garage door as the source of daylight. I hope to find something in the 4500k range, with a high CRI. 

As a primary recommendation, you may be interested in our FilmGrade™ HYBRID LED Strip Lights, which can be calibrated to achieve any color temperature between 3200K and 6500K. 

For an easier installation that would require less wiring, you might be interested in our 4000K or 5000K options, such as the CENTRIC DAYLIGHT™ Full Spectrum Flicker-Free T8 LED Tube Lights, which are designed to be compatible with our LED-Ready T8 Fixtures. 

You might also be interested in our CENTRIC DAYLIGHT™ 95 CRI LED Shop Light Fixture, which is designed for easy installation using the included hook and chain. This integrated fixture has been very popular with artists who utilize garages or other areas as studio spaces, due to the easy installation. 

Are any or all of these lights dimmable?

The products that we shared are unfortunately not dimmable. If dimmable products are preferable, we might alternatively recommend the NorthLux™ 95 CRI BR30 LED Bulb for Artwork & Studio, or an installation that utilizes our LED Strip Lights. 

The LED Strip Lights can be mounted to ceiling or other surfaces by using the Aluminum Channel for LED Flex Strip, and powered using either in-wall power supplies or standard DC power. These products can also be controlled using the majority of standard in-wall dimmers, such as Lutron and others. 

If it proves to be helpful, we have attached a few LayoutMap links below which illustrate LED Strip Light installation options. Each diagram contains installation descriptions, as well as links to each of the recommended connecters and power supplies. 

LayoutMaps™ - LED Strip Light Layout 3001-1A

LayoutMaps™ - LED Strip Light Layout 3001-1B

LayoutMaps™ - LED Strip Light Layout 3002_2B

I’d like to know if you have a tube light structure that’s LED and also dimmable. Do the strips work in the first hanging fixture you sent?

Unfortunately, we do not have any fixtures which are flicker-free and dimmable at this time. We do sincerely apologize for any impact this may have on your purchasing plans. 

As a further note, the LED Shop Light fixtures shared in my initial reply are designed with pre-attached LED lighting products within. As such, no additional lighting products are required for operation. 

Are the LED shop light fixtures flicker free? Space is a total of 400 sq ft. Could the fixture be hung upside down so that it bounces off the ceiling as opposed to being hung as overhead lights?

We can confirm that the LED Shop Light Fixtures are indeed flicker-free.

While these fixtures could be installed in such a fashion that they shine directly upwards for indirect lighting, they are designed to be hung from the included hook and chain. 

Based on the dimensions provided, it appears that the space would be evenly illuminated for artwork creation with 31,451 lumens. This target could be reached with seven of the LED Shop Light fixtures, which each output 4,200 lumens. 

As an alternative, the target could also be reached using 18 units of the T8 LED Tube Light products, which are designed to be compatible with our LED Ready T8 Fixtures. 

Do you have overhead mountable fixtures/bulbs for art studio lighting?

I’m looking for overhead mountable fixtures/bulbs to light my 600-square-foot studio space. I’m looking for full spectrum, daylight, bulbs. What do you recommend? 

As a primary recommendation for art studio lighting, we would recommend our LED-Ready T8 Tube Light Fixtures and NorthLux™ 95 CRI T8 LED Tube for Art & Studio. These products are available in the most common color temperatures for artwork spaces (5000K & 6500K) and offer full spectrum output. 

If you would prefer to utilize fixtures that would not require hardwiring, we might alternatively recommend the NorthLux™ 95 CRI LED Shop Light Fixture, which can be easily installed from ceilings using the included chain and hook. 

For lighting installations where a mobile light source would be beneficial, you may also be interested in our NorthLux™ 95 CRI T5 LED Linear Light Fixture, which can be attached to different mounting surfaces using the included clips and magnets while offering the same high-quality light output as the above products. 

How many shop light fixtures are needed for a 20" x 60" small studio?

I am an artist in the process of putting together a small studio in my apartment. I will be primarily working on a small-scale sculpture at a standing desk whose footprint measures 20 x 60 inches. I was looking at your NorthLux™ 95 CRI LED Shop Light Fixture as a potential fixture to hang over my desk, 36-48 inches above the work surface. Two questions: I appreciate a high level of illumination. To achieve this, would I need one fixture, or two? Are 36-48 inches above the work surface too close, or too far? What distance would you recommend? 

Based on our review of the Lumen Estimation Calculator, it appears that a single NorthLux™ 95 CRI LED Shop Light Fixture would be able to provide more than sufficient output to illuminate your 20x60” desk area for artwork creation.

Further, we believe that the 36-48" distance between the light source and the target would also be sufficient. It might also be helpful to know that the hook and chain can be rigged to hang the fixture at various heights, if you would like to adjust the distance at a later time. 

8-ft fluorescent LED Tubes Replacement for Art Studio

I am an artist so I'm happy to learn about your products for use in my art studio. I have read quite a bit about your NorthLux LED products but I'm still not sure how many fixtures I would need to purchase to replace what I now have. My current setup is three 8ft fluorescent fixtures installed end to end equalling a 24 ft run. Each fixture holds two tubes. I have 6 fluorescent tubes spanning 24 feet installed on my art studio ceiling. I am looking at your Northlux 95 CRI LED 4 ft Shop Light fixture.

In order to adequately replace the fluorescent fixtures, it might be helpful to know what the listed lumen output of each existing tube light is. 

With that information available, we can easily recommend a quantity of LED Shop Light Fixtures in order to match that lumen output to provide your studio with adequate illumination. 

For example, four fluorescent tubes which output 2000 lumens each would be easily replaced with two NorthLux™ 95 CRI LED Shop Light Fixtures, which each output 4200 lumens. 

High CRI LED Lights for Art Studio

What is most economical for lighting 350 sq ft studio with students working and 8.5' ceilings?

We would likely recommend our NorthLux™ 95 CRI BR30 LED Bulb for Artwork & Studio or NorthLux™ 95 CRI T8 LED Tube for Art & Studio products, which are designed to provide high-CRI output for studio spaces and artwork creation. 

Which light fixture is better for an art studio?

I'm about to place an order for your T8 Fixtures. Which fixture is better for an art studio? Wrap Fixture with Prismatic Lens or Strip Fixture with Reflector?

The Strip Fixture with Reflector might be a good option for your art studio, as the reflectors on the product can assist with distributing the light output. The Wrap Fixture with Prismatic Lens was created to be a more aesthetically pleasing fixture design, though it does not necessarily add any benefit to the light output over the Strip Fixture with Reflector. 

LED Lights Sculpture Studio Lighting

For rough lumens needs we used 18’ x 18’x 18’ and set the brightness between art creation and fine industrial. I get roughly 31,000 lumens needed. Which amount could be supplied by four 16-foot rolls of 

6500K FilmGrade™ WHITE LED Strip Lights. Which with power supplies and hard-wired dimmers and aluminum mounting strips and diffuser covers would cost for four approximately $1,000. 

“I’m a little confused about this. Is the suggestion that we use LED strip lights as our main artificial lighting source? I've only ever seen strip lights used for ambient lighting (i.e. walkways for movie theaters and airplanes, under cabinets, decorative).

And so can we use LED strips to light our room? Or is the inverse square drop in intensity going to reduce the available lumens too much from such a small point source? (Obviously, that’s a throwback to high school physics).

Also is there an advantage to using the 24-volt as against the 12-volt? We are not using solar. We are using 120V AC.

While hallways and under-counter lighting are common uses for LED Strip Lights, we can confirm that many of our customers have chosen to use LED Strip Lighting for studio spaces. 

That said, we also offer several other products such as the LED-Ready T8 LED Fixtures and NorthLux™ 95 CRI T8 LED Tube for Art & Studio installations where easily replaceable light sources and dedicated fixtures are preferable. These flicker-free lights are available in both 5000K and 6500K, which are popular for studio and photo capture installations. 

Regarding the lumen requirements, it does appear that four reels of the LED Strip Lights would meet the 61 feet of required product to meet the ~30,000-lumen recommendation. 

We have attached a link to a blog post below regarding the benefits of a 24V system over a 12V system, in the hopes that it proves to be helpful. In short, the primary benefit is that 24V LEDs can accommodate longer linear runs (16.4 ft for 12V, 32.8 ft for 24V).

Advantages of a 24V LED system vs 12V

In your most recent email, you referenced powering via solar panels. As far as we are aware, solar panels would provide the same AC power as our power supplies are designed to intake. As such, we would expect our products to function properly when using solar panels, though we would recommend checking with solar experts to confirm precise fixture and voltage compatibility. 

Though we do not have direct experience in lighting sculpture studios, we would be more than happy to assist with any additional product or configuration questions that you might have. 

LED Light Option for Sculpture Studio

We are a group of sculptors and we're setting up a studio. The celling is about 18 feet overhead and there's one skylight off center. The space is rectangular. The sculptors are arranged around the model. Important consideration are ample light and no chatter or multiple cast shadows. We're thinkin to mimic the skylight by putting the lighting in the skylight box and have light that would yield similar to more or less obtain a similar quality. 

If that direct north-facing daylight is to be simulated for the studio space, we would recommend the 6500K color temperature option. The 5000K color point option can also be helpful for installations where a neutral daylight color is preferred. 

For an installation that would occupy the perimeter of a skylight, you might be interested in our 6500K FilmGrade™ WHITE LED Strip Lights, which can be easily mounted within aluminum channels and powered via in-wall LED drivers and dimmers. 

If integrated fixtures are preferable, you may alternatively be interested in our NorthLux™ 95 CRI LED Shop Light Fixtures, T8 LED Tube Lights or T8 Fixtures. That said, please note that these products are not dimmable, and may not be the ideal products for a studio space that requires adjustable light output. 

For your installation planning, we recommend inputting the dimensions of the space into our Lumen Estimation Calculator, which will provide you with a total lumen suggestion as well as product recommendations to meet the lumen goal. 

Recommended LED Bulb for Water Painting

I am a watercolor artist water painting inside. I have been using a lamp with a very good - sunlight /daylight type 300-watt bulb, screw bottom. I wish to purchase a new bulb like this. Or better. This bulb is from the 1970's I can send you pictures of the bulb that I have. 

While we do not sell any products that directly match the lightbulb within the images provided, the closest match in our catalog appears to be the 100W equivalent CENTRIC DAYLIGHT™ Full Spectrum Flicker-Free A21 15W LED Bulb. This high CRI product is available in several color temperature options and has an output of 1600 lumens. 

Which one would emulate the best painting light to paint watercolor under? Would you suggest 5000? I do not want too warm or too cool I want it just like real daylight. So my watercolors are shown as the true colors they are.

Also my bulb was 300 watts and this bulb is 100 watts. What difference would that cause? 

We have attached a link to a blog from our website below comparing the two options for artwork creation, which we do hope proves to be helpful. In short, the 5000K color point is a great option for neutral white light output, where the 6500K option is more representative of cool, direct north-facing daylight. 

Difference Between 5000K and 6500K Bulbs

As a final note, we can confirm that older incandescent lights measured output by watts, where our LED technology measures output in lumens. As such, you may find that more than one LED bulb may be required to match the output that your single 300W bulb was able to provide. 

Lighting Recommendation for my Art Home Studio Office

I'm a textile surface pattern designer and fashion designer. I work from home at my home studio office and I am in major need of new lighting. I am in a condo currently and the ceilings are about 11ft high where my lighting will need to be placed. I would like the 5000k lighting with high CRI for color matching/Pantone and painting. The only issue is I am new to figuring out what to buy. I would ideally like to buy a long 6-8ft track lighting to place on the ceiling of my studio. I want track lighting because I still want the lighting fixture to at least look nice since it is a residential condo. 

Our high CRI bulbs at 5000K sound like a great fit for your home studio office, especially for textile color reproduction accuracy.

Unfortunately, we don't have any products that would work with track lighting fixtures. we completely understand the reason for this request for aesthetic purposes, and apologize for the inconvenience! I will definitely let our product development team know of your interest.

​Currently, the closest option for a residential installation would be our BR30 lamps, which fit into standard ceiling can fixtures. Please see below for the product link:

We also offer some T5 linear lights which can be mounted onto various surfaces. This product does not require any other fixtures in our housings and can be plugged into a wall outlet directly. Below is the product link:

Do you offer a sample kit with DC power and a LED strip?

I have a small photo studio 1m 3. I would like to buy your photography LED strip. The sample kit looks good, but I fear 6" may be a little too small. However, a 5m strip would be vastly more than I need. Would you be able to offer a kit with DC power and a LED strip of maybe 1m? I am in Scotland and so do not want to buy excess as it will add to the shipping and import duties. I look forward to your suggestion. 

While we completely understand the concern, unfortunately, all of our LED strip light products are pre-packaged in 5-meter reels, and we are not able to handle custom or partial reel measurements at this time.

​This may not be helpful from a cost reduction perspective, but we do offer a user-friendly flicker-free LED dimmer which may help allow you to achieve a wide range of brightness settings for your studio space. Utilizing the entire 5-meter reel will not only allow you to achieve very high brightness if needed but also provide a much more evenly distributed lighting effect by allowing the light to emanate from a larger area.

