What is Warm Dimming?
“Warm dimming” refers to a light source’s gradual shift from a cooler “daylight white” at higher levels of brightness, to a warmer, amber color at lower light levels. Research has proven that humans prefer this natural shift and typically find warm shades of amber more appealing. Using gas-discharge fluorescent lamps, Dutch physicist, Aerie Andries Kruithof, was able to manipulate the color of emitted light and ask observers to report as to whether or not the source was pleasing to them. The Kruithof curve describes a region of illuminance levels and color temperatures that are often viewed as comfortable or pleasing to an observer
Ketra Lighting Vs. Traditional LEDS for warm dimming
Despite humans having a preference towards natural lighting, typical LEDS tend to produce a bright white light which is overall unappealing, even for those with dimming capabilities. As a typical white LED is dimmed, it simply produces less blue and less yellow light. The white light is the same color, there’s just less of it because the color temperature is never changed, resulting in a flat colorless dim.
Ketra’s Dynamic Spectrum LED solution produces a warm, natural dim. What is warm dimming. Unlike typical LED lighting, Ketra generates white light by combining multiple, saturated red, green, and blue primary light sources with a phosphor-converted white LED. Because Ketra combines the white LED with varying amounts of red, green, and blue light, Ketra’s white light can be gradually adjusted to match the dimming curve of a traditional light source, such as an incandescent lamp — shifting to a more amber color as it’s dimmed. The result is a warm dim curve that is pleasing and more natural than typical LED lighting.
Tunable White LED systems Vs. Full Spectrum LED Systems
Not all tunable LED systems can produce a natural dim. While they have some dimming capability, tunable white systems typically create what is warm dimming, as an effect by mixing together two color channels such as a warm white LED and a cool white LED. Color is tuned between two color points, such as 5,000K and 2,700K and can never reach lower than 2,700K. To get a real natural dim effect, the light source should be able to go down to 1,400K and lower. Further, in order to emulate the amber shift, the color must be tuned as it is dimmed – a capability that is unique to full-spectrum lighting solutions like Ketra.
Ketra is uniquely calibrated to maintain its candlelight warmth over its lifetime. Every Ketra lamp meets the correlated color temperature and tuning requirements to produce a warm candlelight glow. Their multicolor light source combines all of the colored LEDs so that when the light is emitted, it always appears as one uniform color. Ketra’s proprietary intelligent driver chip and LED module address the challenges of color mixing and color maintenance to deliver high-quality light that maintains precise color output – including the warmest, most natural dim hues – over its lifetime.
Ketra and Lutron are revolutionizing the way we experience light with their innovative warm dimming options. These advanced lighting systems provide a limitless range of warm dimming capabilities, allowing users to seamlessly transition from bright, energizing light to soft, cozy illumination. Ketra’s technology mimics the natural progression of sunlight, adjusting not just brightness but also color temperature, creating an inviting atmosphere tailored to any occasion. Lutron complements this with its sophisticated control systems, enabling effortless adjustments through smart devices. Together, they create a harmonious balance of light that enhances mood, productivity, and comfort in any space.
Whether it’s for a relaxing evening at home or an inspiring workspace, Ketra and Lutron deliver unparalleled lighting flexibility and help answer the question; “what is warm dimming?”
Haley Hubner: Advanced Integrated Controls
