We’ve all heard the old saw about doing what you love meaning never having to work a day in your life. About the only thing that can make it better is to have a smooth work flow, accessible outlets, USB ports on the front of the tower, a place for everything and everything in its place.

And plenty of light. What is “light”?

Light is radiant energy that can be seen, reflected from any object, giving most of us the gift of sight. Sight is our most dominant sense. But, for all its power, sight is more subjective than objective. It is possible that no two people ever see any object exactly the same way; thus we have the object and the “appearance” of the object. Because of this perception variance, lighting in our shops, showrooms and workplaces is very important. It is not just a question of being able to see what we are doing, choosing or displaying—it is a question of providing the most level “seeing” field we can to customers and operators alike, and establishing standards for how to communicate about what we see in order to provide decorated apparel that is all we desire and all that our customers expect.

Light and color

The segment of the light spectrum the human eye can see—the “rainbow”—is small, compared to the overall spectrum. Light waves at one end of what we see have a shorter length and appear bluish-purple or violet. At the other end they are longer and appear red. The other hues appear in the middle. Because our color sight is limited, it is important to understand what we see and know how we can augment, change and enhance it with the addition of careful lighting.

All color is the result of the reflection of light. It is important to know that the “appearance” of color can be changed by filtration and by the wavelengths enhanced or inhibited by the types of lighting used. Factor in such artificial light variants, the brain’s need to compensate and see things as we “expect” them to be, as well as the fact that different people respond to the appearance of objects and color differently, and the argument for good lighting and standards in communication about what we are seeing become even more important.

Light sources

Helena Rubenstein once said that daylight reveals color while artificial light drains it. The truth in this statement is the reason why anyone in the business of apparel decorating needs to be mindful and educated about light. For years a demand for light quantity outstripped other light considerations, until educated consumers began to demand more than simple illumination, as well as the ability to perform work more efficiently and simply to feel good.

The best judge of the light we need in our showrooms and workplace . . . is us. Armed with the right information our choices are more critical than those of contractors, who might understand the mechanics of an electrical lighting system but be ignorant of its effect on color appearance, or architects and interior designers who often have sparse information about the latest lighting technology and how it can create the truest effects.

Artists have for centuries recognized north-sky daylight as the light of choice when they can get it. Daylight is always more correct visually and the north sky offers the most consistent light. More accurate color determinations can be made using the light of a north-facing window in the northern hemisphere at any time of the year.

Direct sunlight at noontime contains all colors in nearly equal quantities. But the appearance of color in objects changes visibly in early morning or in the shade.

Likewise, electric light sources can cause variations in color appearance. It is easy to understand that our work time, the moments we interact with our customer, are influenced not only by available light but by the light with which we augment those hours.

Lighting defined

Here are some common lighting designations, along with their characteristics:

2300K—This light source is equal to horizon daylight (sky is at its reddest, early morning sunrise/late afternoon sunset), and is artificially provided by a tungsten halogen lamp at half power. Colors that match in this light and in north-sky daylight (when the sky is at its bluest) will probably match in any phase of the day’s light.

2856K—Incandescent and tungsten light is commonly used in homes and as retail accent lighting. Incandescent lamps do not render all colors in the same way. Standard incandescence generates more red and yellow (called warm lighting)—complimentary to décor and skin appearance—but does not produce blues very well. It is affordable but not efficient because most of the energy consumed is given off as heat.

Tungsten halogen lamps are a refinement of incandescent technology and provide more efficiency, longer life and improved light quality. Halogen lamps brighten the blue and violet hues.

3000K—A commercial, narrow-band fluorescent used in the United States.

4100K—A commercial, narrow-band fluorescent, this has become the European standard and the US is beginning to adopt it, along Environmental Protection Agency guidelines, as an energy-conversation measure.

4150K—Cool white fluorescence, a common wide-band fluorescent light that simulates the light in domestic offices, stores and factories. This light is becoming more popular for home lighting due to cost. The perceived efficiency of the light is enhanced by the addition of green phosphors which heighten human visual perception. But this increased efficiency decreases good color rendering. Cool-white fluorescent has different spectral characteristics than daylight sources, as it spikes high in the yellow and green areas of the spectrum and suppresses reds and blues.

