Light is a significant element of design by color temperature, but it is an element that goes vastly unnoticed. This quality holds a major strength in deciding the atmosphere and function of a space. It is color temperature that makes dinner with candles seem warm and cozy or the sun at noon bright and crisp, framing thereby our understanding of light and, as a consequence, our existence.
What is Color Temperature
Definition of Color Temperature:
Color Temperature means “the temperature of a black body radiator which radiates light of comparable hue to that of the light source.” The temperature of a black body radiator varies, leading to various colors. The temperature of the light source’s color is determinable by comparing the hue with that of a theoretical blackbody radiator.
In other words, “when a light source emits light, it produces a spectrum. If a purely black object were to emit the same spectrum, it would need to be at a certain temperature. This temperature is the color temperature of the light source”. The is the color temperature, how the color of light changes as one moves up on the temperature scale. It is measured in units called Kelvins (K) and can simply be described as the color of the light.
It puts it perhaps even more simply: “Color Temperature refers to the color of the light.” This is an excellent way to remember it, but be careful about overly simplifying what color temperature is.
Kelvin Color Temperature
Kelvin temperature is a means of describing the color of light emitted by a light source, not directly the temperature. The color temperature of a black body radiator equals its surface temperature in Kelvin. This measurement method was named after the British physicist William Thomson, 1st Baron Kelvin.
Kelvin Scale:This is also the temperature scale system used in the International System of Units and is often abbreviated by the symbol K. The device is in a temperature measurement and can be seen in the professional modes of cameras or smartphones.
William Thomson, otherwise known as Lord Kelvin, was a British physicist and inventor who set the foundations for fundamental work in the development of thermodynamics, mainly through electromagnetism. In 1927, the Seventh General Conference of Weights and Measures linked that scale with the thermodynamic one, establishing it as the fundamental scale of temperature, with the symbol K, thus symbolizing Kelvin’s work in this field.
LED lighting fixture color temperature chart
LED Weatherproof Batten Light Fixture Color Temperature
Over the last few decades, most light sources have typically fallen under the following few categories of color temperature:
1. Warm White Light (Warm white):
A warm white LED has a color temperature of less than 3000K, much like an incandescent lighting color, only with more red, which makes it very warm and comfortable.
2. Daylight White (Daylight white:
This color temperature is about 4500 K; it gives a lovely, comfortable, and peaceful sensation.
3. Cool White Light :
Color temperature is appropriate for light, which has a “very bright” feeling, enabling one to focus when it is somewhere between the range of 5500 K to 6500 K.
Due to the improvement in people’s purchasing power and various application scenarios, the general public is exposed to a greater variety of color temperatures, further enriching our lighting environment.
daylight color temperature
Sunlight also has a varying color temperature relative to the time of the day. Sun coloration at its rising is orange-red, with the lowest color temperature at sunrise. At noon, sunlight is yellow-white or white and has a higher color temperature of 5500K and then starts to decrease again.
At the same time, the color of the sun at any given time constantly changes, from red to orange and yellow to white, with color changes connected more to the scattering of the atmosphere than to black body radiation. In other words, the latter is affected by the atmosphere.
Since natural daylight lights with color temperatures high during the day and low during dusk, the human brain is, therefore, triggered to be alert under high color temperature lighting and relaxed when under low color temperature lighting. Thus, the light color temperatures should be controlled according with the time of the day.
For example, even when the sun lies barely above the horizon, its effective temperature can be estimated through its apparent color temperature, which varies widely with atmospheric conditions. Thus, if the sun appears red and has an evident color temperature of 2500K, calculations show that it is about 5770K.
The fact that the sky appears clear and blue is due to the Rayleigh scattering of sunlight by the atmosphere. In the scattering of the sun by the atmosphere, blue light is scattered very much more readily than red light. This is independent of the black body nature.
