Diffusing LEDs: From good to GREAT

[@Zibartas]

Timestamps for comparison of materials: 0:31 Baking Paper 0:46 Sanded Plexi Glass, 400 Grit, Single Side 0:50 Sanded Plexi Glass, 400 Grit, Both Sides 0:53 Sanded Plexi Glass, 280 Grit, Both Sides 1:01 Opaque store-bought Plexi Glass 1:27 Stock and Sanded "CosplayFlex Clear" 1:52 "CosplayFlex Shining Foam" 5mm, 10mm, and a bluish Kitchen sponge 2:08 Synthetic Woven Fabric - 1 Layer 2:12 Synthetic Woven Fabric - 2 Layers 2:14 Synthetic Woven Fabric - 4 Layers 2:17 Hot Glue 2:53 Opaque Edge-Lit Plexi with Reflector

[@wingsdesire1]

Zibartas what material did you use for the reflector? I would love a follow up video on reflector materials with edge lighting

[@Zibartas]

@@wingsdesire1 it's just plain foamcore! Sorry I didn't respond earlier! :D But yeah its a good idea, actually.

[@alexandrelavassani9392]

Hey man, any chance you could orient me to a synthetic woven fabric dealer? Cheers

[@Zibartas]

@@alexandrelavassani9392 hey pal, i use something like this for homemade stuff amzn.to/2JcPZ2B but if you go to a local fabric shop you might get a cheaper/better deal!

[@alexandrelavassani9392]

Zibartas excellent cheers

[@johnwickham]

Diffusing the light properly is the #1 thing that makes or breaks an LED project I think. Great tips

[@eclecticlight.design]

It's best to redirect them off a surface before the light reaches your eyes.

[@pretendprincess6408]

I used a white/clear “frosted” shower curtain once and it worked super well for diffusing leds! 🙌🏻

[@rayyanshaikh5591]

The baking paper tip is underrated. Everyone has baking paper at home, and it works really well to diffuse

[@Alex-gq4yd]

how do u put it on your ceiling tho?

[@2002HALOGUY]

@@Alex-gq4yd tape it bro, i would suppose lmao

[@thebainetrain]

@@Alex-gq4yd staples is good too

[@thebainetrain]

Bold claim that everyone has it.... also true tho...😂😂

[@Artbug]

@@thebainetrain if you dont have it yet, grab it the next time you get groceries...

[@threeelancer]

So for someone who has never seen your videos before to suddenly see 1:18 was a bit a shift lol. Thanks for making!

[@maxrelax5940]

ikr

[@bornakreca2625]

you can go to a PC(or TV) repair service and ask them for broken LED/LCD backlight boards and foils.. (from monitors, TVs and laptop screens)they usually(in 95%) trow them away if the screen cant be fixed and probably will just give them for free. the foils in the screen are perfect for defusing and amplifying the light(that is their purpose) for smaller projects, the foils from a broken phones work equally well, and most mobile service shops also trow them away...

[@CLBorges92]

Except if you live in Brazil xD. People here love to sell, even if doesn't needed anymore. EVEN if doesn't function anymore.

[@s1l3nt40]

Thank you bro there is a electronic repair shop infront of my house I will go there tmrw and ask them for the foils

[@user-lk9ii5nu4j]

@@s1l3nt40 how does it go

[@s1l3nt40]

@@user-lk9ii5nu4j I asked them and they gave me a lot of foils

[@bilgehanylmaz517]

Excellent video man. I have never thought about the baking paper and sponge. Incredibly cheap and easy to find and life savior. Thanks a lot.

[@NelsonReyesJr]

You can also use gels to add coloring along with keeping uniform brightness. This is especially useful for lighting astronomy canvas paintings from behind that have different colored stars (like Orion, which has a red super giant, a blue super giant, and a multi-colored nebula. Clear gels sanded down can be glued together to reduce the brightness of stars respectively. Great channel. Thanks.

[@gamers-generation]

Would it be possible in theory to "change" the color of the LEDs using these methods? Like if there's a single orange LED and we want to say... alter it to appear red or some other color? Thanks!

[@shefket89]

i do love your explanation about a different way of using the led and connecting it

[@ileetarots]

omg i never even think to use baking paper to diffuse light! YOU GENIUS!

[@Frostbite1003]

For edge-lit applications you might want to use a so-called 'light guide plate' (LGP) instead of plain plexiglass. The are especially built to direct light to a larger area.

[@OmniversalInsect]

I'm watching this video to help diffuse light for a portal gun lol.

