Color Temperature (Kelvin to RGB)

See the colour of a black-body temperature in Kelvin, from warm candlelight to cool daylight. Get the hex and RGB for any temperature.

Hex
RGB
Looks like

This is the colour a black body (an idealised glowing object) emits at a given temperature. Counter-intuitively, lower temperatures look warm (orange) and higher ones look cool (blue). Reference points: candle ~1900K, tungsten bulb ~2700K, daylight ~5500-6500K, overcast sky ~7000K, blue sky ~10000K.

Frequently asked questions

Why does a lower temperature look warmer?

It is the opposite of everyday language. A black body glowing at a low temperature (like a candle, ~1900K) emits warm orange light, while at a high temperature (like the blue sky, ~10000K) it emits cool blue light. Photographers and lighting designers use Kelvin this way.

What are common colour temperatures?

Candlelight is around 1900K, a tungsten bulb 2700K, soft white LEDs 3000K, neutral white 4000K, midday daylight 5500-6500K, overcast sky 7000K, and clear blue sky up to 10000K and beyond.

Is this exact?

It is a well-known approximation of the black-body colour, accurate enough for design, lighting and white-balance work. Real light sources also vary in tint (green-magenta), which a single Kelvin value does not capture.