Color Rendering and Color Temperature of Different Light Sources
Color Rendering (CRI)- An expression of the completeness of
the spectral output of a light source. Indicates how accurately a light source
will reveal colors in the lit environment. Scale of 1-100, the higher the
number the more complete the spectral output and the more accurate the color
render.
Color Temperature- A manner of describing the apparent color
of a light source. Commonly used to express the color or warm color of a source
that deviates from neutral. Expressed in units of Kelvin (K).
Computer Lab
LED tube Lights
The lighting
here rendered the fabrics very well and the color was fairly accurate. The CRI
is between 80 and 90, resulting in accurate color rendering. The color
temperature is between 4,000 and 6,000K, placing it in the cool light source
range
Resource Room
Fluorescent Lights
This lighting
made the fabrics look darker. It is a cool colored light source so the color
temperature measures between 3,000-5,000 K. The CRI is between 50 and 60 and
should be avoided.
Outside Lighting
Sodium Vapor
This light
source changed the color of the fabrics significantly. The light source has a
warm color temperature of about 2250K and a CRI between 0 and 10. This gives it
the worst color rendering of all the light sources that were observed.
Studio Classroom
Halogen
This light
source effected the fabrics in different ways. The cooler colors had a poor
color rendering while the warm colors were not affected much. The colors of
this lamp fall between 2,800K and 3,000K, meaning they have a neutral color
tone. The CRI
