Good lighting is one of the most important ingredients for a successful and stand proud. Just the right lighting is an artist to create the atmosphere of a 'fine of help-Crafts Gallery. This will attract the gallery from the islands and in your stand – the first step on the road to a sale.

The lighting is a relatively expensive investment. Just as the price-conscious artist is not the right solution?

When it comes to a lighting system, new artists of the circuit fairly oftenoverwhelmed. Prices vary greatly, and every Convention Center has its own lighting regulations. Lighting is a technology changes rapidly, so that the choice even more difficult.

This article describes what I learned while facing the challenge of my lighting stand 10'X10 'at the American Craft Retailers Expo (ACRE), a great spectacle for large American and Canadian craft. When they are young to trade shows, this information is intended only as a pointer for the artists in the process of choiceLighting, and perhaps even for more experienced artists who wish to upgrade their systems.

In considering the various options, lighting, my goal was to illuminate my glass jewelry beautiful but inexpensive. I wanted to set the lights are modular and their low weight and that fit in boxes for shipment to the exhibition. I was looking for a modern style, available in silver or black. And I wanted at least one special effect lighting – not too flashy – in order to have my stand oneItem.

In his CD booth at design, art consultant Bruce Baker suggests that 1000 watt lights a stand 10'X10 'is very effective. I decided to stay at or below 500 watts, but because the show Acre, 500 watts, with the price of the state and halogen lighting, I finally decided to include the play of light me very well. Since I bought the lights of a box of "big" store with locations in almost every city of the United States, I can add more light as soon as Ithe fair, if necessary.

The battle of the bulb

Contractors Choice Lighting (www.ccl-light.com) says that the lamp is simply a place of "lamp". The bulb, which is a choice of a device should drive. This is a little 'true for trade-show lighting, while the devices may dictate what types of bulbs, depending on the choices available in the store, where shopping for lamps. The website of the CCL offers a "lamp Photometrics" page([http://ccl-light.com/photometrics.html)], whose graphical representation is a refreshing departure from the descriptions set of lighting options that have proliferated on the web.

Halogen lamp is the first choice for many exhibitors. Provides a clear white light. Even if people do not commonly found as halogen lamps, is actually a type of bulb. Produces light with a thin filament of tungsten wire, white, electrically heated by aCurrent through them. According to General Electric, the first halogen lamp was developed in 1959 – not too long ago, for many of us!

Halogen bulbs differ significantly from traditional light bulbs we grew up. The halogen bulb is surrounded by halogen gas (iodine or bromine is particularly). These gases allow the filaments to operate at higher temperatures. The result is a greater light output per watt.

The gases also something moreMiracles: tungsten filament tends to evaporate over time, and gas actually help re-deposit the tungsten filament in the book. This extends the life of the ball beyond the traditional light bulb, the tungsten evaporates, clinging to the walls of the eyeball like a smoke break, and, finally, release of the uncoated yarn. Who has not shaken a blown light bulb in there and enjoyed the jazz sounds of the pool broken strand?

In addition to the removal ofmore light than conventional bulbs, halogen bulbs emit a white light that provides better color reproduction. "For emphasis, and Bringing Out True Colors of using halogen lamps," suggests U.S. electric lighting and Web site (www.usalight.com). "Nothing looks better than the drama brought with halogen lamps."

Baker also suggests halogen lamps – headlights in particular – for a modern look, especially for jewelry and glass.It 'important to note that other craft materials such as ceramic and wood could be better with halogen lamps, or even better with some of the more traditional light bulbs that emit a warmer color.

Having decided to halogen lighting, my next task would be to choose bulbs. The ACRE show is held at the Las Vegas Convention Center, which has established a strict policy halogen lighting. Each light can not exceed 75 watts, halogen lamps, and all mustFactory sealed in glass (not) in a detachable lens or linear form.

Fortunately, there are many factories sealed halogen lighting in the form of halogen PAR. PAR is an acronym for "PAR spotlight. PAR lamps have a built-in reflector in pressed glass. The glass provides both an internal mirrors and prisms of the lens to control beam.

PAR lamps are numbered, as in the PAR 16, PAR 20, PAR 56 PAR The number refers to the bulbShape. Bulbs.com has a halogen-section of the site where you can quickly and easily compare the different PAR lamps visually. Within a given category of PAR lamps, there are different levels, the broad and narrow headlights and spotlights, different base dimensions, and even different colors.

Fortunately I was able to decide on the process of PAR, in which only decided to skip my full light spectrum (for more on this below).

