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​​​​​​​High Color Rendering Index

Dec. 15, 2020

If you are familiar with lighting, you know CRI. If you are shopping for lights for the first time, we recommend familiarizing yourself with it to purchase a product that suits your needs. Color Rendering Index is one of those things that once you learn about it, you can notice the difference right away, and you will notice it used everywhere to highlight, attract, and present, for example, merchandise, product, or art in an accurate light.

What we mean by accurate is; that it can compare to sunlight in terms of showing the full spectrum of color. Researchers use daylight as the benchmark to which to compare the color rendering of electric lights. In 1948, daylight was described as the ideal source of illumination for good color rendering because it (daylight) displays (1) a great variety of colors, (2) makes it easy to distinguish slight shades of color, and (3) the colors of objects around us obviously look natural.

CRI is the most useful measure of a light source’s color characteristics. Generally speaking, CRI measures a light source’s ability to show accurate and natural object colors compared to a familiar reference source, such as incandescent light or daylight. CRI is also used to manipulate and enhance, for example in a grocery store; the light used above the meat counter will make the meat look red and fresh. It will be a different light then the light over the produce, which will enhance the variety of colors, making the spinach look extra green and carrots extra orange.

The maximum value of CRI is 100. Lower CRI values indicate that some colors may appear unnatural when illuminated by the light source. Keeping that in mind, Centerlight’s RTS linear light series, XTR linear light series, and the Quattro series all have a CRI above 95. Different types of day white fluorescent light fixtures have CRI ranged from 62 to 80. The LED light fixtures have CRI ranged from 80 to 97, and they are STILL more energy efficient.

Most manufacturers prefer to use the basic type of LED, which is about 80 to 85 CRI. As most current LED fixtures are installed as a replacement for old fluorescent lighting, the only difference is efficiency. LED lighting consumes much less energy than fluorescent; however, the light quality stays the same.

Centerlight Inc. cares about the customers and only offers advanced, high CRI LED linear fixtures such as the Quattro and the XTR up and down linear light and our Custom linear light series. High end and stylish extrusions with a powerful and impressive light output. Under the light of any Centerlight linear fixtures, any color appears realistically and naturally.

Centerlight Inc. offers high CRI LED tape in linear fixtures and for ambient lighting. LED tape DREAMLED series such as Platinum, Platinum X2, and Chameleon Platinum are 94 CRI and Gold, Gold X2, Basic X2- 2700K, and Chameleon Gold are 97 CRI.