​In case you're interested, I've linked to the product below:

Lighting Option for an Art Gallery

I have a large gallery with high ceilings and track lighting and I would like to purchase 26 bulbs that are powerful enough to provide a spotlight to work about 4-6 feet in distance. I have been looking at your Northlux 95 CRI LED bulbs and prefer to have them mimic the appearance as if the paintings are in direct sunlight so was leaning more toward the 6500K bulbs. I use a lot of texture and oil paint in my work and was hoping to get proper lighting for this reason. Is this a bulb you recommend?

For gallery track lighting where daylight color temperature is preferable, we would recommend the 6500K option of the NorthLux™ 95 CRI BR30 LED Bulb for Artwork & Studio. 

If you wind up preferring the 5000K options, please note that we offer a 30-day return policy for all orders. Simply let us know, and we will gladly provide a prepaid return label for any unneeded products. 

LED Lights Recommendation for Art Studio

Could someone help me decide which light and what Kelvin I should use for my art studio? I have two rooms in my apartment where I do painting and glare on the palette from the windows and from the track lights above is an issue. Will a fluorescent bulb cut down on glare? I use a glass palette and paint mainly in oils that already have a slight sheen. My ceilings are not very high, about 11 feet.

For artwork production, we typically recommend the 5000K and 6500K NorthLux™ 95 CRI E26 A19 LED Bulb for Art & Studio or the NorthLux™ 95 CRI BR30 LED Bulb for Artwork & Studio. The latter option might be specifically useful for your studio track lighting. 

We have provided a link comparing the color temperature options below, which We do hope proves to be helpful. In short, if the goal is to replicate natural daylight, we suggest the 6500K option. 

Difference Between 5000K and 6500K Bulbs

Housing for Recessed Lighting in a Studio

I’m currently looking for bulbs for the studio that I’m building. The space is roughly 375 square feet with 9 recessed cans in the ceiling. I’m currently looking at the NorthLux™ 95 CRI E26 A19 LED Bulb for Art & Studio. 

Generally speaking, we like to recommend the NorthLux™ 95 CRI E26 A19 LED Bulb for Art & Studio products in the 5000K and 6500K options for artwork production. 

For the recessed ceiling lighting, you also might be interested in the BR30 NorthLux™ bulbs in the same color temperature options.

Does the NorthLux work better for recessed cans? Does light have more area? Maybe similar to a flood light?

As the BR30 bulbs have a narrower beam angle than the A19 bulbs, the output will be more focused downward, which can be quite helpful for recessed ceiling lighting. 

That said, our BR30 bulbs are not flicker-free, which might be a consideration for studio spaces that are to be used for high-framerate video capture. 

Studio Lighting 1962 Home with Unfinished Basement

Could you please calculate and advise on which fixtures to light the 21’ x 26’ x 8 high basements with exposed rafters? I would like to use this space as my art studio. There is a single very small glass block window 15” x 20”. 

By using the lumen estimation calculator, we received a similar 42,931 lumen estimate recommendation for your space based on the dimensions. 

It might also be helpful to know that the referenced NorthLux™ 95 CRI T5 LED Linear Light Fixtures are not usually installed as ceiling lighting due to their usage of DC power via wall plug for operation. 

If in-wall power and wall switches are preferred for the basement lights, you might alternatively be interested in our LED Ready T8 LED Fixtures and NorthLux™ 95 CRI T8 LED Tube for Art & Studio. By my estimation, the 42,931 lumen suggestion can be reached with 24 of the aforementioned T8 lamps. 

Difference between NorthLux and D50 (Color Matching) Lights

I'm looking at your LED linear fixtures for my art studio and wanted to know the difference between the two options you have available. I paint and photograph in my studio.

We can confirm that the NorthLux™ 95 CRI LED Shop Light Fixture and the D50 5000K LED Shop Light Fixture are identical products that are provided unique landing pages for marketing purposes. This can be noted by the shared part number of 4025.50.

As such, you can expect that the performance and light output will be identical across both items. We do sincerely apologize for any confusion that this might have caused. 

Art Studio Light to match Southern Hemisphere South-facing Skylight

I'm currently renovating my studio and equipping it with 3 large Skylights that are South-facing. As I am based in the Southern Hemisphere, I wonder if I should order 5000K or 6500K Northlux to replicate the daylight conditions at night. Would there be any harm/inconsistency in using 5000K Northlux? 

Based on the details that you provided, we would recommend the 5000K color temperature option. Further, we would not foresee any inconsistency issues arising from using that product.

Best LED Tube Lighting for Interior Design Studio

I need lights to go above work tables for selecting paint and fabrics. Please advise 4 ft fixtures.

Based on the details provided, we recommend the 5000K NorthLux™ 95 CRI T8 LED Tube for Art & Studio products, as it is D50 calibrated for color matching and proof viewing. 

That said, you may also be interested in the 6500K option (calibrated for D65) if you hope to match colors based on natural daylight. 

In case it proves to be helpful, I have attached articles comparing the two options below. 

What is D50 for graphic arts & printing?

What is D65 and what is it used for?

NorthLux vs. Absolute Series for Painting Studio

Could you please help me understand the pros and cons between Northlux and Absolute for a painter/artist studio? It seems that a 99CRI would be better, but is there something I'm not understanding? 

When considering the Northlux and Absolute series of products, the two considerations are the form factor and CRI. 

Though the Absolute Series products can offer a superior CRI of 99, they are currently only available in LED strip lights and LED modules. These products would require more configuration effort to install and could utilize power supplies, dimmers, and wiring connection accessories. 

In comparison, though the Northlux line has a slightly lower CRI of 95+, the line includes lightbulbs, linear light fixtures, and shop lights. Each of these form factors can benefit different spaces and are generally easier to install. 

For example, some of our artist customers have let us know that the NorthLux™ 95 CRI T5 LED Linear Light Fixtures have been a great pairing for their studio spaces and artwork creation. By viewing the bottom of the product page, you will notice a few recent comments left by customers. 

Proper Lighting for an Art Studio

I recently renovated my art studio & I am seeking your advice on selecting some lighting. The studio is 100 sq. ft. (10' x 10') with 8' ceiling height. I have added an (L-shaped desk) with shelving above. The length of the desk is 6' x 4' & shelves are 24" above the top of the desk. Shelf brackets are made from black gas pipe & are 16" in the center.

I do have a window in the room with some natural light put is not north facing. I need your advice on (5000K or 6500K) for the linear light fixture above the desk area as I do some of my artwork on this desk as well as the drafting table. The linear fixture indicates that it has a 12" power cord that you can plug into a wall outlet. I do not have enough length to plug into the outlet, so could I use a small extension cord plugged into the 12 " power cord on the fixture then plugged into the wall outlet?

Generally speaking, in the event that you hope to match the available natural daylight, we would recommend the 6500K option. This option would likely assist in supplementing the moderate amount of light available from the studio window. 

Please feel free to take advantage of our 30-day return policy as well, in the event that you would like to try both color options in your studio. Simply reach out, and we will gladly provide a prepaid return label for the unneeded items. 

Though the pre-included power cable may not be long enough, we can confirm that third-party power cables or extension cords can also be used with the linear lights. These products can also be daisy-chained or connected together (up to ten units), if utilizing a single power source is preferable. 

Based on my results from our Lumen Estimation Calculator, it appears that the 10x10x8’ space would be illuminated with roughly 7,963 lumens, though a lower amount of lumens may also be sufficient. For reference, the 2-ft linear lights offer 900 lumens, where the 4-ft linear lights offer 1800 lumens.

If that the linear light fixtures are to be used as the primary studio light source, you might benefit from additional lights. As such, we recommend one 4-Pack of the 6500K 4-ft NorthLux™ 95 CRI T5 LED Linear Light Fixtures.

8-ft T12 Fluorescent Replacement for Shop/Studio Lighting

I'm very interested in replacing the lighting in my shop/studio. I have 8' T12 fluorescent lighting that I replaced with LED, and they're hurting my eyes more than fluorescents do. I was told that 2700k and the high 90s or above CRI rating possible was best. I don't see an 8' replacement on your site, just 4ft. Is that correct? I'm feeling overwhelmed and confused with this project. Could you recommend lighting options for my shop with something as close to daylight as you have? Am I better off having rows of screw-in type bulbs everywhere or do you carry strip or tube lighting that you would recommend? 

First of all, I suspect that the eye strain you are experiencing may be the result of hidden flicker in the new LED lamps, rather than a color specification issue. Here is a video that explains how you would be able to detect this using an iPhone: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTVjokUy2Dw

Since your fixtures are only able to accommodate 8 ft lamps, we, unfortunately, would not be able to utilize them with any of our lamps. Without having to replace the fixtures entirely, however, you may be able to use our NorthLux T5 linear fixtures as a retrofit solution (https://store.waveformlighting.com/products/northlux-95-cri-t5-led-linear-light-fixture).

​The T5 linear fixtures are available in 2-ft and 4-ft lengths and can be mounted inside existing fluorescent fixtures using the included magnet mounts. These could very well "replace" the 8 ft lamps without actually needing to use the same lamp sockets, and this could also allow you to repurpose your existing fixtures as housings for the new lamps.

​These are flicker-free, and have 95 CRI and 5000K / 6500K light output, ensuring excellent color accuracy that matches natural daylight.

I was actually just looking at those calculating how many it would require to at least match the lumen levels I have now. Great CRI rating, though I was looking more in the 3-400k (max) bulbs as anything higher than that is just too blue for me. I have an eye condition and no longer wear the proper contacts. 

It's a 3800 sq ft area so unfortunately it's going to require a number of lights to illuminate properly. 

Determining the total brightness needed is indeed a bit tricky, as sufficient brightness is very important for studio work, but having too much brightness could lead to potentially unpleasant glare effects as you've experienced. We offer a lumen calculator on our website here, which may be of interest: https://www.waveformlighting.com/lumen-calculator

Based on the 3800 square feet input, the calculator suggests approximately 150,000 lumens for your space if you are looking to reach a sufficient illumination level for studio work (80 footcandles). This would require approximately 85 of our 4-ft T5 lights to illuminate the entire space with sufficient brightness.

Of course, based on your personal preference, 80 footcandles may be too bright and intense. We could definitely cut this down to half, to 40 footcandles using 43 of the 4-ft T5 lamps, which is the generally recommended brightness level for a standard commercial or office space installation. 

What's the difference between the T-5 and T-8? Is that just a matter of what fixture you have? 

In addition, I also meant to ask if the daylight tube bulbs work differently than the non-daylight ones. I'm expecting to have to replace all the sockets as I have a variety of lights that would complicate things to match. I think it would be best to just replace them all and start off with matching sockets. Can I assume these plug into power directly as others do? Or do they need some sort of ballast?

The primary difference between the T8 lamps and the T5 fixtures is that the T8 lamps require a fixture to house them (typically traditional T8 fluorescent fixtures), while the T5 fixtures are an integrated LED fixture that does not require installation inside a fixture.

​Generally speaking, we would recommend the T8 lamps for customers who have an existing 4-ft T8 fluorescent fixture. You mentioned that you have 8-ft fixtures, which are unfortunately not compatible. As such, we would recommend foregoing the T8 lamps unless you had plans to reinstall new T8 fluorescent fixtures.

​The T5 fixtures, on the other hand, do not require a separate fixture and can be installed in virtually any location. A fluorescent ballast is not required, and the product can plug into any wall outlet or extension cord.

​Our daylight/non-daylight designations relate to color temperature and do not have any bearing on the installation configuration.

Sounds like T8's may fit the bill. I'm a fabricator, so if need be I can retrofit the 8ft fixtures or fabricate new ones with new sockets. Though purchasing T8 fixtures sounds best. I think we may still have some in storage actually. 

Sounds like a plan! As long as the sockets are spaced at the correct spacing to accommodate the 4-ft T8 tube lights, there shouldn't be any issues there. From a liability perspective, we do need to mention that the company's official recommendation is to only use fixtures designed specifically for 4-ft tube lights, but from an electrical standpoint there should not be any issues operating the 4-ft T8 lamps.

The "CENTRIC DAYLIGHT™ Full Spectrum Flicker-Free T8 LED Tube Light" can be used with both shunted and non-shunted sockets. Please see below for the installation manual showing the various permissible wiring configurations:

https://www.waveformlighting.com/datasheets/UM_4024.pdf

What's the highest wattage available? Is 1,800 lumens the brightest 4ft T8 you carry? My 8-footers are 110w @ 8,800k per bulb, with 4 in each bank. 

The only as well as the highest wattage available is 18 watts at 1800 lumens each.

For the sake of confusion would you mind forwarding me links to the T5 and T8s you're referring to? 

Please see below:

Do the T8s need a reflector-type hood to be more efficient because the light radiates out? Or do they already focus downward? 

The light is emitted at a 320-degree angle. A reflector is not necessary but may help in producing a bit more "useful" brightness.

High CRI 95 LED Track Lights for Art Studio Installation

I would like lighting for my painting studio that has a 95+ CRI rating, 5000K and 5000 lumens and I'd prefer to use in-track lighting so I'd need bulbs vs tubes. Please let me know if you have products to meet those specifications. I'd also like the track lighting if you carry that. 

