Color temperature

The CIE 1931 x,y chromaticity space, also showing the chromaticities of black-body light sources of various temperatures (Planckian locus), and lines of constant correlated color temperature

Color temperature is a parameter describing the color of a visible light source by comparing it to the color of light emitted by an idealized opaque, non-reflective body. The temperature of the ideal emitter that matches the color most closely is defined as the color temperature of the original visible light source. The color temperature scale describes only the color of light emitted by a light source, which may actually be at a different (and often much lower) temperature.[1][2]

Color temperature has applications in lighting,[3] photography,[4] videography,[5] publishing,[6] manufacturing,[7] astrophysics,[8] and other fields. In practice, color temperature is most meaningful for light sources that correspond somewhat closely to the color of some black body, i.e., light in a range going from red to orange to yellow to white to bluish white. Although the concept of correlated color temperature extends the definition to any visible light, the color temperature of a green or a purple light rarely is useful information. Color temperature is conventionally expressed in kelvins, using the symbol K, a unit for absolute temperature.

Color temperatures over 5000 K are called "cool colors" (bluish), while lower color temperatures (2700–3000 K) are called "warm colors" (yellowish). "Warm" in this context is with respect to a traditional categorization of colors, not a reference to black body temperature. The hue-heat hypothesis states that low color temperatures will feel warmer while higher color temperatures will feel cooler. The spectral peak of warm-colored light is closer to infrared, and most natural warm-colored light sources emit significant infrared radiation. The fact that "warm" lighting in this sense actually has a "cooler" color temperature often leads to confusion.[9]

  1. ^ "Colour temperature explained | Adobe". www.adobe.com. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
  2. ^ "What is Color Temperature? How Does it Affect Color Performance of the Monitor?". BenQ. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
  3. ^ "Kelvin Color Temperature Chart | Lighting Color Scale at Lumens". www.lumens.com. February 22, 2022. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
  4. ^ IoP (April 17, 2023). "Colour Temperature and Its Importance in Photography". Institute of Photography. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
  5. ^ Redding, Kevin (February 10, 2023). "Why Color Temperature Is Important in Filmmaking and Editing". Backstage. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
  6. ^ "Correct Color Temperature When Lighting Prints". Gintchin Fine Art. December 23, 2020. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
  7. ^ de Varona, Ray (January 24, 2020). "Ideal Color Temperature for Office and Industrial Spaces". RelightDepot. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
  8. ^ "Colors of Stars | Astronomy". courses.lumenlearning.com. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
  9. ^ See the comments section of this LightNowBlog.com article Archived 2017-03-07 at the Wayback Machine on the recommendations of the American Medical Association to prefer LED-lighting with cooler color temperatures (i.e. warmer color).