Popular Lamp Source Color Temperature
1700K: Matchflame
1850K: Candlelight, Sunrise
2550K: Incandescent Bulb
3000K: Halogen bulbs and typical yellowish bulbs
3200K: Studio lights
3350K: CP Studio lamps
4000K: Daylight, moonlight, jaundiced light of fluorescent lamps
5000K: Horizon Day
5500K: Electronic flash, typical daylight
6000K: Pure White Light
6500K: Ordinary white-colored fluorescent lamps
6500K-9500K: LCD, CRT screens
15000K-27000K: Clear blue sky
Selecting Color Temperatures of Weatherproof Batten Light
Selection of color temperature: The color temperature should be based on psychological and aesthetic considerations, illuminance, color of the walls and furniture, climate, and the typical application scenario. Warm color temperatures are preferred in a low illuminance environment; medium color temperatures go with intermediate, and excellent color temperatures go with high illuminance. Areas with a warm climate prefer a warm color temperature, while cold areas prefer a warm temperature. Take a medium color temperature for the typical climate area.
Warm colors lead to a warm, romantic, and cozy feel, while cool colors can lead to a cold, bleak feel. In the lighting of intense color temperatures, it is very lively, whereas, in low color temperature lighting, it is very calm. Use it to take advantage of Ideal Color Temperatures for different
Color temperature suitable for work
For Work Cooler color temperatures enhance work performance and focus during office-related and work-based tasks in the workplace setting. Over and above 5000K, color temperatures have a clear and highly luminous sensation. They are applied in premises that require high brightness with high clarity, such as offices, hospitals, production lines, workshops, and warehouses.
Color temperature suitable for rest
To Relax A light source with a low color temperature can create a high-end, comfortable, and relaxed atmosphere. Below 5000 K, it carries a warmer color temperature, which is suitable for living spaces, creating a comfy and laid-back feeling that is just right for a home, restaurant, or bar.
Color temperature suitable for reading and writing
The internationally set standard is between 3300K and 5300K for the indoor lighting of classrooms. That will reduce the range needed for moderate visual fatigue and maintain moderate brain alertness, which makes the illumination efficient and suitable for reading and writing for more extended periods.
During the day, warm color temperatures at under 5000K work best for reading and writing, but in the evening more excellent light around 4000K is ideal. In a home, the lights used for reading and writing should have adjustable brightness, which should be looked at when purchasing certain kinds.
Weatherproof Batten Light color temperature and suitable places:
| Lighting fixture color temperature（K） | Color sensory characteristics | Applicable places |
| <3300 | Warm white (comfortable) | Guest rooms,bedrooms, wards, bars |
| 3300-5300 | Neutral white light (refreshing) | underground parking lots, tunnels, factories, hospitals, industrial machine rooms, offices, classrooms, reading rooms, shopping malls, clinics, inspection rooms, laboratories, control rooms, etc.
|
| >5300 | Cold white light (clear and high definition) | Thermal processing workshops, museums, exhibition halls, high illumination places |
FAQs:
What is brighter 3000K or 5000K?
However, the color temperature does not directly describe the brightness of a source of light; the lumen output does. Most of the time, the 5000K light will appear much brighter to the average human eye, even though it’s colder and more like daylight, than the warmer 3000K light, simply by being the same lumen output.
Is 3000K warm or cool?
3000K is what provides a warm glow. It emits yellowish, incandescent-like light that creates a comfortable and cozy feeling.
Is 4000K light good for eyes?
4000K light, sometimes referred to as “neutral white” or “cool white,” is generally good for the eyes and aligns with a combination of warm and cool lighting. It is fit for environments demanding clarity and extreme brightness without glaring, such as in offices and working spaces.
Is 6000k or 8000k brighter?
Again, remember, the color temperature doesn’t determine the brightness—that’s in the lumens. About 6000K and 8000K, this is the cooler side of things light-wise. They both can be very bright and harsh. Among these two, 8000K will be calmer and bluer, but both, under technical terms, aren’t “bright” without their lumens.
What color temperature is best?
The finest color temperature depends on the application and personal satisfaction:
2700K to 3000K: Ideal for living rooms and bedrooms, or in other places where an atmosphere of warmth and cosiness is desired.
3500K to 4100K: Ideal for use in kitchens, bathrooms, and offices where warmth of color and brightness are offered in good contrast. 5000K to 6500K: Ideal for task lighting, offices, and places where precision is needed that is closer to daylight, with a high brightness level. Is 6000K cool or warm? 6000K is excellent and emits a very bright, crisp, bluish-white light close to natural daylight.
