Back to Basics: Color Rendering Index

In our last Back to Basics blog we covered Correlated Color Temperature or CCT. We touched on the importance of selecting the correct CCT for various applications, from ambient lighting to task lighting, in homes, offices, and commercial spaces. However, not all LED strip lights are created equal in terms of color quality, which can affect the way we perceive colors and objects in the environment.

Color rendering is the ability of a light source to accurately and vividly reproduce colors, as perceived by the human eye. It is measured by the Color Rendering Index (CRI), which is a numerical scale from 0 to 100 that indicates how well a light source renders colors compared to a reference source such as sunlight. The higher the CRI, the better the color rendering ability of the light source.

High CRI lights are particularly important in business applications, where color accuracy and consistency are critical for visual aesthetics, product displays, and customer satisfaction. For instance, in retail stores, restaurants, art galleries, and museums, the lighting can significantly influence the way customers perceive the products and artworks on display. Poor color rendering can make the products or artworks look dull, distorted, or unappealing, leading to lower sales and reduced customer satisfaction.

Here at Solid Apollo we offer ULTRA High CRI LED strip lights that have exceptional color rendering properties. Our ULTRA High CRI lights have CRI ratings from 95 to 97, which means they can reproduce colors with high accuracy and fidelity, as seen in natural sunlight. Moreover, they have high ratings for R9 and R12, which are two crucial color rendering indices for red and blue tones, respectively.

Image of a shelf with colorful markers appearing dull due to low CRI. A caption on the bottom reads "Standard LED strips." Image of a shelf with colorful markers appearing vivid due to ULTRA High CRI. A caption on the bottom reads "ULTRA High CRI LED strips."

Take a look at the two images above simulating how objects in a retail store may appear under standard lighting like florescent tubes vs our ULTRA High CRI LED strips. Notice how the colors are richer under high CRI lighting, especially reds and blues referenced by R9 and R12.

R9 is a measure of how well a light source renders deep red colors, which are important for accentuating and enhancing warm colors in fabrics, flowers, and other objects. Solid Apollo’s ULTRA High CRI lights have R9 ratings up to 97, which is among the highest in the industry, indicating that they can produce deep red colors with exceptional accuracy and saturation.

R12 measures how well a light source renders blue hues. The high R12 rating of Solid Apollo’s lights means that they can accurately render blue hues, which are important for various applications such as medical procedures and clothing or retail stores, where accurate blue hues are critical. Solid Apollo’s ULTRA High CRI LED strip lights have R12 ratings up to 95 which is again among the highest in the industry.

Color rendering is an important factor to consider when choosing LED strip lights for business applications, where visual aesthetics and customer satisfaction are critical. Solid Apollo’s ULTRA High CRI LED strip lights offer exceptional color rendering properties, with high ratings for R9 and R12, making them an ideal choice for retail, hospitality, and other commercial spaces where color accuracy and consistency are paramount.

ULTRA High CRI LED Strips Are Here

Earlier this year we featured the stunning application of our High CRI strips in a new distillery in Buffalo, NY. These LED strips use powerful lighting tech to mimic natural light and provide vivid, accurate colors in any setting. Here at Solid Apollo, we’re focused on innovation. We thought, what if we could take this beloved product and make it better, and that’s exactly what we’ve done. Today we’re introducing our newest line of quality LED strips, ULTRA High CRI. We’ve taken everything that made our High CRI strips amazing and improved upon an already fantastic product.

Animation that replicates the difference between standard LEDs and ULTRA High CRI LEDs, featuring a washed out shelf of fabric that fades into vivid colors to represent ULTRA High CRI.

Our new ULTRA High CRI strips feature updated technology that allows us to produce a strip with every CRI R value in excess of 87. What exactly does this mean and why is it so important? CRI, or color rendering index, is a measurement of the ability of a light source to accurately represent an object’s colors in comparison to natural light. Measured by color values labeled R1 to R15 and rated on a scale of 0 to 100, lights with higher R values will show surroundings and objects in more vivid and realistic colors. Traditional LEDs have CRI averages in the low 80s and often lower. Even many LEDs labeled as High CRI can have low ratings for important values like R9 and R12 which represent vivid reds and deep blues respectively. Our new ULTRA High CRI strips successfully bridge these gaps boasting R9 and R12 values ranging from 87 to 97 with total averages from 95 to 97 for a truly full spectrum line of LED strip lights. Below is an example value graph from our new ULTRA High CRI strips in 3000K showing strong values across the entire CRI gamut.

Color Rendering Index (CRI) • ULTRA High CRI (3000K)

R1 – 99
R2 – 99
R3 – 99
R4 – 97
R5 – 98
R6 – 96
R7 – 97
R8 – 96
R9 – 91
R10 – 97
R11 – 93
R12 – 95
R13 – 98
R14 – 99
R15 – 99

Besides offering unparalleled color rendering, effective lighting offers many benefits especially in retail environments. Customers psychologically respond to light and color. It’s why McDonald’s uses red and yellow to trigger appetite, hunger, and speed and how IKEA guides customers on a specific, curated path through their showrooms. Think about your own experiences as a consumer. Have you purchased a piece of apparel that looked great in-store but then completely different outside? Or conversely maybe you’ve been in a clothing, jewelry, or makeup store where everything was dull and uninspired. The solution to these problems for business owners is our ULTRA High CRI lights.

High CRI lighting ensures merchandise and retail areas are appealing, vivid, and display accurate colors of all a retailer has to offer. Warm lights help to accent cafés, bakeries, and gold jewelry. Cooler pure white lights are perfect for areas with lots of whites and blues, bright marble or stone surfaces, and silver jewelry. A daylight or natural white is the way to go for lighting produce, clothing, or cosmetics where accurate colors as they appear in daylight is very important. Proper use of our fixtures will draw customers’ eyes and increase their likelihood of forming a positive bond with a retail area’s atmosphere and products. Stores that have moved to effective LED lighting have shown an increase in sales of two to twelve percent as reported by Lux Review.

With our new strips and expertise in LED lighting we are ready to help you effectively and professionally light your store, restaurant, bar, and more. Our new ULTRA High CRI line launches now in a full range of color temperatures. Get in touch with us today at info@solidapollo.com or 425.582.7533 to beginning planning your lighting future.