Kelvin Chart - Lighting Fundamentals
Color temperatures describe how warm or cool white light is processed by the human eye. Light is called warm white if it has orange and yellow tones, cold white if it is neutral, and daylight if it emits a slightly bluish tint hue.
Color Temperature in K (Kelvin)
How is Color Temperature Measured?
Color temperature is measured in Kelvin and ranges from 1000K to 10000K. Lighting for residential and commercial spaces generally ranges from 2000K to 6500K. Warm white, cool white, and daylight ranges are subjective and include:
- Warm White: 2600K to 3200K
- Cool White: >3200K to 4500K
- Daylight: >4500K
In the lighting industry, color temperatures and correlated color temperature are often used interchangeably.
The color temperature of lamps makes them visually "warm," "neutral" or "cool" light sources. Generally, the lower the temperature is, the warmer the light source, and vice versa.
It's important to remember this because while it seems counterintuitive -- our brains want us to believe that the bluer light sources have a low or cooler color temperature, and that yellow light sources have a high or warmer color temperature, but it is actually the exact opposite in lighting. Lamps with a lower color temperature (3500K or less) have a warm or red-yellow/orangish-white appearance. The light is saturated in red and orange wavelengths, bringing out warmer object colors such as red and orange more richly.