Science Museum of Minnesota - Recommended Light Levels

Very Light Sensitive: color photographs, dried plants, dyed leather, feathers, fur, stamps, textiles, watercolor paintings	Keep light under 50 lux and 12,000 lux hours per year
Light Sensitive: black and white photographs, bone, horn/baleen, ivory, leather, oil paintings, rawhide, wood	Keep light under 150 lux and 100,000 lux hours per year
Not Light Sensitive: ceramic, glass, metal, stone	Light can be above 150 lux and exposure can be indefinite

Keep wood furniture and upholstery away from direct sunlight. Draw blinds or curtains during the brightest part of the day.
Display light-sensitive objects and art in darker areas of the home.
Frame your photographs or paintings with glass or Plexiglas designed to filter harmful ultraviolet rays.
Minimize exposure for light-sensitive display objects by giving them a rest in the dark from time to time.

Return to main Light page.

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