Home
Back
Color Temperature Estimation Formula:
| From: | To: |
Color temperature is a characteristic of visible light that describes the color of light emitted by an idealized black-body radiator. It is measured in kelvins (K) and ranges from warm (lower values) to cool (higher values) colors.
The calculator uses an approximation formula to estimate color temperature from RGB values:
Where:
Explanation: The algorithm converts RGB values to CIE XYZ color space, then calculates chromaticity coordinates to approximate the correlated color temperature.
Details: Color temperature is crucial in photography, cinematography, lighting design, and display calibration. It affects mood perception, visual comfort, and color accuracy in various applications.
Tips: Enter RGB values between 0-255 for each color channel. The calculator will provide an approximate color temperature in kelvins. Note that this is an estimation and may not be perfectly accurate for all color values.
Q1: What is the typical range of color temperatures?
A: Common color temperatures range from 1000K (candlelight) to 10000K (blue sky), with 2700-3000K being warm white, 3500-4100K cool white, and 5000-6500K daylight.
Q2: How accurate is this estimation?
A: This provides a reasonable approximation but may not be as accurate as professional color measurement instruments. Results are most accurate for neutral colors.
Q3: Can I use this for LED lighting selection?
A: Yes, this can help approximate the color temperature of LED lights based on their RGB values, though actual measurements may vary.
Q4: Why do different RGB values produce the same color temperature?
A: Different color combinations can produce similar perceived color temperatures due to the way human vision processes color and brightness.
Q5: What are the limitations of this calculation?
A: The calculation works best for colors close to the black-body locus and may be less accurate for highly saturated colors or colors far from the Planckian locus.