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How to Use Light Boxes With Old Art

There are two types of light boxes which are commonly used for the display of art. One is a physical box that houses light bulbs and is covered with translucent glass. This type of light box is commonly used for viewing slides or negatives, as well as for tracing purposes. Another type of light box is a strip of florescent or LED lights which can be mounted above a work of art in order to light it properly. Either type of light box can be used with old art.

Things You'll Need

  • Light box
  • Archival tape
  • Tracing paper
  • Pencil
  • Slide film
  • Camera
  • Tape measure
  • Light box bracket kit
  • Drill
  • Screwdriver
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Instructions

  1. Light Boxes for Tracing and Viewing Slides

    • 1

      Select a piece of old artwork that is a size that will fit on a light box without having to be bent. The work should be made of a thin, semi-opaque paper that light can easily pass through. Place the artwork on the light box. Use pieces of archival tape to secure it to the box. Archival tape will prevent damage to old art work.

    • 2

      Place a piece of tracing paper on top of the old artwork. The light will pass through the paper thereby exposing the lines of the artwork through the tracing paper. Using a pencil, trace the lines to replicate the work. Press gently on the paper so that you don't damage the old art work. Do not try to trace old art work that is on brittle paper as it may cause damage to the piece.

    • 3

      Photograph the old art work on slide film against a neutral background. The art should be evenly lit across the canvas. In addition, the photograph should be take directly in front of the art work. Be sure to avoid shadows as you photograph the piece. Frame the photograph so that all of the art work is visible with as little background as possible. Bracket the exposure by taking several photographs and be sure to use different aperture settings.

    • 4

      Have the slide film processed professionally and mounted in mattes. Place the slides of the old art work on the light box in order to view them.

    Lighting Old Art with Light Boxes

    • 5

      Measure the length of the art work that you want to light. Divide this number in half to find the center of the art work. Mark the center on the wall above where your art work is hanging.

    • 6

      Place the light box bracket onto the wall about 1-inch above the art work in the center spot that you marked. Remove the art from the wall while installing the light box as this will prevent damage to the work.

    • 7

      Using your drill, drill the screws that came with the light box mounting kit through the light box mount and into the wall. The number and type of screws required for mounting vary by light box brand. Attach all the screws securely into the wall.

    • 8

      Attach the light box fixture into the light box bracket. The method of attachment varies by light box brand. Some light boxes simply snap into place while others require screws to be inserted manually with a screwdriver.

    • 9

      Adjust the light box fixture so that it is shining down on the old art work. Plug the light box into the wall and switch it on.

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