The importance of the CRI value

CRI/RA - What do these values ​​say?

The CRI/RA value is a measure of the quality of the color rendering of light sources. It indicates how exactly a light source can reproduce colors compared to a reference light source. The reference light source has a CRI/RA value of 100 and reproduces colors very precisely. The higher the CRI/RA value of a light source, the better your color rendering. A high CRI/RA value is important for the correct perception of colors.

In many applications, such as in art or in the industry , it is important that the colors are reproduced correctly. Incorrect color rendering can lead to errors and problems. It is therefore important to pay attention to the CRI/RA value when choosing lighting bodies. The CRI/RA value is measured using color patterns that are considered under a reference light source. These color patterns are then viewed and compared under the light source to be measured. The CRI/RA value is then given on a scale from 0 to 100. A CRI/RA value of 100 is ideal and shows a perfect color rendering. A CRI/RA value of 80 or higher is considered good and is sufficient for many applications. A CRI/RA value of less than 80 is considered bad and should be avoided. Overall, the CRI/RA value is an important factor in lighting.

Correct color rendering is essential in many applications and can lead to problems if it is not correct. A high CRI/RA value is therefore desirable in many cases and should be taken into account when choosing light sources. As mentioned, the color rendering index is abbreviated with CRI and specified with a RA value and is a property of a lamp such as an LED lamp or a light bulb. The index indicates how, of course, the colors of illuminated objects act in the light - the sunlight with maximum natural color rendering serves as an orientation. The fact that there are now differences from lamp to lamp in the RA values ​​is related to the different light spectra of the lamps. For the human eye, only the part of the electromagnetic radiation between 380nm and 780nm is visible light, which is made up of different spectral colors.

Natural sunlight then contains all of these colors and thus all visible wavelengths. In order for artificial lighting to achieve such a realistic color rendering as in daylight, the light from the lamp should also contain all spectral colors. However, this is not always the case. Sometimes a lamp releases the brightness unevenly to the color palette and certain colors are overturned and others are underempined. If a spectral color is not available at all, an object in this color looks grayish. Based on the color rendering index Illuminant It can be found out how naturally your lamp the colors reflects and the different lamps can be compared in it. Depending on the purpose of lighting, better color rendering can be more and less important. 

"As a light professional, I always recommend paying attention to a CRI/RA value of at least 80 in order to ensure sufficiently good color rendering and thus creating pleasant and natural lighting."

Why is the CRI/RA important important?

Good color rendering is important to achieve a natural and accurate color display of objects. Lamps with a high CRI/RA value can better reproduce colors, while lamps tend to falsify or fade with a lower value. Lamps with a high CRI/RA are usually LED lamps and incandescent lamps. LED lamps with a CRI/RA value of 80 or higher are usually marked as "high color rendering" and are a good choice for applications in which color accuracy is important, such as when applying make-up or painting. Lamps also have a high CRI/RA, but they are less popular nowadays due to their high energy consumption and environmental impact. The color rendering of a lamp is measured using a spectrometer, whereby the RA value can take numbers of 1 to 100.

The natural daylight of the sun has the maximum value of RA 100, which stands for a faithful color rendering. The higher the RA color rendering index, the more natural the colors appear and the more pleasant they are perceived. The illuminants are then tested using 14 in DIN 6169. The 14 colors include the 8 primarily reference colors altro, mustard yellow, yellow green, light green, turquoise blue, sky blue, aster violet and fleet violet as well as the 6 secondary reference colors red, yellow, green, blue, pink and leaf green. The color rendering as one of many quality features of light not only plays a role in private rooms, such as in the bedroom when dressing, mirror lighting in the bathroom or in the lighting in the dining room, but is even relevant to sales in some industries.

Especially in the food sector, a good color rendering index makes the meat, fruit or baked goods look really tasty and thus also influences the purchase decision of the customers. The same applies to fashion shops in which the colors of the clothing must of course be clearly visible. In addition to trading, a good color rendering of the lamp with high RA values ​​is also relevant to doctors, architects or graphic artists. Here it becomes clear how important lighting can be and the high-quality light with high color fidelity in many areas is required-when buying a lamp, the CRI is therefore to be observed as a RA value.

Conclusion - that's how you do everything!

In summary, it can be said that the CRI/RA value is an important factor in lighting. A high color rendering quality is of great importance in many applications, since it contributes to the fact that colors can be perceived naturally and precisely. When buying lighting bodies, the CRI/RA value should therefore be taken into account in order to ensure pleasant and effective lighting.

If you are still undecided how you want to implement your lighting, please make an appointment with the light professionals from Skapetze, To a personal advice and the development of an individual Lighting concept to take advantage of.

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