Surface Design Show 2019 Review: Light Meets Surfaces

All good things come to an end. So the 2019 Surface Design Show in London, UK. For three days, the Luximprint team has been present on the show in support of Lightly Technologies to demonstrate the capabilities of HikariSQ panels combined with Luximprint Optographix.

SDS19: Light and (optical) Surfaces Connect

Lightly, inventor of the ultra-flat yet powerful HikariSQ LED modules, presented its state-of-the-art technology in the Light School area at SDS19. A beacon of light amidst a multitude of surface finishes and decorators.

When novel technology comes together, exciting things start to happen. So with Lightly and Luximprint. The ultra-thin, evenly illuminating LED panels supports a range of Luximprint product solutions, such as optical Textured Surfaces and Optographix. Here are some impressions of the  booth, as well as some stunning examples of materials we brought to life at the show:

Lightly booth at Surface Design Show 2019
Image of optical materials stack and films by Luximprint
Image of Luximprint sample with micro structures to demonstrate 3D printing capabilities
Image of colorful butterfly by Luximprint for Lightly Technologies SDS19 display
Image of handheld optical surfaces by Luximprint
Image of Frosted Finishes sample by Luximprint in front of Lightly Technologies booth
Image of Surface Design Show 2019 London with Lightly Team in action
Image of 3D Printed Optics hand sample in front of Lightly Tech logo box
Image of 3D Printed Optics hand sample in front of Lightly Tech booth

2019 SDS Show Take-Aways

As take away from the show, we’re delighted to share some interesting developments we have noticed from a lighting perspective:

(1) Integrated Lighting – Lighting embedded in/onto surfaces is on the rise: Marble and light, moss and light, and of course: optical plastics / decorative plastics. Where possible combined with a taste of intelligence, such as intelligent switches, interactive gesture- and building control. Look after it, it’s coming!

(2) Ultra-flat Lighting is ‘much wanted!’: Moving away from ‘point LED sources’ towards large(r) luminous surfaces opens up new application areas for lighting unwanted effects, such as glare and blinding. Lighting can now safely and easily be applied under cabinets, in/under retail shelves, acoustic wall panels, etc. Lightly Technologies is certainly opening up a new path for interior designers here, so does the broader offering in the market of large format lighting.

(3) Living Spaces: Light significantly contributes to the health and well-being of people and greatly enriches spaces. As such, light is no longer considered as a functional ‘necessity’, a closing-entry of the total building architecture, but it becomes an integral part of the overall space design process. Light brings surfaces to life and empowers brand awareness. Light matters!

Final Thoughts

We’re looking back to a great presence at this years Surface Design Show, whereby our main aim was to penetrate deeper with our Optographix and optical Surface Textures into interior design and architectural markets. Given the significant and partly overwhelming interest for our solutions, we can’t wait to see our application areas extend into these fields and eagerly address any enquiries/questions of our users in the meantime.

We are looking already forward to the 2020 edition of the edition, let it come soon!