Lighting

Reading requires more lighting than many other activities. Therefore the possibility of comfortable reading in cafés, restaurants, buses, at bus stops, or in parks greatly varies depending on available lighting and time of day. Starting in the 1950s, many offices and classrooms were over-illuminated, partially because many of the early textbooks were influenced by lighting manufacturers. Since about 1990, there has been a movement to create reading environments with appropriate lighting levels (approximately 600 to 800 lux).