What are other shops using for general lighting?

[Keith]

I apologize if this is the wrong section to post this question but I am wondering what other shops are using to light their shop. I recently moved and one of the fixtures need to be replace and I want to replace it with LED. I have been searching this forum and found a little info which lead me to ISO 3664:2009 standard. So now I understand a little bit about D50 and UV output requirements but when I looked up pricing for an ISO compliant "overhead luminaire", I about fell out of my chair. Besides, I am not printing any fine art reproductions or ad agency work so something that is not ISO compliant is probably what I am looking for. Which is why I am asking what other shops are running. I'm a small two-man shop that does a lot of quick turn custom jobs for local businesses and charity organizations. So what's good enough for most other print shops is probably more than enough for me. What my research has turned up, I think, is that I should be looking for something in the range of 90+ CRI and 5000K for temperature? But it appears D50 and UV output are more important but I don't seem to see that information when looking at light bulbs. Bottom line, I don't want to spend Bentley prices and I don't want my blues looking purple. (I know, I know, you get what you pay for; champagne tastes with a beer wallet; can't have my cake and eat it too, etc)

 

[pauly92]

Trust me when i say lights matter. They do matter.
I use to have general fluro tubes. Then once i had a guy come in and make some profiles for me and then started to explain about lighting. So when i did prints, then took them outside you could see some difference. Colour reproduction was important for me so i got ISO 3664:2009 compliant tubes just in the print section, so only half of the room. (they weren't cheap but will do the whole room soon) But boy you can see the difference.
They're the same tubes they use in hospitals as they help you stay focused ect.
I would always recommend getting them to anyone, especially the shops that need light.
I haven't found LED ones yet.

 

[dabob]

Well, for general shop lighting we are just using energy efficient T5 fluorescent lighting but all that you need to be concerned with is in the viewing booth at the end of your press and over the table/counter where the customer comes in to do presschecks. In those areas we are using some fricking expensive lamps that our color consultant made us buy. See this link

http://gtilite.com/store/shop/32-watt-48-t8-lamps-2/

lBut why would you even care what light is over your die cutter, folder, or other non color critical area?

 

[arossetti]

I use to buy these for my production areas: http://www.bulbs.com/product/F32T8-TL950-32W?RefId=58

5000k / 98 CRI rating

They do a pretty decent job of simulating D50 at a fraction of the price. If a 3664:2009 viewing area is too much money for your operation and your only other option is to step outside all the time, these bulbs should work for you. $10 a bulb instead of $30 from GTI.

 

[namelessentity]

We use some cheap 5k fluorescent tubes in the back and 3500k in the office. We just use the light booth for actual color checks.

While I still use the light booth, I always thought it was odd that we're color matching in a light environment 90% of work will never be viewed in.

 

[Keith]

Thank you so much for the help everyone! Only putting ISO lamps over the press was a great idea I never thought of. I'm the kind of person that, when a shoe lace becomes untied and I re-tie it, I have to untie and re-tie the other one. But I will put the ISO lamps over the press and those recommended 98 CRI lamps in all the rest.

 

[kdw75]

We use these. They aren't anything fancy, but they do ok.

http://www.bluemaxlighting.com/bluemax_f54t5ho_279_prd1.htm