What does the LED spectrum of a full spectrum strip actually look like?
On a full spectrum board the LED spectrum is a smooth curve from 380 nm to 780 nm rather than the spike-and-valley shape most white LEDs produce. A 405 nm violet die feeds a three-phosphor blend, so the 480-500 nm cyan region sits within roughly 15% of its neighbouring bands instead of collapsing into the dip a 450 nm blue chip leaves behind. Each production lot ships with the measured SPD file at 5 nm resolution, plus TM-30 Rf/Rg and the duv figure, so the curve can be verified rather than believed.
Reading the cyan region on an SPD chart
Print the SPD and look at three places. First, the pump peak: a narrow spike at 450 nm means blue excitation, a smaller peak near 405 nm means violet. Second, the 480–500 nm band: on a blue-pump board this is the valley between the pump spike and the phosphor hump, often 40–60% below the surrounding output. Third, the tail beyond 650 nm, which controls R9 and how deep reds read.
A curve that stays within roughly 15% of its local neighbours across 420–650 nm is what makes colour rendering behave predictably under mixed daylight. This is also why full spectrum tape mixes well with north-facing window light in galleries and studios, where a cyan-deficient source visibly separates from daylight.
Verification data supplied with each lot
Spectral claims should be verifiable, not marketing. Every DENO full spectrum lot ships with the measured SPD file at 5 nm resolution, the LM-79 integrating-sphere report for flux and efficacy, the TM-30 Rf/Rg report, the duv figure and the SDCM bin against the lot number. That package is what a specifier or notified body needs to reproduce the claim independently.
Industry references and standards
- Metrology & laboratories — ANSI/IES TM-30 Colour Rendition Method — Rf / Rg fidelity and gamut metrics quoted throughout our spectral data.
- Museums & conservation — CIE 157: Control of Damage to Museum Objects by Optical Radiation — Exposure limits and damage factors used by museum lighting schedules.
- Metrology & laboratories — NIST Optical Radiation Measurement — Traceable photometric and spectroradiometric measurement references.
More full spectrum answers
- What is the difference between a high CRI LED strip and a full spectrum LED strip?
- Is violet-excited high CRI LED lighting better than a normal blue-chip white LED?
- Is 90 CRI enough, or do you need a 95 or 98 CRI LED strip?
- Which high density LED strip stops you seeing dots in a shallow cove?
- Are high CRI LED strips available in 24V, and do they dim without changing colour?
- Can you use a full spectrum LED strip to grow plants?