For 5000K track lighting systems, we usually recommend the NorthLux™ 95 CRI BR30 LED Bulb for Artwork & Studio products. This item can deliver full-spectrum light output and offers a high CRI of 95+, though these BR30 bulbs have an output of 800 lumens per light, which is much less than the 5000 lumens referenced.

As an alternative, you may also be interested in the NorthLux™ 95 CRI E26 A19 LED Bulb for Art & Studio product, though the wider beam angle may not be ideal for all track lighting installations where a precise illumination target is preferred. Additionally, you may also find value in utilizing wall-dimmer-controlled track lighting of the 5000K 99 CRI LED strip lights installed within ceiling-mounted channels. 

I like the Northlux 95 e26 but I’d prefer it to be dimmable. Is there a way to make that happen? If so do you have track lighting that will work with them?

If not, I think I may be interested in the LED strips, with dimmer and ceiling-mounted channels since they can be dimmed. I have a few questions. How bright do they get? It was suggested that I need 5000 lumens so how many would I need for a 300-square-foot room? Also, how does one change the strips, and how long do they last? 

We are happy to confirm that the NorthLux™ 95 CRI BR30 LED Bulb for Artwork & Studio product is indeed dimmable, and will work with both in-wall dimmers and fixture dimmers. 

Based on my estimates using the Lumen Estimation Calculator tool from our website, it appears that a 300-square-foot space would benefit from roughly 5,961 lumens. By inputting the ceiling height of the room within the calculator you will likely receive a more accurate estimate, as we input an 8-foot ceiling height in my calculation.

The above illumination target can be accomplished by utilizing 16 feet of the LED Strip Light products, which can output 375 lumens per foot. 

As the ABSOLUTE SERIES™ LED Flexible Strips have a three-year warranty, please feel free to contact us if you experience any product failure within that window, and we would gladly provide a warranty replacement. 

When replacing the LED strip lights, we usually recommend utilizing the 3M ‘adhesive remover’ product, though some customers find value in additionally utilizing thin chisels to pry the adhesive off of the aluminum channels. 

​

LED Lighting for Painting and Palette

I'm always in search of "perfect" lighting for the longest time. I have been using a combination of many things. I have incandescent fluorescents with a CRI index of 95 (I think). I've been using them in combination with Solux bulbs. I wanted to ask you what lighting you have that would be good for my studio setup. I require a lot of light, from the ceiling, on my canvas, and my palette. 

If you would like to utilize the highest CRI for your artwork creation, we might recommend the ABSOLUTE SERIES™ LED Flexible Strip product, which features a CRI of 99, making it virtually indistinguishable from natural daylight. Additionally, it might be helpful to know that this product is available in both the D50 and D65 ISO standards, which many of our customers find useful for artwork creation.

The Absolute Series LED strip lights can be installed within wall-mounted channels and can be powered either through a DC power supply or paired with an in-wall dimmer and in-wall TRIAC dimmable power supply.

This is not for display. It is lighting for painting and palette.

If the installation is meant for artwork creation such as painting rather than simply display, we would likely still recommend the Absolute Series of LED strip lights. Additionally, it might be helpful to know that many of our customers have chosen to replace their fluorescent fixtures or track lighting with the Absolute Series LED due to the high CRI output, which can be beneficial for artwork creation.

Alternatively, you may also be interested in the NorthLux™ 95 CRI T8 LED Tube for Art & Studio product for your fluorescent fixtures, though please be advised that the T8 lights are not compatible with all ballasts found within fluorescent fixtures.

As such, we would strongly recommend confirming compatibility using the ballast compatibility list, which I have attached below.

T8 LED Tube Light Ballast Compatibility List: https://www.waveformlighting.com/files/CD4020.txt

So, my setup is a bank of six 4-foot T12 incandescent fluorescents with a purported 94 CRI. I also have two Solex diffused bulbs and a Solex on my palette. I need a lot of light.

If you have a set light output in mind, we would recommend reviewing our Lumen Estimation Calculator tool, which we have provided a link to below. This tool is designed to recommend precise lumen output when the dimensions and purposes of the space are entered. I do hope that it proves to be useful for your installation planning!

Lumen Estimation Calculator: https://www.waveformlighting.com/lumen-calculator

Recommended LED Bulbs for Puppy Photography

We’re having lots of trouble photographing our puppies and maintaining the correct color of the puppies. I came across your lights and I believe they were the answer to our problem. My question is we have a permanent area set up for taking pictures of our puppies? It is in a larger room so do I need to be concerned with just lighting up the area around the puppies or do we need to light the whole room? The room is 12’ x 20’ the puppy area is 5’ x 5’. The puppy photography area is raised off the floor about 3’. The ceiling is angled 7’ to 9’. Also, the best choice for bulbs?

In our experience, studio spaces for photography can be uniformly lit, though often the lights are adjustable and targeted towards the subject area of capture. In this instance, that would be the puppy stage.

In the interim, we would recommend the FilmGrade™ Flicker-Free A19 LED Bulb, which is available in both tungsten and daylight color temperatures (3000K, 5600K) which are often used for film and photography.

By inputting the dimensions of the room into our Lumen Estimation Calculator, it suggests 24 units of the above A19 bulbs (totaling 19,111 lumens) for even illumination of the room for photography purposes. Alternatively, to light only the 5x5 stage area, you would only require three units of the above A19 bulb (totaling 1,991 lumens). 

Do you have a CRI 90+ track lighting bulb with a color temperature that brings out the best in the artwork?

I have an art gallery, and my paintings are mostly in blue tones. I want to install a track lighting system, and I am acquiring if you carry bulbs with a Kelvin and CRI that will bring out the best in my artwork. 

We generally recommend the 3000K Ultra High 95 CRI E26 BR30 LED Bulb for Home & Residential products for art gallery illumination, as 3000K appears to be the standardized color temperature used in art galleries. 

​As an alternative, you may also be interested in the NorthLux™ 95 CRI BR30 LED Bulb for Artwork & Studio products, which several customers have installed in studio and gallery spaces. The 5000K and 6500K options would offer a much cooler light than the 3000K option above, which your blue-tone artwork might benefit from. 

Does the NorthLux 95 CRI LED Shop Light Fixture come in 6' lengths?

I am currently building a home with an art studio above the garage. I am interested in the NorthLux™ 95 CRI LED Shop Light Fixture. Do they come in 6' lengths? Can they be hardwired so that you don't have to pull the chain each time? I am also trying to decide between 5000 and 6500 leaning towards 5000. I am a Fine Art Photographer and an abstract acrylic painter. 

Unfortunately, the LED shop light fixtures are not available in other sizes at this time. Further, these products are not designed to be hard-wired, though I can confirm that multiple units can be daisy-chained together to utilize a single power source.

As an alternative, it might be helpful to know that we are soon to release a T8 LED tube light fixture, which is designed for hard wiring and ceiling mounting. This fixture would be compatible with our high-CRI T8 LED tube lights, which are also available in 5000K and 6500K. Though I currently do not have a specific launch date, I expect that it will be available in May.

Regarding the preferred color temperature, I have attached a link from our blog below, which describes the benefits of each for studio work.

Difference Between 5000K and 6500K Bulbs: https://www.waveformlighting.com/art-painting/difference-between-5000k-and-6500k-bulbs

Could you suggest a LED bulb to look at the exterior house paint colors?

Could you please suggest a bulb for me to look at the exterior house paint colors? swatches (indoors, of course). Could you please suggest a bulb I would use to look at exterior house paint color swatches? 

Based on the details provided, we might recommend the 6500K NorthLux™ 95 CRI E26 A19 LED Bulb for Art & Studio product, as the D65-calibrated high-CRI output can closely simulate north-facing daylight.

If a more neutral daylight color is preferred, we would then recommend the 5000K color temperature of the same product.

LED Strip Layout and Installation for Artwork Illumination

I am trying to illuminate a piece of artwork over a mantle. The work is 84”wide, 24” tall. There are 2 LED recessed fixtures above that provide OK illumination for most of the work. It needs to be up lighted as well to bring out all the colors. Should the LED strip be mounted at an angle, or would flat be OK? Can the connection be made at the center of the strip rather than at the ends? What color temp best for dark rich colors that seem to go almost black in normal room lighting?

We do hope that the 4000K CENTRIC DAYLIGHT™ LED Strip Lights for Commercial & Retail from your recent order works well for your installation. As some artwork is designed to be displayed under 3200K Tungsten lighting, as is often used in galleries, please let us know if you wind up preferring a different color temperature for the artwork illumination and we would be happy to issue a prepaid return label. So long as the LED strip lights have not been cut, they can be easily returned. 

​The same is true for the aluminum channels. In the event that the corner-version product emits light that isn't directed as preferred, let us know and we would be glad to help.

Regarding installation options, though the LED strip light products are usually connected to power at the ends, it is possible to connect two wings of strip lights connected to a centrally-located power source. For this, we might recommend purchasing a splitter so that the two lengths can be connected to the same power supply. Alternatively, a dedicated power supply could be used for each length.

​Based on my review of your order, it appears that an adapter (such as the Female DC Barrel Jack Plug Adapter) will likely be required to connect the wires of the LED strip light with the barrel jack connector of the power supply. I have also attached two links below, which illustrate the various configurations for the product, in the event that it proves to be helpful.

​LayoutMaps™ - LED Strip Light Layout 3002_2A: https://www.waveformlighting.com/layoutmaps/3002_2A?px=-2212&py=-2096.5&pw=1424&ph=1193&s=0.1

LayoutMaps™ - LED Strip Light Layout 3002_2B: https://www.waveformlighting.com/layoutmaps/3002_2B?px=-2212&py=-2096.5&pw=1424&ph=1193&s=0.1

LED Lighting for Art Studio and Photography

I'm a painter and I've looked through your website and received quite the education. I have 4' CRI Phillips T-8 CRI 90 tubes I purchased years ago for overhead in my studio. These need to be changed but, my first concern is lamps for photographing my oil paintings. Varnish applied to oil paintings creates glare. For photography, I'd like to have lamps on either side pointing at 45 degrees to the painting, with linear polarizing film filters plus another polarizing filter on the camera lens.

The wattage is equivalent to a 60 W incandescent. For photographing painting the f-stop needs to be fairly high to have a wide depth of field to keep the complete painting in focus. I'm assuming the E 26 A9 would require multiple bulbs on each side due to the distance from the painting and the light loss due to the linear polarizing filters. Your bulbs/ lamps are appealing. 

Our NorthLux A19 lamps do indeed sound like a great option for your painting photography. These bulbs feature 95 CRI and daylight-calibrated light output, which means they are perfect for image capture without any loss of color accuracy. Because the light source is fundamentally calibrated to full-spectrum daylight, there should not be any need for white balance or color correction adjustments.

​The only "unknown" at this point, as you mention, is the total brightness needed. This is a bit more difficult to provide a definitive answer to, as various factors such as camera ISO settings, canvas size, distance from the canvas, etc can all play a factor. My recommendation would be to try out various configurations such as lamp quantity, orientation, and distance to see what works best for you. The A19 / E26 form factor ensures that these lamps will fit in virtually all standard bulb fixtures.

​I certainly agree that multiple lamps from various angles would be helpful, especially to ensure that you have even illumination across the painting when the photographs are taken.

NorthLux LED Bulbs for Art Gallery Lighting

Where in BC Canada can I buy your products? I went to 5000k bulbs to get daylight and found CRI an issue. You say your NorthLux solves these issues. Why don't galleries use them? I am told that they all use 3000k uniformly. If I paint under a 5000k or 6500k NorthLux then for sure, the work will look different under your NorthLux bulb. Won't it? Also, your NorthLux bulbs don't have an infrared and ultraviolet issue (as in halogen have UV issues.)?

For starters, we, unfortunately, do not sell our products through any distributors at this time. As such, all orders are currently submitted through our storefront website and shipped from our warehouse in Illinois. However, we do hope to offer broader international shipping options in the future.

Regarding color work, we can confirm that differences in color temperature can cause artwork to appear slightly differently. Further, our NorthLux bulbs are designed to output no UV or IR wavelengths. For more information regarding the spectral output, I have attached a link to the product photometric report below.

NorthLux™ 95 CRI E26 A19 LED Bulb for Art & Studio Photometric Report: https://www.waveformlighting.com/photometrics/TR_4003.65.pdf

It might also be helpful to know that our FilmGrade™ Flicker-Free A19 LED Bulbs offer the same high CRI in the 3000K color temperature option. Hopefully, this option would allow you to create artwork that would not look different under the 3000K gallery lighting.

Recommended High CRI LED Lights for Art Gallery Lighting

I am a member of an artist-run art gallery. We have a new gallery space and would like to know what kind of lighting you recommend which would give us full spectrum color. We will want spots and perhaps tube lighting, all dimmable if possible. An architect friend recommended we get high CRI lights, at least in the 90s.

Based on the details provided, we might recommend our dimmable Full Spectrum E26 BR30 LED Bulbs. These BR30 products can provide a great full-spectrum high-CRI solution for track lighting systems.​

Regarding our tube light options, you might be interested in our NorthLux™ 95 CRI T8 LED Tube for Art & Studio product. Though these T8 LED tube lights are unfortunately not dimmable, they do offer a CRI of 95+ while being compatible with many fluorescent T8 fixtures.

