TECHNICAL BULLETIN
Shedding Light on The Situation
A color’s Light Reflectance Value (LRV) measures the amount of visible and usable light that reflects from or absorbs into a painted surface. Simply put, LRV measures the percentage of light a paint color reflects.
Light Reflectance Value
LRV is measured on a scale that ranges from zero (absolute black, absorbing all light and heat) to 100 percent (pure white, reflecting all light). Building and design professionals—from architects and engineers to interior designers and color consultants—use these measurements as guidelines to predict how light or dark a color will appear. The values are also used by lighting designers to calculate the number and type of light fixtures needed to provide a certain amount of light for interior spaces.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Accessibility Guidelines recommends a 70% light reflectance value or higher for those with impaired vision, but this is not a strict requirement. There are a number of color combinations in the 60-70% range that work well.
Knowing a color’s LRV is helpful when coordinating colors or creating a mood. It also helps businesses, schools, and homes stay energy efficient—choosing a color with a larger LRV probably won’t require as much lighting or air conditioning as a color that soaks up light and warms easily
Identifying LRV
Now that you know the importance of LRV, remember where to find the number! Diamond Vogel has made it easy with three ways to find each color’s distinct LRV:
Back of Color Samples: Browsing paint samples? Check for the LRV on the back of our color samples or indexed in the back of our fan deck.
Diamond Vogel’s Color Notations Page: Hatching a plan? Visit our Color Notations page for an easy-to-use online database that allows sorting by paint number, paint name, or LRV percentage.
Diamond Vogel’s Color Finder: Looking online? Visit the Color Finder for an interactive, visually-enhanced resource to learn important details about each color, including the LRV.
Reflect on This
A paint color’s LRV is commonly looked over, but by understanding the number’s value (pun intended!), you can simplify your selection process and be on your way to uncovering the best color for your space.
For further information on LRV, contact your Diamond Vogel representative.