Drawing without a lightbox is unpractical; you can do it, but the creative nuances of your work will be lost. The best drawing light box creates an evenly lit surface that enables you to draw with accuracy no matter the environment.
You can comfortably draw from the studio, school, train, coffee shop, or train and still get the correct brightness. Drawing boxes can also be used by photographers to view negatives and slides. You can use them for other purposes such as scrapbooking, calligraphy, and embroidery.
In a hurry? There are the best we picked for you:
Hot Pick Ultra Thin Lightbox with Adjustable Brightness – Tikteck Portable A4 LED Drawing Light Box
With Metal Stand and Clips to Help You Stabilize Pad – Mlife B4 LED Light Board
With Touch Dimmer and Super Bright Light – SanerDirect A3 LED Light Pad
What Is a Drawing Box?
A drawing box is a useful tool that enables a designer or artist to create unique and impressive drawings. It has an LED-backlit area that allows you to get the right luminosity for the material.
Drawing boxes are used for various tasks such as calligraphy, scrapbooking, and quilting, viewing negatives and slides, and tattoo design.
What Factors to Consider When Buying a Light Box for Drawing?
For you to start drawing or tracing without a lightbox is very unpractical. The lightbox enables the artist to draw with a high level of accuracy regardless of where an artist is. It will help if you put a lot of consideration into the lightbox that will fit your style and offer you the results you want.
Power
Power is an essential component of the lightbox to work. You should ensure there is power in a place you will be working. Lightboxes usually get their power through one of the three sources.
– USB. The lightbox powered by power from another source transmitted by the USB is the best choice. It offers you the flexibility that you can work while it is connected to your laptop or switch to a power bank. You can work from anywhere as long as you have your laptop or another reliable power source.
– AC adapter. Those powered by the AC adapter always produces more stable lights and does not have flickering issues. With this, it is essential for individuals who work for long like 8 hours a day as it will offer them uninterrupted power supply.
– Battery. Battery-powered lights are excellent choices for individuals who usually don’t spend much time on the lightboxes. They are powered by removable batteries, which are rechargeable and can last for a pretty good time when one is working. This makes them suitable for use in a local café and while outside your office.
It would be best if you considered how you would use your lightbox and how frequently you will use it before deciding how it is going to be powered.
Illumination
The various lightboxes have a varying degree of brightness. The different setting in intensity is to change brightness accordingly depending on the thickness of the papers you are using.
The thickness of the paper you will use dictates the brightness to be set. This feature will ensure that you have a healthy eye since staring at high levels of brightness will cause eyesores or even damage your eyesight permanently.
Surface size
Depending on the nature of work that you are doing, you will need enough space always to work. Most lightboxes for the drawing will offer a surface that is between 6 x 9 and 18 x 24 for use.
Look at the size of the current drawings you are doing, and this will help you in arriving at the right choice for your work.
- Buy the 9″ x 12″ A4 LED Art Drawing Pad
Cost
You must know the costs of various lightboxes for drawing. Standard lightboxes for the drawing will cost a range of $10 and high-end ones at $200 if you have a budget get to know the best among your budget and go for it.
Weight
It is an essential factor to be considered in getting a perfect drawing lightbox. You will need a tool that is light because some time you have to travel. You will need something that is portable and weighs less to carry around and work while moving.
Reviews of the 6 Best Drawing Light Box
#1. Hot Pick – Tikteck Ultra-thin Portable LED Drawing Light Box
It features adjustable light that you can always set to your preference. Another thing is that it is 5mm thick, which is very portable.
The stepless adjustable brightness enables you to change brightness. The illumination of this drawing box is even bright enough and flicker-free.
This box is fitted with eyesight protection technology, and it a led that is flicker-free and eco-friendly. The above features make it ideal for 2D animation, calligraphy, embossing and so on.
- A surface that is illuminated makes tracing very easy
- The eyesight protection feature enables you to work for longer hours without getting your eyesore
- It works effectively with thicker paper compared to the tracing paper making it suitable for drawing
- It is not a rechargeable one. You must plug it into adapter to make it work whether computer or phones
#2. Budget Pick – Tiktecklab Lightbox for Drawing Tracing
This painting box is portable and ultra-slim since it comes with a 4.7 mm light tracing box. Lighting is crucial that is taken care of to offer perfectly even, super bright and flicker-free illumination. It comes with a USB cable for powering that enables you to switch it on and off easily. The USB is to be plugged into your laptop port or a wall unit.
It is flicker-free, and this is to provide protection for your eyes and an environmentally friendly LED. There is also a switch to turn it on and off by simply touching and a tool for brightness control. Also, with its reflective mesh that is on the background, it is not ideal for viewing the negative photos.
- It is super slim and sturdy
- It is easy to use, making it the right product for those drawing as a hobby or beginners
- You can control the brightness that protects your eyes with the three settings of brightness
- The integrated LED light bulbs are not able to get replaced
#3. Runner up – Mlife B4 LED Light Board with Metal Stand and Clips
The Mlife b4 lightbox for drawing is an upgraded device for diamond painting fans. It is larger than the regular A4 diamond painting box. With this feature, it is fit for diamond jobs art. This drawing pad has a new light pad structure that enables it to be more reliable, durable, and provides a brilliant performance. The pad is 4.7mm in thickness to mean you can carry around easily.
