Light box thingymajig

[Mark T]

Light box?
I've never used 1 before, but I'm aware that they are very useful.
I've just bought myself a new printer, and my youngest, bless him, has just bought me some HP 32lb from America (it'll be here Saturday) so I can certainly roll out some guidelines, sooooo,....
I feel the need, as ya do,... to buy myself a light box. No idea what I'm looking for, so I went to, yep, Amazon, and I found this,.... https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B083GTGZ9P/ref=ewc_pr_img_1?smid=A2H680WMF0F6WA&psc=1,.... Is that any good? Can anybody recommend a decent 'thingymajig'? Do I need to get an A4 size or is bigger better, like A3 size. Anything bigger wont work as I can only use something that will fit on a 'hospital bed table' 13" x 20". I can always buy a slab of MDF and rest it across the top of the table, cut to size, but that isn't really what I want to do.
Any help gratefully appreeeeshiated. Fankums.

[TeresaS]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HUION L4S LED Light Box A4 Ultra-Thin USB Powered Adjustable Light Pad for Tracing

This is the one I have.  It is pretty thin and works decently. 

I also have an Artograph Light Tracer, which I think is a little brighter, but it is slanted. The slant made my hand hurt which is why I bought the Huion.

The Huion came from Amazon, and the Artograph from Joanne’s.

[Mark T]

Thank you very much for that. It'll be in my house on Saturday.
Much obliged for the advice.
I can now say I have everything I need. Well, almost. Try as I might, and I've looked everywhere - I can't find any patience, but I'm sure they'll manifest somewhere along the line.
I'm aiming for a Mark Twain quote to be written, and framed by Christmas. (just need to work out which Christmas)

[JanisTX]

I have multiple light pads! - Many different brands & styles. In my humble experience, they all perform roughly the same.  I don’t have one that I prefer more than the other.

I don’t know what you’re planning on using a light Bo’s for. - I use mine principally for envelopes and certificates. Please don’t be an idiot like me!! I have a lettering guide drawn by @Ken Fraser & sold to me by Paper, Ink, Arts (“PIA”), I think.  I copied the guide onto regular “copy paper” & then cut out the envelope size, shaving off approximately 1/4 inch from the bottom & side of the envelope. After placing it inside the envelope, it significantly darkened the envelope, blocking the light that I was trying to use from the light pad.

Finally, someone way smarter than me commented on the Forum that he/she copied a lettering guide on their home printer onto acetate.  (A clear, plastic sheet that my teachers at school used to write on overhead projectors.)  I copied Ken’s lettering guide onto that, cut it out to fit inside an envelope & went happily on down the lettering road!  (@Ken Fraser: I hope that was alright!!). Problem solved!  I can be so dumb sometimes!!

I just checked & found that I have 3 different brands of light pads. They all work about the same. Some lave different levels of lumens. (I “think” lumens are levels of light intensity, but what do I know??  I went to law school so that I didn’t have to do math or science. It didn’t work! It keeps chasing me around the block!!). Shop for the one with the brightest intensity!  You’re trying to buy brightness!  Price & brand don’t matter as much as brightness!).

Best of luck on your lettering quest!

Janis

[Erica McPhee]

This is our most extensive thread on Lightbox Brands. There are so many options. Let the fun begin!

[Mark T]

Hi Janis,
Thank you for your advice and reply.
The reason for the lightbox is to be able to see what I'm doing. Not being flippant. Due to present circumstance, I'm unable to sit at a table/upright, so I need light to be able to cancel out the shadows being cast at present in the bedroom and blocking out being able to follow the guidelines I've drawn up. I thought my new eye's I bought would do the trick, but not as good as I was anticipating after using the headlight for a few weeks. As good as the product is. Watching a video that Erica posted about her office/study room whereby somebody mentioned a light box. That's when it dawned on me to get one. Anyway - I have 1 on order now already, with lots of 'lemons'. Hud ov thunk a little yellow fruit would be capable of being a light source?

[Mark T]

Thank you for that, Erica.
My bad - I never remember to use the search for posts option. Ooooooooopee Daizeeeee.

In that thread were some good options to choose from, but what I took great pleasure in was the picture on the slope box on the final page posted by somebody called 'Blotbot'. I love Japanese watercolours like that.

[Cyril Jayant]

I know how helpful  to have a Light box for Calligraphy.
I used to have a big  solid professional  box as a dark room  photographic tool in my photography work. But as I had decided to move from Paris to London I had to got rid of all of those stuffs. Now I badly feel the need of having one for Calligraphy.
Many years ago I had seen some Light boxes in London GRAPHIC STORE WHRER THEY SELL MANY ART GRAPHIC  materials.  They don't do them any more and I was thinking making one myself from Plexiglass. But has not gone Into that yet. I really regret I sold that box.     I am into buying a good one .

[Mark T]

The first lightbox I bought didn't arrive in the best of shape, so sent it back for a refund.
I have now ordered, as of yesterday, this - Large Light Pad
I also bought a stand for it, but with a few more weeks work, I'm aiming to be able to sit up and work flat (I'll need to buy some MDF board to make a tray type contraption to rest across the bed table as the lightbox is slightly bigger) I can't tell you how much I am looking forward to that - 'touches wood'.

[Erica McPhee]

I’m sorry to hear the first one arrived damaged. Let us know how you like the new one. I never thought of a stand for the light pad! What a great idea. Thank you for sharing.
Warm Regards,
Erica