In this guide: The short answer · Net, string or starcloth · Elumen8 net lights · String lights and power · LED or fibre-optic starcloths · The LEDJ range · Colour · Dimming and DMX · Indoors or outdoors · Flame retardancy · Uses · Popular picks · FAQ

The short answer

For a wall, hedge, tree, canopy or building that needs to glow with even warm white points, use connectable LED net lights. For lines and outlines, use connectable string lights from the same system. For a stage backdrop or a top-table wall that looks like a night sky, use an LED starcloth: a black fabric drape with LEDs set in a random pattern and its own controller.

• Outdoors: the Elumen8 net and string lights are IP65 rubber-cable products. The LEDJ starcloths we sell are indoor-only: their manuals say to keep them away from rain, moisture and liquids.
• How many per supply: Elumen8 says a maximum of 2 net lights, 16 x 10m strings or 8 x 20m strings can be connected on a single power cable.
• Control: every LEDJ starcloth system in this guide runs standalone or from a DMX desk. The Elumen8 lights are sold as dimmable, but Prolight does not list DMX control for them.
• Paperwork: Prolight publishes fire test reports and declarations for the LEDJ cloths. Download the one for your model before the venue asks.

Elumen8 and LEDJ are both supplied in the UK by Prolight Concepts, so the specifications in this guide come from Prolight’s product pages and user manuals. For outdoor festoon runs see our festoon and outdoor event lighting guide. For planning a whole seasonal scheme see the Christmas and seasonal venue lighting guide.

Net, string, curtain or starcloth: which does what

Festoon, the large-bulb outdoor lighting, is a separate category with its own guide, so it is not repeated here.

Elumen8 connectable LED net lights

The Elumen8 Connectable Dimmable LED Net Lights, warm white, 6 x 4m is our best-selling decorative light. Prolight’s published specification:

Three things catch people out:

• The starter cable is separate. The net does not come with a plug. You need a 13A power supply lead or a 16A power supply lead, plus a 5m power cable or longer if the supply point is not right next to the net.
• Two nets per power cable, not more. Elumen8 states a maximum of 2 net lights connected on one power cable. A wider wall needs more than one feed.
• It shares a system with the string lights. Elumen8 says the nets can be used together with Elumen8 String Lights, and the same power leads, extension cables, adaptors and blanking caps are listed for both. Elumen8 does not publish a combined limit for a mix of nets and strings on one cable, so ask us before mixing them on one feed.

Elumen8 string lights and the power system

The Elumen8 rubber connectable dimmable string lights come in 10m and 20m lengths, on black or white cable. Colours we list include warm white 10m, warm white 20m, cool white 20m and multicolour 20m, plus red, green, blue, orange, purple and pink. Prolight rates them IP65 on heavy-duty rubber cable.

Prolight’s connection limits per single power cable:

For the 10m vintage white version, Prolight lists 100 LEDs at 10cm spacing and 9W. Check the product page for the specific colour you are buying.

The power parts are shared across nets and strings. The 13A lead is an IP44-rated 2-pin female to 13A plugtop cable, 1.4m long, fitted with a 3A fuse. Prolight describes the cable as suitable for temporary outdoor use. To feed runs from one point there are 1-in, 3-out and 1-in, 6-out adaptor cables, along with 5m and 10m power cables and replacement blanking caps.

Starcloths: LED or fibre-optic

A starcloth is a drape, usually black, with points of light scattered across it. There are two ways of making the points.

Fibre-optic

The traditional method. A separate light source holds a lamp and a motorised effects wheel. The light feeds a harness of optical fibres whose ends are set into the cloth. The effects wheel makes the points twinkle or change colour. The fibres carry light but no electrical current. We do not currently list fibre-optic cloths.

LED

LEDs are wired into the cloth itself and driven by a controller, which handles chases, fades, dimming and DMX. Everything we sell in this category is LED, from LEDJ. LEDJ places the LEDs randomly so the cloth looks more like a real night sky than a regular grid.

The LEDJ starcloth range

LEDJ cloths come in three families. Before you buy, check two things: whether the controller is included, and whether the cloth is cool white or tri-colour (RGB).

Sizes, LED counts and weights are from the LEDJ user manuals and Prolight product pages. The MKII manual gives no weight for the 6 x 3m cloth. Prolight’s STAR11 web page lists 18.5kg against 13.5kg in the manual, so check the product page before planning around weight.

MKII DMX systems

These come complete with a cloth, a DMX controller and a heavy-duty carry bag. The cloth is a lightweight, low-reflection, fire-retardant material, which LEDJ positions as an alternative to traditional wool serge. It has Fast Fixx velcro tabs and zips on the bottom and sides for joining cloths. The controller has an IEC power input, 3-pin DMX in and out, and a 6-pin XLR output to the cloth.

PRO cool white cloths

These are heavy-duty, 320gsm black molton cloths with eyelets, holes and velcro on all four sides for joining cloths edge to edge. They are sold as cloth only and need the LEDJ PRO starcloth controller (STAR24). That controller offers 12 DMX channels, independent DMX control of 8 groups of LEDs, 0 to 100% dimming, variable strobe, sound-active, auto and master/slave modes, a powerCON input, and both 3-pin and 5-pin DMX in and out. Its rear panel has two data outputs, and Prolight says it can control up to two STAR41, STAR42 or STAR43 cloths.

