7 Tips to Purchase the Best Backlit or Light Box Trade Show Displays

Not only are backlit booth displays popular in the trade show industry, but they can also be found in retail stores and in offices. You work hard to ensure your company has excellent graphics and a lightbox will give your brand the boost it needs to stand out in many different ways. Whether you’re looking for a portable lightbox to light up your pop up display, searching for a way to make the most out of a blank wall at your store, or looking for a lightbox tower to make your custom display pop, these 7 tips will help you choose the best backlit trade show display for your business!

7 Tips on How To Choose the Right Backlit Trade Show Display

Refrain from Using White as Your Primary Color

We often see backlit booth displays at trade shows that are mostly white, and while we do understand the assumption that white is a great choice in terms of brightness — it simply is not! If you add backlighting to a mostly white design, your booth will miss out on the enticing appearance that darker and more vibrant colors create. If your brand’s visual identity requires a white design, we recommend going with either a fabric or Sintra back wall.

Always choose darker, vibrant colors to make your lightbox a true attraction, and as an added bonus, darker graphics don’t get dirty as easily as white graphics.

Use eye-catching graphics and limit text

Backlit booth displays won't do much for the overall look of the booth if the entire lightbox is text. Graphics that use lightbox illumination will create a stronger visual impact. If you do need to use a lot of text in your booth or in-store display, it's best to keep it to the fabric panels. Visitors will not notice a big difference when reading backlit/non-backlit text, so the focus should always be on the images when designing a lightbox or backlit display.

Test in advance, don't wait

Make sure you test all the lights in your trade show backlit display. It's easy to forget to test because of the lights in the light boxes. Also, have a spare light box in case one breaks before the show. If you are going to be assembling your own light box at the show, testing the light box before the show can provide you with good practice. After attaching the fabric, you can double-check for typos, dirty spots, or any other possible mistakes.

Use one supplier, not many

When you're price shopping, or when one supplier has one product you need and no others, it's easy to pick different backlit booth display parts from different companies. Whether you prefer one company's back wall or another company's counter, try to choose only one supplier. Many times, vendors have different printers, and even if you are using the same Pantone colors, one color will print differently on two different printers. You will be more satisfied with the color quality of your backlit trade show display if you stick to just one supplier.

Use strip lights, limit use of Ladder lights

In the industry, strip lighting is often referred to as "edge lighting" while Ladderl lighting is also referred to as "backlighting". It is important to limit the use of Ladder (backlit) lighting as this creates hot spots, areas of higher brightness. These hot spots are more likely to occur when using Ladder lighting in a backwall lightbox. However, if you are using a larger width lightbox, such as a tower lightbox, step lights are still a viable option. When you use a light box as a backwall in your exhibit, try to use strip lights rather than ladder lights to minimize the number of hot spots in your backlit trade show display.

Strip light

Ladder light

Reducing Shadows

The thinner the frame of a backlit booth display, the greater the chance of shadows. Another way to minimize shadows is to use a wider light frame. The width of light boxes varies by vendor, but standard widths are about 5 to 8 inches. Mounting shelves and/or monitors on light boxes can add appeal to your display, but they can cast unwanted shadows if not placed properly. Always keep lighting and shadow issues in mind during the design process!

Always use High RES Images, Never Low RES Images

Most exhibit houses will only ask for high-resolution images when collecting your art files. Sometimes it isn’t always possible to get high-resolution images, especially if it is a specific photo that you want to use. However, using these images will make a huge difference when they are on such a large scale on the trade show floor. Choosing a different image if you can’t find a high res version of your top choice is better than compromising visual quality. Don’t give your potential customers a reason not to do business with you. Your backlit trade show display should be an extension of your company and brand, so don’t take any shortcuts!

Want to purchase a backlit trade show display for your next event or explore our custom light box designs for inspiration? Feel free to contact us , and we will be happy to answer your questions.

Ready to make a custom lightbox purchase or want to see our lightbox page for design inspiration? Explore more options here.