What's happening
Chinese compliance labs report that advertising light boxes and LED signage sold in the EU must meet ErP Directive (EU) 2019/2020 and energy-label Regulation (EU) 2019/2015, requiring EPREL registration plus an A-G label. Core thresholds include >=85 lm/W efficacy, CRI >=80 (outdoor may relax to >=65), standby <=0.5 W, and new 2025 flicker limits (PstLM <=1.0, SVM <0.9). RoHS, REACH and WEEE compliance plus an EU Representative are also required for market access.
Why it matters for buyers
For a retailer, venue or signage buyer, the practical effect is simple: the unit that reads on your wall at your ambient light, with your artwork, beats the one with the bigger number on the box. Specification order — distance, image size, ambient, then brightness — decides the result.
It also changes lead-time risk. Custom gobos and certified outdoor builds need briefing before the date is fixed; the projector is rarely the long pole, the artwork and certification are.
The technical angle
Brightness you can see is a function of ambient light, not just lumens. A 'bright' unit in a lit lobby disappears; the same unit in a dimmed evening reads strongly. Specify against the actual ambient, not a catalogue number.
What to specify
Before you request a quote, lock these down:
- Ambient light level at the hour the projection must read
- MOQ and dispatch window before the event date
- Image size you need at that distance
- Ingress rating if it lives outdoors or gets washed down
