Lighting hue, or “color temperature”, is a scale used to measure how “cool” or “warm” the color of light is. “Cooler” hues will have a more blue tint to them, “warmer” hues will have more of a yellow tint.
These color temperatures are derived from and referred to by the temperature the light burns at. These different hues of white light are denoted by a number with a subsequent K after it, signifying the temperature in degrees Kelvin.
Warmer, yellower hues are produced at lower color temperatures (between 2700K and 4000K)
Colder, blueish hues are produced at higher color temperatures (between 4000K and 8000K)
A pure white light would be graded at 4600K.
Light bulbs will often show their color temperatures on the box to show the warmth or coolness of the light.
- “cool” white: 4600-6500K (bluish hue)
- Common LCD screens: 5500-10500K
- Cloudy sky: 6500K
- Sunlight at noon: 5000K
- “warm” white: 0-4500K
- Most Dekpro railing and riser lights: 3000-3500K
- 100w Halogen bulb: 3000K
- 100w Incandescent bulb: 2800K
- TimberTech in-deck light: 2700K
- Candle: 1900K