Full Spectrum Clip-on Magnifying Light for Painting Studio

I need to buy a flexible clip-on magnifying light with full spectrum light for my painting studio. I was investigating some products that claim to have different levels of lighting. I read a lot on this site as I was not convinced that they provided the full spectrum needed for painting art. I like what I saw on your site but where do I get the fixtures that will accommodate your bulbs?

Based on our review of the best-selling magnifying LED lights for painting on Amazon, it appears that the majority of the results utilize embedded SMD LED panels that surround the product viewing lens. As such, it does not appear that our products could be installed within the majority of these items.

However, we are happy to offer several alternate lighting products which our customers have utilized within their studio spaces, including the NorthLux™ 95 CRI T5 LED Linear Light Fixtures, and the NorthLux™ 95 CRI BR30 LED Bulb for Artwork & Studio product. That being said, neither of these products is directly comparable to the magnifying LED light mentioned.

T8 LED Tube Light for Art Studio

I'm trying to find the best way to light a small studio. I came across your website and I think I'm interested in the Northlux 95 CRI T8. I'm having trouble locating a shop-style plugin/pull cord light fixture where I could use these bulbs. Do you have any recommendations on a specific light fixture or would you point me in a different direction using alternate bulbs for my situation? I currently don't have any hard-wired 4ft fixtures in my studio.

It is indeed a bit difficult to locate compatible fixtures as those available today are still configured for fluorescent lamps, which will almost always include a fluorescent ballast which may or may not cause compatibility issues.

​One tip we've had other customers have success with is searching online for "LED ready" T8 fixtures, which are configured without ballast and can accommodate our LED tube lights directly.

Artist Space Lighting

I'm an artist and want help in picking the right lighting for my studio. I think NorthLux™ 95 CRI LED Shop Light 5000K is the best choice, but I'd like to double-check. I see that it's back-ordered, when could I receive it? 

Our NorthLux line of products is indeed a great option for studio lighting!

Please tell me about other lighting that's good for an artist studio. The room is 10x12' with no natural light. Ceiling is about 8' high. I need great light over my table ,but if I can light the whole room that's even better.

Our options here would depend on the lighting fixture you would like to use.

​For example, we have some T8 LED tube lights which would require a 4-ft fixture to house the lamps. Alternatively, our A19 lamps will fit in standard screw-in lamp fixtures (E26).

​I have included the relevant product links below. If you can let me know a bit more about what you have in mind in terms of fixtures, please let us know and I'd be glad to assist.

​ 

Northlux 95 CRI LED Shop Light fixture for Studio Space

I am interested in this product and may want to buy several in a packet but have some questions not answered on the website.

I want to hang the fixture(s) on the ceiling which is slanted and about 12-14 feet high. Will the bulbs have enough intensity to help me work on tables below these lights? Will the light be strong enough? How long are the chains that hold the fixtures to the ceiling? Can you send longer chains?

Though the LED Shop Light Fixture packaging contains a short chain for hanging, you might prefer to utilize a longer, third-party chain for your installation, as the light output of this item may not be enough to sufficiently illuminate a workspace that far from the light source.

I do not have electrical outlets in the ceiling and must use wall plugs for the overhead fixtures. How long are the plug cords that come out of the lights? Do you also sell extension cords and are using one that is quite long and safe? Can you install longer cords at the company before you ship them?

As the power cable for these fixtures is 60” (152cm) in length, we might recommend purchasing a longer extension cord so that the fixture can be plugged into the available wall outlets.

It might also be helpful to know that these shop lights can be daisy chained together, to utilize a single power source.

We do not sell longer power cords and are unable to include custom-length wiring within the product housing. Further, using a longer, the third-party power supply should not affect the output in any way.

When you say the fixture comes with a “fixed bulb”, what does that mean exactly? Are the bulbs changeable in the future and readily available at hardware stores, etc.? How long does this LED bulb last?

The “fixed bulb” refers to the LED lighting lengths which are pre-installed into the fixture housing. These lights cannot be replaced, and are installed directly into the hardware.

Describe the "pack of six”. Are that six separate fixtures? What is the weight of this package when shipped? I have an upstairs studio and have to arrange for help to get a very heavy package up there.

I can confirm that the LED Shop Light fixture 6-Packs are shipped within a single carton. Each unit is packed within a carton, containing accessories and instructions. I can also confirm that the 6-Pack of LED Shop Lights should have a total shipment weight of 26.4 lbs.

Do you have any other thoughts or suggestions for me? I am an artist and not very “handy” but I like the idea that I can take these fixtures with me to another studio if I have to move.

Based on the details provided, it does appear that the LED Shop Light Fixtures could be a great solution for your studio space! These products are quite easy to install and adjust, which could be useful for future installations.

If the bulbs are permanent - how long do they last? When they burn out the entire fixture has to be discarded, right? I believe that LED bulbs do last quite a long time but what is the lifetime and is there a warranty on the bulbs, thus fixture?

We can confirm that once the lighting within the LED shop light fixture experiences failure, the lights within the fixture cannot be replaced. As such, the fixture will likely require disposal and replacement at that time.

I can also confirm that our LED bulbs, such as our CENTRIC HOME™ Full Spectrum Flicker-Free A19 10W LED Bulbs, have a 3-year, 25,000-hours lifetime.

In the instance that any of our products experience a manufacturer defect or issue during the warranty period, simply let us know and we would be glad to issue a replacement product free of charge.

For more information regarding our warranty process, I have attached the link to our policy below. Waveform Lighting Warranty Policy: https://www.waveformlighting.com/support/warranty-policy

UV LEDs for Wildfire Painted Artwork

What would you recommend for an LED UV strip with an av 110v power plug-in or battery-powered supply? For a painting with UV and acrylic artwork to go around the canvas perimeter. To switch from natural light to UV light.

Based on the details provided, we might recommend our 365nm realUV™ LED Strip Lights. As most fluorescents are strongest within the 320-380nm range, we believe that this product would allow for the most effectiveness in your photography.

As this product utilizes 4.5 watts per foot, an entire 16.4 ft (5 meters) reel should only utilize 73.8 watts in total. As such, the 110-watt power supply should be more than sufficient.

Proper LED Products for Art Studio Lighting

I am an artist and have been on a long quest for proper lighting for my easel that will not distort colors. I have an east-facing window. I have read through much of your fantastic website, which is well done and very informative. I have a few questions:

Noting that I have an east-facing (not north) light source and think I would like the dimmable NorthLux™ 95 CRI BR30 LED Bulb for Artwork & Studio Edison bulbs would you recommend the 5000k or the 6500K?

​Both color temperatures should work well for your needs; however, 6500K is generally a better fit for north-facing windows. As such, you may prefer the 5000K for your east-facing window setup. 

​Please see below for additional insights from our blog:

https://www.waveformlighting.com/art-painting/difference-between-5000k-and-6500k-bulbs

​What would 800 lumens equate to in incandescent wats? I couldn’t find a scale to show me how lumen output compares to incandescent wats, which is what I am used to when comparing light brightness. If I get two of these which are 800 lumen or 60W halogen will these give me essentially 1600 lumens on my painting surface (depending on the distance of course)?

​800 lumens is approximately equal to a 60-watt incandescent bulb. You are exactly right that two bulbs would add up directly to 1600 lumens and provide twice the brightness.

​Do keep in mind, though, that incandescent lamps emit a much warmer 2700K color tone, so it can be a bit difficult to compare brightness when discussing daylight-calibrated bulbs. Nonetheless, it is certainly a good ballpark estimate when it comes to relative brightness levels!

​There are so many different light sources to consider when creating a painting: reference source (photo, print, iPad, computer, life), natural outside light (weather dependent), studio light (intensity, color, placement including projection on both paintings and palette), photographing final work for publication and giclee printing, and gallery or home viewing of the finished painting. I read on your site that a device’s screen can emit blue light. So, is it probable that this is the first point where color can become distorted?

​That is exactly right - most digital displays will be calibrated to D65 (6500K) but of course, depending on the level of sophistication and quality, the calibration may or may not be accurate. Even natural daylight, as you mention, can change depending on the weather and season, so that can be difficult to navigate as well.

​That is where high-quality studio lighting comes in and can provide some consistency and accuracy. I have seen some customers even block out their windows and replace them with our lamps because the natural lighting was too inconsistent due to changing weather and time of day. Ironically, the only way to ensure consistent lighting would be to only use a high-quality, full-spectrum artificial light source, day and night.​

​If an artist is working primarily from an iPad should they choose the 6500K light because it matches the blue light from the iPad or goes with the 5000K because it will color compensate?

​Unfortunately, it does not seem that Apple likes to publish technical data about their iPad product and I was unable to confirm if their screens are calibrated to D65 (6500K). That being said, I believe almost all digital displays are calibrated to D65, so there is a strong likelihood that the iPad product line is also D65 calibrated.

​If so, the 6500K light source will be a better match to the iPad, since as you mentioned correctly, the 5000K will be a bit "warmer."

​(Here is some additional information on D65: https://www.waveformlighting.com/color-matching/what-is-d65-and-what-is-it-used-for)

​So many questions, but your team seems to have the technical expertise to answer them and for the various combinations of light. If these bulbs and your recommendations turn out to be the Holy Grail of Art Studio lighting, I would like to share it or see it as a feature article or workshop with my local, national, and international art society membership because many artists seem to struggle with this lighting issue because it is such a science complicated by the ever-changing variety of bulbs and diverse lighting comparison scales. Also, would you have any discounts available for our membership? 

We would be honored to have you share your experience working with our products! As a general policy, we do not offer any group or membership discounts, but I would be more than happy to share the opportunity with our team at that time.

Are the NorthLux 95 CRI T8 LED Tube Bulbs Dimmable? 

Are these NorthLux™ 95 CRI T8 LED Tube dimmable? Are you aware of any clamp-on, swing arm, or drafting table-style fixtures that would accept this 4' T8 bulb? I have a large 63" wide drafting table which I use for drawing/painting. I am looking for two clamp-on swing-arm style lamps which I can position on each side of my table to illuminate the whole surface evenly with one of your 5000k high CRI lamps. But am having difficulty finding the right fixture/lamp combination. 

Unfortunately, the NorthLux™ 95 CRI T8 LED Tube for Art & Studio products is not compatible with dimmers. Though we would love to recommend a compatible lighting fixture for your drafting table, we are unaware of any products which match the description provided at this time.

That being said, our NorthLux™ 95 CRI T5 LED Linear Light Fixtures might be of interest to you as well. Though these products are also not dimmable, they can be conveniently installed, are available in 5000K, and do not require fixtures or power supplies for functionality.

Please feel free to reach out if we can provide any further product information or recommendations, and we would be glad to help!

For your T5 Linear Fixture, how would you propose those be installed for my application? Do you have compatible clamp/swing arms to hold two or three in a desk lamp configuration? Or some other way to hold and manipulate them for drafting table use?

As the linear light fixtures can be linked together end-to-end to share one power supply, I imagine that a connected set could be mounted together as one length to an adjustable swing arm above the drafting table. 

​If a stable arm was found, we believe that the included mounting accessories could make such an installation easily re-configurable. Unfortunately, we do not have a specific clamp or swing arm that we could recommend.

However, you might also be interested in installing a length of LED strip lights onto a fixture above your drafting table. These products are compatible with dimmers and can be mounted within fixtures such as our Aluminum Channel for LED Flex Strip products. I have linked to a great article from our website below, which explains how to get started with LED strip light products.

LED Strip Lights - Everything you need to know before you buy: https://www.waveformlighting.com/led-strip-lights

How is the CRI of the LED strips affected when mounted inside the channel with the diffuser? 

Based on our experience, the diffusers do not affect the CRI values of the products mounted within. Further, we have found that the effect that this diffusor will have on color temperature is small, likely resulting in a difference of +/- 25 kelvin.

BR30 vs A19 Bulbs for Artist Studio Space Lighting

I want to use the NorthLux 95 CRI E26 A19 LED bulbs in track lighting for a small space of 5 x 6 feet. How many bulbs would you recommend? Can you recommend a source or fixture that would be appropriate for the space?

Based on the details provided, we estimate that your 5x6 space would benefit from roughly 2,389 lumens to be properly illuminated for artwork creation.

As each of the NorthLux™ 95 CRI BR30 LED Bulb for Artwork & Studio products offers 800 lumens, we estimate that three bulbs could work well for the track lighting in your studio.

While there is not a specific light fixture that we could recommend, it might be helpful to know that our BR30 products are compatible with the standard E26-base track lighting systems that you might find in your local hardware stores.

Are there pros and cons to ordering the NorthLux 95 CRI E26 A19 LED Bulb instead? I see it is not dimmable, and the BR30 bulb is dimmable, but otherwise, I don't understand how they would differ in application. Can I use the E26 fixture with this also?

We're happy to confirm that the A19 bulb is compatible with E26 fixtures and that the performance will be largely the same as the BR30 bulb. The primary benefit offered by the BR30 bulbs is the narrow beam angles, which can be quite useful for track lighting systems with directional lighting.

However, if the NorthLux™ 95 CRI E26 A19 LED Bulb for Art & Studio product winds up not working well in your space, it might be helpful to know that we have a 30-day return policy. Simply reach out to let us know, and we will issue a prepaid return label. 

