Glossary
Need clarification on what a specific term in the world of lighting and design means? Welcome to Luminosa's glossary with definitions that represent the knowledge of the majority of those who work in the light and design world.

ACCENT LIGHTING
Lighting that is used to highlight or draw attention to a specific object or feature in your space by producing a narrow and direct beam of light.

AMBIENT LIGHTING
Lighting that is used to provide general visibility. Differs from accent or task lighting in that it is used to set the ambiance of a space, not to highlight a specific feature.

AMPERES or AMPS
The measurement of electrical current. Watts (power - see 'Wattage') = Volts x Amps.

ARCHITECTURAL LIGHTING
Lighting that is part of the design and construction of a building.

BACKLIGHTING
Lighting that illuminates an object from behind casting a glow-like effect.

BASE
A lamp component that provides physical support and electric power.

BULB
A transparent case typically made of glass that holds a light source.

COLOUR RENDERING INDEX or CRI
The CRI is a scale from 0-100% demonstrating how accurate a light source is at rendering colour in comparison to a reference source. The higher the CRI, the better the light source's ability to render the colour. A CRI of 85-90 is considered good colour rendering ability.

COLOUR TEMPERATURE
Colour temperature measures a light source's colour temperature in Kelvins.


DESK LAMP
A fixture placed on desk that provides task lighting.

DIFFUSER
A piece of glass placed in front of a bulb to scatter the light which reduces glare and promotes uniformity.

DIMMER
Controls light output by controlling the power supply, allowing customized lighting and energy savings.

INCANDESECENT LAMP
Lighting that produces light by heating a thin filament wire by passing an electric current through it.

INDIRECT LIGHTING
Lighting a space by directing light towards the ceiling so that the illumination bounces off the ceiling back towards the entire area.

LED
The best lighting in the market thanks to energy efficiency, design flexibility and colours available, LED stands for light-emitting diode which means light is emitted when the solid is exposed to electric current.

LUMENS
Measurement for quantity of light emitted by a source.

LUMINAIRE or FIXTURE
A complete lighting unit including a lamp, ballast, protection, and power supply.

PENDANT
Lighting that is hung from the ceiling to illuminate a large space or provide task lighting.

SCONCE
Lighting that is fixed to the wall, typically for decoration.

TASK LIGHTING
Fixtures for task lighting are installed in areas where specific tasks are carried out, such as under a cabinet in the kitchen to aid with food preparation.

TRACK LIGHTING
Lighting fixtures mounted on a power supply track where each fixture can point a different direction to illuminate a space.

VALANCE LIGHTING
Lighting from sources on wall above eye level, directed either upward or downward.

VOLT
A measurement of electrical pressure between two points. The higher the voltage, the more current pushed through.

WATTAGE
The amount of electrical power an appliance or device is required.

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