Lately we’ve had a few puzzlers message us asking for tips for lighting when puzzling.
One option is our Ecru line, which has matte images, which are definitely easier on the eyes and less glare.
Puzzlemom wrote-in to share this tip and photo above: As you can see, this is a darker puzzle, so I do it on a white foam board, and I use a little lamp with a flexible neck to adjust the light. It’s easy to adjust the light and/or the location of the lamp to work on different areas of the puzzle.
And here are some lighting tips from Artifact Puzzlemakers:
Use lighting that hits the ceiling or walls first and then comes down.
Typical crafting lamps will have the bright light hit the puzzle directly. While it seems like lighting the puzzle would be the solution, what you’re actually doing is allowing the light to directly hit the gloss of the puzzle and cause that annoying glare.
For example:
Use soft light, not bright white. While, yes, bright white light lets you see a lot, it can also be harsh on your eyes. Have you ever gotten a headache from sitting in the hospital waiting room, or at a desk in school? Bright white is the same lighting they use. It tends to strain eyes which makes them more sensitive to any sort of glare the light creates on the puzzle. Here is a great example of the different kinds of light straight from the Philips' website:
Share your tips and tricks for lighting for puzzling in the comments or email them to us at people@artifactpuzzles.com.
I rely on indirect sunlight. I find that there is no substitute. Once the sun starts to set and I have to turn on the lights I find it much more difficult. I find that this is the case for doing any fine needlework as well. My sons paint miniatures and they also prefer sunlight. So, while I want to keep working on my puzzles until the wee hours, sometimes it’s better to give my eyes a break and wait until the sun is up!