It describes the output of devices that emit light visible to the human eye.

What Is a Lumen?

Lumens measure the volume of light coming from a given source.

It’s an oversimplification.

For us non-scientists, it’s good enough for… well, non-scientist work.

One important distinction is lumens measure light as it’s emitted directly from its source.

Lumens are therefore essential when selecting products like light bulbs.

It will tell you how efficient the bulb is at converting electricity to light.

What Is an ANSI Lumen?

ANSI lumens are similar to SI lumens as they’re both measures of light output.

However, ANSI lumens are generally considered more accurate, as the standard includes some specific conditions for measurement.

So the most crucial difference is that the ANSI lumen standard was designed to measure the output of projectors.

FAQ

For daytime use, outdoor projectors need at least 1,000 ANSI lumens.