Foldable Homemade Light Box

by YaronShemesh

48K24932

Intro: Foldable Homemade Light Box

From Time to time I find myself looking for a good spot to photograph a product, for instance for selling online.

I saw some nice light boxes online and also here on Instructables but I needed something big enough but not big in storage, so I took some ideas points from them, added my touch and created this one...

enjoy.

STEP 1: Tools & Materials

Materials:

  • 2 kappa board 100cmX70cm
  • 2 meter of white cloth (can be replaced with cooking paper like I did).
  • loop\hook tape.
  • Tape Glue.
  • White Light Bulbs.
  • Poster Board (i used white, but any color that will fit your subject will do).

Tools:

  • Any kind of cutting knife.
  • Ruler.
  • Pen or any kind of writing instrument.

STEP 2: Design & Model

I have designed it to be 50cm X 50cm X 50cm, but you can adjust the cube to be any size... the cube will have 5 sides, 3 with window and 2 sealed.

To be on the safe side I built a little kappa model, it helped me set the folding order and to decide where to put the loop tape.

STEP 3: Mark & Cut

You'll need to have 5 sides:

  • 3 with a window (top and sides).
  • one sealed (back).
  • one 50cm X 60cm (base).

Mark the 4 squares of 50cm by 50cm and one 50cm by 60cm.

Cut 50cm by 50cm size, for the windows cut 30cm X 30cm squares in the middle (leaves 10cm of frame).

STEP 4: Put It All Together

  1. The first thing it to apply the cooking paper to the three sides with the windows, tape it as tight as you can so the light will be distributed evenly.
  2. Now the next thing it to piece together the permanent parts (marked in red in the pic), to do so use the regular tape, apply it from both sides.
  3. There are 4 points to apply loop and hook tape (you can see them colored marked in the picture, each color is the point of contact), use more if you see that the cube is not strong enough.
  4. To install the background I also used loop tape (see in pic marked in red circle), put 2 inside the cube and 2 on the back of the poster board.

STEP 5: Photo Shoot Setup

If you got to this step it means that you have a Light box! Great work!

Now to setup the photo shoot,

First, place the box on a table high enough, so you will be comfortable and you won't have to bend.

Place the light bulbs on the sides and from the top.

As for the angle of the camera, it's really up to you, try them all ;)

There you have it!

P.S

Don't forget to fold it back after you are done ;)

STEP 6: Done!

If you liked it, don't hesitate to leave a comment.

Y.

28 Comments

rhalprine 3 years ago

I am an artist and was looking at this for photographing my paintings. I may need something larger, but wondering about using with my iphone camera. Any experience with using the iphone camera with this light box?

Ck9aTony 5 years ago

I am curious as to how you fold it up. If each of the sections is butted up against the next section when permanently taped together, how do you manage folding in the opposite direction?

YaronShemesh 5 years ago

I used regular tape to hold both permanent sides as shown in step 4, I left a half centimetre between them, which is enough when folding it both ways

Ck9aTony 5 years ago

Thanks, Yaron. Most of the stuff I make I give away, but I would like a good record of them, so I thought that pix of them in a light box would suit.

YaronShemesh 5 years ago

Wow very nice! I hope my instructable helped ;)

YaronShemesh 5 years ago

Looks very nice! try post it under "I Made It!"

Ck9aTony 5 years ago

Thank you! I am sure that it will.

Sajjad_A 7 years ago

Awesome! As a fan of the Flite Test guys, I have plenty of Dollar Tree Foam Board lying around.... Ill give it a shot if I get the chance!

Thanks and Well Done!

Skorekaj 7 years ago

Brilliant , well done !

aactech 7 years ago

Very nice! I'm puzzled about some terms you have used. What is double sided scotch? I've heard of single malt, Irish, Canadian, etc but never "double sided". Is the job that hard that you needed a drink? And "where to put the scoches". You mean you planned where to put the glass?

Please clarify.

YaronShemesh 7 years ago

Thanks for the heads up, maybe you know it by "loop tape". enjoy!

aactech 7 years ago

Hi Yaron, I was just being a little cheeky. Nothing too serious. But cellulose or clear tape are more generic terms. "drumlovr" didn't get it. My wife, who is a photographer, loves you for your light box idea. Of course I'll be the one making it. Naturally, a labour of love. Mike

deluges 7 years ago

It's the kind of scotch that makes you drunk on both sides.

drumlovr 7 years ago

Double sided scotch tape.

StGreat 7 years ago

Very nicely done, simple and affordable design with great results!

I was thinking about a lightbox and I am certainly going with something similar.

Thank you!

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