CS-Technical Lighting Guide

A backlit display uses LEDs installed inside the frame to illuminate a translucent fabric graphic. The fabric does not produce light. It receives light from the internal LED system and spreads it across the visible surface.

The final illuminated effect depends on more than LED brightness. LED placement, frame depth, optical lenses, internal reflection, heat management, and the graphic material all affect how evenly the light reaches the image.

How Backlit Display Lighting Works

The lighting process starts when the power supply converts incoming electricity to the low-voltage DC power required by the LED boards.

LED chips mounted inside the frame generate concentrated points of light. Optical lenses spread each beam across a wider area. The beams overlap and reflect inside the frame before reaching the printed fabric. The fabric then diffuses the light to create a continuous illuminated surface.

A properly designed system reduces visible bright spots, dark zones, and shadows across the graphic.

[Optional image: 120 mm frame cross-section showing the LED channel, aluminum heat-dissipation strip, internal cavity, and graphic channels.]

Light Distribution and Hotspot Control

Each LED produces light from a small area. If the LEDs are too far apart or positioned too close to the graphic, individual bright points may remain visible. These concentrated areas are commonly called hotspots.

Uniform illumination depends on several connected design factors:

  • Distance between the LEDs

  • Distance between the light source and the graphic

  • Beam angle of the optical lens

  • Reflectivity inside the frame

  • Light transmission through the printed fabric

  • Frame depth

The 120 mm Frame Plus profile uses an internal wave-shaped surface to reflect and disperse light. This helps reduce concentrated highlights before the light reaches the graphic.

Uniformity should be assessed across the center, edges, and corners of the illuminated surface. A bright center alone does not indicate an evenly illuminated graphic.

OSRAM LEDs and PC Optical Lenses

Specified Frame Plus lighting boards use OSRAM LED chips as the light source.

Each LED works with a polycarbonate optical lens. The lens spreads the light beyond the narrow area directly in front of the chip, allowing adjacent beams to overlap. This optical distribution contributes to a more even illuminated surface.

The referenced lens material is flame-retardant PC. The LED board also uses a UL-certified substrate, while the referenced lighting assembly carries CE and RoHS compliance.

[Optional image: 1000 mm LED board and close-up of the LED chip with its PC lens.]

What 6500K Color Temperature Means

The referenced Frame Plus lighting system uses a color temperature of 6500K. This produces a cool white appearance similar to daylight and helps printed graphics appear clear under indoor exhibition lighting.

Color temperature describes the appearance of white light. It does not measure brightness.

A warmer light source has a more yellow appearance, while a higher color temperature appears cooler or bluer. Consistent color temperature across all LED boards is important because visible variation can make different parts of one graphic appear warmer or cooler.

Heat Management and Service Life

LEDs use less electricity than traditional fluorescent lighting for comparable applications, but they still generate heat at the LED board and electronic components.

The Frame Plus profile includes dedicated channels for the LED boards and aluminum heat-dissipation strips. The aluminum components transfer heat away from the lighting assembly and help the system operate at a more stable temperature.

Excessive heat can accelerate light depreciation, color change, and component wear. The actual operating life therefore depends on temperature, electrical loading, power supply quality, installation conditions, and daily use.

Specified Frame Plus LED configurations have a rated service life of up to 50,000 hours under the applicable operating conditions.

Referenced 1000 mm Lighting Specifications

The following values apply to the referenced 1000 mm Frame Plus LED board. Other sizes and product series may use different configurations.

Specification Referenced value
Operating voltage 24V
LED board power 42–45W
LEDs per board 15
Color temperature 6500K cool white
LED source OSRAM
LED board dimensions 920 × 25.9 × 1.6 mm
Optical lens Flame-retardant PC
DC connector 5525
Rated service life Up to 50,000 hours
Compliance CE and RoHS; UL-certified board substrate
Maximum series connection Three LED boards

These figures describe one referenced lighting board rather than every Frame Plus lighting configuration.

LED and Fluorescent Illumination

LED boards provide several practical differences compared with fluorescent tubes.

LEDs reach normal output quickly and fit into shallower lighting structures. Individual boards can be positioned according to the frame dimensions, giving the system more control over light distribution.

Fluorescent tubes require larger fittings and periodic lamp replacement. Their size also limits how closely the lighting layout can follow the dimensions of a modular frame.

Energy performance should be compared using the total system wattage and the resulting illuminated surface, rather than the light source alone. Power supply efficiency, operating temperature, and required brightness also affect total energy use.

Understanding Lighting Measurements

Several measurements may appear in lighting specifications:

  • Lumens describe the total visible light produced by a source.

  • Lux describes the amount of light reaching a surface.

  • Luminance describes how bright an illuminated surface appears.

  • Color temperature describes whether white light appears warm or cool.

  • CRI describes how accurately colors appear under the light source.

A higher lumen value does not automatically produce a better illuminated graphic. Light distribution and surface uniformity are equally important.

LED Lightbox Products

Looking for complete illuminated display systems? Explore our LED lightbox displays.