Backlighting Wall Panel

[grozier]

Hi:

Does anyone have any experience using LED panels (from Lightbeaminc for example) to backlight fused glass art panels? I created a panel 13" x 36" for a client and they will mount in a niche using standoffs. The niche area and my panel are on the dark side so certainly no pop without introducing lighting.

Any thoughts/experience on the LED panels or other lighting methods are appreciated.

Thanks.

Tom

[Don Burt]

I've used LED's to backlight panels. I've used Permlite and US LED products that are sold as channel letter substitutes for neon. I like the US LED products because they are convenient modular things and are easy to work with. The US LED power supply adequate for enough leds to backlight a panel is about the size of a stick of butter so you can mount it out of the way of your piece in the wall somewhere else and run wires to your piece from it.

[bob proulx]

Check out your local automotive store, they sell strips in different sizes with a sticky backing. They come in different sizes and colors and are reasonably priced. For a power supply I usually use one from an old cell phone or printer that we all have laying around not knowing what it belongs too and add a switch to it.
Bob

[david n]

Tom,
I use LED light panels regularly to backlight all my fused glass panels. I use LED edge-lit panels from luminousfilm.com. I buy 5300K ( daylight spectrum ). You can get them with 1,2, or 4 edges lighted, depending on how much illumination you need. I do one long edge for my smaller pieces (8x10, 10x14) and 2 long edges for my larger pieces (16x22). Buy the dimmers to have more control. You may still need diffusing panels in front of the light panels to restrict any gridwork from showing through - if you place them tight to the glass. I have mine made by E&T plastics out of frosted white acrylic. I see that Luminousfilm now offers diffusers, but I haven't tried them yet.

[Nina Falk]

thanks for sharing so much helpful information. one question--on your website, the images of your panels all look backlit, but are these with the lighting panels or other lighting just for the shoot? hard to imagine you could hide the lighting panels so well, but that would be great!

[Bert Weiss]

I have used LED strips surrounding the panel and facing backwards in an 8" deep space lined with roscolux aluminum reflective sheets. The Roscolux sheets are uniformly crinkled aluminum on vinyl wallpaper. It is commonly used in the theatre lighting world. We put a dimmer on the LED strips because too much light behind a fused panel will kill it. Enough light to get a glow is best. We had to set this level at night, so it would not be too bright, then.

The world of LED technologies is a constantly changing one. So what was best last month may be down the list, this month.