Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
"Speaking of working on stamps by the window, I find that the stamp color is QUITE different if I view it from sunlight through a nearby window, versus an incandescent or fluorescent bulb. More hair-pulling!"
Coco just wrote this in another thread. This is an interesting thought. Personally I prefer natural light. I have my stamp desk next to a north facing window and I find that even using a full-spectrum desk light, the natural sunlight is MUCH more accurate for deciding on the true color of anything. I've been spending a great deal of time lately fiddling around with paint colors, so this has been a topic in my thoughts quite a bit lately.
Second best option - the full spectrum lamp I mentioned above. They are fabulous! I can't imagine working on stamps without those lamps. The details POP under those lights.
The worst in my opinion is flourescent.
What do you prefer?
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Fluorescent is definitely one of the worst for checking stamp color. Unfortunately, just about everything in my house and my office is fluorescent.
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03:06:29pm
Theresa - I don't think Coco is allowed to use the computer but Peter is! 
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I thought it was the other way around! 
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03:36:43pm
K - you could be right!
Coco gives Peter is allotted computer time 
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Ooops -- Sorry Peter! I know Coco is clever, but I have to give the author the credit!
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Hi Everyone;
I'm giving a thumbs down to natural light. It will fade your stamps, due to the increased UV
radiation that reaches the earth due to ozone depletion. The full spectrum lamp that Theresa
mentions would be my first choice (expensive) and florescent or cfl's mixed with incandescent
would be my second choice.
Just thinkin' too much again....
TuskenRaider
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Is full spectrum light similar to polarized light?
The reason I ask is that I borrowed a magnifying glass from a dealer at,our show in February and it was the clearest, most beautiful image I had ever seen. The glass was a dermatologist glass and he said it was polarized which is why it was so clear.
Unfortunately he also said the glass was worth $600. 
Now having typed all this I realize that perhaps it was the glass that was polarized and not the led light. Argh.
All I know is the image was so bright and so clear Id think it would be great for identifying shades too.
If anyone could shed a light on this (I couldn't resist) I'd appreciate it.
Mark the un-illuminated
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Theresa mentioned a north facing window, so that wouldn't be DIRECT sunlight, but Tusken is right. Direct sunlight can fade stamps rather quickly. However, so can artificial light. These are the results of a personal experiment:
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Hi everyone;
@ larsdog;
That is a wonderfully planned and executed scientific experiment, and the results are very useful.
Maybe you should expand on that topic and publish the results. I'm sure many collectors would
buy the results for a few bucks or so.
@ everyone;
Yes altho it is true that stamp colors look different under different lighting, it would also be true
that stamp color guides would also look different under different light. So if the color guide and
stamp are next to each other under the exact same lighting conditions, would that effect not
cancel itself?
Just thinking too much again....
TuskenRaider
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Light damage requires PROLONGED exposure. The brief amount of time it takes to look at and identify a stamp isn't going to damage the stamp. The discussion is about light sources for color identification, not long term exposure to a light source, LOL unless someone needs FIVE HUNDRED hours to identify a stamp 
. Too funny!!!
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Now, who's this "Peter" you keep talking about? The guy who sleep on the big bed is there just to feed me and take me on squirrel hunts. He's not bright enough to study light and stamps (or make puns).
Coco (I mean, "Peter")
@ my canine friend Larsdog, what a truly wonderful experiment! My thought was more for stamp identification under different light sources. So if, for example, a stamp is identified as "olive green" in the catalogue, won't that look different under natural light, an incandescent bulb, and a fluorescent bulb? What about those newer florescent bulbs or even those "natural light" bulbs?
Peter (actually, Coco)
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Full spectrum light would be best for technical reasons that are best left to the professionals:
Any light that is missing can't be reflected back.
The point of the sunlight experiment was to show that only 100 hours of sunlight does significant damage while 500 hours of artifical light does far less damage. This is important for two reasons:
1) If you mount a press sheet in a frame, be sure to keep it in a closet that doesn't get much light or add UV protective glass. By all means avoid direct sunlight.
2) Many 19th Century stamps were on display in direct sunlight many years ago. How much accumulated exposure did they have? How many hours in display cases at department stores with their fluorescent lighting? How many hours in display flips at stamp shows? The effects are cumulative. I'm not suggesting that the time it takes to make an identification matters, but don't leave a batch of stamps to identify out on a desk for a week near an east or west facing window!
Lars
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Hi Everyone;
Are you sure that wasn't written by Sheldon Cooper?
Just thinkin' too much again....
TuskenRaider
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"Speaking of working on stamps by the window, I find that the stamp color is QUITE different if I view it from sunlight through a nearby window, versus an incandescent or fluorescent bulb. More hair-pulling!"
Coco just wrote this in another thread. This is an interesting thought. Personally I prefer natural light. I have my stamp desk next to a north facing window and I find that even using a full-spectrum desk light, the natural sunlight is MUCH more accurate for deciding on the true color of anything. I've been spending a great deal of time lately fiddling around with paint colors, so this has been a topic in my thoughts quite a bit lately.
