Are you having trouble seeing all the small details that are important to reed work, embossing and most of everything else? The trouble is likely how your work space is lit.
This is what my workbench looks like from above. This is me sitting in front of a white piece of paper with a reed plate on it:
Ideally, light should be coming from directly above, like this:
If you are having trouble seeing things, it's likely that your lighting is behind you or off to one side. You will always struggle to see what it going on like this:
Light and shadows help us see what's happening. A small detail like this can mean the difference between viewing the reed passing through the slot or seeing no detail at all. I hope this helps you avoid some frustration.