An LED panel is a lit surface. With a light frame only the edge lights up and in the middle you look at the ceiling. The same size, a completely different look: the frame gives a graphic line, the panel an even pool of light.
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The same format, a different build
A light frame has the outer size of an ordinary panel, 60 by 60 or 120 by 30 centimeters, but the LEDs sit only in a narrow band along the inner edge. The middle is closed and in the color of the fixture.
So you do not see a lit surface but an illuminated rectangle. In a dark room that reads as a line floating in the ceiling, and that is exactly why people choose them: it is a design element, not a work light.
What that costs in light
Less surface lighting up does not automatically mean fewer lumens, but the light does come from a narrower source. That gives sharper shadows than a full surface of the same size.
The figures from our range: the Lino light frame 60x60 in white gives 3200 lumens from 32 watts and is only 11 millimeters thick. An ordinary Vesta panel of the same size gives 4050 lumens from 30 watts.
So you give up light and use slightly more power. That is the price of the look, and for the places where a light frame belongs it does not matter.
The black and the white edge do different things
The white version disappears against a white ceiling: you mainly see the line of light. The black edge does the opposite and outlines the shape, even when the light is off. Against a dark or concrete ceiling that is a stronger image.
The black versions are also built differently. The Lino 60x60 black gives 2812 lumens from 37 watts and is 15 millimeters thick, against 11 millimeters for white. The Lino 120x30 black, at 4000 lumens from 40 watts, is actually the brightest of the four.
Where a light frame belongs
- Above a dining table or kitchen island, where you want an accent rather than flat lighting.
- Above a reception desk or counter, because the line can follow the shape of the furniture.
- In a hallway or entrance, where atmosphere matters more than lux on the work surface.
- In a shop or hair salon with an industrial interior, especially the black ones.
And where not
Above a desk. A light frame has a smaller luminous area than a panel, and that means a higher luminance per square centimeter. That is exactly where glare comes from during screen work. For a workplace you choose a panel with a low UGR, as explained in What does UGR mean on an LED panel?
Nor as the only lighting in a large room. If you work out the lumens you need, light frames take more fixtures than panels. The sum is in How many LED panels do you need for an office?
Mounting works the same way
A light frame lies in a suspended ceiling just like a panel, and with a frame or suspension kit it can also go on a solid ceiling. All four Linos have a CCT switch, so you choose the color temperature when mounting.
They are among the LED panels.
What is a light frame?
A ceiling fixture the size of an LED panel in which only a narrow band along the inner edge lights up. The middle stays closed, so you see an illuminated rectangle instead of a lit surface.
Does a light frame give less light than a panel?
In the same size, usually yes. A white Lino 60x60 gives 3200 lumens from 32 watts; a 60 by 60 centimeter Vesta panel gives 4050 lumens from 30 watts.
Can you hang a light frame above a desk?
Better not. The light comes from a smaller area, which increases the chance of glare during screen work. For a workplace, choose a panel with a low UGR.