Tracing light box are widely used by illustrators and sketch artists to transfer drawings, logos or to make clean sketches. They also are great tools to draw with the utmost detail. By providing the right illumination right under the paper sheet, they allow artists to work wherever they are: in a dark room, in the plane, or inside a starbuck cafe.
What are the criteria to consider before buying a light box?
With so many models on the market, choosing a luminous drawing table can be a real puzzle. First and foremost, your device must correspond to your needs. Amateur or professional drawing, photography, scrapbooking... the requirements will not be the same. For example, tracing through thick paper will require a high brightness, while a photograher who needs to view and inspect photo negatives will preferably look for a device with a color temperature of 5000K and a very high color rendering index (CRI). And of course, whatever your needs are, you have to aim for the best value for money you can get.
The first thing you need to consider is the size of the device. If you need a device you can take on the go, and use it everywhere, go for the A4 size. The light box will be lightweight, thin, and it will be easily slipped into a briefcase or drawing folder. If you're drawing mostly at home, on A3 sheets, you will have to prefer a larger model.
The other important criteria is the brightness. To make sketches or visualize negatives, a moderate light intensity will be enough. If we want to get technical, a light box that can provide 1500-2000 lux will be more than enough. However, if you plan to trace or transfer images, a more intense lighting will be necessary, especially if you need to use thick paper. A brightness of 4000 lux will be prefered for these types of application.
The best tracing light box in A4 size is probably the LitEnergy A4. It has a high brightness (4000 lux), daylight color temperature (6000K), and it is cheap. If you are looking for a A3 light box, then you can't go wrong with the Huion A3. The max brightness setting will allow you trace through 2 sheet of watercolor paper, which is great. The color temperature may be a little too high (9000K), which means the illumination will be white-cold. Some artists will prefer a daylight illumination. With a color temperature of 6000K, the Daylight Wafer 2 is perfect for that, but its brightness is much lower (2500 lux). If you need to trace using thick paper, stick with the Huion A3.
What is the best light box for children ?
A child needs to be introduced to creativity step by step, and drawing is probably one of the best ways to do this. The light box from AGM is the perfect tool to help them do that. The main one is the batteries it has, which will allow them to trace and draw wherever they want. If you were to buy a light box with a cable, the child would surely be disappointed to feel bound to a computer or a power outlet.
However, the power source works with 3 AAA batteries. A rechargeable, built-in battery would have been so much better. But you could overcome this limitation by buying a few rechargeable batteries. And like the rest of the drawing light boxes, the AGM lightpad will also work by connecting it via USB to a computer or the mains.