Imagine you are in a clothing shop and you have spotted that shirt you have been looking for a long time. It looks perfect, but as soon as you get home you realise that the colour is not exactly as it appeared in the shop. Why is that? Most likely the answer lies in the colour rendering index, or more simply CRI.
What is the Colour Rendering Index (CRI)? CRI, which stands for Colour Rendering Index, is a scale that measures the ability of a light source to faithfully reveal colours, comparing it to how well it renders in natural light. Put simply, the CRI tells us how well we see colours under a specific light, regardless of whether it is warm, neutral or cold.
CRI is crucial in many everyday contexts, just think in a museum how much lighting with a high CRI can make us appreciate works of art in their authentic colours. Similarly, in a clothing shop, a low CRI might make a garment look different than when looking at it in sunlight.
How the CRI works CRI is measured on a scale from 0 to 100, where 100 represents perfect colour rendering, equivalent to sunlight. When the CRI exceeds 80, the colour rendering is considered good, up to a maximum LED value of 98. However, a very high CRI means lower efficiency, as the higher the CRI value of the light source, the lower its energy efficiency. Consequently, the colour rendering results in a reduction or increase of the luminous flux of the lighting products, which can become significant with the same luminaire wattage.
In conclusion, we can say that the Colour Rendering Index is an often overlooked parameter, but one that plays a fundamental role in our visual perception and choice of lighting product, transforming the way we see and experience colours in our daily lives.
Explore our Catalogue to learn more about colour rendering.
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Imagine you are in a clothing shop and you have spotted that shirt you have been looking for a long time. It looks perfect, but as soon as you get home you realise that the colour is not exactly as it appeared in the shop. Why is that? 
