Many of us like using fluorescent lamps for saving energy, but we haven't cared for the quality of the light they produce. The fact is, though, that some fluorescent lamps can, and do, produce the best color rendering available from artificial light.

The trick is to look for the color temperature number on the package, on the light bulb, or on the tube. This number is expressed in degrees Kelvin, as in "5000 K." The higher the number, the cooler the light is and the closer it is to sunlight. Color temperature numbers generally range from about 2700 K for "cool white" to 6500 K for lamps that closely match sunlight.

For a long time, fluorescent tubes and pin-base CFs were the only practical choice for real differences in color rendering, but some manufacturers now offer a performance range in screw-base compact fluorescent bulbs.

Note: The color number may be abbreviated by leaving off the two zeros. A tube with "65K" printed on it has an actual color temperature value of 6500 degrees Kelvin.