The photo on the visitor badge is dark

Dark photos on printed visitor badges are a common thing in lobbies, and it usually comes down to the light rather than anything being wrong with the kiosk. The camera sits in a fixed position, so the things that make a difference are where the kiosk stands and which direction the light comes from.

Light behind the visitor

This is the most frequent reason. When a window, a glass wall or a bright lamp is behind the person signing in, the camera adjusts to the bright background and the face ends up in shadow.

It's easy to miss, because a lobby like that looks perfectly bright to the eye — our eyes handle the contrast, a camera can't. If you have a moment, it's worth standing where a visitor stands and looking past the kiosk. A window in view is likely what the camera is reacting to.

What usually helps: turning the kiosk so the visitor has the window behind the kiosk or to the side rather than at their back. In lobbies with glass on several walls that isn't always possible, and then blinds or a frosted film behind the sign-in spot can do the same job.

Light reaching the face

Even without a window behind, faces can come out dark if the light arrives only from straight above. Ceiling spotlights tend to leave the eyes and the upper face in shadow.

What usually helps: some light at roughly face height, in front of the visitor. A wall light or a lamp on the reception desk is often enough. Soft, even light from the front works better than a strong light from one side.

Checking the result

Once you've had a chance to move the kiosk or adjust the lighting, sign yourself in as a test visitor and have a look at the printed badge. If you can, do it at the same time of day the problem was noticed. Lobbies behave differently through the day — one that works nicely at noon can be trickier in low afternoon sun, and different again in winter darkness.

If the lighting already looks fine

Then it's worth having us take a look. Contact our support team at support@systam.io and, if it's easy to do, include:

• the device name as it appears in Devices in Systam Studio
• a photo of the printed badge, and one of the lobby taken from where the visitor stands
• the time of day the photos look darkest

The lobby photo is a real help — it shows us the light the camera is working with. We'll check what can be adjusted on your device and let you know if something else is behind it.

Related articles

• Printed visitor badge settings
• Setting up a new visitor kiosk

Lighting often takes a little trial and error — and we're happy to work through it with you.