Colored plastic sheets for luminaires — shift color temperature and tint without glass filters. Durable, cost-effective, essential for large-scale and exterior lighting.
Need to quickly add color to your lighting without grinding expensive optical filters? Polychromides are your first choice on almost any set. You stretch these thin, colored plastic sheets in front of your lights—whether Fresnel, PAR, or softbox—and thereby change the color temperature and saturation of the light without noticeably affecting optical quality. Unlike glass filters (see also: Color Filtering), Polychromides are shatterproof, weigh practically nothing, and cost a fraction.
In practice, they work on a simple principle: the colored polyester film absorbs certain wavelengths and transmits others. A CTB (Color Temperature Blue) Polychromide cools warm tungsten light down to daylight equivalent, while a CTO (Color Temperature Orange) does the opposite—perfect when you need to balance LED panels in a scene with artificial light. Color saturation ranges from subtle pastel tones to vibrant neon effects. For exterior lighting, this is worth its weight in gold: you can place a 4x8 Polychromide roll in front of an HMI or work with colored frames in front of your softbox to create atmosphere without breaking the budget.
The practical advantage quickly becomes apparent: when reconfiguring a set—for example, from cool white working light to warm mood lighting—you can change the film in seconds. For large areas (window masking, tent roofs), Polychromides replace massive amounts of expensive specialty glass filters. However, be aware of the limitations: Polychromides age under intense heat radiation, lose color saturation, and can fade after months. For true high-end productions where spectral accuracy counts, you're better off using optical filters (Wratten, Lee, Rosco). Surface roughness also subtly affects the light—it becomes more diffused, which is sometimes desired, sometimes not.
Store Polychromides flat and cool, keeping them away from direct sunlight. On set, tape them to the light frames with heat-resistant gaffer tape or tension them in Rola systems. Professionals always have a mix in their kit: CTO and CTB for quick temperature corrections, then a few effect colors (Lavender, Aqua, Light Red) for creative work. With Polychromides, you work flexibly and cost-effectively—ideal for documentary work, TV production, and all situations where speed takes precedence over perfection.