GrafiLite 2 –  LED print viewing lighting review

Consistent print viewing and desktop light

The GrafiLite 2 from Colour Confidence is a new LED based version of the original Grafilite (which is based the Ott-Lite ‘task lamp’ that uses a special 13W ‘True Color’ fluorescent tube).

The new version has three selectable colour temperatures and three brightness settings.

Keith has also made this short video looking at the Grafilite 2

Grafilite 2

One of the major areas of inconsistency when it comes to most people checking their prints, is the light they use.

Whilst you can get proper viewing cabinets and print stands, they tend not to be cheap [There is a review of the one we have at Northlight]

The GrafiLite 2 from Colour Confidence is an LED based desk lamp. The original GrafiLite has a fluorescent tube in it and has been on my desk since the 2008 review [Original Grafilite review]

What do you get?

The new device follows the same basic flip up design as the original, but adds quite a bit of functionality. The official specs (from Color Confidence)

Product Features:

• Three colour temperature settings: natural daylight (5,000°k), store light (4,000°k), home light (2,700°k)
• Dimmer switch function: three illumination intensities for each temperature
• Professional quality illumination CRI: 95+
• Includes neutral grey viewing mat (A4)
• Integrated desk clock/thermometer and convenient USB port
• AC 100-240V – UK/Euro universal plug

Dimensions (approximate):

• When closed: 31cm height with 8cm x 7cm base
• When open: 31cm x 25cm x 7cm
• Neutral Grey Mat: A4
• Distance from LED illumination to tabletop: 30cm

Uses:

• Soft proofing – compare prints to the digital image on a calibrated computer screen for image retouching – select daylight illumination and set the dimmer function to correspond with your calibrated monitors brightness level.
• Print assessment – bright daylight balanced 5,000°k illumination with 95+ CRI quality for checking proof against a reference swatch or final print.
• Colour reference selection – select colour swatches or samples, considering them under a choice of three illumination temperatures.
• Check accuracy of product or fabric colour matching under daylight 5,000°k and consider the effects under office/store light and home light conditions.

Daylight LEDs?

The spectral data for the ‘daylight’ setting does indeed look better than what usually passes for ‘cool white’ and is smoother. In the US, OttLite produce a range of task lamps with their daylight ClearSun type LEDs and have more information about it.  If you look at some of the photos later, you can see that the 5000K setting has enough shorter wavelength light to bring out the colour of the fluorescent plastics in the shot.

In use

The light is powered via a 12V power adapter which goes into the base – this does mean that it is using some power when not in use. Not much, but bear it in mind when positioning the power adapter. You do get a handy (5V 2.1A) USB socket. which I’ve already used to top up a USB PowerBank block.

The unit also has an inbuilt clock/calendar/alarm/thermometer – all kept running from a small cell in the back. It’s activated the first time by pulling a clear plastic tab. Then you can work out how to set the time and date…

The rear connections/controls

The device also comes with a grey plastic mat. This gives a neutral background for placing objects on.

Having a good light quality and standing it on a wooden topped desk like mine is not conducive to colour matching.

Using the GrafiLite 2

The device flips open to use, but you need to touch the round button at the base to switch it on. A short touch steps the brightness (off and 3 levels) whilst a longer touch switches the LED lights in use.

There are two sets of LED lamps – warm and cool. Switching between these give nominal colour temperatures of:

• natural daylight (5,000K)
• store light (4,000K)
• home light (2,700K)

The white ones in the shot above are described as “CRI 95+ LED ClearSun® Technology”. I’ve not done a detailed spectral analysis of the light, but the daylight setting does look quite similar to my much more expensive viewing stand.

However, the emphasis is ‘looks like’ here – this is not a product meant for colour critical colour management work. It’s a light for your desk!

These two shots, lit by my CFL light panels give a feel for how it looks when there is other lighting around

With just the Grafilite 2  [click to see larger images]

It’s important to realise that although the warm (2700K) light is similar to an incandescent lamp, its colour spectrum does not have the huge amount of red/near-infrared that you get from a tungsten lamp.

Taking photos of my standard brightly coloured fleet of cars gives a feel for how colour varies.

For each shot, the raw camera file has been white balanced on the grey mat. Note how the higher colour temperature has more short wavelength light, making some colours fluoresce.

Print evaluation

Although I have a proper D50 print viewing stand, I’ve long found the original Ott-lite based Grafilite really helpful in quick checks of print quality. It’s brighter than you would normally view prints, so be careful about deciding on shadow density and other functions that are dependent on the print viewing setup.

The new LED lamp gives a good clear light at the 5000K (daylight setting) and once again is what I look for when studying detail in prints. The mixed (~4000K) setting is the brightest and gives a good feel for modern LED room lighting.

The 2700K setting is 2700K LED light, not 2700K tungsten. So whilst it gives an indication of what a print may look like in domestic lighting, the warm colour is a little too obvious for my taste. If you know a print is going to be viewed in warm LED lighting then this will help, but make sure you don’t have any screens, at much higher colour temperatures, in the vicinity to throw off your colour perception.

This goes for any evaluation – just one more reason that ‘matching prints with a screen’ is never really going to happen – or at least not in the simple way that some think ‘soft proofing’ offers ;-)

So, does the Grafilite 2 replace the Grafilite on my desk?

I like being able to adjust the colour temperature/brightness, although the ‘lift it up and it’s on’ simplicity of the original just feels …uncomplicated.

I guess it’s because I used the original as a quick localised (consistent) light source that the features of the new LED version seemed more than I needed.

If I had a minor complaint it would be that grey mat. If you look at the photo above, you can see that it is slightly uneven. That is after quite some time pressed under heavy books. If you fold it up to put it in your desk, then expect difficulties each time you want to use it.

However after a while using the LED version, catching myself glancing at the clock, and using the USB socket for convenient (5 volt) charging, it’s growing on me, for an ongoing place on my desk.

Already, Karen is hovering near the original, waiting to whisk it away to her office, where she has found it really useful for some of her jewellery work, as well as looking at prints.

–ooOoo–

The Grafilite 2 is available from Color Confidence in the UK (£69.95 inc. VAT)