The installed features that ensure illumination is perfectly even, bright enough, brightness adjuster, and the fact it is flicker-free is to ensure that you do not have sore eyes after working for long. It comes with a long 2M universal bus cable that you can easily plug into any port on your computer of an installed wall outlet.
It also comes with an extra-large metal stand to hold the LED light pad and other additional clips to hold your drawing paper or canvas in position. With its 5D diamond painting full drill, you easily do a lot of tasks that include embroidery, stenciling.2D animation, embossing, and drawing.
- The lighting is enough to get quality drawings
- It offers a large workspace compared to the usual painting box
- With its adjustable stands you can tilt to be at an angle you are comfortable drawing from
- It gets a little warm after overuse
#4. ME456 LED Art Light Table for Tracing
ME456 A4 LED Light Box is thin, lightweight, and easy to use compared to the traditional heavy boxes. This lightbox is ideal for 2D animation, Scrapbooking, Calligraphy, Drawing, Sketching, X-ray viewing, and Quilting.
The lightbox has eyesight protection technology that allows you to work on your material without straining. The A4 Ultra-thin comes with an adjustable light source that’s easy to operate. Turn on the lightbox using the on/off button and hold on the button to increase the brightness. Let go of the button once you reach the intensity that you want.
Another advantage of this lightbox is that you can power it using the USB cable. You can use a power bank, a computer, or a wall outlet plug as the source of your power. The unit is portable since it weighs less than a pound. You can carry it easily, whether you are going to school, work, or vacation.
- Affordable
- USB compatible
- Adjustable light source
- Eyesight protection feature
- Slim and lightweight design
- Some people may not like the 4000 lux
#5. With Touch Dimmer – HSK Super Bright A3 LED Light Pad
The HSK A3 light pad has one of the best performance features that you may not find in the market. The aluminum frame makes the frame durable and rigid, ensuring that you use the lightbox for an extended period. The frame also prevents side-light emittance, allowing you to focus on your material.
The light pad is supper thin, measuring 6mm in thickness. The main advantage of the lightbox is the dual light input from two sides of the pad. It ensures that you get an even light area for your material. The double light improves accuracy and ensures that you end up with a consistent result.
The pad has adjustable brightness that is easy to control. The dimmer brightness can reach up to 1000 Lm and over 4500 Lux on the surface that can light or trace more thickness. The light pad weighs 2 pounds and can be carried around easily. It also comes with a carry and storage bag to keep your lightbox safe.
- Light input from two sides
- Lightweight, weighing 2 pounds
- The rigid aluminum frame structure
- The lightbox has a two-year warranty
- Comes with a free carry and storage bag
- Supper thin, measuring 6mm in thickness
- The light bulbs are hard to replace, and you may need to buy another pad when they burn out. The good thing is that it uses LED bulbs that can keep going for long.
#6. With Adjustable Brightness – SanerDirect A3 LED Light Pad Kit
This super bright light pad has multiple holes on the surface of the light board that makes it bright enough. The design ensures that you don’t strain to see the numbers and symbols.
The lightbox has three different settings for light brightness. You can choose high, middle, or low, depending on your needs. It also comes with a clip and stands for convenience. The USB plug cable ensures that you stay connected to a power source while working on your material. The cord is long and connects to a wall plug, power bank, or a computer.
The light board is perfect for sketching, drawing, quilting, embossing, and much more. It’s ideal for animators, hobbyists, designers, and budding artists.
The USB connection is sturdy and has undergone multiple plug tests. The light pad ensures that you get even lighting for your project. It helps you get a better view of the patterns.
- Quality design
- Affordable price
- Free stand and clip
- Doesn’t strain your eyes
- Three different light settings
- The long and sturdy USB cable
- 0.23 inches thickness
How Does a Drawing Lightbox Work?
Lightboxes are simple devices since they are rectangular containers with LED lights shining on a reflective surface. Switch on the lights and place the paper or image you want to trace. The light will enable you to see what you are doing clearly.
Some lightboxes allow you to adjust the lights, depending on the thickness of the paper. You should dim the lights in your room for the lightbox to work correctly. Note that lightboxes are not big and chunky. They are sleek and thin, like tablets. You can carry them around with ease.
How to Use a Lightbox for Drawing?
Using a drawing lightbox is straightforward. Just put a paper on top of the glass and switch on the LED light. You will be able to see the paper in high contrast, allowing you to draw with accuracy. For tracing, put the paper with the shape on the glass, and the lines of the shape will appear sharply. Lightboxes make drawing and tracing easy and pleasant.
How to Build a Lightbox for Drawing?
Materials Needed
Constructing a lightbox is not hard if you have the right materials.
The materials include plywood, foil tape, board, plug-in LED Tape Light, and Frosted Plexiglas. The tools required include drill, dado stack, table saw, and miter saw.
Basic Steps
Step 1: Put the dadoes and cut the boards in two lengths.
Step 2: Create a reflective surface by attaching the foil tape on the inside of the plywood and sideboards.
Step 3: Drill the cord hole and join the box.
Step 4: Tape the LED lights on the bottom of the plywood and add the frosted Plexiglas.
Conclusion
Lightboxes are essential devices for every artist or designer. It helps you get a unique and accurate result while preventing your eyes from straining. You can adjust the level of brightness to fit your needs. However, there are things that you should consider before choosing a lightbox.
Check the surface size, weight, and cost. It would be best if you also looked for convenient features such as the stand and brightness.
There are many brands in the market today, and you should be careful when choosing a lightbox.
