FAQ

• Some lightbox models are in stock in our warehouse, ready to ship today. Others require final assembly or fabrication, which may take 2 to 7 days or more to ship, depending on the model.
• If you want to filter a list of models based on lead time, go to the main Lightboxes page and look for the “lead time” filter option in the left-sidebar.
• To look up the lead time for any model, go to that model’s product page and look for the “Estimated Lead Time” indicator.

Submit a Custom Lightbox Quote Request here.

You may submit a Custom Lightbox Quote Request, or call and ask to speak with a Product Specialist.

Our published pricing includes both List Prices and Internet-Discounted Wholesale Prices (for online orders). Both of these are available to all Customers through our website. Additionally, quantity discounts and loyalty programs are available on request.

LED’s is more power-efficient, while fluorescents usually involves a lower upfront investment. See our video “Fluorescent vs. LED Lamps” for detailed comparison.

There are several printing processes available for backlit graphics. The reference standard is Duratrans, which is a photographic film that is digitally exposed with laser light and then chemically processed much like conventional silver-based photo films. Our DeepColor Inkjet™ backlit film is coated with a special receptor, then imaged with 6-color inkjet systems and heat-cured for optimal durability.

Most lightboxes come with both a clear front lens and a translucent white diffuser lens, between which you sandwich your backlit graphic by hand, often with no tools required. A small percentage of lightboxes require the graphic to be pressure-mounted to a lens, but this is usually only for outdoor and/or jumbo display sizes.

Our EdgeLyte Premium LED is extremely popular for upscale, super low-profile applications, and our EdgeLyte Econo LED is probably the highest-sales volume model due to its low price and aggressive feature set, with LED lamps and low-profile aluminum snap frame.

To troubleshoot, follow these steps, in order:

• Test the outlet with another appliance that you know is working.
• Confirm the wiring is plugged into both the wall and the lightbox.
• Confirm if there’s an on/off switch and if it’s switched to “on”.
• If the lightbox contains fluorescent lamps, remove the lamps and re-seat them fully into their sockets, as they may have shifted during transit.
• Determine if one or both of the provided lenses shipped with a removable protective film that is blocking the light.
• If you have more than one lightbox of the same type, try swapping power adapters to isolate the problem. If the power failure follows the adapter, then contact us right away for a warranty replacement.
• If your lightbox still doesn’t power on, download and submit an RMA request for replacement or repair.

Visit our File Upload Dept. and choose one of 3 methods to submit your artwork.

Call us at , or login to our Customer Portal here, and look for the “Status” column under the Order History heading.

Lightboxes have many uses, the most popular of which is to showcase a commercial product or message in high color fidelity and resolution, to promote customer engagement and response. No other medium offers better visual clarity, depth and bandwidth than a quality lightbox fitted with professional artwork!

• Most single-sided lightboxes come with accommodation for easy wall-mounting, such as screw holes or a hanging lip.
• If you want to hang your lightboxes from overhead, let us know before you order so that we can assist you in selecting the best model for your application.
• Some models can self-stand, and some offer an optional upgrade to free-standing legs or pedestal.

Determine if the lightbox model you’ve selected comes with internal or external power supply, and whether the wiring is hard-wired or molded plug. These options will determine how and where you can route your wiring for cleanest appearance. If your lightbox comes with external power supply, it must be placed in a well-ventilated area.

To reduce risk of injury or death due to electric shock, do not install or use indoor-rated lightboxes outdoors or in a damp environment. Visit our Outdoor Lightboxes category for more information.

Edgelit lightboxes have lamps oriented along opposing edges of the display face, to light up the translucent diffuser lens that is positioned against the rear surface of your backlit graphic. This enables the total cabinet depth of the lightbox to be much shallower than a conventional backlit lightbox, since we don’t have to place lamps behind your graphic. See our video on Direct Backlit vs. Edgelit Lightboxes to learn which is best for your project.

Most lightbox models are built-to-order, but we do maintain a select inventory of popular models and sizes, for fast shipping. To view our in-stock lightboxes selection, please visit our main Lightboxes department and find the “Lead Time” option in the left-side filter bar, and set it to “Ships Today”.

