Desk lighting glossary
Lumens, lux, Kelvin, CRI, and the other terms on lamp boxes, in one place.
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A to F
general room light. See task lighting.
compact fluorescent lamp. More efficient than incandescent, less than LED; contains a small amount of mercury. See LED vs other bulbs.
how warm or cool white light looks, in Kelvin. See bulbs.
how accurately a light shows colors, on a scale up to 100. ENERGY STAR bulbs score at least 80. See bulbs.
a cover that spreads light and hides bright points.
works with a dimmer or has its own dimming control.
one lumen per square foot, about 10.76 lux. See lumens and lux.
G to K
the US regulatory term for everyday household bulbs covered by DOE efficiency standards.
discomfort from a bright source or reflection in view.
a type of incandescent bulb. Bright, hot, less efficient than LED.
a bulb that makes light by heating a filament. Least efficient.
the unit for color temperature. Lower is warmer.
L to Z
light-emitting diode. The most efficient common light source.
the US label showing brightness, yearly energy cost, life, light appearance, and watts.
a unit of light output. Use it to compare brightness.
light landing on a surface; one lumen per square meter.
focused light on a work area.
power used, not brightness.
General information, not medical advice. See an eye care professional about eye strain or vision concerns.
