Puzzle Lighting Is So Important

Lighting is just as important as choosing the puzzle itself

Where is the location of your puzzle station ?

1. 2. 3. Is set up by a window ? Is it in a room away from the window ? Is it in a windowless room ?

Does the puzzle itself have a shiny glare on it ?

1. 2. 3. Is it anti-glare? Is it a matte finish or somewhere in between? Does it have a shimmer or a foil finish?

What direction is your light fixture coming from?

1. Is it directly overhead? 2. Overhead to the left, the right or behind you? 3. Is it motion-movable?

What are the best lights to use for jigsaw puzzles? That question comes up a lot. If only we could use natural daylight any time of the day and evening. Although, even that has its drawbacks, like reflection, glare or worse yet, a dark cloudy day.

So again, you ask,

‘ what are the best lights to use for jigsaw puzzles ’? We should beat this up for a minute before we look at some resources.

The first issue is the location of your ' puzzle-station

' . By that I mean, where your puzzle is set up to be assembled. Is it set up by a window? Is it in a room away from the window? Is it in a windowless room? These will make a difference.

Then the second issue is....what direction is your light fixture coming from? Is it directly overhead, overhead to the left, the right or behind you? Is it motionmovable?

Also the jigsaw puzzle itself....does it have a huge shiny glare on it or is it antiglare, perhaps a matte finish or somewhere in between? Does it have a shimmer or a foil finish?

Overhead Lights

Of course only you can determine these factors when purchasing the correct light for your puzzle-station. My puzzle-station is not near a window so I use a Hampton Bay, Model # 54644143, Led Linear Ceiling Light - 2x4 feet. (The website shows similar product details for my ceiling light.) It produces 3000 lumens of bright white light (4000k CCT). I am not sure what all that means but I do know it provides enough power to light up a runway. My light is over my ' puzzle-station ' to the left. That avoids any glare coming from the light being directly overhead. However, it does not work for taking photos though, due to the glare from the left. I have to move my completed puzzles to another part of the room to take photos to avoid that dreaded glare.

Lamps

You can source out what is referred to as lamps with ' natural light' . Some lamps can get pricey. I know lighting overhead may cause glare when taking photos (as mentioned above) and especially when assembling a glossy-surfaced puzzle. Some of the jigsaw puzzle images are actually anti-glare with a very nice matte finish to them. I also find ' poor lighting ' while doing a puzzle to be quite annoying. Of course natural outdoor light beaming in the window is the best. So try to look for a ' natural-light' lamp or 'daytime ' light bulbs. Using a desk top adjustable lamp will work well for your immediate puzzlestation but may not be the answer for extra large puzzles that require space further away from the lit work area. That said, if you have the room to move the lamp around the table it does become an alternative. For the really tiny text on maps I actually use a headlamp. I found it was quite useful because they have 3 levels of lights but also the text on ' real' maps are insanely-small! Between the headlamp and a magnifying glass I manage to get maps completed.

Light Bulbs

Natural light called ‘ natural daylight’ bulbs or daytime bulbs are available for your current lamps. I have not used these light bulbs but the research says they are used for the treatment of S.A.D. (Seasonal Affective Disorder) for those people who suffer from the lack of daylight in their working days. Along the same line, there are lamps known to treat Vitamin-D deficiency with UVB light in your own home with Solar phototherapy devices. I have one on my puzzle station and it gives off brilliant lighting. I use it once a day as directed and usually when I am sitting on my high stool while doing my peddle bike under my table as I puzzle. So that’ s three healthy activities at once - using my pedal exerciser while streaming vitamin D on my face and reaping the mindful rewards of puzzling. It’ s a terrific way to start everyday!