NorthLux 95 CRI T8 LED Tube for Painting Studio

I'm setting up my painting studio where I create realistic works, and I am looking at using your NorthLux™ 95 CRI T8 LED Tube for Art & Studio. What do I use to hook them up to? Do I purchase one for fluorescents and remove the ballast? A wraparound will look nicer than bulbs, but does it affect the CRI? Also, I have to purchase 4 from you, but I believe 2 will be enough for my space; the room is approx 13' x 15', with a double Easterly window and a single Southerly one. 

Our NorthLux T8 LED lamps sound like a great option for your art studio! As you mention correctly, these T8 lamps require a 4-ft fixture housing. Most fixtures that are available today do indeed have fluorescent ballast, so we would recommend removing the ballast and rewiring the fixture to ensure compatibility. Once the ballast is removed, the T8 lamps can be installed directly.

As long as the diffuser cover in the fixture is transparent or semi-transparent (as opposed to having a colored tint), there should be no effect on the light quality and will not pose any problems from a color accuracy perspective.

​Finally, I've plugged the dimensions of your space into the lumen estimation calculator which you can find at the link below:

https://www.waveformlighting.com/lumen-calculator

The suggested brightness level to achieve 80 footcandles (recommended for art studios) is 15,722 lumens. Based on this lumen output target, we would recommend up to nine of our T8 lamps. (Your initial estimate for just two lamps may have been based on lower brightness needs in line with a residential space).

Is it best to be using the 95 CRI products for Art Lighting?

We are wrapping up a project with an art wall for a special piece of art and need to light it with even light intensity and would like to learn more about your products. 

To light art, it is best to be using your 95 CRI products right?

Yes, the higher the CRI, the better the appearance of the colors in your artwork.

What is the difference between a Centric Home 3000K strip (3003.27) vs. a film grade 3200K tungsten strip (3001.32)?

The primary difference between the CENTRIC HOME and FilmGrade LED strip lights is the color temperature. The former is offered in 3000K, compared to the latter, which is offered in 3200K. The CENTRIC HOME at 3000K will be a closer match to halogen lighting used in art galleries, whereas the FilmGrade at 3200K is closer to tungsten lighting used in TV and movie sets.

It would seem all the strips have a max light intensity of 450 lumens per foot, are there higher lumen strips in the 3000K - 3200K color temp range?

Unfortunately we do not have any brighter LED strips. If more light is needed, we would recommend "doubling up" the number of rows.

How much lumen can be expected to be lost if used behind the lens of the corner aluminum channel?

We generally observe light loss of 10-15% when the diffuser cover is applied over the LED strip light.

Safe to assume all the strips are dimmable?

Yes, all LED strip lights are dimmable as long as they are connected to a dimmable power supply unit. (See below)

For about 13.5’ of stip lighting, what’s the best power supply to get and do you guys offer a hard wire remote transformer product to power the lights?

Please see below for the product link for our dimmable power supply which can be hard-wired to a dimmer circuit. One popular solution for controlling this power supply is using the Lutron Caseta dimmer system.

Below is some additional guidance on using the Lutron Caseta system with our LED strip lights:

https://www.waveformlighting.com/home-residential/dimming-led-strip-lights-and-led-bulbs-using-smart-lighting-systems

For dimming of the light strip, what’s the best wall mount switch type dimmer to get that won’t cause flicker?

As long as you use our dimmable power supplies, you will be able to achieve flicker-free output regardless of the wall dimmer model or manufacturer.

​

LED Light Fixtures for Art Studio Lighting

I have a 13' X 21' painting studio with a two story 12/12 pitch ceiling with two skylights on the 13 foot north end.

The dimensions are a great starting point and I appreciate you providing this data. I plugged in dimensions of 13 x 21 x 11 ft into the Lumen Estimation Calculator, which recommends a total of 22,600 lumens to meet the brightness needs of an art studio (approximately 80 footcandles).

​The target of 22,600 lumens should be our overall guiding target in terms of brightness, so this will be an important number to keep in mind!

​I need studio lighting.

The two crucial aspects of color quality when it comes to studio lighting are color temperature and color rendering. In terms of color temperature, daylight-calibrated color temperatures are best for art studios. We offer both 5000K and 6500K as color temperature options, and these values roughly correspond to noon-sun daylight and north-facing daylight, respectively. Additional information is available in our blog post below:

https://www.waveformlighting.com/art-painting/difference-between-5000k-and-6500k-bulbs

​In terms of color rendering, higher color rendering ensures accurate color representation. For painters, for example, this means that when you observe a particular paint color during the daytime, the same paint material appears the exact same during evening hours when viewed under a high CRI light source, but may appear different when viewed under a low CRI light source. This will obviously cause issues with color judgment and consistency.

​Track lighting is installed on two 13' overhead beams centered in the space at 11' up. I need overall work light. Do you recommend hanging shop lights above the beams (how many) or using linear light fixtures attached to the beams (how many). Would linear lights provide enough light?

Going back to our brightness target of 22,600 lumens, we can back-calculate the following:

​Shop Light Fixtures @ 4200 lumens each = 6 fixtures

T5 Linear Light Fixtures (4-ft) @ 1800 lumens each = 13 fixtures

​According to these calculations, either of these options will provide sufficient light across your space. You could, of course, even do a little bit of mixing and matching with fixture type and installation location to increase the amount of brightness in certain areas of your studios where it is most needed.

​I have an electrical box in the ceiling on both side above the track beam. These aren't dimmable so I don't want to be blasted out either. What do you recommend? 

Unfortunately you are correct in pointing out that these fixtures are not dimmable. The best alternative solution we can suggest here would be to connect the fixtures on separate light switch circuits so that you can manually choose between full and partial brightness. (This may be especially useful since you may have sufficient daylight coming in during the daytime from your skylight).

Recommended quantity of LED Lights in building an Art Studio

I am building an art studio. It is 3000 square feet. I am dividing it into two distinct spaces: the shop with a full complement of woodworking machinery, and a clean studio for drawing, painting, and other quiet work. 

I have calculated that I need 16 of PN:4025. Is this the proper fixture and quantity?

​I've run these numbers in our lumen estimation calculator and received a recommended brightness level of approximately 65,000 lumens. Since each of our PN 4025 shop light fixtures emits 4200 lumens, my math also works out to approximately 16 lamps, which lines up perfectly with your calculations.

​Is there an alternate fixture for the purpose?

​I do not believe that any other fixture options would be superior, except for our T5 linear fixtures, if these are perhaps a more preferred option from an aesthetic or layout perspective. I have included the link to the product below:

​Similarly, we offer a T8 LED tube light which can be used in traditional fluorescent fixtures. It does sound like you are building a new structure, such that utilizing previous-generation fluorescent fixtures would not make much sense unless you had a particular reason for doing so.

​The color quality at 5000K / 6500K and 95 CRI are identical across all of these options so that should not affect the decision in terms of form factor.

​Now on to the shop side of the studio. I am not sure of the lighting level appropriate for a woodworking space. Is it 30fc (simple manufacturing and industrial) or 40fc (like a classroom)? I have been planning on using 25 at 4000-lumen LED fixtures made by Hyperikon. These lights are 84 CRI and produce 40fc over the area. They are under $20/fixture. Is there justification for purchasing your lighting for the shop side of my studio instead of theirs?

​This is a bit difficult for us to provide any definitive guidance on the 30 or 40 footcandles would depend on the exact level of precision needed, as well as the type of wood, along with personal preference on brightness.

​It is certainly possible that 30-footcandles just don't provide enough brightness, but I would not think that going with 40-footcandles would be "too bright" (i.e. uncomfortable) by any means, so the worst-case scenario here would be that we are over-specifying in terms of brightness.

​As with the brightness question, the higher CRI rating may or may not be necessary depending on the type of woodworking. Some of our customers find that the ability to make very critical color observations during woodworking (perhaps during staining or other visually demanding processes) justifies the additional cost. On the other hand, if color accuracy is less of a concern, I would perhaps recommend staying with the 84 CRI fixtures as that would be more than enough to simply "see" what you are doing and complete basic tasks.

​Do I have a good amount of light coverage, or would I need more? 

I'm not sure what the dimensions of your woodshop will be, but the 25x Hyperikon fixtures would provide you with 100,000 lumens which would be sufficient for approximately 2200 square feet of coverage.

Does the NorthLux 95 CRI LED Shop Light Fixture come with the tube lights?

Does the Northlux 95 CRI LED Shop Light Fixture 4025.50 come with the tube lights already? How many lights are on the fixture and which replacement lights do I order? 

Yes. We can confirm that the NorthLux™ 95 CRI LED Shop Light Fixture is an integrated product that contains the lighting units pre-installed. This product is designed with two lengths of applied lighting products within the housing and does not utilize traditional T8 tube lighting.

After the warranty is up after 3 years and the lights go bad, are the lights replaceable? If so which ones? 

The lighting units within the fixture are unfortunately not replaceable, as they are designed to be fully integrated into the product housing. As such, if the lights within the product fail, the full unit would require replacement.

If a fixture with swappable lighting units is preferred, we might recommend utilizing a third-party T8 light fixture with our LED tube light products such as the CENTRIC DAYLIGHT™ Full Spectrum Flicker-Free T8 LED Tube Light. These products also feature a 3-year warranty and can be easily replaced if they experience failure or malfunction.

What is the benefit of purchasing the lighting units that are built into the fixture over purchasing a light fixture with swappable lighting units? I notice you have both. I'm trying to decide which one is best for me. I'm an artist and need good overhead lighting.

Our T8 LED tube light fixtures can be beneficial for installations where a customer prefers to use pre-existing retrofit fluorescent fixtures. For some spaces such as offices or rental areas, replacing ceiling lighting is more difficult than simply replacing the lighting within the fixtures.

Further, some customers prefer to have the flexibility of changing the color temperatures of the lights within the fixtures.

Alternatively, some customers prefer to have a dedicated color temperature light that can be easily installed and replaced as a whole unit. Customers who are working in garages, studios, and other retrofit areas might prefer such a product that allows for flexibility without installing a permanent fixture.

Oil Painting Studio Lighting Recommendations

I am a professional Oil Painter, and I am looking for your recommendations on bulbs for my 4 softbox lighting kits (16-20 bulbs total). I have to paint at night while my kids are sleeping so it is essential that I have as close to perfect daylight as humanly possible, so if you would kindly suggest your best options I will order all of them.

​Our NorthLux A19 is one of the most popular products among our artists and studio customers who are after the best color rendition for daylight-calibrated color temperatures. I've included the link below:

You mention that you're after a lamp that is as "close to perfect daylight as humanly possible," and we're very confident that the 5000K and/or 6500K color options will meet your needs here. The one tricky thing, as I'm sure you are aware, is that "perfect daylight" can be challenging to define, as natural daylight conditions can change depending on the time of day, season, geography, and weather - not to mention the orientation of the windows and other natural lighting features in a studio space.

As such, we offer both 5000K and 6500K color options to allow our customers to decide. The 5000K color option more closely resembles a neutral, noon daytime light color, whereas the 6500K color matches the natural light that you would see from a north-facing window on a clear day. Both feature 95 CRI, which indicates that they will be a near-perfect match to natural daylight, but as I've described above, the definition of "natural daylight" is a bit different when choosing 5000K vs 6500K.

We do have a blog article going over the differences below, which might be helpful:

https://www.waveformlighting.com/art-painting/difference-between-5000k-and-6500k-bulbs

Our A19 lamps include a standard medium screw base and should be a quick and easy installation in your existing soft light boxes. Each lamp is approximately equal in brightness to a 60-watt incandescent bulb (but, of course, with daylight color calibration!)

Choosing between Shop Light Fixtures and T8 LED Tubes for Art Studio Lighting

I’m a painter looking for shop lights for my art studio, and I’m trying to decide between purchasing your Northlux 95 CRI LED Shop Light Fixtures or your NorthLux 95 CRI T8 LED Tubes for Art & Studio. I have several questions: 

In terms of lighting an art studio, do you recommend one of these options over the other? Is there a difference in the quality of light they provide?

Our daylight color temperature products are a great fit for an art studio, and generally speaking, all products under our "NorthLux" brand would be an excellent fit.

As you mention, however, many of the lighting requirements for artwork and other applications, such as studio photography, do overlap quite a bit. As such, you may see several of our products which are listed on separate product pages even though the underlying product is the same. (Please see my response to your question below about the CENTRIC DAYLIGH vs NorthLux, for example).

And if you recommend I purchase the LED tubes, is there a hanging fixture you recommend that will work well with them?

​We don't have any specific recommendations, and it is a bit difficult to locate compatible fixtures since many fixtures available on the market today are geared towards fluorescent lamps and not LED lamps.

Our LED lamps can be used with fluorescent fixtures as long as they either contain a compatible fluorescent ballast, or the fluorescent ballast is bypassed.

​We would recommend performing a search for "LED ready" fluorescent fixtures or consider the shop-light style LED fixtures you mention below.

Does the Northlux 95 CRI LED Shop Light Fixture have a frosted cover on it? Or is the cover clear, exposing the LED strips?

Our previous batch of shop light fixtures did not have a frosted cover, so the photos you see on the website will also reflect this and show the individual LED diodes. Our new batches, however, have a frosted cover, allowing for a more diffused and distributed light output.

