Lighting 101

Understanding lighting starts with understanding three key ideas: the quantity of light, measured in lumens; the quality of light referred to as color temperature and color rendering; and the function of the light, which is either ambient, accent, or task.
The best way to understand these concepts is to look around - lighting is virtually everywhere. Look at the type of lighting, where it is used, what it is lighting and the affect on the area or object.

> LUMEN

is a measurement of the overall perceived quantity of light that is produced from a light source.All data that you find on light sources is in lumens.
A common question about a light source is the relationship between lumens and wattage. The higher the efficiency of the light source, the higher lumens per watt. In other words, how much light am I getting for the electricity I am paying for?

> KELVIN

color temperature describes the appearance of the light source on a scale from red to blue. The name of the measurement of the scale is known as Kelvin temperature. Do you remember the terms cool white and warm white? Cool white is bluish in color and warm white is reddish. The Kelvin degree of cool white is 4100 and warm white is 3000. The color temperature of lamps ranges from 2500k to 6500k.
When you think of a space that is cooler or blue in color, what do you think of? A space that is warmer in color? Most stores use a Kelvin rating of 4100.

> CRI

while color temperature helps create an atmosphere, color rendering is the measurement of how well a light source duplicates the color of an object compared to sunlight. This measurement is known as the CRI or Color Rendering Index. Most stores are lit with fluorescent lamps. Fluorescent lamps are available with a color rendering index from 70 to 85. The higher the CRI the closer the actual color is as compared to outside light.
Have you ever purchased paint in a store only to come home and find it is not exactly the same color of the chip? That could have been caused by the color rendering capability of the light source in the store versus the light in your house. They were probably different. Your house is lit mostly by incandescent lamps and the light that spills in from outside.

> AMBIENT

or general lighting, is the base of the stores lighting system. It is designed to deliver a predominately uniform level of light throughout an area. Ambient lights are part of the initial build of the store. It includes all the lighting above the store merchandising fixtures and gondolas.
Methods of providing ambient light include: Downlighting with fixtures mounted from the ceiling or recessed in the ceiling. Uplighting, or indirect lighting, which bounces light off the ceiling.

> ACCENT

lighting is used to create awareness of products or highlight an area. This type of lighting increases the light level above the ambient light level, thus creating a focal point. It includes lighting in headers, signs, shelves, light boxes and spot lighting.
Methods of Accent lighting include: Light Boxes, Linear strip, Header, Gondola lighting.

> TASK

lighting is very specific and functional. It is the type of lighting that is required to help perform a task such as lighting a reservation book in a dark restaurant, inspect merchandise, or help a clerk check out a customer.
Methods of task lighting include; Linear Strip light, Desk lamps and overhead lighting.