How to Make a Scrim

Want to create gorgeous gradients? Take your photography to the next level with this homemade modifier.

Professional product photographers use scrims to create beautiful gradient lighting. In fact, for product and still life photography, a scrim is one of the most essential pieces of lighting equipment you can own. In this class, you’ll learn how to build one for yourself.

But why use a scrim rather than a softbox? Because unlike a softbox, you can position a scrim at different distances and angles from your light source and subject. This enables you to achieve different gradient lighting effects while maintaining soft light. Best of all, a scrim is an affordable lighting modifier that you can easily make yourself and use for many different types of photography.

Watch the step-by-step class to discover the materials and methods you need to make your own scrim.

What you’ll need:

  • L-brackets
  • Screws
  • Drill/screwdriver
  • Saw
  • Tape measure
  • Lightweight planks of wood
  • Gaffer tape
  • Diffusion material/tracing paper (diffusion material is preferable as it is less flammable than tracing paper)

Karl uses gradient lighting to photograph products in many Visual Education classes. Check out One-Light Lipstick Product Shoot and Whisky Photography for two great examples.

If you enjoy this class, try Creating DIY Photography Backdrops.

Questions? Please post them in the comments section below.

Comments

  1. Neri

    Hi all,

    since the question comes up a lot I would like to share some experinece with making scrims.

    Before I got my first LEE 216 I used cheap diffusion fabric from Amazon on wooden frames, using a staple gun to fix the fabric on the frame (Gaffa will not hold for long). If you put the fabric on both sides of the frame the light gradation gets very smooth and eliminates almost all the problems that occure from the fabric mesh. Similar effect when using two collapsible diffusors on top of each other – just better with the fabric stretched on a frame, because you can get rid of all the wrinkles. Even when shooting very close up with a 50MP Canon 5Ds I only see minimal difference to the LEE216 when zooming in – might be my eyes getting weaker at 42, hope that’s not the case 😉

    Takes away a lot of light – roughly 1 stop per layer, so 2 stops in total – but works very good. It is a long lasting (worked for 3 years without changing fabric or cleaning it) and a cheap option, especially if you are training yourself or creating a portfolio it absolutely is sufficient. As a professional with assignments/jobs sure you would update to the diffusion paper since it is much more versatile and provides the last 2% image quality.

    Cheers
    Neri

    1. Thanks for the information Neri. Although how does the material compare in price to a 7m roll of LEE that you’d get 2 good scrims from?

      1. Neri

        Good question Karl, I should have explained that. It is cost efficient over the long usage time. Especially if you work in a very small room and you are clumsy and stumble over stuff a lot like me. The fabric is quite resilient and if the frame brakes it can be reused.

        To get this straight – I would always recommend the LEE 216, just wanted to point out that the fabric solutions have their place and can be a charm to work with – limitations considered…

        Disclaimer: I do not sell diffusion fabric

          1. Neri

            sure thing…

            We all are at different stages. Before trying my first scrims I was only focussed on softboxes – learning about physics of light with scrims opened a whole new world. Karl Taylor Education courses brought everything to a whole new level, so that investments make actually sense. First attemps where with white baking paper and my desk lamp. In order to learn there’s really no need to spend a lot of money – that might be the biggest take away. The stuff I bought unnecessarily is a real stretch in my marriage 😉

  2. Hi Karl,

    Made these and they work well. Have you ever made the white blocks you use to place products on? They are easily available when in a professional photo studio but I am trying to make them at home out of MDF.

    Any tips?

    Thanks, Joe.

  3. Hi Karl! Finally got my hands on some Lee 216. I made myself a frame that’s 4ft x 6ft, but it’s quite large and will likely be cumbersome in my small studio. Would I be ok if I cut it down to 4ft x 4ft? Or am I better off leaving it at 4ft x 6ft? Thanks!

  4. AWESOME!!! Thank you Karl for showing how easy it is to make not only a scrim but how easy it is to create things needed for around the studio with just some simple tools and a little patience.

  5. Hi Karl,

    Are we still able to purchase the Lee diffusion rolls 216 from your shop?

    Thanks for all you help!
    Kelly

  7. Hi Karl,

    I see you using the 152cm wide scrim Lee Filter 216 when shooting product photography, I have the 121cm wide scrim. Will it give similar results or different results? Correct me If I’m wrong, the only thing I can possibly think is that the Extra 30cm difference will give more spread of diffused light. What do think?

    1. Hi Ahmad, you are exactly right and the bigger size also helps on products that curve away such as the sunglass shoot because you need a bigger scrim area to fill a curved object.

  8. Hi. Thank you for all the information you deliver in this courses.
    Is there a way to get wide tracing paper or Lee 216? I cannot find anything wider than 123cm. The links are not working.
    Thank you,
    Chris

  10. If 1.5m wide paper isn’t available, can you just join (for example) 2 x 75cm wide sheets side-by-side? Or would the join show up in the image?

    1. Hi Tim, 1.5m is available from LEE. Joining 2 sheets will show a join in gloss reflections of light, how distinguishable it is depends on how well you join and how willing you are to photoshop it. I’d highly recommend sourcing the 1.5m wide.

  11. Thanks Karl and team, these videos are so informative and I love Karl’s dad humour.

    I had a question. Would savage translum be interchangeable with frosted acrylic sheets (I think over there you call it Perspex)? I have noticed in some shoots you the frosted acrylic and in some other (broncolor videos) you use a type of translum.

    Thanks, from Canada

  12. Hi Karl,
    Any idea where to find tracing paper in the US? The max size I could find is 48 inch.

  13. Hi Karl,
    If I will make a double sheet scrim from Lee 216 and Lee 250 will it be much difference in shape/smoothness of the gradient or just the difference will be in stops of light lost?

    1. Hi, no need to double with the LEE material as it already diffuses perfectly, in this chapter I was using tracing paper so needed to double it.

  15. Hello! Would any standard tracing paper on amazon work for this? For a more budget friendly alternative.

    Thanks!

    Ben

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