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Lighting for painting miniatures: CRI, colour temperature and lux

Read hobby lamp specifications without confusing colour rendering, light output and brightness at the model.

By the Miniature Painting Stations team · Updated 2026-10-25

Read a lamp specification in three parts: how colours are rendered, how much light is delivered, and whether the lamp physically fits your painting space. No single number answers all three questions.

Specification What it describes What to keep beside it
Colour temperature, K Warm or cool appearance of light Fixed or adjustable settings
CRI Colour rendering against a reference light The index actually reported
R9 A supplementary saturated-red rendering value Missing means unknown, not zero
Lumens, lm Light output Lamp model and setting
Lux, lx Light reaching a surface Measurement distance and setting
Watts, W Electrical power Not a direct brightness measurement

Colour rendering: compare the stated index

The CIE defines colour rendering by comparing the appearance of an object under a test light and a reference light. In practical terms, this gives you evidence about colour appearance, rather than a measurement of how bright the desk will be. A high CRI claim does not tell you about arm reach, shadows or glare.

Look for the precise wording behind a headline number. Conventional general CRI is often labelled Ra. Some makers report a broader set of samples or separate metrics. Do not quietly treat different indices as interchangeable. Our lamp comparer keeps maker wording alongside figures where that distinction matters.

R9 relates to saturated red. If the manufacturer publishes it, keep it separate rather than folding it into an invented overall score. If absent, ask the maker or leave it unknown. An omitted specification is not proof of poor performance.

Colour temperature is a separate choice

Colour temperature is expressed in kelvin. In ordinary lamp descriptions, lower settings look warmer and higher settings look cooler. Two lamps with a similar colour temperature can still differ in colour rendering and light distribution. The word daylight alone is therefore not enough to compare them.

For a repeatable setup, note the setting you choose. If you move between a desk lamp, room light and a window, check a finished model under the light in which you intend to display or play with it. That is a practical comparison, not a guarantee that colours will look identical everywhere.

Lumens and lux answer different questions

Zumtobel distinguishes luminous flux, measured in lumens, from illuminance, measured in lux. Think of the first as output and the second as light arriving at the surface. Distribution, position and distance matter to what reaches your miniature.

Always read a lux figure together with its distance. A value measured at one distance cannot fairly be put beside another distance as if both were the same test. Extended lamp heads, diffusers and multiple light bars also make a simple desk-distance prediction misleading. We do not recalculate maker lux figures for another distance.

Check fit before selecting a model

Measure from the intended mount to your painting position. Check arm reach, movement and clearance beneath any shelf. For a clamp, confirm desk thickness and whether an underside rail prevents it gripping properly. For a base, include its footprint in your layout.

Then consider controls. Can you adjust brightness while holding a model? Will the head stay where you need it? Are replacement parts, power supply and UK plug details clear? These questions often narrow a shortlist more usefully than a tiny difference between headline figures.

Compare sourced data in the hobby lamp comparer, or read about lamp shapes and placement. Manufacturer specifications are evidence for a shortlist; check your own workspace before ordering.

Sources & further reading