Happy New Year to one and all!

The generally accepted “best” viewing bulb for prints are from Solux. They have no peaks in the viewing spectrum, thus allowing an even illuminant. The Solux products are used world-wide in galleries and museums.

This post isn’t going into detail about the subject of viewing conditions, but merely trying to save you some money. If you visit the Solux site, (http://www.solux.net)  you’ll see that while the bulbs are not too expensive (about $9 US) the fixtures are pretty pricy – all over $100 US. Further, the Solux distributor (Tailored Lighting) charges an arm and a leg for shipping.

Here’s my solution: buy the bulbs here (to save on shipping):

http://www.planetbulbstore.com/35003.html

and the desklamp for $35US  here:

http://www.officedepot.com/a/products/869536/Office-Depot-Brand-Halogen-Gooseneck-Desk/

Going this route takes the cost from about $150 down to about $50 for a high quality photo viewing table lamp.

Note that the fixture is rated for 35 watts, so I don’t recommend using the 50W bulb in it. The link above is to my recommended bulb. If you want a different temperature, just stay at the 35W level for safety.

(As of this post, if you spend $50+ with the Office Depot order, shipping is free, so you might want to add in some envelopes, or ink or pens or whatever you’re short on.)