The multiLight 5-1200 v8 Main extern Keypad is a professional LED colour viewing light for reliable visual colour assessment, sample comparison and quality control. Designed for colour-critical industries, it provides controlled multi-illuminant viewing conditions for print, packaging, plastics, coatings, textiles, fashion, consumer goods, beauty, food and beverage, medical products and industrial manufacturing.
Colour can only be evaluated with confidence when lighting conditions are controlled. A sample that appears correct under office light may look visibly different under daylight, retail lighting, production lighting or a customer’s final usage environment. This is especially critical when materials, components, suppliers and production batches must match across different locations. The multiLight 5-1200 v8 creates a repeatable viewing environment that helps teams make more dependable visual colour decisions.
The 5-1200 version offers a generous illumination area of approximately 120 × 100 cm. This makes it suitable for large-format flat samples, print sheets, packaging layouts, textile panels, coated surfaces, plastic samples, proofing materials, colour standards and production references. The large viewing field allows several materials or components to be compared side by side, making it particularly useful for multi-material product development and supplier approval.
The system is equipped with five LED-based illuminants: D50, D65, UV-A and two selectable ALT illuminants. D50 is used for colour checking in graphic arts, print and proofing workflows according to ISO 3664. D65 represents daylight-based assessment and is widely relevant for industrial, textile and product colour evaluation according to ISO 3668. UV-A supports the detection of fluorescence, optical brighteners and material reactions that may not be visible under standard daylight alone.
The selectable ALT1 and ALT2 positions can be configured with CIE 15:2018 B-series illuminants, such as B1, B2 or B3. This gives colour-critical teams the ability to extend evaluation beyond standard daylight conditions and simulate additional lighting environments. For packaging, consumer goods, plastics, textiles and retail-facing products, this flexibility can be essential when colour must remain acceptable across several real-world viewing situations.
The multiLight 5-1200 v8 is especially valuable for metamerism testing. Metamerism occurs when two samples appear to match under one light source but differ under another because of differences in pigments, dyes, substrates, coatings or material structure. This problem is common in packaging, textiles, plastics, coatings and multi-component products. By switching between D50, D65, UV-A and additional illuminants, teams can identify potential colour mismatches before approval, shipment or production release.
The high-performance LED system provides even light distribution, high uniformity and suitable spectral characteristics for professional visual assessment. A CAD-based prismatic diffuser supports shadow- and glare-reduced viewing, helping samples be assessed without distracting reflections or uneven illumination. This is important when subtle colour deviations, surface differences or coating effects must be judged visually.
Continuous dimming for D50 and D65 allows the viewing environment to be adjusted without losing control of the evaluation process. The D50 and D65 UV content can also be switched on or off, enabling users to assess how optical brighteners, fluorescent materials and UV-reactive substrates influence the colour result. This is particularly relevant in print, packaging, paper, textile and coating workflows.
The mixed-light function adds further flexibility by allowing multiple illuminants to be selected simultaneously. Programmable light sequences support repeatable quality-control routines, making it easier to review samples consistently under several lighting conditions. Instead of relying on manual switching in an inconsistent order, teams can establish structured assessment procedures for supplier inspection, laboratory comparison, production control and final approval.
The external keypad configuration makes operation practical during colour review sessions. Users can change lighting modes, activate stored settings and move through sequences without interrupting the assessment process. The memory function for presets allows frequently used viewing settings to be recalled quickly, supporting efficient workflows in studios, laboratories, quality-control areas and production environments.
USB connectivity supports professional colour-management and soft proofing applications. In print and packaging environments, the device can support evaluation between physical samples and screen-based references when the surrounding workflow is properly calibrated. The brightness can be adjusted for practical comparison routines, while controlled illumination helps reduce the uncertainty caused by ambient room lighting.
The LED system has an expected operating life of around 50,000 hours and is designed for maintenance-free use without tube replacement. Compared with traditional fluorescent viewing systems, this reduces service effort and helps maintain stable light conditions over time. The system also has no warm-up requirement typical of older lamp technologies, allowing colour assessment to begin more quickly.
The outside dimensions of approximately 133.5 × 11.5 × 78 cm make the device a large yet efficient viewing solution for professional workplaces. It is suitable for print departments, design studios, packaging development rooms, supplier inspection areas, textile and material labs, plastics development teams and industrial quality-control environments where large-format 2D sample assessment is required.
For printing and packaging, the multiLight 5-1200 v8 supports evaluation of proofs, press sheets, folding cartons, labels, substrates, inks and finishing effects. For plastics, coatings and industrial manufacturing, it helps compare colour standards, production samples, painted parts, moulded components and supplier submissions. For fashion and textiles, it supports fabric panels, trims, accessories and material combinations under controlled lighting.
The multiLight 5-1200 v8 does not replace spectrophotometers, physical colour standards or production proofs. It strengthens the visual evaluation stage by providing stable, defined and repeatable illumination. Used alongside measurement devices and approved standards, it supports a more complete quality-control workflow for colour-critical products and materials.
For teams that need reliable large-format colour assessment across design, sourcing, production and approval, the multiLight 5-1200 v8 Main extern Keypad offers a technically advanced LED viewing solution. It helps make colour decisions more consistent, transparent and dependable across materials, suppliers, lighting conditions and production batches.
Key Benefits
- Professional large-format LED colour viewing light
- Illumination area of approximately 120 × 100 cm
- Outside dimensions of approximately 133.5 × 11.5 × 78 cm
- Five LED-based illuminants
- D50 LED for graphic arts, proofing and print evaluation
- D65 LED for daylight-based industrial colour assessment
- UV-A / UV-only mode for fluorescence and optical brightener checks
- Two selectable ALT illuminants, including CIE B1, B2 or B3 options
- Low visible metamerism index: ≤ 0.8 MIvis
- Low UV metamerism index: ≤ 0.6 MIuv
- Mixed-light function for flexible assessment
- Continuous dimming for D50 and D65
- UV content switchable on and off
- USB interface and memory function for presets
- Programmable light sequences and external keypad operation
FAQ
What is the multiLight 5-1200 v8 Main extern Keypad used for?
It is used for professional visual colour assessment, large-format sample comparison, metamerism checks and quality control under defined LED lighting conditions.
Which illuminants are included?
The system includes D50, D65, UV-A and two selectable ALT illuminants, which can be configured with CIE B-series lighting options such as B1, B2 or B3.
What is the illumination area?
The multiLight 5-1200 v8 provides an illumination area of approximately 120 × 100 cm, making it suitable for large-format flat samples.
Why is UV control important?
UV control helps evaluate optical brighteners, fluorescence and UV-reactive materials, which are especially relevant in paper, packaging, textile and coating workflows.
What does metamerism testing mean?
Metamerism testing checks whether samples that match under one light source still match under another. Multi-illuminant viewing helps reveal hidden colour differences.
Does the multiLight replace a spectrophotometer?
No. It supports controlled visual assessment. For complete colour quality control, it should be used together with measurement devices, colour standards and production proofs.