There are several considerations to keep in mind when you’re configuring your new lightboxes, to achieve the most uniform brightness possible. Please watch our video on Diffusion to learn how to select lightboxes that deliver the best combination of features and uniform diffusion, for your application.

• From any lightbox model’s product detail page, click the Specifications tab and look for “watts”.
• Or, for fluorescent lightboxes, multiply the wattage per lamp by the number of lamps to learn the total wattage. For example, 32 watts per lamp x 4 lamps = 128 watts.
• LED lightboxes usually consume less power than their fluorescent counterparts, although it’s not so easy to get a total count of lamps.
• Here is our tutorial video on power consumption for lightboxes.
• Feel free to call us at
  (800) 706-4276
  and we can help you learn the wattage for any particular model and size.

This depends on the tastes of the customer, but here are a couple of Artist Favorites, and why:

• RigidLyte Premium 5:

  —very authoritative yet squarish, minimalist frame design

  —narrowest frame profile when viewed from the front, of all our models

  —custom-sizeable, no minimum quantity

  —deep cabinet for best-in-class diffusion

  —fluorescent lamps for a warmer white light

• EdgeLyte Premium LED:

  —upscale, crisp, low profile anodized aluminum frame, at less than 1” deep

  —upgradeable to warmer white (4200°K) lamps at no extra charge

  —custom-sizeable, no minimum quantity

There are several considerations for lightboxes to be hung in a store window:

• UV resistance
• superior brightness
• heat dissipation
• graphics loading method
• double-sided display option
• hanging method

So depending on which of these are important to you, a different lightbox model may be ideal. For example, if you need to place your lightbox close to a window and still be able to change backlit graphic films easily, consider our RigidLyte Performer Classic or RigidLyte Premium 5 models. Or, if you need a double-sided unit that can be hung from overhead, check out the EdgeLyte Premium LED Duo.

Most permanent architectural lightbox applications require showcase-grade materials, customizability, full UL approval and shop drawings. All of Blue River Digital’s models that have the word “Premium” in the model name fit this criteria (such as WeatherLyte Premium, RigidLyte Premium 5, and ThinLyte Premium, and are ideally suited to custom architectural and storefront projects.

Our Pack ‘n Go LyteWall portable lightbox is specifically designed for tool-free dis-assembly after trade show use, and it folds into a compact carryable format.

The FeatherLyte T8 is one of our least-expensive lightbox models available in 14 standard display sizes, and the RazorLyte Econo LED gives you both low price and LED lamps for longer life. For a complete list of our economy-grade lightboxes, please visit our Economy Lightboxes department.

The CinemaLyte Premium and WeatherLyte Premium give you a hinged locking door in jumbo sizes for easy graphics changeout. The EdgeLyte Premium LED can be custom-built up to 6 ft. x 10 ft. at less than 1 inch deep, and the RigidLyte Premium 5 can be custom-built up to 8 ft. x 12 ft. at a lower price per square foot than any other model at that size.

For lightbox models that are in stock and ready to ship, the power cord exit location has been pre-determined during assembly, and it usually exits the rear or side edge near one of the corners. For most built-to-order lightboxes, you may specify where you want the power cord to exit the frame, almost anywhere on the rear pan or one of the side rails.

The default finish for most models is anodized silver. Some models are also stocked in black powdercoat finish. Custom powdercoat colors for built-to-order lightboxes are available on request. A minimum lot charge may apply, depending on the model and/or the requested color.

Blue River Digital has been standing behind each and every product sold to our commercial clients since our doors first opened in 1987. Our comprehensive warranty program protects you against defects in materials and workmanship, but like other commercial-use products, our warranty does not include guarantee of fitness for a particular purpose, modifications, or consequential damages that may occur. Please visit our Warranty & Return Policy for details.

• Duratrans is the industry-recognized reference standard for high-quality, commercial-grade backlit graphics. Duratrans is a daylight-sensitive film that is digitally laser-exposed and chemically processed, for supreme color saturation and detail.
• DeepColor Inkjet™ is Blue River Digital’s in-house specialized digital color backlit film process that is several steps above conventional inkjet in color saturation, detail and also durability in the field. We think our DeepColor Inkjet rivals Duratrans in many quality categories, and even surpasses it in some areas, including improved visibility of artwork detail when the light source is powered off.

