57k now, 6 years later

I made this video years ago, but people are still finding it and using the ideals, and I think that is wonderful. Best of luck with your project, I have three posters now and they work great and haven’t given me one problem.

Thanks for your comments, I used the LED's simply due to the low cost and the fact that they produce almost no heat. Since you are building a thinner box and using flourescent tubes I'd be sure to test the heat dissipation inside the box once you mount the frame. It may be totally fine, but I'd check just to be safe. Love your idea on checking with local theaters for free posters, that idea had not occurred to me but sounds great-- I'm sure they are probably tossed once the movie finishes it's run. Good luck with your project, please let me know how it turns out.

TheSteveBidwell Yes, I'm a little concerned about the fluorescent lights. I'll have to look into the LED strips. I thought they were more expensive. Can you see hot spots on the movie poster? Maybe you can fill me in on where you got your LED's and power supply. I've read more about the power adapter getting extremely hot, that's why I chose the fluorescent lighting.

arjaya I ordered all of it from Amazon. Do a search for LED strip lights and you will find many choices, you can get the single density rolls for about $10 or less or the double density for about twice that. You may want to consider the double density lights, they are twice as expensive but then you also get 600 LED's on the same size roll instead of 300. I only say this because you may need two rolls of the lower density lights to be happy with the final look. Concerning hot spots, the answer is no. The translucent backing on the snap frame does an excellent job blending the lights. I really didn't even have that problem on the first box I built with a completely clear lens. Last, about the transformer getting hot... it has to be sized correctly. You have to look at the package of LED's when you get them and see how many watts of power they draw. Based on that you can go to a calculator on the web and determine how many amps the power supply needs to be. You simply enter the watts and voltage (12v) and it will calculate the amps. If you undersize it you are flirting with disaster. At best, it will just go out on you, and at worst you could cause a fire. I can't stress how important it is to size the power supply correctly! If you do it right it may feel warm to the touch, but should never be hot. Good luck.

TheSteveBidwell Sorry for asking the silly question of where you got your LED's. I did watch the video a day ago, but forgot that you mentioned it. My gears are turning now. I'm just about done my media room and I have pre-wired two extra switches for lighting. I've been searching on the internet and I think I'm going to switch gears and do the LEDs. I found the hard wired transformers (www.affordablequalitylighting.com/outdoor-lighting/low-voltage-transformers/indoor-outdoor-12v-150w-dc-led-driver-dimmable-transformer/) that i'm going to take one of the two light switches that I allocated for lighting and run it to that transformer. From that transformer I'll be able to run low voltage wire to my poster frames directly in the back with a plug. The transformer is dimmable and is compatible with a specific Lutron switch, which I already have. The transformer is rated up to 150 watts output, so I'll be able to do my 3 movie poster boxes. The only downfall is the transformer is $115.00, but makes for a clean installation. What do you think?

David, Did the 5050 lights work for you? Or would 2 strips be best? Thanks, Neil

I used one strip of the higher density lights and they are good. I tried using the clip connectors and they don't work well, so am soldering the connections with success. We made three of the frames and one "Theater" light/sign. Very fun and rewarding project.

David Hawkinson David, I'd love to see your projects if you could post a video or some pictures sometime. I agree about the connectors, and if you do actually get them to work they eventually stat to cause problem... much better to solder them if you can.

Steve, Did the frame come with a Styrene backing? Was this used in front of the lights? Was this sturdy enough? Thanks, Neil

Neil Wilson Hi Neil, the frame has a translucent plexiglass backing that allows the lights to shine through. It sturdy enough when mounted to the box. Hope this answers your question, but i believe I talked about this in the video. Sorry about the duplicate reply-- I had replied earlier, but it was not a direct reply to your question and I wasn't sure if you had seen it.

The one I made is working out really nice, no problems with the LED's or the dimmer I'm using. Hope your project goes well, I'd love to see your finished product.

