Why Your Clothes Look Wrong: Understanding CRI
Technical 4 min readDec 20, 2023

Why Your Clothes Look Wrong: Understanding CRI

FM

Formore Lighting

"Is your navy blue shirt looking black? It's not your eyes, it's low CRI. Discover why high CRI is the secret weapon of high-end lighting."

True Colors

CRI (Color Rendering Index) measures how accurately a light source reveals true colors compared to sunlight.

  • CRI < 80: Bad. Colors look washed out.
  • CRI 90+: Excellent. Essential for homes and retail.

The Red (R9) Factor

Most cheap LEDs claim CRI 80 but fail at rendering Red (R9). This makes skin look sickly and wood look dull. Premium LEDs have high R9 values.

Buying Advice

Always check for CRI > 90 for:

  • Bathrooms (Makeup)
  • Kitchens (Food quality)
  • Closets (Distinguish colors)
#CRI#Quality of Light
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