Lighting is such a vital component in the art installation and display process.  Factors such as distance, angle, fixture type, wattage and spot degree are important but the paramount consideration should be the CRI of the bulb itself.  

CRI is an acronym for Color Rendering Index which measures how natural colors are rendered by artificial light when compared to natural sunlight. The CRI is rated using a numbering system from 0 - 100 with CRI100 indicates that colors are identical between artificial lighting and natural sunlight.  However, the magic CRI range for lighting artwork is pretty narrow.

When selecting the CRI of your bulbs, you should never consider any bulbs having a CRIs below 80. A CRI between 80 and 90 will provide decent color rendering but for the best lighting of your art I would bump the CRI higher.  Here's what you lose and gain with CRIs:

GOOD:  CRI80 to CRI90 will provide good rendering of colors and is what you see in typical commercial applications. What you lose is color saturation that 'pop' to the eye.

BETTER: CRI90+ will give you that pop you're looking for.  All of the colors in your artwork will be bright and vivid while highlighting the overall contrast of the work.  This is the WOW Factor you experienced in the gallery when you first saw the artwork.

BEST:  CRI95 to CRI100 is beyond amazing and upon close inspection, and I emphasize CLOSE,  you will definitely see subtle differences when compared to, let's say, a CRI91 but is the difference really noticeable to everyday viewing?  I'd say no.

NEVER use bulbs having a CRI80 or lower.  These bulbs will make your artwork look drab and even making some colors undefinable.  Your work will look pretty . . . well . . . awful.  I'm not sure why they even have CRI ratings of 0 - 80 but hey, I didn't create the index.

CRI is really something you should consider for all of your home lighting.  Upgrade your lighting to a CRI-90+ and you'll soon find your friends complimenting on your cabinets, countertops and everything else that uses artifical lighting.

For our gallery, we exlusively use CRI-91 LED spots with a temperature rating of 3000K and a mix of 25deg and 40deg spot throws.  I'll dive deeper into temperature and spot degrees in another blog, but for now, be on the lookout for high CRI bulbs for use in lighting your beautiful artwork.

-Pablo