Why do you look better at the gym? Why is the dress nicer when you tried it on in the fitting room than at home? What causes the cucumber to appear less green at the dinner table?
Have you ever stood in the gym and thought how ''sharp'' you looked in the center's mirrors and wondered why it's not the same impression when you get home and look in your own mirror? Maybe you've tried on a dress in a clothing store's fitting room, found that you looked splendid in that dress, bought it with the intention of wearing it on the next occasion. When the occasion presented itself and you put on your new dress, it wasn't quite as magical as when you stood in the fitting room. Or maybe you're one of those people who could have sworn that the cucumber looked far fresher when you picked it at the store - but when the cucumber landed on the dinner table a few hours later the color looked significantly different than you remembered.
What do these three scenarios have in common? The first scenario you experienced in the 3 examples (your body, the dress, or the cucumber) was all three in environments where the lighting was of particularly good quality. If you want to see and experience your surroundings in their real color - the color, they would have in natural daylight - then it is a good idea to choose light sources/light bulbs with a good CRI. CRI stands for Color Rendering Index and the color rendering is indicated in Ra. The light CRI is an indicator of how well the light source/ light bulb is at reproducing colors. The scale goes from 1 to 100 percent. This index indicates how precisely the color of the light source/light bulb is indicated in relation to sunlight. The higher the CRI, the closer the light source is to daylight. Light sources/light bulbs with a CRI between 80 and 89 have a high color rendering, which makes them suitable for use almost anywhere. This CRI would often be used in homes, offices, warehouses etc. Whereas shops, hairdressers, gyms etc. often use a CRI between 90-100, as the color reproduction here is all decisive for your experience of the product.
The CRI of a light source/light bulb therefore has an impact on how you see and experience things. The color of a cucumber can be significantly different depending on whether you see it in daylight or on the dinner table in the glow of the electric light. If the color is perceived differently in the electric light than in daylight, then it is probably because the CRI of the light source/light bulb is low (below 80) that the cucumber will appear yellowish, whereas if you have a light bulb with a CRI of over 90 you will experience the cucumber in its original natural color.
The next time you need to replace a light bulb, remember to check the bulb's CRI (it's on the packaging if you buy it in a store). You can always be sure that a light bulb bought from Lumega Home has a good CRI. We at Lumega Home are always available if you need help with lighting.
