Task lighting - Getting the job done
Author: Peter Hopper
Published: October 29, 2012
”Let there be Light!” is a phrase that is familiar to everyone in one way or another and one that reminds us just how important light is to us, especially when we have a job to do.
For many jobs and activities, general lighting of the room or area is needed but is not enough. We need task lighting, namely lighting that concentrates light on the task in hand. In fact many people prefer to work without the area lighting, using the task lighting alone.
Fortunately for us in the twenty first century there is available to us task lighting to suit just about every kind of work or leisure activity. Fine craftwork, such as needlework, miniature model making or artwork, or repairing intricate mechanisms like watches, involves handling very small components. Not only are they difficult to see but human fingers are so large in comparison that handling is also tricky. That is where magnifier lights are so useful.
Close up work
Lamps like the Optic Magnifying Desk Light with 1.5 X magnification make those small parts seem more manageable as well as saving eyestrain. It’s great for cross-stitch or tapestry work and even for reading books with tiny print.
If the task in hand calls for a magnifying mirror and task lighting, the Illuminated Swing Arm Magnifying Mirror provides both in one handsome wall mounted unit.
Out of the way
Swing Arm Lamps like the antique brass Junius Wall Light are perfect for situations where you want a neat, attractive wall light for most of the time that can be swung out over a craft table or desk when you wish to pursue your hobby. If you prefer your task lighting in a more contemporary, functional design, the Halogen Searchlight Halogen Swing-Arm Wall Light will provide another elegant solution.
Lighting up the written word
People still read books, printed on paper and bound between covers. Some of the most popular task lighting products are reading lamps. People read in all sorts of places, in their armchairs, in bed, on trains and aeroplanes. In trains and ‘planes you are stuck with the lighting provided so that leaves your armchair or bed. Ideally you want a light that you can turn off whilst in bed, meaning you don’t disturb your partner.
The solution is a reading lamp which can focus its light on your book without lighting up the room. We recommend three task lighting products for this purpose. The Klosters Reading Light in wood and chrome combines a bedside lamp with a small LED light at the end of a flexible arm, separately switched and infinitely adjustable to shine only on your page. It is usually wall mounted over the head of the bed.
The Arosa Reading Light does the same job but is styled differently and has an all polished chrome finish. Another wall mounted reading is the Chamonix. Again this light combines the normal wall light with a small LED light on a flexible stalk for discreet reading in bed.
Working at your desk
In an office, whether in a commercial building or a home office, eyestrain from bright overhead lighting combined with fatigue can lead to lack of concentration. This obstacle to getting work completed can be avoided or at least minimised by task lighting. Desk Lamps can make all the difference.
A well designed desk lamp concentrates light on the desk top whilst preventing stray light showing upwards. Lyco recommend three excellent examples. For a traditional look, redolent of the grand bank managers’ offices of yesteryear, try the Banker Desk Light. Efficient as well as elegant, it is perfect for a solicitor’s office or your office at home.
More contemporary but still elegant and highly efficient, is the Alpha Desk Light range. The Alpha lamps are all dimmable in three stages just by touch.
For a design which is both traditional and bang up to date, The iconic Anglepoise lamp, which was first designed 70 years ago, has been completely modernised. It still looks very similar to how it used to and has all the old features and quality but now it comes in a low energy version.
So let there be light indeed but let’s concentrate the light where we need it. That is how task lighting saves tired eyes and helps us to get the job done.
Why not take a look at our full range of Task Lighting?
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This article was tagged with Task lighting, Indoor