What is the difference between your Centric Daylight and Northlux lines? Would the Centric Daylight tube lights also work well in an art studio?

​Both the CENTRIC DAYLIGHT and NorthLux product lines have the same underlying technical specifications. As mentioned above, these product markets have identical or very similar lighting requirements and the products can be used for either application.

The best way to confirm whether products are identical or not would be to check the part numbers listed under the product name on each product page.

I noticed that the Centric Daylight tube lights are flicker-free, which sounds great. Do the Northlux lights have a flicker? 

​The NorthLux lamps are also flicker-free, so that would be a nice benefit for an art studio as well (even though we are not actively marketing it as such at the moment).

If I order the light fixtures now, will the ones I receive have the frosted cover? In case it makes a difference, I plan on getting a six-pack of the 5000k ones. 

Yes, any orders placed now or in the future for the NorthLux shop light fixtures (5000K) will have the frosted cover on them.

Just to clarify, is the entire NorthLux line of products flicker-free, including the shop light fixtures?

The new 5000K fixtures are both flicker-free and have a frosted cover.

In case the shop light fixtures don't work out for me, is it possible for Waveform Lighting to schedule a pickup for the return from my home? I'm located in California. 

We offer free return shipping via a pre-paid USPS Priority Mail shipping label. USPS offers complimentary pickup at most residences so if this works for you, we should not have any issues accommodating the pickup request!

Is it safe to plug the shop light fixtures into an extension cord, even when daisy-chaining multiple fixtures? My studio ceiling is very high and the 60-inch power cable won't reach any outlets without an extension cord.  

Yes, as long as you do not exceed the amperage rating on the extension cord, you should not have any issues. The amperage is calculated based on the individual amperage ratings of each fixture (0.4 amps) multiplied by the number of fixtures you plan on daisy-chaining.

For example, four fixtures would have an amperage of 1.6 amps (0.4 amps x 4 fixtures) so you will want to make sure the extension cable has a rating that exceeds 1.6 amps.

Flicker-free Bulb for Color Rendition and Artwork

I'm looking for a flicker-free bulb that has good color rendition, for alertness and artwork. What do you recommend?

Though we, unfortunately, do not have 100W bulb products available at this time, we're happy to confirm that we sell many products that offer a high CRI which could be beneficial for artwork creation.

For example, our D50 5000K A19 LED Bulb for Color Matching (ISO3664:2000) product is flicker-free and offers a high CRI of 95+, as well as an R9 value of 80+.

This product is also designed to be compliant with the D50 CIE Standard, which may prove to be useful. For more information on D50, we have a terrific blog post on our website, which I have linked below.

What is D50 for graphic arts & printing?: https://www.waveformlighting.com/color-matching/what-is-d50-for-graphic-arts-printing

Are there any flicker-free floodlights?

Unfortunately, we do not currently sell any flicker-free floodlights aside from our realUV™ LED Flood Light product at this time.

However, based on the details provided, our NorthLux™ 95 CRI T5 LED Linear Light Fixtures might be of interest as an alternative. These integrated lighting fixtures can be easily mounted onto many surfaces, contains all electrical components within the housing, and are available in both the 5000K and 6500K color temperatures.

5000K Lighting for Oil Painting Studio

I just found your website and would like to purchase an LED tube light for my oil painting studio, but noticed that your NorthLux™ 95 CRI LED Shop Light Fixture is sold out until 2-1-21. This sounds like the best option for me, but could you recommend an alternative? I'm noticing that you have T8 bulbs that would work with a regular fluorescent fixture. Could you point me to a fixture that would work well with these bulbs? Or is the NorthLux™ 95 CRI LED Shop Light Fixture a much better solution because of the diffuser and the integrated LED tubes? I'm interested in 5000K, but maybe you could suggest why I would want to go to 6500K?

We can confirm that our LED Shop Light Fixture is a great option for your lighting needs. You may take advantage of our 30-day return policy if you would like to try the product in your studio.

We can also confirm that our T8 LED tube light products can be utilized in any existing T8 fixture, though we do recommend installing these products within fixtures that do not utilize ballast or bypass the ballast entirely. More information about these installation types can be found on our T8 product specification sheet, which I have linked below.

Specification sheet link: https://www.waveformlighting.com/datasheets/UM_4020.pdf

We also have a terrific article on our website which describes the differences between 5000K and 6500K in detail, which might prove to be useful in your planning.

Difference Between 5000K and 6500K Bulbs: https://www.waveformlighting.com/art-painting/difference-between-5000k-and-6500k-bulbs

Do you sell 5000K light bulbs for track lighting? See attached image. I probably need to get you some sort of code off the bulb itself. See attached image.

Based off of the photo that was shared, it appears that the lights within your track system are BR30 bulbs​.

We're happy to confirm that we sell the 5000K Full Spectrum E26 BR30 LED Bulb products, which are often installed within similar track lighting systems. This product also features compatibility with dimmers.

NorthLux T8 LED Tube Lights for Art Studio

I presently have fluorescent tubes in my art studio I have 2 ceiling flush-mounted units, each with 4 fluorescent bulbs of 40 watts each. How many of your LED tubes do I need to replace the light of 8 fluorescent 40-watt tubes? Also, can I install these new LED tubes into the fluorescent unit that houses 4 tubes and has a ballast? I do not want to use the ballast anymore as it is over 30 years old and hums make the fluorescent lights flicker.

Our NorthLux T8 LED tube lights sound like a great fit for your lighting upgrade project.

It sounds like you currently have 4-ft T12 fluorescent lamps. If so, our T8 LED tube lights can be used in the same fixture, as long as the ballast is either bypassed, or completely removed. (The new T8 LED tube lights are NOT compatible with T12 fluorescent ballasts, and should be wired directly to line voltage).

Since you mention that the existing ballasts are old and in need of replacement, hopefully this should not be too much of an inconvenience. Additionally, the flicker-free feature of our LED T8 lamps should provide you with a very nice improvement in the lighting environment.

For further instructions on installation and wiring, please reference our installation manual:

https://www.waveformlighting.com/datasheets/UM_4024.pdf

In terms of brightness, each one of our T8 LED tubes will produce the same or slightly more light than a T12 fluorescent tube. As such, if you felt that the existing 8 fluorescent tubes provided you with sufficient brightness, a one-to-one replacement with 8 of our T8 LED tube lights should be a good starting point.

Dimmable T8 LED Tube Lights for Art Studio Lighting

I am interested in the CRI 95 5000K Northlux LED Tube, but I need a dimmable one if possible. 

Unfortunately, our T8 LED tube light products are not compatible with dimmers.

However, our LED Strip Light products are compatible with dimmers and could prove to be a valuable alternative depending on your installation.

I decided to, for now, purchase several packs of the 4000K CRI 95 Centric Daylight Bulbs. What is the R rating for these bulbs?

We have attached the photometric report for the 4000K CENTRIC DAYLIGHT™ Full Spectrum Flicker-Free A19 10W LED Bulbs below, which lists the R values.

Photometric report link: https://www.waveformlighting.com/photometrics/TR_4005.40.pdf

realUV™ LED Flood Light for a Music Studio Installation

I'm trying to find a way to incorporate a black light in a music studio, since the walls and ceilings are upholstered in a sound-absorbing fabric I cannot fix anything to these surfaces. I am looking for a pure black light to highlight a piece of art - a painting with fluorescent paints- and this is going to be placed inside a music studio. As there are live recordings taking place here, the light must be silent. For that reason, I would prefer that it is as small as possible- for aesthetic reasons! 

It’s also important that the light doesn’t omit blue light, it needs to be pure. Do you have any suggestions/advice for me? Looking at the website “realUV LED flood light seems to be the best option.

Based on the information provided, it does seem that our 365nm realUV™ LED Flood Light product could be a great option for your studio.

We can recommend the realUV™ LED Flood Light product, which should not emit any noise while operating.

I also wonder if it gets quite hot when in use. I would like to build a cubic wooden box and have the light placed inside so that it is not so visible. It could be A) a box with only walls or B) a box with walls and a base so that all sides are encased except the side omitting the light. Would this be possible?

This product would require a moderate amount of airflow so that the small amount of heat generated by the light can escape. Without the ability to dissipate heat, the components within the product can encounter issues. 

Choosing LED Northlux vs Centric Daylight for Painting Studio

I have a question about choosing Northlux 95 CRI bulbs vs the Centric daylight full spectrum bulbs either in 5000K. 

I am using these lights in a painting studio so I'm looking for high as possible color quality as can be. I also read your site said if I care more about a CRI I should use a fluorescent fixture choosing one of those bulbs above which fixture below would suggest for my situation and how many fixtures of each would you suggest to obtain the ideal illuminated result in the painting studio? Further information to give more background in my situation. I have a 12" x 16" space with 15-foot ceilings and I will be making work on both 12-foot walls as well as one 16-foot wall. 

The primary difference between the 5000K A19 bulbs can be found in the CIE D50 standard which the NorthLux product was designed to be compliant with. This is an international color standard which many find value in, due to the low amount of variability in light spectrum output across compliant products.

Here is a great blog post from our website which explains this standard further, which might be helpful: https://www.waveformlighting.com/color-matching/what-is-d50-for-graphic-arts-printing

However, in the event that you would prefer to utilize a T8 LED tube light fixture, I am happy to confirm that both fixtures provided appear to be compatible with our products.

The two LED tube light products that I recommend for your studio are the D50 5000K T8 LED Tube Lights for Color Matching (ISO3664:2000), and the NorthLux™ 95 CRI T8 LED Tube for Art & Studio. The D50 5000K option has a higher R9 rating than the NorthLux (95 vs 91), which could be beneficial for working with color.

Based on my calculations using our lumen estimation calculator, it appears that your space would benefit from 15,981 total lumens. As each of the T8 LED tube lights emits 1800 lumens, we recommend 9 lamps in order to sufficiently illuminate the space.

LED Lights Recommendations for Digital Photo Studio

I'm converting a utility room in our garage to be a dedicated digital photo studio. As such, I know I need much more controlled/accurate lighting. Note, that I do not plan to shoot photos/video in the room, just edit, evaluate, and display.The skylights have remote-controlled blackout shades. My initial thoughts about your products are as follows:

I was thinking of using your 16' LED strip mounted in an aluminum channel on the ceiling ridge, e.g. Centric Daylight strip 5000K. For the LED strips, do your aluminum channels have a system to interlock end-to-end or would you recommend other types of aluminum channels for reasonably diffuse light?

While the linear light fixtures could allow for an easier installation than the LED strip lights, the linear light fixtures are not dimmable. As such, your space might benefit from the LED strip light products, which allow for dimming functionality.

Further, the aluminum channel products unfortunately do not feature the ability to interlock. However, there may be third-party products available elsewhere which would allow for a continuous length of mounted LED light strips for installation along the trusses of the room.

I was thinking of using your FilmGrade Hybrid LED strip mounted in your corner aluminum channels mounted under the bottoms of the trusses in the photo to illuminate the right side wall where I would hang/display prints. How accurate are the hybrid strips in simulating various color temps, etc.? Equally important, what's a simple solution for a controller that would allow me to specify the desired color temperature and it would set the appropriate LED values? Is this doable, what would you recommend?

The FilmGrade™ HYBRID LED Strip Lights could be a great option for your space, and I am happy to confirm that this product can be used to simulate any color temperature between 3200K and 6500K by adjusting the intensity of each color temperature.

However, it might be valuable to know that a LED strip light product featuring a single dedicated color temperature is able to emit more light per foot than the individual colors of the HYBRID LED Strip Lights are able to. For example, the HYBRID LED strip lights emit 225 lumens per foot, per color, whereas the single-color FilmGrade™ WHITE LED Strip Lights emits 450 lumens per foot.

This product can be controlled using several different methods. Though the easiest implementation would likely be to utilize a color tunable LED controller, which would allow for you to easily adjust each color point. The below article contains detailed descriptions for each configuration method available for the product.

How to Connect Hybrid CCT Tunable LED Products: https://www.waveformlighting.com/film-photography/how-to-connect-hybrid-cct-tunable-led-products

You sell your T5 Linear light fixtures (D50) in 4 ft. I was thinking of using a couple of those to set up a dedicated print viewing station. Your website says they are out of stock but will ship on 12/14. Is availability still accurate as I would like to go ahead and order them to start experimenting?

We can confirm that the 5000K 4-ft NorthLux™ 95 CRI T5 LED Linear Light Fixture product is currently expected to be available by December 14th. In the event that you would like to place your order prior to that availability date, we would process the shipment as soon as the items become available.

Do all of your 5000K lights actually meet D50 spec or only where specifically indicated?

Not all of our 5000K color temperature products are designed to be compliant with the D50 standard. However, if you had a specific product in mind, I would be happy to review the item to check for D50 compliance.

Anything else you would advise or suggest that I consider?

Regarding installation suggestions, the primary consideration which comes to mind would be to test the LED strip light products within the space prior to cutting the product into segments or installing them completely, as we are unable to accept returns for these products as soon as they have been cut or altered.

Our second suggestion is to keep in mind that the FilmGrade™ HYBRID LED Strip Lights requires a 24V power supply.