PRO Tri (RGB) systems

The same heavy black molton construction, but with tri-colour LEDs for coloured skies. The 6 x 3m and 8 x 4m systems include the PRO Tri starcloth controller (STAR20), which runs in 7 or 28 DMX channel modes. To widen a 6 x 3m system, the add-on cloth comes with a 4-pin XLR cable for connection to the controller.

LEDJ also makes a 6 x 3m starcloth and drape stand set for freestanding use. Setting up stands and suspending cloths is covered under Uses below.

Colour: warm white, cool white or RGB

• Warm white suits weddings, restaurants, Christmas trees and hedges, and anywhere skin tones and wood finishes matter. The Elumen8 net is 2,700K warm white.
• Cool white gives the classic crisp night-sky starcloth. All the LEDJ MKII and PRO cloths in the table above are cool white.
• RGB (tri-colour) lets the sky change colour to match the room or the event brand. Choose the LEDJ PRO Tri systems.
• Fixed colours such as red, green, blue, purple and multicolour are available in the Elumen8 string range. Each colour is a separate product, so the colour cannot be changed afterwards.

Mixing white sources from different products rarely matches exactly. If nets and strings will sit side by side, buy the same colour from the same range.

Dimming and DMX control

The two systems are controlled very differently.

• LEDJ starcloths run standalone, with built-in programmes, sound-active and auto modes, or from any DMX desk. Several cloths can be linked and synchronised. The MKII controller uses 5 DMX channels, the PRO cool white controller 12, and the PRO Tri controller 7 or 28. The manuals also say: do not connect the equipment to a dimmer pack. Dim them through the controller.
• Elumen8 net and string lights are sold as dimmable, but Prolight’s product pages do not say how they should be dimmed or which dimmers are compatible. Tell us what you intend to dim them with before you order and we will check it with the manufacturer.

If you are building a DMX-controlled room, starcloths slot straight into the rig. For battery uplighters and other wireless options see our battery uplighter guide.

Indoors or outdoors: IP ratings

The Elumen8 nets and strings come with an end cap, so fit it on the last one in a run.

Flame retardancy: what the paperwork says

Venues and local authorities often ask for evidence that any fabric hung in a public space is flame retardant. For LEDJ starcloths, Prolight publishes the following:

• PRO cloths (cool white and Tri): Prolight’s fire certificate for these models is an SGS test report on the “heavy duty molton” fabric, classified Class 1 under EN 13773:2003+A1:2007 (curtains and drapes). The report notes that no cleaning procedure was applied before testing. It identifies the sample only as heavy duty molton and does not name the starcloth models, so if a venue needs model-specific evidence, ask us to confirm it with Prolight.
• MKII DMX systems (3 x 2m, 6 x 3m, 8 x 4.5m): Prolight’s fire declarations of conformity list the fire classification standards EN 13501-1, EN 13823 and EN ISO 11925-2.

Both documents can be downloaded from the product pages on Prolight’s website, or we can send them to you. Give the venue the actual document rather than a summary of it, and check what the venue requires. Our drape flame retardancy guide explains IFR, DFR and the British and European standards venues ask for.

Elumen8 net and string lights are electrical decorations, not drapes. The Elumen8 net light’s CE declaration lists standards including EN 60598-2-20, which covers lighting chains.

Uses: weddings, Christmas, backdrops and ceilings

• Weddings and functions. A cool white or tri-colour starcloth behind the top table or the band, and warm white nets on hedges and trees at the entrance. For the wider question of what a venue should own and what it should hire, see our wedding and function venue AV guide.
• Christmas and seasonal. Nets over hedges and on building faces, and strings on trees and outlines. Warm white is the default.
• Backdrops. A starcloth on a pipe and drape frame or a stand set makes an instant stage backdrop. Sizes and frames are covered in our pipe and drape guide.
• Ceilings and canopies. A starcloth or a net across a ceiling or marquee roof is a strong effect. The cloths are heavy, though: up to 24.2kg for the 8 x 4m Tri, as the table shows.

Popular picks from the shop

Frequently asked questions

How many LED net lights can I connect together?

Elumen8 states a maximum of 2 of its 6 x 4m net lights on a single power cable. For more, use additional power feeds. The design of those supplies is for a competent person.

How many Elumen8 string lights can I join on one plug?

Up to 16 of the 10m strings or 8 of the 20m strings on a single power cable, according to Prolight. The 13A or 16A starter lead is sold separately.

Can LED net lights be used outside?

The Elumen8 net lights are IP65 on heavy-duty rubber cable, and Prolight describes them for bushes, hedges, trees, fences and buildings. Fit the end cap on the last unit in the run.

Are starcloths fire retardant?

The LEDJ cloths are described as fire retardant. Prolight publishes an SGS EN 13773 Class 1 test report for the PRO molton cloths and declarations of conformity for the MKII systems that list EN 13501-1 and related fire standards without stating a class. Give the venue the document for your exact model.

What is the difference between an LED and a fibre-optic starcloth?

An LED cloth has LEDs wired into the fabric and driven by a controller. A fibre-optic cloth has fibre ends in the fabric, lit by a separate light source with an effects wheel, so the cloth itself carries no electrical current. We stock LED cloths from LEDJ.

Can I control a starcloth from my lighting desk?

Yes. Every LEDJ controller in this guide accepts DMX: 5 channels on the MKII, 12 on the PRO cool white controller and 7 or 28 on the PRO Tri controller. They also run standalone. Do not connect them to a dimmer pack.