CRI vs CCT Comparison
Two numbers that are routinely confused: colour rendering and colour temperature.
These two figures sit next to each other on almost every datasheet, and buyers still mix them up. One describes how true colours look; the other describes how warm or cool the white is.
| Comparison | Option A | Option B | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it measures | How faithfully colours appear (Ra 0-100) | How warm or cool the white looks (Kelvin) | Different metric |
| Typical values | 80 general, 90 retail, 95 museum | 2700K warm, 4000K neutral, 5000K cool | Application-dependent |
| Buyer risk when wrong | Merchandise looks dull, skin tones grey | Ambience wrong for the space | Both matter |
| Standard | CIE 13.3, IES TM-30 | ANSI C78.377 | Different standard |
| What to specify | Ra plus R9 for reds | Nominal CCT with a 3-step MacAdam tolerance | Both required |
| Common mistake | Assuming high CCT means high CRI | Assuming 4000K is a colour-rendering claim | Both |
Conclusion
Specify CCT to set the mood and CRI (with R9) to protect colour-critical merchandise. Raising CCT does nothing for colour fidelity — a 6500K fixture with Ra 70 will render a red apple badly.
📩 Get Quotes Instantly
Just leave your email — we will send this specification to matching verified suppliers and reply with their quotes.
Need quotes for this specification?
Get 3 verified supplier quotes — compare price, MOQ and lead time before you commit.
Post a sourcing brief → Compare more products📋 Authoritative Standards Reference
IEC 60529 · CIE 13.3 · ANSI C78.377 · IES LM-79 / LM-80 · UL 1598 / UL 8750 — data verified by the CompareDeals team.