Artificial Full Spectrum Light

Natural daylight is a true "white" light, which contains a balance of energy throughout the entire range of the visible spectrum. Full-spectrum lighting is the most accurate reproduction of natural sunlight available. John N. Ott was a pioneer in full-spectrum lighting. He turned his hobby and lifelong interest in time-lapse photography into a full-time investigation of the ecology of light and color. As a result of his work, the first full-spectrum fluorescent tube which he called Vita-Light was developed and brought to the market by Duro-Test Corporation. Today there are many manufactures of 'full-spectrum' or 'daylight' bulbs, however, not all 'full-spectrum bulbs are created equal.

There are two primary factors in choosing true full spectrum lighting:

1. Color Rendering Index (CRI).
The Color Rendering Index rates the light's ability to duplicate the entire visible spectrum. The sun, for example, has a CRI of 100. Anything over 90 CRI is considered full-spectrum lighting. Opt for the highest CRI you can find.

2. Correlated Color Temperature.
Correlated Color Temperature measures the temperature at which a lamp burns. A color temperature of 5,000 to 6,500 degrees Kelvin is required to be considered full-spectrum.

A full-spectrum light source is a bulb that has a CRI of 90 or above with a color temperature between 5,000 and 7,500 degrees Kelvin.

Further to full-spectrum light, there is another form of light which only the sun provides. Though it has received a lot of “bad media” in the past, UV is just as important to our health as the other parts of light. Remembering that it should be experienced in moderation, UV is the part of light which allows our bodies to produce vitamin D. Without it, we become vitamin D deficient.