6500K

6500K refers to a color temperature, measured in kelvin, used to describe the apparent color of light. In lighting and color science, color temperature characterizes how warm or cool a light source appears, with lower numbers being warmer (more yellow/red) and higher numbers being cooler (more blue). A light at about 6500K is perceived as cool, bluish-white and is commonly associated with daylight conditions around noon.

In practice, 6500K is often used as a standard reference point. The standard daylight illuminant D65, defined by the International Commission on Illumination (CIE), has a correlated color temperature close to 6504 K and is widely used as the reference white point in color management. Many color spaces and display color profiles, including sRGB and Rec. 709, are calibrated to a D65 white point, making 6500K a common target for neutral white reproduction.

Applications and usage: 6500K is frequently used in photography, videography, and display calibration to achieve a daylight-like neutral white. Photographers may set white balance to around 6500K when shooting under natural daylight or when aiming for a daylight look. In consumer lighting, bulbs marketed as “6500K daylight” are intended to resemble the cool, bluish-white of midday sun.

Variability: Actual daylight color varies with weather and time of day, so 6500K is an approximation. Real light sources labeled 6500K may differ slightly in spectral composition, affecting color rendition.