A desk lamp should show you the color in front of you and keep the glare out of your eyes.
We worked under lamps that claim a high color rendering index, watching flicker, hot spots, and whether the shade threw light across the desk or into the face.
Color and glare
A high CRI number is a start. A lamp that flickers or blasts one bright disc on the page still tires you out. An asymmetric shade that throws light onto the work, and not toward your eyes, is the part you notice at 4 p.m.
- A dimmer you will use, not only a switch.
- Color that does not turn paper blue or orange.
- A head you can aim without the arm drooping.
- No visible flicker when you glance past the bulb.
If you can see the bulb reflected in the screen, the lamp is aimed at you.
A working afternoon
Put the light to the side opposite your writing hand so the shadow falls away. Dim it until the page is clear and the rest of the room is not a cave. More light is not always kinder.
Choose the lamp that lights the desk and disappears. That is comfort.