Second best option - the full spectrum lamp I mentioned above. They are fabulous! I can't imagine working on stamps without those lamps. The details POP under those lights.
The worst in my opinion is flourescent.
What do you prefer?
Login to Like
this post
re: Best light source for Color Identification
Fluorescent is definitely one of the worst for checking stamp color. Unfortunately, just about everything in my house and my office is fluorescent.
Login to Like
this post
A Service Dog gives a person with a disability independence. Never approach, distract or pet a working dog, especially when (s)he is in harness. Never be afraid to ask questions to the handler (parent).
11 Apr 2015
03:06:29pm
re: Best light source for Color Identification
Theresa - I don't think Coco is allowed to use the computer but Peter is!
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re: Best light source for Color Identification
I thought it was the other way around!
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this post
A Service Dog gives a person with a disability independence. Never approach, distract or pet a working dog, especially when (s)he is in harness. Never be afraid to ask questions to the handler (parent).
11 Apr 2015
03:36:43pm
re: Best light source for Color Identification
K - you could be right!
Coco gives Peter is allotted computer time
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this post
re: Best light source for Color Identification
Ooops -- Sorry Peter! I know Coco is clever, but I have to give the author the credit!
Login to Like
this post
re: Best light source for Color Identification
Hi Everyone;
I'm giving a thumbs down to natural light. It will fade your stamps, due to the increased UV
radiation that reaches the earth due to ozone depletion. The full spectrum lamp that Theresa
mentions would be my first choice (expensive) and florescent or cfl's mixed with incandescent
would be my second choice.
Just thinkin' too much again....
TuskenRaider
Login to Like
this post
re: Best light source for Color Identification
Is full spectrum light similar to polarized light?
The reason I ask is that I borrowed a magnifying glass from a dealer at,our show in February and it was the clearest, most beautiful image I had ever seen. The glass was a dermatologist glass and he said it was polarized which is why it was so clear.
Unfortunately he also said the glass was worth $600.
Now having typed all this I realize that perhaps it was the glass that was polarized and not the led light. Argh.
All I know is the image was so bright and so clear Id think it would be great for identifying shades too.
If anyone could shed a light on this (I couldn't resist) I'd appreciate it.
Mark the un-illuminated
Login to Like
this post
re: Best light source for Color Identification
Theresa mentioned a north facing window, so that wouldn't be DIRECT sunlight, but Tusken is right. Direct sunlight can fade stamps rather quickly. However, so can artificial light. These are the results of a personal experiment:
Login to Like
this post
re: Best light source for Color Identification
Hi everyone;
@ larsdog;
That is a wonderfully planned and executed scientific experiment, and the results are very useful.
Maybe you should expand on that topic and publish the results. I'm sure many collectors would
buy the results for a few bucks or so.
@ everyone;
Yes altho it is true that stamp colors look different under different lighting, it would also be true
that stamp color guides would also look different under different light. So if the color guide and
stamp are next to each other under the exact same lighting conditions, would that effect not
cancel itself?
Just thinking too much again....
TuskenRaider
Login to Like
this post
re: Best light source for Color Identification
Light damage requires PROLONGED exposure. The brief amount of time it takes to look at and identify a stamp isn't going to damage the stamp. The discussion is about light sources for color identification, not long term exposure to a light source, LOL unless someone needs FIVE HUNDRED hours to identify a stamp . Too funny!!!
Login to Like
this post
11:50:59am
re: Best light source for Color Identification
Now, who's this "Peter" you keep talking about? The guy who sleep on the big bed is there just to feed me and take me on squirrel hunts. He's not bright enough to study light and stamps (or make puns).
Coco (I mean, "Peter")
@ my canine friend Larsdog, what a truly wonderful experiment! My thought was more for stamp identification under different light sources. So if, for example, a stamp is identified as "olive green" in the catalogue, won't that look different under natural light, an incandescent bulb, and a fluorescent bulb? What about those newer florescent bulbs or even those "natural light" bulbs?
Peter (actually, Coco)
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this post
re: Best light source for Color Identification
Full spectrum light would be best for technical reasons that are best left to the professionals:
Any light that is missing can't be reflected back.
The point of the sunlight experiment was to show that only 100 hours of sunlight does significant damage while 500 hours of artifical light does far less damage. This is important for two reasons:
1) If you mount a press sheet in a frame, be sure to keep it in a closet that doesn't get much light or add UV protective glass. By all means avoid direct sunlight.
2) Many 19th Century stamps were on display in direct sunlight many years ago. How much accumulated exposure did they have? How many hours in display cases at department stores with their fluorescent lighting? How many hours in display flips at stamp shows? The effects are cumulative. I'm not suggesting that the time it takes to make an identification matters, but don't leave a batch of stamps to identify out on a desk for a week near an east or west facing window!
Lars
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this post
re: Best light source for Color Identification
Hi Everyone;
Are you sure that wasn't written by Sheldon Cooper?
Just thinkin' too much again....
TuskenRaider
1 Member
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