Having the right type of light when crafting can make all the difference to the enjoyment and ease of your craft time. Low light, the wrong intensity and the wrong position can all impact on your crafting experience and can cause problems such as eye strain.
The exact type of lighting you need will depend on what you need to use it for, plus the type of crafting you’re doing.
Let’s look at the options and things to consider:
Daylight bulbs are great for accuracy and colour definition, making them particularly useful for those who craft to sell and need accurate lighting for photography.
Having the wrong type of bulb can affect the accuracy of colours, the ability to see detail and can cause squinting which will make your eyes strain.
The intensity and colour of daylight bulbs allows them to illuminate the front and rear of machines as well the surrounding area.
At Caboodle Textiles we use a daylight lamp for our product photography as it gives true colour and crispness to photos.
You can either use a daylight 100 watt bulb in an adjustable desk lamp for brightness and portability or if you don’t have those to hand The Daylight Company are widely recommended in craft circles and have a variety of lamps for all uses.
Daylight bulbs can also be helpful for preventing headaches from the tone of light, they give the impression of daylight even at night making it much easier for your eyes to adjust as opposed to yellow artificial light.
OttLite Craft Lamps are another recommended brand in craft circles and are popular for the versatility of their lamps and the choice of types.
Whether you stick to one craft or have a plethora of hobbies, having a versatile light or multiple types of lights can really help. Perhaps you need a floor lamp for general illumination but need a direct light for detail work.
There are a wide variety of different lights that suit different tasks and you might be able to make use of what you already have such as a reading light, an angle poise lamp or a clip on desk magnifying lamp. Have a look around your home and see what you can adapt for your needs.
If you do intricate work such as embroidery, threading machines and other delicate work, a head light might be suitable for you due to the light moving with you. If you’re not a fan of things on your head, a neck light may be more suitable as it hangs around your neck with lights at each end.
For your sewing machine you might benefit from a strip light for the machine throat; this lights up the crucial area you’re working on and can be really useful if your built in machine light isn’t bright enough or doesn’t work.
Straining your eyes can cause a wide variety of associated issues such as headaches, neck pain, dry eyes and squinting – it’s important to have the environment lit adequately for your needs.
Don’t be afraid to try a range of solutions for each type of hobby you have and type of work you do, you may not find a one size fits all.
Top Tip! Next time you get an eye test, explain to your optician that you craft and they may be able to provide specific advice for your prescription and circumstances such as sewing glasses.
Remember if anything causes you pain, check in with a medical professional and they will be able to advise personalised recommendations.
We hope you find the lamp that’s right for you, let us know in the comments what you use.
Happy Sewing
