Ligths - Color Temperatures
Light sources and their color irradiation in degrees Kelvin.
The Correlated Color Temperature - CCT - is the absolute temperature of a black radiating reference light source - which emits the same color irradiation as a given light source measured in degrees Kelvin (K).
| Light Source | Correlated Color Temperature - CCT - (K) |
|---|---|
| Clear blue sky | 12000 - 24000 |
| LCD or CRT screen | 6500 - 9500 |
| Uniform daylight - overcast sky | 7000 |
| Average natural daylight | 6500 |
| Xenon short-arc (continuous compact 250 W) | 6200 |
| Electronic flash | 5500 - 6000 |
| Horizon daylight | |
| High intensity carbon arc | 5000 |
| Moonlight | 4100 - 4150 |
| HP mercury cool white lamp | 4000 |
| Fluorescent warm white lamp | 3000 |
| Warm white LED lamp | 3000 |
| Halogen filament lamp | 3000 |
| Soft white LED lamp | 2700 |
| GLS tungsten filament | 2700 |
| Soft white incandescent lamp | 2550 |
| Standard incandescent lamp | 2400 |
| HP sodium lamp, Paraffin flame (flat wick) | 2050 |
| Candle flame | 2000 |
| Sunset, sunrise | 1850 |
| Match flame | 1700 |
- cold colors (bluish white) are color temperatures over 5300 K
- neutral colors are colors temperatures between 3300 - 5300 K
- warm colors (yellowish white through red) are color temperatures below 3300 K
