backlighting batik

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That sounds like a fun project. I actually had a similar request some years ago, but it was for part of a tie-dyed cotton T-shirt.

Rather than putting the light source into the frame, I used a translucent white acrylic backing board in a frame design that could stand as well as hang. The customer said she would display the frame in front of a convenient light source, such as a lamp or window. Even a flashlight would work for short term viewing.

Extra frame dimensions may be required for internal lighting, as well as provisions to direct the light and prevent light leaks. Heat is an issue for incandescent sources and fluorescent ballasts. LEDs or neon lights burn cooler and, since the lamps are small and numerous, offer the advantage of better control of the light distribution.

Designing a frame with internal light sources is problematic. Wiring is necessary, which may involve some risk for framers who are not also electricians. By law in some jurisdictions, all wiring is to be done by licensed contractors. If anything went wrong with the frame's wiring to cause a fire, the framer could have serious trouble.
 
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Hi, Randall. What size is this batik?
 
What I'm wondering is how other people on here stretch their
batiks. Sometimes we stretch them with a bit of batting over
a foam core backing, and other times, we make a wooden stretcher
bar frame and gallery wrap them like a canvas. But we make our
stretcher frames with bracing at the corners, and this would show
through if it were lit. So, I wonder what everyone else here does.
I'm especially wondering about larger pieces, say 24 x 36 and up.
 
I recently had a customer who wanted a stained glass window suspended within a frame, and to be hung with the same artificial illumination request. The cost and fire risk moved us away from a "one piece" finished product to simply constructing a light box with two pairs of 18" florescent fixtures within a common 4" deep wood frame and frosted cover panel. This piece got mounted on the wall itself while the framed stained glass panel hung about 6 inches in front of it from the ceiling joists. So, two separate jobs to create the effect of a window behind the work. The wall mounted lightbox takes some minor drilling and construction and took me about three hours in labor and about $70 in materials from a building supply store(lumber for box, lights, frosted panel, heat shield).
 
I did one about a year ago. I used light box plastic behind the batique, that is an opaque white looking plastic that is used in light boxes. It is only sold in 48X96 sheets, so call your plastics supplier and get a quote before you quote. This will defuse the light so there is a more even glow over the entire batique.

I am not an electrician, and I don't want the liability for installing light fixtures in a closed environment such as a deep picture frame. I explained this to my customer and he understood. I made the frame deep enough to accommodate whatever he decided to use.

John
 
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