[@enoswashe]

Although I'm light years away from doing what you do, I'm already liking your ideas

[@venessankurumeh1549]

I used this heavy weight vellum from Blicks Art Supply called Canson Opalux Drawing paper for a 3D project. It is a vellum paper with the stiffness of acetate and comes in 19x25 inch sheets. It was decent at diffusion with 1 layer.

[@wildestwhimsy4082]

Great video :) LED strips are so painful to look at, but once diffused man they sure do provide some excellent ambiance!

[@nathanvandevyver]

For a 16x16 led matrix I filled a 3d printed grid with epoxy mixed with some drops of white acryllic, on top of it I put glass with a thin layer of black paint on the inside, which made the screen black with clear square pixels when lit. I read that glass bubbles would be better as a diffuser instead of paint because it scatters light without blocking. The paint worked great though

[@lilpetz500]

BEAUTIFUL thankyou for this resource. I'm a lower budget cosplayer who is trying to make cheap secondhand fairy wire lights work for my costumes, and want to disguise the fact. I'm thinking I'll combine baking paper with holo fabric scraps for an ethereal, textured feel.

[@olivermgrech]

Cheapest way to diffuse LEDs is using masking tape (a.k.a painters tape) and of course other kinds of tape. You can add as much layers as you want to suit your needs and diffusion level. Cheers for the video, sanding plexiglass is interesting.

[@Mandy_39]

So if the LEDs are under my cabinet I just put tape over them like I'm taping them to the under side if the cabinet? I've been debating if I should just get a 6 pack of LED bars that link together or the strip lights.. Can't decide lol.

[@olivermgrech]

@@Mandy_39 Hey, the LED Bars that link together are probably way more expensive than the LED Strips. If you can go for the LED strips and diffuse them with tape you'll be good to go with less money spent. To answer your question, yes you cover the LED strips with tape. Usually I prefer to do this process prior of sticking them to a cabinet or table as it will be easier to remove excess masking tape from the strips. I prefer to do this method on waterproof LEDs (the ones with silicon protection over them) as the end result becomes neater and I am also less paranoid that the masking tape heats up. Good luck and enjoy. Any further questions don't hesitate to ask :)

[@Mandy_39]

@@olivermgrechthanks, really appreciate the reply! I'm realizing that they are way more expensive & I obviously want it to look good but that's to expensive for my liking especially since I want to do lower & upper cabinets! Is there a specific brand or kind of tape you like best, them heating up is what worries me the most. Do you just use 1 peice or multiple? Guess it depends on the lights I buy lol. Any recommendations on brands of LED strips?

[@olivermgrech]

@@Mandy_39 No problem! If I had to recommend a brand it would be certainly govee as their quality is great and they are very well priced. I also had good results with random brands from China that I bought from ebay. About tape, any basic painters masking tape would do, I tend to find a branded one for a few extra cents as the glue will be of better quality. USB powered strips or the ones that come with a 5V or 12V power supply would be safer as they don' t emit a lot of heat. Whatever you opt for always test it out and monitor it. When you apply the masking tape over the LED strip you might need someone to hold the other end as the strips tend to roll off, or if you're doing it alone (like me) a heavy book to hold it in place would help as well :) You'll understand this when you start the first one :) Cut excess tape with a craft knife so it will be really clean and neat.

[@KittyKeypurr]

So glad I found your video 👍👍 I've installed a blacklight strip behind a painting done with uv reactive paint features and the light wasn't stretching properly/overly highlighting the edge. I am trying your tips as soon as I get home in the morning!

[@angelsface200]

So I came to this video out of curiosity, and the clip at 1:15 completely blew my mind lol. You're very talented!

[@mattburrows2615]

Clear spray paint sprayed from further away than usual on glass perspex offers efficient diffusion. Different distances layers and base material can change the effect.

[@Lollipopstud]

Only big brain moves over here

[@vladproductions1719]

Thank you so much! Im planning on getting some strips and put em in my room incovered, but i dont want to look like a "basic" (im just getting the strips since i feel like they would look nice to me, not my phone) and this realy helps.

[@ThatEngineerGuy_]

1:17 that is incredible well done.

[@Pete..]

With all the LCD flatscreen TV people get rid of on the daily you can just pop one of those open and take out the stacks of light diffusing sheets. there's one big thick one sometimes two about an eighth of an inch thick, maybe a little thinner and then a stack of like six thinner ones I'd say about a little thicker than a piece of card stock paper you can get quite a bit from one TV.

[@CopycatStudiosLA]

Its like... Steve Buscemi and Henry Cavill had a baby...

