How to choose colour temperature
Colour temperature is not an aesthetic preference: it changes how a material is perceived, how the customer behaves and even how well people sleep.
- Reference standard
- CIE · MacAdam (SDCM)
- Scale
- 2700 K (cálida) – 5000 K (fría)
- Where it applies
- Hostelería 2700 · Retail 3000 · Oficina 4000
- How it is measured
- CCT real y Duv con espectrómetro
CCT is measured in kelvin, from warm to cool: 2700 K is dusk light (hospitality, bedrooms), 3000 K the retail and residential standard, 4000 K the neutral for offices, classrooms and warehouses, and 5000 K only for inspection or quality-control tasks.
Material matters as much as use: wood, warm textiles and leather call for 2700–3000 K because the material’s red is reinforced. Steel, glass, white and fresh produce hold up better at 4000 K. A fashion store at 4000 K sells worse — not by feeling, but because fabrics lose warmth.
Consistency matters more than the exact value: CCT jumps within one room expose the installation and muddy colour perception. This is where MacAdam (SDCM) consistency comes in: ≤2 SDCM means two luminaires of the same reference are indistinguishable to the eye; at 5 SDCM you see tonal patches between neighbouring spots.
Beware nominal versus real CCT: a source sold as 3000 K may measure 3050 K with a positive Duv (greenish tint). It is the difference between publishing the chip value or measuring the finished luminaire with a spectrometer; we publish both: real CCT 3018 K and Duv −0.0062.
- One CCT per space; if you mix zones, make the change coincide with an architectural change.
- Require ≤3 SDCM in retail and museum projects; ≤2 is the premium level.
- Check Duv: a high positive value drifts green and ruins skin tones.
- Reserve 5000 K for inspection; in occupied spaces it feels cold and tiring.
