What is “Color Rendering Index”?
The “Color Rendering Index”(CRI) describes how colored objects appear under a given light source. Early fluorescent lighting products rendered colors poorly. In contrast, to today’s ENERGY STAR qualified lighting that performs well. The CRI rating is available for all light bulbs and helps you choose the appropriate bulb. CRI is measured on a 100-point scale, with 100 being a reference value of a particular incandescent light. A low CRI indicates that objects may appear unnatural under the source, while a light with a high CRI rating allows an object’s colors to appear more natural. Lights with CRI values of 80 or higher are considered to do a good job of rendering colors. Most CFL bulbs available locally have CRI ratings of 82 to 84, considered excellent values. CFL bulbs with CRI values in the high 80s can be found through other sources. Color temperature is another important specification for the light quality of a CFL ulb.
The “Color Rendering Index”(CRI) describes how colored objects appear under a given light source. Early fluorescent lighting products rendered colors poorly, in contrast to today’s ENERGY STAR® qualified lighting that performs well. The CRI rating is available for all light bulbs and helps you choose the appropriate bulb. CRI is measured on a 100-point scale, with 100 being a reference value of a particular incandescent light. A low CRI indicates that objects may appear unnatural under the source, while a light with a high CRI rating allows an object’s colors to appear more natural. Lights with CRI values of 80 or higher are considered to do a good job of rendering colors. Most CFL bulbs available locally have CRI ratings of 82 to 84, considered excellent values. CFL bulbs with CRI values in the high 80s can be found through other sources. Color temperature is another important specification for the light quality of a CFL bulb.
