Stitchers' Paradise: Lamps and Magnifiers

DANGER!!
Fires can be started with magnifiers. Magnifiers concentrate light and sunlight shining through one of these magnifiers can easily start a fire in your house. Always put some type of bag over your magnifier when not in use. You can easily make or buy a cloth bag with a draw string or elastic band.

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		Daylight Company -Lamps and Magnifiers
		Ott Light "Natural Sunlight" Lamps -& Magnifying Lamps
		Dazor - Magnifying Lamps
		Visual Mate - Portable Lamp/Magnifier
		Big Eye Lamps/Magnifiers
		Mag Eyes hands free, head mounted magnifier, comes with both #2 (1.6X low magnification) and #4 lens (2.0X medium magnification ), cushioned headband - $35.00. Additional lens' are available for $17.00 each - #5.0 (2.25X medium strong magnification) and #7.0 (2.75 strongest magnification)
		Opticaid - Clip on Magnifier
		Bugz - Eye / Magnifier

1. Incident light vs. shadowfree light - Some lamp / magnifiers use a Circline fluorescent bulb (that is, a fluorescent tube bent into a circle) that surrounds the magnifier portion of the lamp / magnifier. Because the light shines on all sides of your piece as seen through the magnifier, no shadows are cast. Makers of this style of lamp claim this as an advantage. Your stitches look flat but are thoroughly illuminated. Incident light occurs when the light source is to one side of the magnifier. This light shines on your piece at an angle (called incident light) and casts shadows. Because of the shadows, your stitches "stand up" but are not totally illuminated on all sides. Manufacturers of this style of lamp claim that incident light is an advantage! To actually see the difference: Go into a dimly lit room with some of your stitchery and a flashlight. Hold the flashlight directly over the piece and you can see shadowfree illumination. Move the flashlight to the side and you will see your stitches suddenly "pop up". The type of light you prefer is a personal, and important, choice.

2. Heat - Your head/body may be near the light bulb / housing while you stitch. Be aware that different types of bulbs generate different amounts of heat. Fluorescent bulbs are the coolest. Incandescent are hot. Halogen and High Intensity bulbs are really hot. Some high intensity lamps can burn you or something else if touched.

3. Magnifier lenses are either glass or plastic (usually acrylic these days). Glass is heavier than acrylic, can be optically ground into a more perfect magnifier, and is more expensive than acrylic. Acrylic can be scratched (always clean with a cloth rag - no paper products) but is much lighter than glass. The weight is important if the lamp / magnifier will be attached to a stitchery frame. Our personal preference: Glass is better if it fits into the budget and total weight is not an issue.

4. Magnification - Most common and convenient for needlework is 2.5x - 3.5x magnification. Physical lens size and strength of magnification determine how much of your work you can see at one time under the lens. We can talk in diopters, focal length, etc., however, all of the magnifiers we carry are adequate and "normal" for needlework unless a) otherwise specified herein or b) your eyesight is really bad.

5. Table Clamps - Many lamps are designed to clamp onto a table edge. Be careful if you are considering clamping a lamp to your end table. Often when you actually try this, you find the end table does not have enough lip area to actually install the clamp, or there is a ridge, or it is uneven, or something else that prevents the installation. Examine your end table carefully before purchasing this type of lamp.

6. Stitchery Frames - Sometimes you can install or clamp a lamp / magnifier right onto your frame. This is when the weight of the lamp can be an issue.