While light can be produced in specific colors for a special aesthetic effect, white light is the standard in home lighting. The choice doesn’t stop there, however, as more than one shade of white can be produced by light sources. This choice becomes particularly important when considering light sources such as compact fluorescent lamps, or CFLs.

1. www.IESLightLogic.org
Light Logic aims to help
consumers learn about residential
lighting best practices, design,
energy efficiency and all topics
regarding lighting a home.
Visit Light Logic at:
www.IESLightLogic.org

2. Shades of White
White Light
•Light is made up of different colors
•Not all colors are needed to make the color white
•More than one shade of white can be produced by
light sources
•Designers can use this to control how colors appear
in a space

3. Shades of White
Choosing the Right Color
•Lighting industry has developed a metric to evaluate
the color tone of light
•Measured in Kelvins (K)
•Note the color temperature on the packaging when
buying a light source

4. Shades of White
Color Tones of Light Source
•Cool >4000K “bluish-white”
•Neutral >3000K-4000K “appears white”
•Warm <3000K “orangish-white”

5. www.IESLightLogic.org
Light Logic aims to help
consumers learn about residential
lighting best practices, design,
energy efficiency and all topics
regarding lighting a home.
Read the full article at:
http://www.ieslightlogic.org/learn-ab

6. www.IESLightLogic.org
Light Logic aims to help
consumers learn about residential
lighting best practices, design,
energy efficiency and all topics
regarding lighting a home.
Read the full article at:
http://www.ieslightlogic.org/learn-ab