Power Problems

If you go to monitor the lights store, thenNote: You can choose between 12 volt and 120 volt appliances. 120, the standard voltage is coming directly into most homes and offices – and convention centers.

For a lamp with 120 volt, no additional parts are needed for a normal grip. 120-volt appliances are generally lighter 12-volt lights, because they do not need a transformer. Also cost less and can use regular incandescent bulbs or halogen.

I stopped short of surveys at 12 volts –Accessories, except out to make sure that it is used, the amount of energy step towards the creation of a lower voltage, and thus have a greater energy efficiency. You need a transformer to convert 120-volt household current to 12 volts and you can take the wiring (although I know an artist who found a 12-volt light with a built-in transformers that are able, in a Outlet Plug 120 volts. A 12-volt bulbs holder hosts very efficient, and that a variety of levels of radiation, including the offer50-watt MR-16, which is popular in the galleries.

I decided to use 120-volt lighting for the show, why should not have to worry about converters and could simply plug in.

The choice of a shop and the track lighting

I read the online forum ACRE for advice on where to buy the lighting. What is an artist, "he said struck me as entirely reasonable: He buys all its light at Home Depot, because if something goes wrong during the show, you can find a shop nearby for replacementParties.

That was one thing to note: As tempting as the design can be beautiful, lighting special order of any kind is the risk that a malfunction has the light for the duration of a performance.

Another artist who ACRE online forum said, you buy the lights from Lowes. It 'probably does not matter what big-box stores choose to be, insofar as in any city.

Since I was new shows on the market, and that was my first lighting kit, I resisted the election ofmany good providers on the Internet. I sat on a limited but interesting selection of Lowes. A side effect of this is that my decisions were easily concentrated.

It is within the category of lighting halogen track lights, has received or stem mounted lights (with arms stretched out). I went with runway lights. This was partly because the lights of stem cells that I found on the Web is relatively expensive and Lowe's, not theirs, and because the track with lights, that I wasCable instead of hanging different.

The seller was Lowe's lighting be helpful to put together a complete package from the line on the display and lighting in the warehouse. I decided on four, two-foot track to keep the size of my boxes for shipment. Here's an overview of what I bought:

• 4-foot two sections, brand portfolio, black finish, th Article # 225,678 Each section includes 2 lights, for a total of 8 Total: $ 23.12

• 8 Flairpants Gimbal Track Lights, portfolioBrand, Article # 120,673, with a satin chrome for a contemporary look. They are easy to put on track, following the instructions. Total: $ 80.76

• 8 halogen lamps, Par 20, 50-watt light for bright and clear. I bought some lights and a few lights. The lamps are very compressibility, to just over 3 "long and 2.5" in diameter. Total: $ 60.00

• 2 connectors for miniature straight-Portfolio, Article # 120,716, for the connection of two sectionsEnd to end. The idea is to have a single cable to connect a series of four lights. Total: $ 5.92.

• 2 cable and plug set, brand portfolio, Article # 120,827, supply for the length of a standard wall outlet. I connected this to the end of the two sections of the trail by unscrewing the lid on one side of the track. Total: $ 17.06

Many Multi-Purpose Wood Ties (cable ties), followed by Catamount for fixing rails to stand pipes. Total: $ 5.00

• 2 Heavy-DutyExtension cords / power strip – 14-gauge, 15-meter, model with three outputs depending on the brand Woods by Lowe's, article # 170,224, 82965th Total: $ 22.00

Grand Total: $ 213.86

Gimbal lamps, I chose only to accept a 50 watt PAR 20 lamp, which is easy to collect the bulbs. So, in this case, the abduction of the choice of the lamp is not started, reversed.

After the page Photometrics bulb Contractors Choice Lighting, a lamp, PAR 20, 50-watt halogen bulb is a flood every yearBeam with a 5'4 "diameter, when they removed to 10 meters. It has 12 foot-candles worth of light to 10 meters away from the light bulb (one foot-candle is the amount of illumination on a surface with a foot away from a standard candle.)

For the sake of comparison, a par 30 beam functions with a diameter of over 8 via "to 10 feet and still get about 14 foot candles in the distance. What happens when you score up to a 75-watt pear? It gets very more than a foot-candles (38)10 meters away. This suggests that the booths largest trade show may want to take advantage of the increased PAR and higher wattage bulbs.

All together, the lighting track, I chose uses 400 watts of power. I left a 100-watt to special or accent lighting to my stand, not yet in the limit of 500 watts.

