Why does nobody warn you about gallery lighting killing your art colors

I hung my digital prints at a local cafe showcase last month and they looked TERRIBLE under their fluorescent lights. All my careful purple tones turned into this muddy gray mess that didn't match what I had on my monitor at all. I spent 6 hours color correcting those pieces before printing and the lighting just ruined everything. The cafe owner said they couldn't switch bulbs because it's a chain location with corporate rules. Now I bring a small portable lamp to every showcase I set up at just to check how things will look. Has anyone else had their whole booth setup wrecked by bad venue lighting?

2 comments

2 Comments

parkerrodriguez10d ago

OH MAN this is the exact thing that happened to me last year at a craft fair in the community center. I had these deep blue ocean prints that looked amazing on my desk at home but under those cheap ceiling lights they turned this weird greenish color. I was so bummed out I almost packed up early. The test lamp trick is genius honestly. I started doing the same thing now I bring a little clip-on daylight LED that I can point right at my stuff so at least I know what I'm seeing is real. Sucks that you cant rely on the venue to have decent lighting you end up having to do all the work yourself just to show your art the way it's supposed to look.

ryanrodriguez10d ago

Bringing your own lamp is smart but even then you're fighting an uphill battle if the rest of the space is lit by those harsh tubes... I've started asking venues for a lighting test day before my show even opens so I can see what I'm working with and adjust my frames or even bring backup pieces that are a bit brighter.