Example article for layout testing. The cover is an AI-generated illustration, not a photograph of a TORMIN product.
Color rendering describes how a light source makes object colors appear compared with a reference source. The color rendering index (CRI) is one way to describe color fidelity. It does not tell you how bright a lamp is or whether its white light looks warm or cool.
Three lighting questions, three different measures
| Question | What to check |
|---|---|
| How much light does the source emit? | Luminous flux, expressed in lumens |
| Does the white light look warmer or cooler? | Correlated color temperature, expressed in kelvin |
| How faithfully are object colors rendered? | Color-rendering information, including CRI |
Two lamps with the same color temperature can render colored materials differently. A CRI number is also a summary, not a complete description of every color. Where color judgement matters, request more detailed color-rendering information and review representative materials under the proposed light.
Check the actual visual task
Reading a printed label, comparing painted parts and walking through a storage aisle are different tasks. Before specifying lighting, identify whether workers need to distinguish colors or assess a finish. Evaluate samples under comparable conditions rather than assuming a higher wattage will improve color recognition.
For the separate warm-versus-cool question, see our LED color temperature introduction.
Reference: U.S. Department of Energy: Color and Spectrum.