What is Color Rendering Index and How to Inspect It?
Last Updated on March 10, 2022 by Peter Wood
Color Rendering Index is a photography item, which is the well-accepted rule to measure objects with natural outdoor lights. If you have noticed one situation before, you may understand Color Rendering Index meaning in a degree. Everyone has bought clothes before, and then when you step into the department store, or even without going into it, you can see the different lights and light bulbs. The one reason of these lights is to create the atmosphere, which may confuse you, the actual color of your colors. You can find that the actual appearance under sunlight and the department shops are different, that is the easy Color Rendering Index explanation.
Part 1: The definition of color rendering index
Color Rendering Index (CRI) means the comparison between the natural light source and your target lights. You can also understand CRI as the tool to measure how realistically the objects have shown under different lights. The Color Rendering Index scale varies from 1 to 100. CRI is not the official term for light sources. The more frequently-used item is CIE Ra, But you can also use CRI in daily use. The CRI range of daylight is 100. The higher CRI has been, the more naturally your images will express. The simple white color range is 60 to 75 CRI. You may have a clear impression of CRI. It is not familiar with color saturation, as CRI is closer to natural lights.
CRI is for LED lighting. The higher CRI is, the better your light bulbs will show as outdoor sunlight. The same principle can apply to the Color Rendering Index of fluorescent lamps. High CRI can replicate the outlook. Thus, things are familiar with Color Rendering Index LED bulbs. Light bulbs can turn objects cooler or warmer with their shining light sources. For example, the daylight bulb is 80 on the CRI scale. Nowadays, more and more people are paying attention to the CRI spectrum during picking LED light bulbs. If you use the lower Color Rendering Index of light bulbs, your surroundings will be strange and have few links with white balance. White balance images use color distortion to make a special photo effect.
Part 2: Color temperature V.S. color rendering index
Color Temperature is the temperature of light sources. The measurement of Color Temperature is Kelvins, which is more applied by people ask. The daylight Color Temperature is about 5500 degrees, Kelvin. The link between Color Rendering Index and Color Temperature is that CRI and CCT rank in one direction. In most people’s minds, if the Color Temperature rises, the lights will be warmer. However, the truth is that high Color Temperate also related to cool light sources. According to Wikipedia, LED lamps with soft light is 2700 K, and LED light bulbs with warm light is 3000 K. as for moonlight, can you guess? The Color Temperate of moonlight is 4100 to 4150 Kevin. As horizon light is 5000 K, and the clear blue poleward sky ranges from 15,000 to 27,000 K.
Let’s link Color Rendering Index and Color Temperature together to make things sharp. As you have read, the higher CRI is related to higher color temperature. You could see that lights in natural are almost bright and cool. And low lower CRI is equal with orange or even yellower lights, just like candles.
Part 3: Best application to inspect color-rendering index
Though you can distinguish Color Rendering Index comparison, you cannot adjust images with the CRI scale. To solve this problem, you need to install Color Machine. It is the Color Rendering Index app on Mac. You can view, convert and explore color spaces with the verified color library. With the Color Rendering Index application, you can reset RGB, lab colorspace, illumination, color temperature, and so on.
1. Being the Mac Color Rendering Index app, you need to upgrade your Mac into OS X 10.6.6 or later. Moreover, the Mac computer needs to be a 64-bit processor.
2. There is much photo information you can view on the Color Machine. You can view spectral data, observer, illumination, RGB, lab color spaces, 3D view, Metameric, and so on.
You need to import images. And you can use the Color Rendering Index application to view and edit. Color Machine enables you to correct every photo detail on the freeway.
Part 4: More tips about color rendering index
To protect color fidelity, you have to use high Color Rendering Index. If you are chasing color appearance, then you can also use the low Color Rendering Index in some cases. As you have read in the beginning, shops prefer warm lights to create a soft atmosphere. The light bulbs are a low Color Rendering Index. You may hear the interesting saying that women like to date in a dark area. One main reason is romantic, and another reason is that most women look better in the low Color Rendering Index of fluorescent lamps. As for choosing LED bulbs, higher CRI will be better in most cases.
Part 5: Best method to adjust color rendering index
What should you do if you are not satisfied with the color of the taken photos? You might find the photographs in both JPEG and RAW files. Is there a color editor to adjust the parameters? WidsMob Retoucher is the ultimate solution to set the different parameters to get the desired result for your photos.
1. Adjust saturation, contrast, brightness, white balance, and tint for photos.
2. Optimize skin smoothing and skin whitening for portrait images.
3. Reduce the luminance/chrominance noise and sharpness of pictures.
4. LOMO effects to adjust the color opacity, vignetting, and fisheye.
5. Advanced film simulations with 28 camera profiles and film grains.
Step 1: Import photographs into the color editor. Click the Import button to add the photos to the program. It supports both RAW files and JPEG photos. You can also drag-n-drop the images into the program directly. Click the Next option to continue.
Step 2: Click the ADJUSTMENT option to adjust the color settings (temperature) as well as others, such as saturation, contrast, brightness, and tint. Turn on the Before/After mode to compare the effect and choose the desired one.
Step 3: To get the best result of the color, you can also take advantage of the film simulation instead. Choose the FILMPACK option and select the camera profile, color modes, film grain, and other parameters to get the best result.
Step 4: After that, you can click the Save option to save the picture to your computer. You can also click the Share option to upload the photos to social media sites with the color editor.