Third, the HYBRID LED Strip Lights product has a maximum run of 32.8 ft, and draws a variable amount of power per foot depending on the color point adjustment. Details regarding this can be found on the product specification sheet. As such, you may want to consider a power supply which is capable of outputting enough power to accommodate the power draw needs of the lengths of your installation.

On the FilmHybrid LEDs, I saw the referenced setup with the two dimmers. But to use that, I need to figure out the dimmer settings that correspond to different Kelvin temperatures. I'm assuming to do that I would need to have a spectrophotometer that can measure incident light which I don't have. Is there another 3rd party solution that you could recommend that wouldn't be too complicated or expensive that would allow me specify the color temp and then set the appropriate values on the two LED channels of the hybrid film strip?

Any 3rd party aluminum channel manufacturers you recommend that might have interlocking sections? I'm still going to take a look at yours as well.

Unfortunately, the dimmer uses an analog dial to control the relative brightness levels of the two channels, so there is no way to digitally map the two output levels to a specific color temperature level. You may want to think of this as being similar to a traditional shower faucet, with one for hot and one for cold, without the ability to set a specific water temperature.

We are not aware of any third-party products or solutions that could incorporate our LED strip light to achieve the lighting controls you are looking for, but do hope to be able to offer such solutions in the near future. For the time being, we may recommend searching for cinematography and photography lighting products such as those manufactured by ARRI or Kino Flo, although these will likely be a much higher price point.

I've got a few questions on your 24V dimmable transformer that I purchased:

Is this designed to be driven at 100% rated load (96W) for a prolonged period of time? Is there any issue with splicing a pigtail and plugging it into an outlet (that has an AC dimmer upstream)? Is there a minimum load requirement on the transformer? Any issues if there is a GFI on the circuit?

The 24 volt dimmable power supply load is de-rated at 100% (full 96 watt capacity) until ambient temperatures exceed 105 F. Maximum allowable ambient temperature is 140 degrees F, at which the power supply output load is de-rated to 60% (59 watts capacity).

​We do not maintain a minimum load requirement on the power supply unit, but all dimmer tests are performed at 85% load.

With respect to your questions regarding installation through a wall outlet and the use of GFI components, I would consult with an electrician for further recommendations. From what I understand, there may be code compliance issues arising from:

From a pure electrical standpoint, I do not believe there would be any performance issues, but such installation methods would be beyond the scope of our safety and reliability assurances.

.

Difference between the NorthLux and D50

I am interested in purchasing some light bulbs for a fixture being installed in my studio to supplement our North light window into the evening hours. I am looking at the NorthLux and D50 bulbs and wondering what the distinctions between the two bulbs are. It seems the NorthLux is best suited to our needs, however, our electrician is recommending the D50. 

Our NorthLux products are offered in both 5000K and 6500K. The 6500K color option is likely to be an excellent match for the natural light you currently have coming in from your north-facing window. Some visual artists and other professionals do prefer 5000K as it provides a bit less blue and is a more neutral color point.

For additional insights into the difference between these two color temperatures, please see below:

https://www.waveformlighting.com/art-painting/difference-between-5000k-and-6500k-bulbs

Our NorthLux products in 5000K are actually the same product as the D50, and the products are listed on multiple product pages for marketing purposes. We do apologize for any confusion caused!

NorthLux vs. D50 for Oil Painting Studio

I'm an oil painter based in Finland (Europe). I'm looking for a high CRI true-to-natural light lighting solution and am very interested in your NorthLux product range. The thing is, your NorthLux bulbs don't seem to come in E27, and I'm unsure whether I can use them in my Andoer softbox-fixtures. The only product that seems to come close is the D50 colour matching bulb. How close is this to the NorthLux bulb, and would you recommend it for a painter's studio as the next best thing? 

Our high CRI daylight bulbs sound like a great fit for your needs!

Our E27 D50, CENTRIC DAYLIGHT and NorthLux A19 lamps all feature the same 95 CRI and spectrum, and are listed on different product pages for marketing purposes. We do apologize for any confusion caused!

​The part numbers 4007.50 or 4007.65 will correspond to the 5000K and 6500K color variants that are available.

​Below is the link to the CENTRIC DAYLIGHT A19 page from which you can purchase both color options directly:

Does NorthLux™ 95 CRI LED Shop Light Fixture include the bulbs or do they need to be bought separately?

I am an artist and am interested in your product. Two questions, does the product include the bulbs or do they need to be bought separately? Which is better for an artist, the 5000K or the 6500K?

We can confirm that the LED Shop Light Fixture contains the lighting within the product housing. As such, there is no need for additional hardware to utilize this product.

Regarding the color temperature options, we might recommend 5000K for artwork creation, though this selection may come down to preference as both can be very good options for artwork. The 5000K color temperate option will emit light that is similar to neutral daylight, with a balanced white color.

Alternatively, the 6000K color temperature option will be more similar to north-facing full daylight.

Does the 4026.4f.50 4 ft do the same thing? Do I need to order a separate bulb or is it included? 

We're happy to confirm that the T5 Linear Light Fixture products contain integrated LEDs, and do not require any modification for operation.

However, the product does contain mounting accessories that can be used for installation.

Difference Between the BR30 Bulbs

Other than color temperature, what is the difference between the Ultra High, Full Spectrum, and the NorthLux 95 CRI BR30 LED Bulb? I'm about to move into a large studio condo and am considering my lighting options. In my previous places, I've used SoLux 4700k 12V MR16 halogens and loved their light, but they are not compatible with our fixtures. 

We can confirm that the color temperature options available are the only differences between the three products referenced, as they are of the same product family. This can be noted by the shared part number on each product page.

However, each product offers the same benefits of full spectrum, high CRI lighting, as well as a low flicker rate.

We do apologize for any confusion which may have arisen, as these products are displayed on multiple pages for marketing purposes.

Light Fixtures for Wall Wash Lighting in Dropped Ceiling

I am designing lighting for artwork in my remodel. I have to use a dropped ceiling so I need lights that can be installed in the ceiling. I can only find light bulbs. Do you sell light fixtures to be installed in ceilings to light up artwork?

Unfortunately, we do not currently sell light fixtures which can be installed directly into ceilings.

However, we do sell T8 LED tube lights, such as the NorthLux™ 95 CRI T8 LED Tube for Art & Studio product, which are designed to be installed within ceiling light fixtures.

NorthLux™ 95 CRI T5 LED Linear Light Fixture CRI Rating

On the specs for the 4ft NorthLux Linear Light Fixture 5000K, it says it's only 90 CRI. Is that correct? I am replacing the ceiling lighting of my studio: four 48" two-bulb fluorescence light fixtures. Would four of the 4ft Linear Light Fixture 5000k be enough?

We're happy to confirm that the 5000K NorthLux™ 95 CRI T5 LED Linear Light Fixtures actually have a CRI of 95+. However, these products do have an R9 value of 90+, which may be what you are referring to. Based on our review of the most recent Photometric Report for this product, the CRI is listed at 97.4, and the R9 is listed as 95.

​For further photometric information, here is a link to the product report: https://www.waveformlighting.com/photometrics/TR_4026.50.4F.pdf

Based on the description provided, it does sound as though four of these products should work well for your space! Further, the Lumen Estimation Calculator tool on our website may also be valuable for planning the number of lighting products for your space.

However, please know that we offer a 30-day return policy. If these products do not work well for your space, we would be more than happy to issue a return label for an exchange or a refund.

T8 LED Tube Lights and Shop Light Fixture for Art Studio

I am building a brand new studio for my art practice and I have been recommended your NorthLux™ 95 CRI T8 LED Tube for Art & Studio. Please could you advise on the light fixtures I should be looking at? I see that you say any T8 fitting will work but do you have any ones you prefer that work the best with your tubes, I am looking at a suspended 4ft system that will run in a line. 

We can confirm that our T8 LED tube lights will indeed function in any fixtures which utilize the G13 Medium Bi-Pin connection style.

While we do not have any specific light fixture recommendations, we do recommend installing the T8 LED tube lights within fixtures that do not use florescent ballasts, as the ballasts may cause issues depending on the model.

In case they prove to be useful, I have provided links below for the ballast-bypass installation instructions, as well as the list of supported ballasts.

Installation instructions: https://www.waveformlighting.com/datasheets/UM_4020.pdf

Tested ballast list: https://www.waveformlighting.com/files/CD4020.txt

I want to know if your NorthLux™ 95 CRI LED Shop Light Fixture has the same light output and color as the tubes, can they be joined or held together in a line (probably 4) and can they be hardwired so I can switch all on together vs hang cords?

We can confirm that the NorthLux™ 95 CRI LED Shop Light Fixtures feature the ability to be daisy-chained together using the included cord.

However, as the product comes with a wire and plug already installed within the unit, it cannot be hardwired without modification.

How to interconnect the 6 6500K 95 CRI Shop Light Fixtures for Art Studio

I need to put 6 of the light fixtures in a row, spread out in a 45-foot-long room. How do these interconnect? Can I install 1 receptacle and connect the rest? There should be about 3 feet between fixtures.

The lamps can be daisy chained up to 8 fixtures, so installing 6 of these in your location using just one receptacle should be no problem at all.

​The power cable length is 5 ft, so bridging the 3 ft distance should also be perfectly fine.

Please see below for additional installation information:

https://www.waveformlighting.com/datasheets/UM_4025.pdf

6500K Flicker-free Lighting for Art Capture, Color Correction and Fine art Printing

I perform art to capture, color correction, and fine art printing. I am using Ikan Lyra LEDs at this time but not so happy with their results. They are okay, but I am looking for 6500K lighting, also flicker-free. I see you have bulbs and strips. 

We suspect that the primary reason for the difficulty in judging color differences is due to an incomplete spectrum emitted by the Ikan product. Specifically, this will likely be reflected in a low CRI value, possibly in the 80-90 range. (You may also want to look into the R9 value, which provides even more data about red color rendering in particular).

As a starting point, we would recommend experimenting with a few of our 95 CRI products. Here are the A19 bulbs which are daylight calibrated to D50 (5000K) and D65 (6500K) with a 95 CRI rating and would be a great starting point for your tests:

If you would like to consider our LED strip lights, we would recommend our FilmGrade LED strip lights which are offered in both 5600K and 6500K:

Our 5000K LED strip lights (also in 95 CRI) are listed under our retail & commercial section:

Installing the LED strip lights will require a bit of additional assembly and installation work. For additional guidance, we recommend referencing our layout maps which can be found at the link below:

https://www.waveformlighting.com/layoutmaps

​Finally, ​we would recommend taking advantage of our returns policy to test out several of the color temperature options and determine if our products do indeed offer an improvement over your current setup. The full policy can be found below:

https://store.waveformlighting.com/pages/returns-refunds-policy

LED Lights for Art Painting Studio

We have a studio with existing lighting. This is an artists painting studio so color is paramount and we have never got it right. We would like you to recommend a lighting scheme or bulbs to put in our existing lighting to improve the painting light quality.

Most household lamps have a low color temperature which can be nice and relaxing for a typical residential installation, but for a color-critical application such as yours, having a daylight-calibrated color temperature bulb is definitely crucial.

All of our NorthLux products are daylight-calibrated and will offer a nice approximation of natural daylight, which will help tremendously in being able to accurately see colors in artwork creation.

Since it sounds like you do not have any specific fixtures already in place, you do have quite a bit of flexibility in terms of installation location and types of lamps.

​If you have an table or desk lamps, we would perhaps recommend our NorthLux A19 lamps. Alternatively, if you would like to mount some additional lighting onto a ceiling beam or even a shelf, we would recommend our NorthLux T5 fixtures which may be a great option for you.

Do you have a high CRI T8 replacement in a 2-foot length?

I see you have a T8 CRI in a 4-foot tube. I am looking for a direct replacement for 2-foot T8 Fluorescents in the Studio. We need a total of 8 lamps for now. Do you have a suitable product? 

Unfortunately, we do not sell T8 LED lamps in the 2-ft length at this time.

Light Color Spectrum Behind a Prism

I'm doing research for an art installation. With your lights, if I put the behind a prism, will it diffract the entire color spectrum to see the rainbows?

Because our products are designed with a CRI higher than 95, it means that they provide full spectral coverage and emit full spectrum light which is extremely similar to the spectrum of natural daylight.

As such, if our lighting products are placed behind a prism, the light refracted by the prism should produce an effect similar to what you would see with natural daylight.

LED Bulbs for Art Studio with Track Lighting System Compatibility and E26 Base Standard

I'm trying to choose between 2 of your wonderful products to light my art studio. I have 2 rows of track lights with E26 Edison sockets. I'm not sure if I should get the regular bulb (NorthLux™ 95 CRI E26 A19 LED Bulb for Art & Studio) or the floodlight version (NorthLux™ 95 CRI BR30 LED Bulb for Artwork & Studio). 

We can confirm that both our NorthLux™ 95 CRI E26 A19 LED Bulb for Art & Studio and NorthLux™ 95 CRI BR30 LED Bulb for Artwork & Studio bulbs are compatible with track lighting systems that utilize the standard E26 base.

Regarding the differences between the two products, the BR30 does offer a narrower beam angle than the A19 bulb. Other customers have let us know that this feature has been beneficial for their track lighting fixtures.

