A Guide to Lighting Glass Display Cases: Types, Pros, and Cons

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Lighting is one of the most powerful tools in exhibition design. The right lighting can elevate an object, guide the visitor’s eye, and create atmosphere—but it also carries risks. Light produces heat and ultraviolet (UV) radiation, both of which can damage sensitive materials over time.

The Arts Council highlights the importance of choosing lighting systems that enhance presentation without compromising conservation, and of ensuring that maintenance can be carried out without opening or disturbing the display volume. With those principles in mind, this guide explores the most common lighting types used in glass display cases, outlining their advantages, disadvantages, and best-use scenarios.

Fibre Optic Lighting

Fibre optic lighting uses a remote light source—typically located outside the display case—which channels light through fibre optic cables to small endpoints inside the case.

Pros

  • Excellent for conservation, as the remote light source prevents heat buildup within the display volume
  • No UV or infrared emission at the endpoints, ideal for light-sensitive artefacts such as textiles, paper, organic materials, and pigments
  • Highly discreet and flexible, with small lighting heads that can be precisely positioned or hidden
  • Brightness and beam direction can be adjusted without disturbing the display

Cons

  • Higher upfront cost than LED or fluorescent systems
  • Requires specialist design and installation
  • The remote illuminator still requires periodic maintenance

Best used for: Museums, conservation-critical displays, and precious or light-sensitive objects.

LED Lighting

LED lighting produces bright, efficient illumination with relatively low heat output and is commonly integrated as strips, spotlights, or track elements.

Pros

  • Energy efficient and long-lasting
  • Lower heat and UV output than traditional lamps
  • Available in a wide range of colour temperatures and formats
  • Good balance between performance and cost

Cons

  • Heat still needs to be managed and vented away from the case
  • Colour rendering varies between LED qualities
  • Poor positioning can cause glare or reflections on the glass

Best used for: Everyday museum displays, retail environments, and temporary exhibitions.

Fluorescent Lighting (Declining in Use)

Fluorescent lighting provides broad, diffused illumination and was once widely used in large cases and lightboxes.

Pros

  • Even, soft lighting across large display areas
  • Historically inexpensive

Cons

  • Emits UV radiation and requires filtering
  • Produces moderate heat
  • Bulky fittings limit design flexibility
  • Increasingly phased out due to environmental regulations

Best used for: Existing installations approaching replacement; not recommended for new museum-grade cases.

Halogen Lighting (Rarely Recommended Today)

Halogen lighting produces bright, warm light but operates at very high temperatures.

Pros

  • Excellent colour rendering
  • Directional light suitable for spotlighting

Cons

  • High heat output
  • Short lamp lifespan
  • UV emission requiring filtering
  • Energy inefficient

Best used for: Non-conservation environments only.

Integrated Lightboxes (Top-Mounted)

Integrated lightboxes house the light source above the display case, separated from the display volume by a diffusing panel.

Pros

  • Uniform, even illumination
  • Maintenance access without opening the display case
  • Allows use of UV filters and neutral density films

Cons

  • Heat must be carefully vented away
  • Less suitable for dramatic lighting effects
  • Adds height and weight to the case

Best used for: Displays requiring large, even washes of light and easy maintenance access.

Key Conservation Considerations

  • Control heat and light exposure by venting heat away from the case and using UV filters
  • Design lighting systems so maintenance can be performed without entering the display volume
  • Balance aesthetics with object safety—more light is not always better

Conclusion

The lighting system chosen for a glass display case affects both visitor experience and long-term preservation. Fibre optic lighting offers the highest conservation performance, LEDs provide flexibility and affordability, and traditional lighting options are increasingly limited by heat, UV emissions, and energy concerns.

Careful planning around heat management, UV filtering, and maintenance access ensures that lighting enhances the display without compromising the integrity of the collection.