Do high CRI shop lights make a difference?

[Two_6s]

It seems lately, alot of my regular customers want to go ceramic, for the protection benefits. I was wondering, do higher CRI shop lights help in the process at all? I currently have 80 CRI (color rendering index) lights, but think I may want to change things up, if a higher CRI will improve visibility.

[spazzz]

I remember reading something awhile ago when researching bulbs that a candle has the best CRI

Just grabbed this from a sight

-----------

All incandescent and halogen light bulbs, by definition, have a CRI close to 100. They are excellent at rendering color. However, except for some halogen bulbs, most incandescents produce a warm 2800K color temperature. The only way to achieve the bluish white appearance of daylight with incandescent bulbs is to use bulbs coated with neodymium. However, these bulbs have a CRI much lower than 90. They are not good for accurate color rendering across the spectrum.


-----------

My eyes like 5000k-65000k bulbs.
I personally can't see diddle with low kelvin bulbs. Everything looks the same to me with no definition.

[FUNX650]

It seems lately, alot of my regular customers
want to go ceramic, for the protection benefits.

I was wondering, do higher CRI shop lights
help in the process at all? I currently have 80
CRI (color rendering index) lights, but think I
may want to change things up, if a higher CRI
will improve visibility.

•CRI is, basically, a measurement (0–100) of
how “accurate” things appear under a light:
-the higher the CRI, the more the accuracy.

•Therefore, IMO:
-Shop lights having a very high CRI would, most
definitely, be a helpmate in the Coating processes.

•As such:
-I’ll recommend lamps having a
CRI rating of at least 90, or more.


Bob

[WristyManchego]

In short, there are three things that define lighting conditions for a detailer:

CRI: Colour rendering index - how accurately a light source renders colour

Lumens/LUX: Brightness

Colour temperature: measured in kelvin, how cool or warm a light source is

Lighting can come in almost any combination of the above attributes. Each attribute can affect the others to some degree.

A high CRI light isn’t paramount for a detailer however it does serve to enhance the accuracy of colour representation to your eyes.

If you do any sort of colour matching or require colour accuracy, a high CRI light is essential.

Lumens determines how much a light source can “fill” a space. This needs to be matched to your environment; a warehouse will need more luminous flux to adequately light the space than a portable light rack that sits 2m away from a vehicle.

You would have seen incorrect LUX if you’ve ever held an inspection light too close to the paint, the surface is flooded and defects are difficult to see.

Colour temperature relates more closely to CRI as a high kelvin source will wash out colour quite quickly. Blue light has a colour dampening effect.

You’ll have seen this if you’ve ever used a high K light/torch at night, especially in the bush where there is a lot of depth, everything seems flat and it is hard to determine depth.

Colour temp is important to help see curves in the bodywork and seperate layers of defects in the paint system.

Having the correct lighting to match your environment, the subject and to some extent, your tastes, is very important for a detailer. It serves to reduce eye strain and fatigue and is a catalyst for high quality work.

Each of the above attributes contribute to achieving the perfect lighting conditions for a given subject.