What is color rendering index (CRI)

A color rendering index (CRI) is a quantitative measure of the ability of a light source to reveal the colors of

various objects faithfully in comparison with an ideal or natural light source. Light sources with a high CRI are desirable in color-critical applications such as neonatal care and art restoration. It is defined by the International Commission on Illumination (CIE) as follows: Color rendering: Effect of an illuminant on the color appearance of objects by conscious or subconscious comparison with their color appearance under a reference illuminant. The CRI of a light source does not indicate the apparent color of the light source; that information is given by the correlated color temperature (CCT). The CRI is determined by the light source’s spectrum. An incandescent lamp has a continuous spectrum, a fluorescent lamp has a discrete line spectrum; the incandescent lamp has the higher CRI. The value often quoted as “CRI” on commercially available lighting products is properly called the CIE Ra value, “CRI” being a general term and CIE Ra being the international standard color rendering index.