Anybody who works in fashion or design would do well to carefully consider the effects of their lighting choices on the work they labor so hard to produce. Most of us are aware that things can look very different indoors and out. That’s mainly due to the difference in lighting. Colors change hue and sometimes even change shade depending on the light they are exposed to. When you understand more about light, this isn’t so difficult to understand. Light itself is made up of different colors that produce white light when combined together.

Fabric or jewelry worn outside is being seen through the lens of full spectrum lighting. It’s another story when you go indoors. Artificial light, whether of the incandescent or fluorescent variety, doesn’t produce the full spectrum of colors that are present in natural sunlight. This lack of spectrum lighting means that fashions or accessories worn indoors will look different, sometimes very different, than they look when worn outdoors. This has important implications for those who work in the fashion or design field. What’s the point of choosing fabric and thread, or beads and coordinated stringing materials, using lighting that doesn’t mimic the real conditions that the final product will have to be seen in? It’s actually easy to produce a color mismatch when you’re using inadequate lighting. By inadequate, I mean that it’s not full spectrum lighting. Fortunately there’s a solution for design artists and jewelry creators.

Simply install spectrum lighting in your existing lamps and fixtures. It’s a simple as changing a light bulb, and suddenly you will have the manmade equivalent of sunlight lighting up your work area. You’ll be able to see colors accurately and know which ones coordinate well.  Spectrum lighting will help you see which color combinations produce vibrant contrasts. Not to mention, spectrum lighting is far easier on your eyes. Anybody who does close detail work like sewing, fashion design, or jewelry creation can attest to the real problem of eye strain over time. Eye strain leads to headaches and makes it hard to muster enthusiasm to keep working. I know — I’ve been there. All these problems can be reduced if you pay attention to the lighting situation in your studio.

It’s not just a question of making sure you have enough light — you have to make sure that you have the right light as well, and that means full spectrum lighting. This only makes sense when you think about it. For many thousands of years there was no such thing as electrical lighting. Our eyes are designed to do their best work in sunlight. Design and fashion artists would be well-advised to bring sunlight indoors through the use of spectrum lighting.