Color Temperature and Color Rendering Index

To choose the right fluorescent for a specific application, consider two things:

• Color Temperature
• Color Rendering Index

Color Temperature is expressed in degrees Kelvin(K). For example, northern blue sky is approximately 6700 degrees Kelvin - the same as our full-spectrum Vi-Tek 93^® Plus. Fluorescent lamps with lower color temperatures look red; fluorescents with higher color temperatures look blue. This makes sense if you imagine an iron bar being heated. First it gets "red hot." Then, as it gets higher in temperature, it becomes "white hot" and finally, "blue-white" hot.

Color Rendering Index (CRI) is a numerical system that rates the "color rendering" ability of fluorescent light in comparison with natural daylight, which has a CRI of 100. This means that a lamp with a CRI of 93 shows colors more naturally than a lamp with a CRI of 62.

Color Selection Guide

Good color rendering is critical in situations where people must appear natural or products must look appealing. In office and factory applications, high color rendering increases visual clarity, creates a more productive environment, and makes close color matching possible.

The color of an object is determined by the light it reflects. An apple, for example, appears red because it reflects red light. If a light source were deficient in the red portion of the spectrum, there wouldn't be enough light for the apple to reflect, and it would appear dull or off-color.

H&H offers a wide range of fluorescent color temperatures and color rendering indexes. This variety allows you to choose the right lamp for any particular situation.

Very often, full-spectrum light will be appropriate. Other times, the desire will be to create a certain mood or atmosphere, such as warm lighting in settings where people gather, like restaurants. Other situations will require specific types such as Super 34 for deli cases, or Opti-Tek 32/82 for beauty salons or furniture stores.

Once you've decided on the appropriate atmosphere (daylight, neutral, or warm) or application, it's simply a matter of determining how much light (lumens) the situation requires.