Assessing LED Lights for Visual Changes in Textile Colors

Abstract

Increasingly, museums are installing energy-saving light sources, such as LED (light emitting diode) lamps. LEDs represent an evolving technology; there are concerns about the effects of light spectra on artifacts, including textiles. Many LED models do not possess the same color rendering properties that observers are accustomed to, and it is important to understand the effects that spectra can play on dyed textiles. This research focuses on the visual effects of different light spectra, including those of LEDs, on textile colorants in order to gauge the range of color differences produced. Nine early synthetic dyes and one commercial fading standard were utilized. This paper summarizes our findings to date: that LED spectra with the same color temperature can render very different observable colors, especially with saturated colors. Saturated purples were found to be extremely hard to render accurately with LEDs. Other hues may also be compromised. Experimental work indicates that color temperature, illuminance level, and the commercial Color Rendering Index (CRI) are insufficient specifications for exhibitions LED light sources. An instrumental method for assessing LEDs before exhibition installation is suggested.