[@-Rambi-]

As a photographer, I don't know if I should feel stupid or that I just learned some arcane knowledge with the use of a reflector underneath a sidelit piece of plexi. That all of a sudden made it into a valid light source for my hobby. Thanks for sharing!

[@lilpetz500]

This is what I've been looking everywhere for!! I'm using cheap, wriy fairy lights, and want to broaden the light and disguise the individual random spots. I was considering using a reflector cone underneath the lights in a similar manner to emergency vehicle lights, but I didn't know if it would work

[@JRPW]

Baking paper actually works awesome for the dense 0603 strip I used. Thanks

[@Artbug]

1:17 whoaaa cool... And im just here trying to soften my studio lights

[@danyildiabin4953]

Wow, that editing quality pops!

[@doncoleman4938]

I'm looking at ways to spruce up the RV with LEDS so this is very informative. New subscriber.

[@geekchameleon]

I've used an interesting mix to waterproof some inexpensive white LED strips to put outside. Same idea might work with a bit of experimentation. You have to have a channel for it to go in. Mix 100% silicone caulking with enough naphtha to make it pourable and it will flow. Pour it into the channel slowly to reduce bubbles and let it sit for a day or two. You need good ventilation, but it will cure as the naphtha evaporates. The final surface will be smooth (the fewer the bubbles the better), it will be waterproof. Some kind of stain/paint/etc. would provide the diffusion. Using white silicone and maybe a mix of white and clear would ensure the pigment is soluble in the mix for consistency.

[@weavdog12]

Thanks for sharing all of this, I'm learning a lot.

[@beatadalhagen]

I'm having decent results with FDM printed covers, if having gone through a couple dozen design iterations. Clear PLA, 50% gyroid infill and a domed cover works quite well. Especially that you need insets for the components on tape in order to slide it into the grove of 2020 extrusion. Otherwise cutting a strip of frosted acrylic would be far less work. I intend to share my designs once I get the 'code' (FreeCAD part design workbench) and documentation cleaned up.

[@paulweston8184]

Thanks for all the great ideas. I think I'm going cut my bed sheets into strips and hot glue them to my led's. I'm going for that classy look.

[@Kurt634]

Yesss more videos on LEDs. Thank you!

[@mbk1251]

Now starting to look at "No Dot LEDs !" For defuser material found in old led Tv ( bigger the screen 50" better plus more free resalage materials 4 types of sheets to found in each lcd backing of led ) Heatsinks & good quality mini speakers. Laptop damage screen provide same defusers type too and can had for free from repairs shops who would otherwise bin them bc of broken or none working lcd Hope this can be help to you and your subscription watchers

[@weeknoww3649]

Great Channel, super clear explanation, and steps. It's great you explain techniques in general. Really helping the makers out here. Thanks!

[@backward9]

i got a huge wall tapestry of space, and there is a full moon in the corner. i want to diffuse a rgb strip and make it so the moon lights up. Thanks for the tips I will be trying it out

[@madamerosario]

what tapestry did you buy? :)

[@noeorozco5054]

i want to know too

[@Sekir80]

My favorite method is similar to baking paper (I agree with the texture problems) it is called tracing paper, if I'm correct. Much more consistent, no texture. The other is similar: everybody knows of laminating paper by putting it into a certain film then heating it up. That film is translucent (waxy, maybe?) before use, makes a great diffuser.

[@lonreed9743]

Wax paper, Great! I have hardwood floors and that’d be perfect to diffuse the reflection for my LEDs

[@motomarmot6544]

Thanks for the great ideas and applications

[@jennytaylor3324]

Good stuff. Never would have considered most of these.

[@tookitogo]

Another option is to cast epoxy. While there is special epoxy for this purpose, for small things, ordinary household epoxy works great. Just mix in a tiny amount of talcum powder to make it diffuse instead of transparent. You could do a similar thing with clear silicone.

[@first-aid5048]

So edge lighting, a reflective material, and frosted plexi got it.

[@PopCultureLivingRoom]

At 2:55 you talk about using a reflector. What type of reflector? What kind of material is it made out of? Great video!

[@Zibartas]

A reflector is more about function and not the material - in this video I'm using foamcore, but you can use anything that has a somewhat matte/scattering surface that can disperse light in a desired way :)

[@PopCultureLivingRoom]

@@Zibartas thank you!

[@edwardslayd7816]

Great video! Just the info I needed and your builds look awesome quality!

