Floor lamp + iPad Pro?

March 31, 2016 4:53 PM

I'm loving creating art with my iPad Pro, but I need better lighting. Do you know your way around the light-o-sphere? What floor lamp should I purchase?

I purchased the 12.9" iPad Pro + Apple Pencil a few months ago. To say I'm loving it would be a massive understatement! But, I use it on my couch at night under really poor lighting conditions and it's affecting my art. I want to fix this.

I went to browse Amazon for a floor lamp and quickly got overwhelmed with the choices, not to mention trying to decipher the lighting spec-speak. My breadth of knowledge regarding lighting begins and ends with, "when I turn on lights I can see stuff!"

Are you a lighting savant? Do you dream about wattage and LEDs and light color spectrums? Then you're really weird and I need your help, you weirdo!

I think my most pressing concern is reflective glare on the retina display from the lamp. Can I reduce and/or eliminate this? I can't cover the display with anything since I'm using the Pencil. How bright is 3,000K? 6,000K? What the hell is K, anyway? Can that be explained in comparison to, say, the good ol' 60w and 100w light bulbs? What if I mostly use the lamp at night before bed, will it mess with my body's wind-down-before-sleep? Do I need LED or a regular bulb lamp? What's the difference between cool and warm lighting? I don't think I need a magnifier, and portability isn't a concern. A/c power preferred.

Cost is not a big concern either (I mean, a few hundred or less I would hope), but I would prefer something I can buy on Amazon. Prime is a plus. What should I buy?

posted by three easy payments and one complicated payment to Media & Arts (4 answers total)

To avoid glare, you want to provide as even and gradual lighting as possible to the surrounding area such that the scene reflected on the ipad's screen does not cause your eyes to try to focus on the reflected image, not the screen. Also you want broad illumination of the environment so that you are not staring at a bright tablet in a dark room. As such I would suggest a lamp with 2-3 large shielded hoods that could each contain a nice rich frosted PAR30 lamp, I would encourage you to seek out ones with a high CRI (Color Rendering Index) of 82+, as this provides the best color rendering possible for all sort of colors in the environment around you. For all sources (except that friendly thermonuclear furnace 8 light-minutes away), the higher the Color Temperature, the lower the CRI. Two aimed high to broadly light the ceiling (not spots), one low for general illumination.
posted by nickggully at 6:40 PM on March 31, 2016

The Kelvin scale is used to describe the color of "white" light. 2700k is a warm or more yellow white while 6000k is a cool or more blue white. Most people find a warm light more pleasing and relaxing. Cool light can be good for tasks and work as it feels crisper and more like day time.
posted by Uncle at 7:04 PM on March 31, 2016 [1 favorite]

In terms of the shiny-screen problem, the ArmorSuit MilitaryShield Matte Screen Protector supposedly works with Pencil, and one reviewer claims even makes it feel more like old-school drawing. Might be worth a shot.

In terms of floor lamp selection, I think you want something that points up at the ceiling and that has a semi-opaque shade, so most of the light hits the ceiling and gets diffused throughout the room. (As nickgully said, “even and gradual lighting” is the goal.) Something like this black torchiere lamp — or any of the similar ones down in the “Customers Also Bought” section — might do the job. Don't worry so much about what bulb it comes with, if any. You can change bulbs to whatever incandescent, compact fluorescent, or LED you end up preferring.

And finally, in terms of bulb selection, (which for many lamps you'll have to buy separately anyway,) here's a quick primer on the important terms.
WATTAGE = Energy usage; the amount of electrical power that the bulb consumes.
LUMENS = Brightness; the amount of light that the bulb puts out.
COLOR APPEARANCE / COLOR TEMPERATURE = Measured in Kelvins (K), this describes where the light sits on a scale from “warm” (more yellowish) light to “cool” (more blueish) light.
(Check out this PDF for a little more of a guide.)
If you're concerned about the lamp messing with your sleep rhythms, go with a warmer color temperature (2700K – 4100K). The iPad itself emits a cooler-temperature light, which generally increases alertness — hence the use of 5000K – 6000K bulbs in retail stores, science labs, etc. — so you probably don't want to double down on that effect by filling the room with cooler light too.

Happy drawing!
posted by D.Billy at 7:31 PM on March 31, 2016

CRI is important, and nickggully's recommendations are sound. The Reveal line of bulbs is commonly available at the hardware store or Target and comes in different bases for lights you may already own, or inexpensive lights you can buy.

We have a couple Reveal incandescents inside a paper-shade fixture from Ikea and it gives us soft, even lighting. We even use it as a photo light source sometimes.
posted by a halcyon day at 7:33 PM on March 31, 2016 [1 favorite]