The higher the colour temperature, the "cooler" the colour is.
Colour temperatures...

• Of 2000K -3000K create a "warm" atmosphere.
• Above 4000K are "cool" in appearance.
• Between 3000K and 4000K are considered intermediate and tend to be preferred.

Colour Rendering Index (CRI) rates a light source's ability to render colours in a natural way, based on a scale from 0 to 100. In general, light sources with high CRI (80-100) will make people and things look better than those with lower CRIs, which is an important feature in terms of safety issues as well.

Light quality also includes the eye-friendliness characteristic of a light source.

• In the case of compact fluorescent lamps, because these light sources operate at very high frequencies, the annoying flicker typical of some fluorescent installations operating with conventional control gear can be avoided. These characteristics make them the most favoured choice for working conditions in terms of health and safety issues.