Cables, plugs and Suspension

The Las Vegas Convention Center has some very strict rules for cables, connectors and bulbs hung.

TheTwo columns, 18-gauge cable that the manufacturer made sure the lights are acceptable (leaving UL tags and labels will receive). This cable lighting can not properly plugged into the convention center, though. Instead, you must enter into a three-point heavy duty 14-gauge extension – or a strip of circuit breaker with a 14-gauge wire. You can then plug that 14-gauge extension to voting convention center.

A 14-gauge extension is the handling of 1825 watts.It's useful in sizing the short extension cord, and read safety information on the web pages of the Underwriters Laboratories (www.ul.com / consumers / cords.html) and the University of Florida Cooperative Extension Service ([http:// EDIS. IFAS .ufl.edu/FY800]) before buying a cable.

Bruce Baker suggests the spinal cord of 20 feet, with six branches, and is also a part of string. I could not find this type of cable, Lowe's, so I decided on two feet-15, high-performance, 14-gauge extensionCable / power strips, each with three sockets. If you have a bigger booth, you can use a cable of 25 feet with three points at Lowe's.

There are so many different approaches for hanging lamps, and so many variables to take into account that could be a topic for another article. In general, you can hang or clip lights on a cross-bar or on the wall hard on your screen if you have them. Depending on the rules of a certain mass and size of the lighting system, ismay be permitted in cases where the illumination of the current management of the cabin and a cloth.

Since my design stand are not my walls, my light is measured, both the existing pipe or bar to a cross. Cable ties (commonly referred to as "bands") seem to be the instrument of choice to connect the tracks to the tubes and rods, and also for the installation of additional clamps existing pipe and drape. An artist I know used followed by strips of Velcro straps for secure services. Thereare some websites for entire bands. One of them is http://www.cabletiesplus.com.

I bought Multi-Purpose Ties of Home Depot. You can set 4 inches in diameter, keeping the temperatures up to 185 degrees Celsius and up to 50 pounds.

Accent lighting: LED

There are many ideas for accent lighting – although it would be a fair treatment of the subject scope of this article. Light-Emitting Diode (LED), lighting is a technology that occursDiscoveries and growing rapidly. It takes many LEDs to light output of a 50-watt bulb and LED are the same relatively expensive, so LEDs are not ready for prime time, when it comes to lighting an entire stand.

There are several close-up of applications for LEDs, but it is worth now. An example is the direct in-counter bar light by MK Digital http://www.mkdigitaldirect.com (sold at a whopping $ 175) per foot. The affordable MK Sparkle Pocket Light ($ 30) is adevice that has a long long time of more than 100,000 hours without any additional cost, and promises to give jewels "splendor and sparkle.

The Nexus Mini LED Lighting System (www.ccl-light.com), however, offers plenty of illumination for its size – a form puck not much bigger neighborhood. The company says it is light for direct visualization of the crystal and glass, and can also be immersed in water. The light is connected to a 12 "which ends with a plug,and "mode", with seven different colors. Unfortunately, white is not one of color, and 25 dollars is a bit 'expensive. However, some of these lights as the lighting could be combined to draw the audience into your booth and display the most dramatic.

LED and neon lights, flexible lights, lights and linear lamps. Super bright LEDs (www.superbrightleds.com / edison.html) has a collection of 120 volt screw in LED lamps for accent and the otherApplications with low lighting, as well as a number of other fascinating items such as "plant lights up."

In this letter, nor the search for accent lighting in my stand a very special glow. Stay tuned for a future article on the results.

Online Resources

The list below is not a recommendation, but a starting point for the study of lighting systems, cable ties, and accent lighting.

http://www.ccl-light.com – economic and the possibility of "Bulb Photometrics" page to determine the amount of light and what you want from a light

http://www.direct-lighting.com – length of the stalk-mounted lights

http://www.usalight.com – large selection of lights and lamps

http://www.bulbs.com – quick visual comparison of PAR lamps (halogen) under

http://www.cabletiesplus.com – Cable (zip) relations in order to ensure the long tube lights

http://www.mkdigitaldirect.com – LEDJewelry Cases>

http://www.american-image.com/products/lights/lights.html – a nice selection and the visual appearance of stem cells and other lighting installed (but not cheap)

http://www.brightmandesign.com/products/wash-super.html – good technical information and pictures of lights set-ups for exhibitions, parent-assembled clip-on design

http://www.superbrightleds.com – LED accent lighting, including the screw in bulbs and lighting bars