Visual comfort in linear lighting: the 4030, 4040 and 4050 models

Visual comfort in linear lighting: the 4030, 4040 and 4050 models

A room can have enough light and still feel tiring to spend time in. Often, the problem is not the amount of light, but how it reaches our eyes.

Seeing the light, not the source

The amount of light reaching a desk does not, on its own, explain visual comfort. The brightness of the surfaces and light sources within our field of view also matters. An intense point of light can therefore cause discomfort even in a well-lit space. This is known as discomfort glare: it does not stop us from seeing, but becomes tiring over time. It is no coincidence that natural light feels so pleasant. We see the light, but rarely the source.

Control starts with the luminaire

LED technology has brought greater efficiency and increasingly slim profiles, alongside smaller, brighter light sources that are harder to look at directly. The geometry of the profile becomes crucial. In the 4040, the LED is set back inside the profile, away from its opening. This helps shield the light source from direct view at certain viewing angles, contributing to reduced glare and improved visual comfort.

Lenses, opal diffusers and black diffusers, used individually or combined within the same profile, allow the light distribution and the appearance of the luminous surface to be adapted to each area of a project. Each optical option also affects the available luminous flux. The choice always involves balancing light output, glare control and aesthetic integration.

Three mounting options, the same line of light

• 4030, recessed: the line of light integrates into the ceiling, and the luminaire body almost disappears.

• 4040, surface-mounted: the profile sits visibly on the ceiling surface, with its recessed light source and optical options central to its approach to visual comfort.

• 4050, suspended: the luminaire sits closer to the work or meeting area, helping to define it visually.

Comfort depends on the complete lighting design

A good luminaire is only part of the solution. The Unified Glare Rating (UGR), described by the International Commission on Illumination, depends on the observer’s position and viewing direction. A catalogue value is therefore only meaningful under the conditions in which it was calculated.

Each space requires its own considerations:

• in offices, the orientation of screens and workstations matters;

• in meeting rooms, the experience of people seated in each position;

• in circulation areas, how clearly people can navigate the space.

Lighting design brings all these factors together.

Recent research adds another consideration: in the spaces where we spend our days, the light reaching our eyes also influences our body clock. Comfortable lighting does not have to be dim. It needs to be well distributed, free from uncomfortable brightness, and illuminate the surfaces we see, such as walls and ceilings, as well as the work plane.

For Tromilux, developing technical lighting means thinking about the people who will use the space every day.