[@HennaLaw]

This was very helpful. Thank you

[@dio7288]

it's not the best option but i tend to use a 1-2 mm thick layer of Thermoplast when I have no space at all. It difffuses the pixels to 80% mostt of the time, even if i have literally 0 space in between the diffusion and LEDs.

[@LOVEVSFEAR1]

I’m so pleased I watched this video! I bought a beautiful lamp which weirdly came with a strange permanent led light bulb, the light it omits is truly awful, feels like I’m at the dentist, definitely not ambience as I hoped. I used the baking paper idea and it’s worked perfectly, however the paper is touching the Led bulb directly and the bulb does get hot? Could this catch on fire?

[@nczioox1116]

Luckily baking paper is made to handle high heat

[@Skibosski]

Love the videos You have an awesome character n makes the video enjoyable!! Great tips too!!!!

[@thasyuwaraj6505]

Thank you for all the ideas and options. You certainly saved me a lot of time!

[@greggv8]

Keep an eye out for broken flat screen televisions put out for trash. They have huge diffuser sheets in the display plus a Fresnel sheet. Cut pieces from them to smoothly diffuse LEDs.

[@uniworkhorse]

Well planned and explained video, I really liked how you showed so many examples!

[@RafitoOoO]

I'm not into cosplay but your ideas are still great to diffuse the light in a computer case lol. Thanks a lot.

[@Gallardo6669]

Awesome video, thanks!!

[@2jehz]

First time watching! Love it! Why aren't you Bill Skarsgård's double?

[@rossanadehache165]

Super useful, thank you!

[@ryanhassan2232]

you can also use STENCIL FILMS. They're pretty cheap and work pretty good.

[@luxftorbrodst3889]

Film TV & theatre lighting uses various versions of flame retarded diffusion materials, scrims, frosts, gauzes (as well as coloured gel too - thin sheets of heat resistant colours ) to put in front of any luminaire source. Of course, the use of RGBWW LED may not need colours but the use of frosts, scrims, etc. Are very much needed still. A global Manufacturer like LEE Filters or ROSCO will have a distributor near you. Look for theatre tv & film suppliers, and start there. A sheet of this stuff is about and I mean about a metre by half a metre. Some bigger, some smaller, and if you need to fill your boots you can buy rolls of it too! As it is made for purpose, as I said at the beginning, it is inherently flame proof.

[@turntupgamer878]

This is exactly what i was looking for! Thanks

[@Zibartas]

Glad I could help!! I'm thinking of making a 2nd, follow up video too, though :)

[@turntupgamer878]

@@Zibartas looking forward to it! I've got transparent filament on it's way. I just hope it will diffuse the light like I hope

[@CrisFuentes]

amazing video ! very useful 😊

[@Steinveri]

My country has shize quality foam they don't even know what density of foam they are usually selling and factory made ones are really expensive, I wish the currency exchange wasn't as shize as it was now. Thanks for the informative video, will deffiently use some of the hacks on my darkhold build

[@Aharpoon24]

How do these different solutions hold up to the heat generated from the LED's? Different concentrations, voltage, wattage, and Amps will generate different heat that could, with some materials, create a fire hazard. Or how about the mounting solutions paired with each diffusion method? Good tips, but I feel it could be more comprehensive.

[@eclecticlight.design]

PEX pipe, sanded, and frosted glass spray paint worked well.

[@sterling_adgate]

Awesome video

[@shadowkinggamerart7960]

i was literally just trying to make strip lights seem solid, but this is another level. but really good information that i will use in my other projects

[@johnbborg1015]

This video is a godsent, thank you. i subscribed

[@RBgamesbr]

Very good ideas, helped me a lot on my project. Thanks XD

[@GillySqueeze]

I found the video useful so I subscribed

[@OSTVerse]

Just an awesome video! It opened my mind to so many creative ideas and concepts. Thanks!😃😊

[@dank7056]

Man SQUEEZED into that shirt

[@Parkhead_workshop]

Glad I stumbled on this channel. Might try some more creative ideas in future, but for now I'm just trying to diffuse a pir-sensor light strip I have in my apartment hallway - I'll try baking paper first as cheaper is better lol. Thinking of how I can warm the colour up a bit too, as the light is a little too harsh for me (despite being advertised as 'warm white').

[@Parkhead_workshop]

Just discovered that putting a couple of layers of painters/masking tape (which comes in yellow as standard in the UK) directly onto the LED strip does a decent job of warming up the hue of the light just a little bit (plus provides a slight diffusion, as well as reinforcement for the adhesive on the strip) - so I think I'll have a good result once I add the extra diffusion of some parchment paper - all done with cheap supplies.

