Anyone use cinematic gels (colored plastic) to warm up LED lighting?

7 years ago

I’m one of those people who love and pine for incandescent lighting. Still, I use LED’s to help preserve the planet for future generations, and to keep marital peace regarding electricity costs. I hate the LED lighting, though.

I‘ve had some luck warming up rooms by using lamps with cream colored or other “yellow” tones lampshades, but I hate the overhead recessed lighting color.

I came across this post about using cinematic gels—basically translucent sheets of colored plastic, like thick cellophane—to change the look of LED’s in a lighted IKEA piece of furniture: https://www.diyphotography.net/ikea-hack-warm-led-accent-lighting-using-photography-gels/

I want to try this in my overhead lighting, but will have to figure out how to attach the gels to the all-in-one recessed “can” lights we have throughout the house.

Has anyone else heard of this or tried it??

From what I can figure, it‘s safe with LED’s because they don’t generate much heat.

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Comments (5)

Lisa G
7 years ago
I have 2700k LEDs and they look incredibly close to incandescents. I also have adjustable color temp LEDs in my bedroom lamps and they will adjust down to candlelight orange color all the way up to daylight.
Teacher Mom thanked Lisa G
Joe T.
7 years ago
Here are some color correcting gels. I wouldn't worry about heat from the lights affecting the gels. Gels are made to work with very bright, hot lights, so the warmth from an LED isn't going to bother them.

Installing them so they look good will probably be a pain. It might be easier just to try 2700k LEDs.
Teacher Mom thanked Joe T.
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Neptune Lighting Design
7 years ago
I would try 2700k LED lights , some manufacturers are coming out with dim to warm LED lights,

as you dim the light the warmer they get . I have experimented with gels in some applications and found that they deteriorate after time , not sure if it was due to heat or just the product I used . It will be a pain to make the gels look good .
Teacher Mom thanked Neptune Lighting Design
Teacher Mom
Original Author
7 years ago
Thank you all. Would you believe I *do* have the 2700 on dimmers, and still feel they lack the warmth I miss?

Maybe I just need to switch to

candlelight!
tklempf
5 years ago
I came across your post looking for ways to make my very expensive LED recessed lights in my house warmer. I have 2700k and I absolutely despise them. They’re so white and when I dim them they turn pinkish. Why do people say 2700 is warm? It’s not! I would try placing gels on them but I have to remove the entire trim to get the light out. And then I’m wondering when the lights are off during the day will I have orange or yellow spots all over my ceiling. Have you found a solution?