• Backlit graphics will last many years without fading when installed indoors, in a relatively cooler environment, and away from direct UV exposure such as sunlight or bright indoor lighting. The longer your lightboxes are powered on each day, and the more UV and/or heat exposure, the shorter the color life — but usually not less than 2-3 years unless conditions are extreme.
• For outdoors, the considerations are the same as indoor except of course direct sunlight becomes the most significant factor. The further south, the more sunny days per year, the hotter the climate, and the more hours per day of direct sunlight (depending on which direction the graphic is facing) — the sooner your original colors will degrade. In the most extreme circumstances, outdoor color life for backlit film is usually at least 6 to 9 months, but 3 to 5 years is not uncommon for low to moderate exposure situations.
• Manufacturers of backlit film media and inks do not warrant color life, due to the varying environmental contributors to color fade.

You can get an instant quote for the printing of Duratrans or DeepColor Inkjet backlit film here. Duratrans starts at $13.95/square foot, and DeepColor Inkjet starts at $8.95/square foot.

We want to be the best value for your investment, in backlit film graphics. That’s why there’s never a setup charge for your print-ready digital files.

Standard lead time from when you authorize any proofs (if applicable) to when your backlit Duratrans or DeepColor film ships is 3 working days. Rush turnaround available on request.

Visit our file upload page.

If your original file is 150 dpi or higher at final print size, this is ideal. 100 dpi or higher at final size is adequate for most retail usages. Note: never “upsample” your file resolution, as this does not add any detail.

We accept JPEG and PDF files as print-ready.

Choose the laminate upgrade option if your graphics are going to be handled and/or replaced frequently, or if they will be exposed to extreme elements such as moisture or excessive direct sunlight. This will extend the durability and color life of your artwork.

All paid Duratrans and backlit graphics print orders include a free soft proof via email, to confirm content only (this is not a contract color proof). You may also upgrade to a scale proof or test strip proof at $25.00 each plus shipping. “Scale” proofs are a reduced-size hard copy version of your entire artwork, approx. 12 to 18” across. “Test strip” proofs are a full-size section of your final artwork, at your direction. For example, if your artwork is a large landscape background with a lady standing to one side, you may want the test strip to include the lady’s face and adjacent background, as the critical detail in your print.

Blue River Digital’s entire collection of quality stock mural photos is available at no charge to customers who purchase a printed mural using a photo from the collection.

Yes we print custom photo murals from customer-provided artwork on request. $49.00 setup applies to customer-provided mural artwork.

Since we print our quality digital photomurals in vertical strips of 2 to 4 ft. wide, there is virtually no restriction on the size of a mural. Usually the limiting factor is not the printing process, but the resolution of the photo, because the larger the mural, the more visible the “pixelation” of the artwork.

Indoor photo murals that are protected from direct sunlight and other UV light sources should last several years or more and even longer if the UV laminate upgrade is applied. As expected, frequent or intense exposure to UV radiation sources as well as excess heat or moisture may reduce the life expectancy.

The UV laminate upgrade option for murals provides an incrementally more durable product overall, for those customers and/or environments that may require extra protection. Unlaminated murals can hold their form and color beautifully for many years, especially if the conditions are mild; in these situations a laminate adds little value to the overall product.

Depending on the type of artwork and the customer’s expectation, final-size resolutions as low as 40 to 60 dpi may be adequate, especially if the subject is abstract or more organic, such as a watercolor painting. For subjects that contain high contrast, sharp edges and/or fine detail, final resolutions of 100 to 120 dpi and higher are ideal.

The lead time from order to ship for most common mural sizes is 5 to 10 working days. Super jumbo and/or high quantity murals may take longer. When you place your order, a custom estimated lead time will be provided.

Our new U-Glue Digital Wallpaper includes a self-adhesive layer that is best applied using the wet-mount method, so as long as your wall surface can accept a wet-mounted layer, there should be no issues. Also, flatter (low texture) wall surfaces accept murals more readily than high texture surfaces.

Most wall murals are ordered with our U-Glue Digital Wallpaper, for which the install guidelines can be found here.

Our U-Glue Digital Wallpaper is moderately moisture-resistant, but for high-moisture environments, please upgrade to the laminate option.