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A Unique Finishing Touch to your Home Theater
Poster Light Boxes


Stylish poster light boxes - for the ultimate in movie poster presentation!


 

The Poster Lightbox:
 

A unique way to re-create the movie cinema experience

Poster Lightboxes add a unique finishing touch to your home theater, or in that case anywhere you want to display a poster.

The classical way to illuminate movie posters for display is from behind.

Most poster lightboxes operate in this manner by having a warm or 'daylight' light source mounted on the rear side of a box frame. A diffuser plate is used to help eliminate the formation of possible hot-spots of light over the movie poster area.

These poster light boxes are also referred to as 'backlit poster boxes' and are normally designed to take '1 Sheet' poster sizes.

The latter are typically 27 inches in width by 40 to 41 inches in height, depending on whether it is a pre-1983/1985 poster or otherwise.

Single-sided or Double-Sided (DS) 'One Sheet' Posters?

While it is possible to mount either type in a poster light box, yet the best posters to use in backlit poster light boxes are double-sided posters. These are normally designated as 'DS' 1 Sheet posters.

DS 1 Sheet posters have printing on both the front and the back of the paper stock, with the printing on the backside being in precise alignment with that on the front and a mirror image of the printing on the front side.

Light from behind the 1 sheet poster will have to pass through both prints, with the poster acting as if it is a strip of film. The two prints on either side of the poster will render for a more robust and rich illumination of the poster art.

That is not to say that the cheaper and more common single-sided posters are not suitable for use in backlit lightboxes. It is just that one-sided 1 Sheet posters look somewhat washed-out when illuminated from behind.


DIY Poster Light Box

Well... building your own poster light box should not be difficult in that you do not need to be neither a carpenter nor an electrician; in addition, you will be able to save some money while getting the finish that you want.

It is not the scope of this article to describe how to build your own poster light box, however, it is worth mentioning a few points that the would-be DIY home theater enthusiast should follow when designing and building a back-lit light-box:

  • While a slim design lends itself to a stylish unit that integrates better with the surroundings, yet care should be taken to ensure that there is enough space between the backlight source and the back of the poster. This will help both reduce any hot-spots of light on the poster area as well as reduce any damage that may result from the heat generated by the light source.

  • Use of low temperature fluorescent tubes is mandatory to ensure a low enough operating temperature that will not damage the poster artwork even after long hours of continuous use. High operating temperatures will damage both the stock paper on which the poster is printed, as well as accelerate the fading process of the artwork itself.

  • A diffuser translucent plate on the back of the poster is necessary to help render a more uniform light field over the full area of the poster. The use of a matt Plexiglas sheet should usually serve the purpose.

  • The best way to hang your poster is between two sheets of Plexiglas set approximately 1/8 inch (a few millimeters) apart to allow your poster to simply slide in a pocket of air without being tight between the plates. Support your poster from the top with either miniature clips or a few small pieces of transparent Scotch tape, and let gravity do the rest.

  • Do not try to sandwich the poster firmly between the glass panels as the poster will tend to sag and ripple since it would not be able to freely expand and contract as a result of changes in temperature and humidity resulting from the heat generated by the lamps.

  • Ultraviolet rays need to be filtered out before the light reaches the poster, otherwise your precious print will slowly fade as a result of being bombarded by UV radiation. In particular, great care should be taken with DS sheets. If you cannot find a suitable UV-filtering product, try some non-yellowing archival protection lacquer spray (available from most arts stores), used for the protection of paintings and acrylics; these are normally UV resistant and should do the trick. Just apply the lacquer to the lamp-side face of the inner Plexiglas panel.


Adding style to your home theater with elegant yet affordable ready-made Backlit Poster Light Boxes

Poster light boxes from MovieGoods

Poster Lightboxes from MovieGoods

Building your own backlit poster light box is surely not a job for everyone. MovieGoods have come up to the rescue with a simple and affordable line of poster lightboxes as a solution for home theater enthusiasts.

Designed exclusively with the home user in mind, these handcrafted lightboxes will elegantly display 1-Sheet movie posters of up to 27" x 40" in size.

These lightboxes are discreet in design, allowing them to blend in with any furniture or room décor. These affordable poster light boxes will beautifully illuminate any movie poster — single-sided or double-sided.

The casing of these MovieGoods poster light boxes is made from high-quality wood and smooth matt finished either in stylish black colored wood, dark-stained maple wood, or in a beautiful clear pine finish.

The use of high output 36-inch low temperature fluorescent lights ensures even lighting over the whole poster area while maintaining a low enough operating temperature. This also means that these units can stay lit for hours without damaging your posters. Hot running lightboxes can easily result in faded posters.

To further protect your posters from light damage, the MovieGoods poster light boxes include a special light diffusing acrylic backplane.

These poster light boxes are easy to install and include all necessary hardware, and easy-to-follow instructions to help anyone mount these poster lightboxes for a most professional finish.
 

The overall dimensions of these Poster Lightbox are 28.5" in width by 41.5" in height by 4" in depth.

For more information on the MovieGoods Poster lightboxes, including availability and pricing, click on the respective image below:

 

Black matt finish poster light box Dark stained Maple finsh light box Clear pine finsh lightbox
Black matt Finish Dark-stained Maple Clear Pine finish

         


 
 

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Last updated on:
14th August, 2007

 


 

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