What is CRI? Turns out it has a lot to do with how the items in your home look. Read more to find out what this measurement means and how to choose the right CRI for your bulbs!
Have you ever noticed that certain objects look different under different types of light? For instance, that bouquet of flowers that looked so dazzlingly bright in your garden outdoors, but now looks a bit drab once brought indoors to be displayed. The Color Rendering Index, or CRI, of different light sources is to blame for this often frustrating phenomenon. To put it simply, CRI represents the measure of a light source’s ability to show the true colors of an object compared to how they look in the bright light of natural daylight.
So what does this mean for you? Lower CRI numbers mean that colors may appear unnatural under the light, while higher CRIs represent the object’s colors more realistically. Noon sunlight measures a CRI of 100, so striving to use lamps closest to this color temperature will be your best bet for accurate color representation.
While the average person might not place a great deal of importance on whether the colors of their home are shown as accurately as possible, CRI measurements are extremely important for artists who need to see their work in its most realistic state.
Light sources with a CRI over 85 are considered good at rendering colors correctly, and bulbs with a CRI of 90 or more are considered excellent. Warm white lamps come in at around 95, while cool white fluorescent lights measure a CRI around 60, so if you’re looking for the highest possible representation of colors under your light, fluorescent lights aren’t a great choice.
So whether you need realistic lighting for professional purposes, or you just want your flowers to look their best on your kitchen counter, look for bulbs with a CRI over 85!