Garments and thread once viewed in cool white may appear totally different—and often unacceptable—when the customer then views the garment in natural daylight or in the incandescent or halogen-based light of their homes. When viewing objects under cool-white light, try to move near a window and compare the color as seen in daylight; or find an incandescent accent light in the facility and view the garment in that light. Product color is a key factor in the consumer’s purchasing decision and garments that do not meet expectations when viewed elsewhere are often returned. Colors that match under cool-white fluorescent and daylight north sky (from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.) will probably match under all lighting conditions.

6500K—Average north-sky daylight; this is the light source that meets the international standards in Europe, Asia and South America. The Detroit Color Council and the Society of Automotive Engineers adopted this source for visual evaluation of automotive exteriors and interiors.

7500K—North-sky daylight; this is the bluest of the daylight sources. It simulates the north light from a slightly overcast sky. If colors match under the above daylight sources the probability is great they will match anywhere.

Choosing your lights

When choosing light it is important to determine whether you need “task” lighting or a diffuse kind of light that will illuminate a wider area. A task light is small in comparison to the area it is meant to illuminate. It aims concentrated light on an object or task. Incandescent, halogen and HID lamps are generally used in these instances. A diffuse light source is relatively large and spreads light over a wide area. Fluorescent lamps (linear type “shop” lights) are the most commonly used for larger area lighting.

Many different performance aspects should be considered when making a choice. Is the light appropriate for the tasks? How important is true and consistent color appearance in the area where the light is to be used? In shops and showrooms how will it affect the appearance of the goods, threads and designs? Does the lighting chosen for the workplace and the customer area produce the same results in color appearance? It should.

Pay attention to the temperature that the lights emit. Work areas may be better with lights that do not create heat, but you must have an area for “proofing” the colors and color combinations in order to have a product of consistent quality.

Consider buying or building a light box. An enclosed area, painted a neutral gray and equipped with different light choices can show you your garments and threads under any condition you need. Perform a search on the Internet for how to build a light box. I was amazed at all the information I found.

A personal choice

One of the most exciting innovations in lighting was developed by Dr. John Ott, the father of time-lapse photography. His years of experiments brought the joy of true “natural” lighting indoors. It reveals colors without glare as it eliminates the high contrast that may illumine clear edges but distort color. “Ott lights” have low heat, less glare and provide true color renditions without eyestrain or squinting. I buy an Ott light of one design or another every time there is a sale or an available coupon. They are best for color and best for eyes.

Pierre Bonnard said, “Color does not add a pleasant quality to design––it reinforces it.” How true that is. Give yourself the advantage of good light and honest color by learning about light and practicing what you learn.

This month, hug your color wheel and the sunlight and any natural lighting you have. They make a great difference in the joy of our work and the work produced by that joy.

––HHM

Lighting Terms Defined

When  about light and color it is important to use a common vocabulary, terms that can be understood by all concerned. Establish a program for evaluating color, the results of the lighting we choose, and such an important part of our work. Take into consideration all the variables. . . .

Light source—All judging of color should be done under the same light source, whether by customers or employees. Take into consideration the lighting conditions under which your product will be viewed, including any colors that will be added or suppressed by the light source itself. Know and understand your light sources.

Viewing conditions—The background, the surround and the angle of viewing should be controlled and consistent so that color can be accurately compared and reproduced.

Color standards—Establish standards for consistent results. Compare to those standards when evaluating garments or colors.

Test for color vision—Test yourself and your employees periodically to ensure that your color vision has not changed. Aging factors can yellow vision. Drinking coffee can affect color perception.

Metamerism evaluation—Use multiple light sources to determine metameric color matches. Colors that match under north-sky daylight (blue) and horizon (red) will most likely match under all other light sources.

Communicating about color—Establish a common language for discussing color. Hue is spoken of in terms such as redder, bluer, greener. Value is communicated by using the terms darker and lighter. Chroma can be described as stronger and weaker. Setting communication standards can’t guarantee that two observers will see a color the same way, but it can reduce errors in communicating about the color.

Standards of communication—Communication is based on a standard so it is a good idea to decide on standards of each color. “This is our standard red,” for example. “Other reds will be darker, lighter, stronger, weaker than this standard red.”