Lighting for Small Artist Studio Space

I need directions to set up a painting area in the garage. I am looking at the NorthLux lighting CRI 95 or above, around 7000 Lumens and 4,000-6,000K. The area will be around 10 x 8; the ceiling and outside wall is white, and the rest is concrete. The ceiling hight is 7' with 5' deep as my space is under a bulkhead for furnace vents. I want lighting to extend to area approximately 7/8' deep. Could you present me one or two proposed diagrams showing light placement? What is the height of your linear fixture?

Since it sounds like your space currently does not have any existing fixtures, that gives us the maximum flexibility in terms of installation and lamp type options, which is great to hear.

I would recommend our T5 linear fixture at this point, given that it will provide you with all of the necessary housing and mounting accessories without needing to buy any separate components such as a track light tracks and heads for a track light system.

To achieve the 7000 lumen target, you will want one of the following (or a combination of the following):

Unfortunately we're not equipped with any interior design software, so I'm unable to create any layout diagrams showing light placement, but if you have a rough sketch of the space along with some input on where you think the lights can be placed and installed from a practical standpoint, we would be more than happy to offer some additional input.

Generally, you will want to space the lights out as much as possible in order to prevent any excess shadows or hotspots / dark areas. If you will be performing most of your work in one specific area, in addition to the fixtures, you may also want to consider installing a few A19 lamps for localized task lighting:

The height of the T5 linear fixture is approximately 1.4 inches.

The difference between NorthLux and Centric Daylight Lamps in color-accurate lighting application.

What is the actual difference between the NorthLux and Centric Daylight lamps? Is it just that NorthLux has RedBoost and R9 >90 whereas Centric does not, and is only R9 >80, or is there more?

I'm an artist and looking for the most color-accurate lighting option to redo my studio and the entire house. I use 4" T8 tubes in the studio. Would the D50 5000K series render more accurate colors than the NorthLux 5000K? 

I see you have the Absolute Series as well, but it appears to only be available in strips. Do you, or will you have bulbs and tubes available in this series as well? 

The primary difference between the NorthLux and the Centric Daylight is that the NorthLux has chromaticity points calibrated to D50 and D65 color points, for the 5000K and 6500K versions, respectively. While the Centric Daylight also offers 95 CRI, the exact color point is not as precise.​The NorthLux and D50 series are the same product listed on multiple pages. If you are looking for a color point that matches ISO standards, we would recommend the NorthLux / D50 product lines.​Unfortunately we do not have any lamps with the 99 CRI Absolute Series at this time.

Are the NorthLux indeed R9 > 90?

The NorthLux A19 has an R9 value of 90+.

Also, I'm just curious why, if the NorthLux are more finely tuned, are they and the Centric Daylight bulbs the same price? 

We intend to consolidate production for both the CENTRIC DAYLIGHT and NorthLux lamps into a single part number in the future, such that all products would meet the same D50/D65 standard. As such, the pricing was set to the same price point preemptively as we expect to offer the same product in the future.

Are there plans to make any Absolute series bulbs, even just as 4' T8 tubes?

We do have a few plans for future product development in the ABSOLUTE SERIES, but unfortunately, there are no specifics on that yet.

Recommended bulbs for Studio Lighting

I need assistance with LED lights choosing the correct bulbs for my art studio and how should setting up my lights for my application. I want to be able to render pencil/charcoal/and paint with the lights. I will be using 8ft ceilings unfortunately but do not currently intend to do many large paintings so hopefully, I will have enough height. I was personally thinking of your 5000K LED Art Studio Tubes or the LED 5000k bulbs but I was not sure if tubes or bulbs made more sense. And if I get either the tube or the bulb what fixtures to mount them with and what wiring info? 

It does indeed sound like our NorthLux LED products with 95 CRI and daylight-calibrated color temperatures will be an excellent option for your space.

You are correct that you're in perhaps one of the more tricky stages of planning your lighting, and we'd be more than happy to offer some recommendations.

​The first question would be to determine what kind of fixtures (if any) you would be interested in utilizing in the space. For BR30 lamps, for example, you will require residential/commercial style recessed can lights, which typically will go directly into the ceiling, meaning there will be some construction and electrical work needed.

​With the tube lights, you can also consider similar ceiling fixtures such as 2' x 4' fixtures, but there are also options such as strip light fixtures and other ceiling mount fixtures that won't require as much involved construction or electrical work.

One of our new products that might be most convenient and the best fit for you would be our integrated T5 LED linear fixtures. These lights have the same 95 CRI NorthLux LEDs inside, but also include screw or magnet-based mounting systems, which means that you do not need any additional accessories or electrical work. They simply plug into a wall outlet, and can also be daisy-chained to connect multiple fixtures.

I've included the product link below - please let us know your thoughts!

Do you have to daisy chain the end of the light to end or can you use a jumper wire to set the lights up parallel to each other? 

You can daisy chain them end-to-end, or they can be connected using a daisy-chain wire. See below:

​https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2793/2316/products/4026_512x512@2x.jpg?v=1595978321

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2793/2316/products/4026-3_512x512@2x.jpg?v=1595978321

Have you had the artist install the NorthLux 95 CRI BR30 LED bulbs in adjustable lamp track lighting? Like gallery Style? Would you recommend a track lighting system or a tube light system for an oil painting studio with an 8 ft ceiling?

The BR30 lamps are generally used in ceiling fixtures (e.g. recessed can light) and not track light fixtures. One of the concerns is that the BR30 beam angle is very wide and spread out, making them less suitable for track light fixtures which generally are designed for narrow beam angle spotlights generally seen, as you mention, in gallery settings.

For art studios, the tube lights would definitely be a great option, as they can provide full and evenly distributed light coverage. 

To get a sense of how much light you will need, we would recommend using our Lumen Estimation Calculator, which can be found at the link below:

https://www.waveformlighting.com/lumen-calculator

Do you think if you used the BR30 bulbs with the track light fixtures you could get a wider distribution of light from the track light system giving you the wide soft light without hotspots but also being very adjustable in where you direct the lights? 

If adjustability is an important feature, the track system may indeed work well for your needs! The LED strip lights are quite permanent and fixed in place, so that would definitely be a big downside.

Can you suggest a 5000K bulb with about 1600 lumens in a BR30 fixture for my studio?

I have a small area that I use for a studio and have a BR30 fixture about 9 feet above my easel. I would like a 5000K bulb with about 1600 lumens with good color. Can you suggest a product?

Unfortunately we do not offer any lamps with 1600 lumens, and the closest option would be our BR30 lamp which puts out 800 lumens at 5000K and 95 CRI. Please see below for the product link:

Does the NorthLux™ 95 CRI BR30 LED Bulb fit an E27 or E26 base?

I have a question about NorthLux™ 95 CRI BR30 LED Bulb for Artwork & Studio. Does it fit an E27 or E26 base? The product page doesn't say.

The NorthLux BR30 lamps have an E26 base. Therefore, we would recommend using it with E26 base lamp fixtures only.

I am a painter and cannot simply change the bulbs. Do I need to order bulbs and a different fixture, or just buy a full fixture from you?

I am a painter with a small (about 3.5 m by 1.5 m) space where I paint. It's a sunroom and has amazing natural light, but I have been struggling to paint at night. Due to uninteresting reasons, I cannot simply change the bulbs- and I am thus going to replace the entire fixture. Do you think it would make more sense to order bulbs and a different fixture or just buy a full fixture from you?

We may recommend utilizing our bulbs within another replacement lighting fixture, as the current fixtures we offer are not dimmable.

If your replacement fixture accepts BR30 bulbs, we would be happy to recommend using our NorthLux™ 95 CRI BR30 LED Bulb for Artwork & Studio. We recommend this product because it has dimming capability, offers a high CRI, and emits light that is similar to daylight.

This product has two color temperature options, 5000K and 6500K. 5000K will have a neutral daylight color point, while the 6500K has a color point similar to full daylight. You may find that one option is better suited for your space than the other.

95 CRI light that can change from 5000K to 6500K - used for painting

I want to buy a light that has 95 CRI and ideally can change from 5000K to 6500K. The function is for painting and I want to know what kind of lamp fixture I need to buy to use a light of yours. I would prefer a floor lamp because my table is crowded with my paper and paint materials.

While we currently do not offer lighting products which can adjust between the 5000K and 6500K color temperatures, we do offer many 95 CRI products which can be used in a wide variety of lighting fixtures, from floor lighting to track lighting.

For example, some customers who use our products for illuminating their canvases or artwork spaces have chosen to utilize floor lighting fixtures which are directional.

These customers have utilized our NorthLux™ 95 CRI BR30 LED Bulbs for Artwork & Studio, which are available in both the 5000K and 6500K color temperatures. 

Can these bulbs be used in most floor lamps?

Regarding power requirements, our BR30 lamps also require 120V AC to operate.

Need assistance selecting LED lights for painting and sculpture studio

We are interested in utilizing your LED lighting products and are searching for assistance in the selection of proper lighting for a painting and sculpture studio.

We had anticipated that we would utilize LED tube lighting flush with the ceiling primarily for our working lighting. What would you recommend?

We offer numerous full-spectrum, daylight-calibrated LED lights that would be an excellent fit for your painting and sculpture studio.

If you are seeking an LED tube lighting solution, our NorthLux™ T8 LED tube lights would be your best bet. These lamps work in existing 4-ft fluorescent fixtures with compatible or bypassed ballasts. If you prefer not to worry about fixture compatibility, or you need to purchase new fixtures for a new studio construction project, these LED tube lights can also be used in our LED-ready T8 fixtures.

Alternatively, you may also want to consider our NorthLux™ LED shop lights and T5 linear fixture options. These alternatives offer the same 95 CRI, daylight-calibrated light quality, but depending on the aesthetics and wiring requirements, may also be viable options.

What is the difference between CENTRIC DAYLIGHT™ 5000K/6500K and D50/NorthLux™?

Several of our products are listed on multiple product pages for marketing purposes. This is also the case for the CENTRIC DAYLIGHT™ (5000K/6500K), D50 and NorthLux™ product lines.

The 5000K products below are the same underlying product:

The 6500K products below are the same underlying product:

All of these products are calibrated to the D50 and D65 color standards for color viewing and other vision-critical applications at 5000K and 6500K, respectively. These products are all great lighting solutions for professional or color-critical applications, as well as specialty indoor lighting applications such as light therapy.

Note: this product page was updated in November 2021 to reflect the most recent changes to our product specifications and offerings. For customers who purchased these products prior to 2021, please reference the archived article here.

Are bulbs included with the LED shop light fixtures?

Do I need to purchase separate bulbs for the shop fixture or are they included?

Our LED shop light fixtures does not require any additional bulbs, due to the fact that the LED emitters are integrated within the unit. Simply plug the lights into an electrical socket, and pull the hanging chain to turn the unit on.

Replacing fluorescent lighting for art studio

We have an art studio which currently uses fluorescent lighting. I'm doing research on what to replace those with. I see that you have non-flicker LED tubes that fit into fluorescent fixtures.

However if I'm understanding correctly, these will flicker if put into the old fluorescent fixture?

Not necessarily. The lamps we designed are guaranteed to be flicker-free when used in a fluorescent fixture without a fluorescent ballast. The lamps can be used with existing fluorescent ballasts, but the flicker-rate would then depend on the fluorescent ballast and therefore we would no longer be able to guarantee flicker-free operation.​

Also I'm not sure what the difference is between 4000, 5000 or 6500K? What would best match for what is currently being used?

The difference between 4000K, 5000K and 6500K refers to the color temperature. The best match would depend on what color temperature rating was used prior. Generally, 5000K and 6500K are the best options for an art studio.

Please see below for additional links that should help clarify:https://www.waveformlighting.com/art-painting/difference-between-5000k-and-6500k-bulbshttps://www.waveformlighting.com/home-residential/which-led-light-color-temperature-should-i-choose

[Archived] What is the difference between CENTRIC DAYLIGHT™ 5000K/6500K and D50/NorthLux™?

[ARCHIVED ARTICLE] This article has been archived as of November 2021 due to recent changes in our product specifications. Please see this article for the most up-to-date information on our current offerings. Customers who purchased our lamps prior to 2021 (lamps marked with PN 4005.XX rather than PN 4005C.XX) can continue to reference the archived information below.

Several of our products are listed on multiple product pages for marketing purposes. One major exception is our 10 watt A19 bulb product line, for which we offer the two part number variants for each of the 5000K and 6500K color points:

5000K:

6500K:

You will notice that the D50 and NorthLux™ product lines have a "D" prefix in the color temperature designation inside the part number. This signifies that these products are calibrated to the D50 and D65 color standards for color viewing and other vision-critical applications at 5000K and 6500K, respectively.

The CENTRIC DAYLIGHT™ products are also available in 5000K and 6500K, but they are not designed for color viewing applications. Specifically, they have a slightly greener tint (elevated Duv values), which is a closer approximation of the ANSI chromaticity targets for daylight color points.

In short, if you're looking for a lighting solution for a professional or color-critical application, we recommend the D50 / D65 designated NorthLux™ lamps. On the other hand, if you're using the lamps for indoor lighting such as light therapy, the CENTRIC DAYLIGHT™ lamps will be a great option.

‹   Knowledge Base Home