Hey Chris, the only thing I can suggest is that you make sure you size the power supply properly based on the current the LEDs require. If your transformer is too small it will burn out like you describe. Check the packaging your LEDs came in and it should tell you how much current the whole string requires. If you double that, based on having about two strands of lights then make sure your transformer can supply that amount of amperage, you should be good. For example, let's say each roll of LED's requires 12v at 700ma. I'd double that and make sure you get a 12v transformer that can supply around 1.5 to 2.0 amps. If you already accounted for this then you may have just had a bad transformer. I have these LED lights all over my house and I have had to replace a transformer from time to time, they do go out. Good luck.

The snap frame has pre-drilled mounting holes under the frame edges that you can access once you flip open the frame edges. I simply used those hole and mounted it to the top of the box using some small wood screws. Be sure to pre-drill the wood prior to driving in the screws, otherwise you risk the chance of splitting your wood frame. Also, you may want to purchase some double sided foam tape (quarter inch thick weather stripping will also work), and put that down along the edge of the box before you mount the frame. This will help keep all the light inside on the off chance your frame is not perfectly flat. Without the tape you will probably notice the light leaking when it's in a totally dark room (i did). Good luck with your project.

How’d it go

I really doubt that just running the LEDs around the inside of the frame would be enough. In my opinion you need two rolls of the single density LED's or a single roll of double density. You can always try it and see if you are happy with the results and then just add more if you think you need it. That's the nice thing about using the LED's it's pretty hard to screw up :) Good luck with your project.

That’s a shame, I made this video several years ago and the prices were reasonable then. I believe there have been a lot of people buy the snap frames solely based on my KZfaq video, and I guess between the uptick in demand and today’s inflation the cost has gotten out of hand. The snap frame does make the whole build much easier, but you could alway go the route of just hinging a poster frame to the front like I did in the first version of the box I made. This method, while a little more complicated still works well. Mine has held up fine over time. Best of luck with your build.

bashuck1 I used a "rabbit" joint around the back of the box I made. It's basically a groove where you cut away about .25" of the material from the width and depth of the rails and then the plywood back drops down flush into the opening. You can Google it, there are lots of wood working video that will demonstrate the technique, but you almost have to have a router and rabbit cutting bit to do this unless you are really good with a hammer, chisel. For this project it 's probably a little overkill, you can simply take your .25" backing material (plywood, hard board, etc...) and cut it to fit the back exactly and then just tack it on with some small nails or screws (pre drill the holes if you use screws or you may split the edge of your frame). Good luck with your project.

SnapeZo 27x40 Movie Poster Frame, Black, 1.25 Inch Aluminum Profile, Front-Loading Snap Frame, Wall Mounting, Professional Series for One Sheet Movie Posters www.amazon.com/dp/B007NX4DNW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_pY-SEbWZZ55XB

Ty, smaller amount of lights are the Bright White or 5000K lights. I'd recommend doing the entire project with these. I'd also suggest that you purchase the 600 SMD or double density light strips over the 300's, they are about twice the cost, but you get twice the LEDs in the same strip length and one roll should work out nicely. Good luck with the project.

Do you have a link for the double density light strips that you are talking about? I may have more questions once I start the project, but thanks!!

Ty Covington Hi Ty, you can simply do a search on Amazon for "double density led strip" and you will find pages of them. I'd really rather not specify one brand over another. You should be able to pick up a roll for $20 or less.

I'm searching for this also in the UK, any pointers would be appreciated.

The size of the box I made to go with the 27"x40" Snap frame is 28"x41"x3" (outer deminsions). I purposely don't specify the size in the video because it may vary slightly depending on the frame, but if you purchase the same frame as I did then you should be okay using my dimensions. Remember, depending on how you join your pieces of wood, you will need to take into account the thickness of the wood when figuring your cut lengths. In my case I cut the longer length boards at exactly 28" and the shorter boards (top & bottom) at 26.5". When you add the 1.5" thickness of the two .75" boards the width of the frame will be 28" when all joined together. Hope this makes sense. Good luck with the project.

TheSteveBidwell thanks steve for your help!

Towards the end of video #1 I explain that you should use what is referred to as a "double-sided" poster to get the best results. In case you are not familiar, a double sided poster has the poster printed on both sides of the paper, with the image on the back being a mirror of the image on the front. These posters let the light shine through much better then a single sided poster. With a single sided poster the image will look much duller and will be missing the "pop" you get with the double-sided prints. Hope this info helps. Good luck with your project.

