Abstract: An air cooled ultraviolet dryer comprises a lamp (6) mounted within a reflector (1) and supported within a housing (2). The mouth of the reflector is closed off with a tubular heat barrier comprising contiguous tubes (10) which are transparent to UV light. Cooling is effected by passing cooling air into space (3) between the housing (2) and the reflector lamps along tubes (10), preferably by applying suction to the outlet at one end of the housing and causing air to flow transversely over the lamp and through the tubes (10).