[@mrhaidir1761]

YES, it is useful Sir!

[@ndumiso99]

this was dope!

[@popanda3652]

Nice vid man

[@PatWizard]

Great video! i will use it for my cosmetic car lights

[@MicBergsma]

Thanks! I am around a lot of sandpapers here so cheap way to do it!

[@retrorevolutions4590]

great video and tips thanks so much

[@Zndu]

*inhales slowly* *exhales* Thank you.

[@evokevisualart9128]

Thanks. A really helpful and funny video.

[@NikaCosplay]

thanks. Very helpful video. )))

[@srkdonpro]

Great detailed tutorial. subbed !

[@shmur3152]

your the homie for this thanks

[@phantomhotty4439]

this was very useful :)

[@dustinabraham4346]

At 2:02, what sort of fabric is this exactly? Synthetic woven fabric comes up with a lot of results on Amazon so if you could provide specific details, or maybe a link to where this was acquired I would really appreciate it! I'm using this in a cosplay over COB lights that need some serious diffusion.

[@danddb2]

Yes, please post a link where this fabric can be found. Thanks!

[@dimas1469]

Great help, thanks

[@unisolus]

Hi like the video and glad to find it after 4 years. What grit of sand paper do you recommend?

[@Zibartas]

Depends on the material - 400 grit seems to be the most reasonable middle ground - doesn't scratch up the surface too much, but enough to make the light more diffused :)

[@MrWildbillproduction]

Thank you for always presenting fantastic tips which inspire so many more ideas. A little off this topic, but I am in need of assistance. I am looking for a Leed(magnetic) switch to use as a trigger to turn on and off a strip of LED lights. I contact companies and they have no clue as to which switch to sell me. Do you have any recommendations for a source with knowledge and not a sales rep commission quota? Thank you in advance, and keep up the fantastic projects.

[@quentinguignard4579]

Hi Zibartas! Great videos thank you !! Could you please tell me how you made that LED connection at 0:13 on that watch battery please :D ? I find it so cool and can be very useful!

[@gabrielsammut7888]

You know how led strips sometimes come with a protective silicone covering? Is there any way of having that diffused? Any particular spray paint maybe?

[@paullafaele]

lmao, too funny mate! Love your informative vids, I'm just beginning to learn about led, powers source, voltages etc and your vids have been helpful, thanks

[@rashedh1419]

Thank you so much 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼

[@TheSweMachine]

for material, I buy cheep frames with thinner plastic instead of glass, easily cut and sanded

[@nefariousyawn]

KZbin randomly recommended your channel to me, and it's great! I plan on using the diffusing layers that come out of a flat panel tv/monitor, as DIY Perks did in one of his projects. Have you tried that before?

[@Zibartas]

Nope, haven't! But I don't doubt they work great/better as they're designed for that :D

[@johngarritzcx6733]

@@Zibartas my hope wit thè evolutionair of LED/ OLED s that in te future thee Will besingle large emitter/emitters that emits asoft non-glate Light similar to The expensive OLED lightpanels though thistyping I Own 2 OLED panels 1osram readinglight rl101 Made in Germany runs on battery second. Akit runs on mainspower here in Europe 230V 50Hz aLG (chem or display ) OLED panel i have to say f*cking awesome😉😉but yeah expensive somen are 180 aan 200buck💶💵hoever i was Lucky that igot it from a Friend knownperson😁😁

[@mizzonesama]

Really cool! :D never thought about sanding materials :) I'm guessing it would work with transparent worbla too? :)

[@Zibartas]

You bet!! You can even try wire brush or steel wool;)

[@cablesandcrochet]

It does work very well! I used sanded (only the inside sanded as to keep it shiny) transpa worbla in combination with LED foam (plastazote) to diffuse groups of 4 leds to create glowing gems in armor, turned out great and not spotty at all.

[@bluekite6773]

This is great advice!

[@LEYGSL]

Great vid, thanks so much. What about heat dissipation while using these different materials?

[@cablesandcrochet]

Unless you're using extremely strong LEDs it generally shouldn't be a problem, definitely not with 144/m or fewer LEDs.

[@christopherworley5944]

Rosco diffusion gel sheets? Not cheap but not too pricey either and it's what all the professional lighting techs use on professional lights like elipsoidals and par cans. I'm more curious on if they could be applied here tho.

[@disalynumedecod3420]

First... Backing paper is the best . second ... The distance between led and difusion material need to be like. 2-3 cm if you want to have the difusion effect. Make shure that led strip give to you 95% of cri . 😊

[@z8318]

The aquarium had me😂