Oops! never mind. I found the exact thing on amazon so I was able to bundle to order together. But thanks for the video! Paul

You have the wrong frame or the mfg has changed the design. Seem that someone else reported this, but in that case the frame wasn’t a snap frame, but rather a knock off from another seller. So not sure which is the case, but mine had a semi transparent frame that light could pass through without a problem.

TheSteveBidwell interesting. Everything else seems to fit. It has the diffuser inside, it has the pre drilled holes, the only problem is that backboard. Thank you for the advice.

The frames are very “hit or miss” as far as having the translucent backing. I just recently posted the one I purchased in the comments on one of the other videos I have, and that one is still available on Amazon. The description actually says it has a translucent back. I have three videos on making the movie poster light boxes, and I don’t recall exactly which one it’s posted on, but it was in the past couple of weeks so it shouldn’t be too hard to find. Other then that, I really don’t have any other recommendations, it’s been several years now since I built these, so I really have not researched what else is available. I can tell you that mine have withstood the test of time and are still working perfectly. Good luck with your build. -Steve

@@TheSteveBidwell Thanks for your fast reply.. they dont ship to my country ( the Netherlands) and on ebay they sell for more then 100 dollars and shipping is around 30-50 dollars.....

That idea also crossed my mine. Due to the white translucent backing on the snap frame, you do have to use more or brighter LEDs then you would on a design that has clear plexiglass. I don't think it would be too bright, but the problem with removing the snap frame backing is that it would leave you with no way to support the poster. The frame actually snaps down and holds the poster to the backing and I beleive without that the whole thing would not work. I also considered cutting the center of the backing out, but that too presents an issue. I think the part left behind would create a shadow around the poster that would look really bad. Ideally, the backing would be totally transperent, but sadly that's not the case... in fact I've had a report from one other subscriber that he actually got a frame where the backing wasn't translucent at all, and so it would not work for a backlit poster frame. Thanks for subscribing and good luck with the project if you decide to try it.

It's so weird because my backing seems to be solid white. It doesn't seem like there is any chance that a light will shine through this backing , but I guess we'll see when it's all done. I tried removing the backing and you're correct - the poster falls through the back

the frame has pre-drilled holes around it that are exposed once you flip it open, so when you set the frame on the box you can put some small screws through the holes and into the edge of the wood frame...no worries this is the easy part :)

Would You be kind enough and take a measurements in metrics (mm) of the backing of frame that You put your poster on? Measurements of my posters are 1017x688mm. Frames and especially shipping are high for my country and I really woudn't want to risk ordering several of those just to figure out that I have to trim my valuable posters. TNX!

Hello Steve I am working on 3 light box I would appropriate your input on all the LED lighting, I may need and the transformer thanks very much andrew

About how many rolls did you use?

If the lights are too close to the poster you will notice the “dot” pattern on the poster. The frame allows enough separation of the LEDs from the poster to disperse the lights to give it an even look. With that said, I have seen some edge lit poster frames the tend to look okay, but I’ve not tried to build one of those so I’m not sure how easy it would be. Hope this answer helps. Good luck with your frame.

movieposters.com has them. You only want double sided poster, as they look much better when back lit. As far as cost it's all over the board, depending on if you get originals, reprints and how old the movie is. Most originals are collector's items ands can sell for 1000's, but you can pick up reprints and newer posters for as little as $25 or so. There are other places to find them as well, just google double sided movie posters. Best of luck.

@@steviebid i appreciate your fast response. However i want to use these backlit posters for my own business on the front windows promoting my own work as a Photographer ( so the idea is to print my own work and change them up every month or so) Do you recommend that usage ? And if yes do you have a preferred company that does 27x40 custom prints ?

@@moealyasini2784 Great idea, but I don't have any recommendations for a printer, I've only used these for movie posters. I would expect that having your own work printed as a double sided poster of that size might be quite expensive though- don't know for sure, just a hunch. I'm glad you like my light box idea though and I hope you can make it work for your business.

