Colour Temperature

Colour temperature is a way to describe the light appearance provided by a light bulb (lamp). It is measured in degrees of Kelvin (K) on a scale from 1,000 to 10,000.

Typically, commercial and residential lighting application Kelvin temperatures fall somewhere on a scale from 2000K to 6500K.

A light bulb’s (lamp’s) colour temperature lets us know what the look and feel of the light produced will be.

At the lower end of the scale, from 2000K to 3000K, the light produced is called “warm white” and ranges from orange to yellow-white in appearance.

Colour temperatures between 3100K and 4500K are referred to as “cool white” or “bright white.” Light bulbs (lamps) within this range will emit a more neutral white light and may even have a slightly blue tint.

Above 4500K brings us into the “daylight” colour temperature of light. Light bulbs (lamps) with colour temperatures of 4500K and above will give off a blue-white light that mimics daylight.