![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
This is a personal project, not a startup. My name is Simon, I’m a designer from Hungary and I’ve designed a lamp inspired by a now over 50 years old TV test card and by my childhood memories.
As a child, I was fascinated by how cool test cards looked on the TV screen. The strange geometrical shapes, vivid colors, and the fact that they lived inside the same box where Star Wars and Back to the Future did mesmerize me every time. It made no sense at all, but I loved it.
![]()
This was a time before the Internet or computer games for me, a time when TV was the ultimate symbol of technology at my fingertips. Looking at a test card was like looking under the hood of a complex machine. With time test cards became a symbol of a dominant era of TV history and I wanted to capture some of it in a symbolic object, this is how MONO LAMP was born.
It took over a year to prototype, build partnerships and eventually find the right balance between product quality, cost, and scalability. Now it's time to bring MONO LAMP to life with your help! :)
![]()
![]()
A test card is a TV test signal, typically broadcast at times when the transmitter is active but no program is being broadcast.
![]()
There were many different test card designs in use since the earliest TV broadcasts, they were originally physical cards at which a television camera was pointed, and such cards are still often used for calibration, alignment, and matching of cameras and camcorders.
Test cards typically contain a set of patterns to enable television cameras and receivers to be adjusted to show the picture correctly. Formerly a common sight, test cards are now only rarely seen outside of television studios, post-production, and distribution facilities. In particular, they are no longer intended to assist viewers in the calibration of television sets.
Source: Wikipedia
![]()
Do I need a PayPal account to pay?
No. You can simply make your payment using your credit or debit card without having a PayPal account.
I need help with my payment process
Contact us at hello@monolamp.com and we will help you in minutes!
How can I order a Grayscale lamp?
Unfortunately, at the moment you can't because the demand for it during our campaign was below financial feasibility. If you would like to receive an email when it's available, send us an e-mail at hello@monolamp.com
Does it come with a light bulb?
Yes.
What do you mean by 'standard light bulb'?
I mean a light bulb with a standard E14 socket and widely available. Good to note here that the type of light bulb needed here is a bit narrower than usual to fit into the globe so not every light bulb can fit well with the lamp.
Does it come with a warranty?
Yes, 2 years of manufacturer warranty.
Can the lamp spin?
Yes, you can spin it manually! :)
What material is the globe made of?
The globe is made out of illuminable plastic.
Why not make it from glass?
I'm not ruling out the possibility of one day make a glass version but for now, that would demand a significantly larger upfront investment with a higher risk of feasibility and would have resulted in a potentially 3-4x more expensive, less safe product with higher shipping costs. So why glass if the plastic is more affordable, easier to make, looks as good as glass, safer and even the shipping cost is lower? :)
How long does it take to produce a lamp?
The expected production time is approximately 6-8 weeks. In the meantime, we need to recognize that as in every similar venture there can be unforeseen & unexpected events that can potentially result in time delays.
Will my lamp look as good as seen in the campaign?
Yes! Actually a bit better as we further perfected our production line but It's good to note here that due to the vacuum forming technology we are using every lamp will be slightly different from another and some vertical lines may have a minimal misalignment between the hemispheres but this will not affect the overall lamp experience (as you probably haven't seen it while watching the campaign videos or images).
What technology are you using?
The technology that made Mono Lamp possible is called vacuum forming. With this technology, we can print plastic sheets, vacuum form hemispheres from them and then glue them together in a higher quality, lower cost and more scalable way than any other technology we have yet to come across. It's good to note here also that vacuum forming next to all of its benefits can leave minimal misalignments between the hemispheres, partly, for this reason, we moved the horizontal center of the design little bit above the actual center of the globe but this as well will not affect the overall lamp experience (as you probably haven't seen it while watching the campaign videos or images).
Is the lamp’s globe is seamless?
No, it’s not seamless, although it might look like that at the first time if you look more closely the campaign video and images you can see that it’s made out of two separate hemispheres (northern & southern). Also, each hemisphere has a small hole in the center where the northern is covered with a white plastic cap and the southern enable the base to enter & hold the globe.
Why is the globe's center line (equator) is moved slightly above the actual?
Due to the vacuum forming technology we are using next to all of its benefits can have minimal misalignments between the hemispheres, for this reason, we had to move the horizontal center of the design little bit above the actual center of the globe but this will not affect the overall lamp experience (as you probably haven't seen it while watching the campaign videos or images).
How easy to damage the globe's surface?
Although every globe comes with a basic scratch protection layer it's surface is still sensitive therefore you need to avoid any sharp objects or anything similar that can potentially scratch it accidentally.
How should I clean the globe's surface?
You can use a soft fabric and some water if necessary but avoid using any products especially the ones containing alcohol because it can permanently damage the lamp's surface.
Have you designed the wooden base?
No, this beautiful wooden base was designed over 12 years ago by Claus Jensen & Henrik Holbaek from Tools Design and was used here - and for many other globes before - with their kind approval.
Are there other bases available?
Yes, we are planning to make different bases available later.
Why it took 1 year to make this lamp?
Although the result might look simple I spent over a year experimenting with different production technologies (4 different), materials (3 different) and production lines (on 2 continents and 5 different countries) to finally get - in my view - the right balance between, quality, cost, and scalability (and for the main part I kept my day job to sustain myself and to invest into this project).
Do you ship worldwide?
Not yet, but we are working on it. Let us know which country you would like to order from at hello@monolamp.com
Is the shipping fee included?
No, the shipping fee is not included.
How much does the shipping cost?
20 € for any E.U. country.
Who will deliver the lamps?
United Parcel Service (UPS)
How long does it take to deliver?
Once a lamp is manufactured the shipping time will be between 48-72 hours anywhere in the E.U.
What is your return policy?
We want to make sure you're happy with your product, so we encourage you to reach out to us via email with any questions or concerns at hello@monolamp.com. If we can't solve your issues our refund policy is as follows: Once the lamp is delivered, you have 14 days to decide whether or not to keep it. If you decide to return it contact our support at hello@monolamp.com. You need to send the lamp back in the same condition as you've received it. Our return policy covers the lamp itself but not the shipping costs.
I'm a business owner and would like to sell Mono Lamp lamp in my store
Contact us at hello@monolamp.com
My question isn't listed here, what should I do?
Send it to us at hello@monolamp.com