@@steviebid you’re great! Thank you

Sorry, I had a typo in my original reply. You actually cut the stiles or longer sides to the exact length at 41" and the rails or shorter sides at 26.5". Adding the extra 1.5" from the stiles you should end up with a 28" x 41" x 3" box when assembled. Hope this makes sense, and hope I got it right this time...I'm by no means a woodworking wizard.

TheSteveBidwell hey steve no worries. Youve helped me so much already. Thanks again for all your help!

Were your poplar boards 3x1? If so, wouldn't it be an extra 2" and not 1.5" ? Edit: Oh, I think it's because you made the fancy inlets so that it's offset form the back by .25" on each side? I am not talented enough for that! Also, you made reference in other comments to 2x1 poplar and 3x1 poplar in this comment. Do you remember which you used? Thank you!

I don't remember exactly but I believe I used a 2 x 1 poplar board. I'd need to check when I get home to confirm.

Did you simply nail them together and then nail to back of plywood? I was going to attempt this simple setup and wanted to make sure it wasn't stupid!

Hi Andrew, sorry to hear this, I wonder if they have changed that on all the frames now, if so that would be huge problem with using these for light boxes. You may want to try and reach out to the manufacturer and see if they can tell you if this is the case or not. I have not ordered a new frame in over a year and no one else has mentioned it in any of the posts on my video, so I don't have any data points to really share with you, but thanks for letting me know. Did you purchase the actual Snao Frame brand (I've seen look alike) and di you get them fromAmazon? Just curious since that is where I got mine from in the past.

TheSteveBidwell I took a second look at my last Snap Frame order and this is what i purchased (It come from SnapFrames Direct and is sold through Amazon) here is the link: www.amazon.com/Aluminum-Profile-Loading-Display-Professional/dp/B007NX6LMI/ref=pd_rhf_ee_s_cp_2_DJNX?ie=UTF8&refRID=1Y8754NCAQZBJX7AVQZB Not sure if this is what you ordered or not, but mine had a white translucent back...it's not clear, but the light shines through it fine. When I first looked at it though I didn't think it would work, but once I put some lights behind it turned out okay, so make sure you check yours with actual light before you give up on them. Let me know how it works out, you have me concerned about the product now. Thanks.

It's not clear, it's a white translucent color, but light will shine through it.

Hi Shawn, I added small eye hooks to the back on each side of the box and then used a piece of picture hanging wire running across from one hook to the other. No different then you would do for a nice size picture or mirror. I then used a 20 lb. rated drywall picture hanger into the wall and simply hung it on the hanger using the wire. The nice thing about hanging it this way is that is easy to adjust to make it hang straight.

They should be available on Amazon. Simply search for LED strip light connector cables and you will find them.

You simply bend the strip of lights over itself. The corner won't stick, but that won't matter. If you are handy with a soldering iron you can cut the strips and then use wire loops and solder the connections back together. After doing a few of these now, simply bending the light strips is much quicker and you can't tell the difference once the post frame is attached to the case.

Steve Bidwell Thank you very much for the quick reply :)

Hi Brent, yes you are correct, I used 2" poplar boards to make the frame. You can purchase them from Lowes or Home Depot. I used poplar because it paint nicely with little or no sanding.

It would have light spots, you need the couple inches distance to spread the light evenly.

Maybe $60 for me, but I had a lot of the material already from other projects. I suspect it would run you about $100 or so of you purchased everything you needed.

@@steviebid hi can you give a link to the snap frame? I cannot find any with the translucent back panel.

Andrew, sorry it been so long ago I no longer have a link. I purchased from a company off Amazon. You may look through all the comments, I or someone else may have posted a link before; however, I do recall some people saying that they had ordered the snap frames and they were no longer having the semi-transparent back, which would defeat the whole purpose. Best of luck with your project.

@@steviebid hey man no worries! I actually did find the right snap frame :) honestly I was just curious where you got yours because I was searching for the cheapest option lol I'm considering using normal picture frames and translucent plastic shelf liners instead of the cardboard backing the frames come with, and attach THAT to the light box you made.. ya I'm gonna follow your instructions on point with the box. Thanks for the great video! Very inspiring!

I have a series of videos on this, all were published several years ago, but you should be able to see the finished product in the others I believe. Sorry this wasn't helpful to you.